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MYM 20: Moveset Creation Thread, Contest Over, MYM21 Starting June 1st

FrozenRoy

Smash Lord
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,266
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Switch FC
SW-1325-2408-7513
Froy Day 2018

Six Years Of Make Your Move!

It is kind of crazy to me to think that six years ago, on my birthday, was when I started Make Your Move. When I first started off, making Scizor and expecting it to be bad (it was), I wasn't sure how well I'd really be received in the community. An invitation to Leadership, a victory and a calvalcade of high placings long erased any doubt that my young newcomer mind may have had about that, and today I stand as one of the top Make Your Movers around. A long way from Demyx's guitar twangs with Perches Poxtrot, eh?

But Make Your Move is not a contest of one mere person, and many people have been a part of my career, for good and for ill. And so I thought that, on Make Your Move's 10th anniversary, and on my 6th, that Froy Day should not be an event just for me. It should be an event for everyone, a celebration of the joy of creating Smash Brothers movesets, the wonders of fighting games, the broad appeal of franchises people create, and its freedom it enjoys its game designers. It is not just me who has evolved. Simply compare the top sets of Make Your Move 12 to those of today and you will see a clear upgrade in pracicality, in how we design sets, in our balance and in ourselves.

And so I say: Thank you for the last 6 years, where Make Your Move has been an important part of my life, and a hope to many years more. I now invite everyone across Make Your Move to join in the Froy Day festivities, post the sets they have created, and make this a day to remember! And, again, thank you for everything! Froy Day will offically last until the end of the 11th this year...but, of course, don't let time hold you back. Break through the impossible and be your best!
 

FrozenRoy

Smash Lord
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,266
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Switch FC
SW-1325-2408-7513
Witch of Betrayal

Medea

Class: Caster
Height/Weight: 163cm - 51kg
Series: Fate/stay night, Fate/hollow ataraxia
Source: Greek Mythology
Region: Greece, Corinth
Alignment: Neutral - Evil
Gender: Female

Strength: E
Agility: C
Luck: B
Endurance: D
Mana: A+
Noble Phantasm: C

test colors for the cuties (intro TBA)

Statistics

As Medea's intro may have suggested to you, she is not exactly the best type at surviving or getting up close and personal with the foe: Her weight is 78, one above Rosalina, putting her at Bottom 5 in the game. At 5' 3", she is not exactly the tallest character, with an overall build similiar to Sheik or Pit. She walks very slowly, equal to Peach at 52nd, but uses magic to boost herself forward when dashing, being slightly slower than Rosalina and Duck Hunt, 28th or so. Her traction is pretty low.

Aerially, Medea is quite floaty, with fall speed equal to Ness (48th) and Gravity like Villager (45th): This combined with her low weight makes her fairly difficult to combo...and also means she can end up getting killed VERY early. She has decently high air speed equal to the 14th-19th tie and she has very good aerial control, so her air game is strong statistically, and both of her jumps are on the higher end.


Specials

Neutral Special: Rule Breaker - All Spells Must Be Broken


Medea might love nothing more than to sit back and spam spells all day given her statistics, but if she wants to use one of the most critical parts of her playstyle, she's gonna need to get up close and personal with this move: Rule Breaker, that ceremonial dagger up there.

Materializing the dagger high above her head, Medea brings it down with a malicious purple tint to it, plunging it into foes in front of her for 10% damage if it hits over, 2% with the initial hit and 5% over the move's fairly long animation as streams of purple energy flow out of the foe as they undergo their animation for stamina death slowly, before the energy explodes out for 3% damage and enough knockback that Medea doesn't really have many follow-up options, but is still safe on hit. Both Medea and her opponent become super armored during this entire duration and cannot be hit out of it for any reason short of a Final Smash or Dr. Strangelove's bomb.


Rule Breaker is more important not for the hitbox, but for the secondary effect: Just as in universe, it destroys all bonds, breaks contracts and serves as the ultimate in anti-magic Noble Phantasms, a manifestation of her nature as the "Witch of Betrayal". The opponent has ALL* (*ALL may not, in fact, mean all, rules and restrictions may apply. Not valid in the District of Columbia.) buffs and debuffs removed from themselves, minions are freed from alliances and will attack anyone regardless, timer based effects such as the Gooey Bomb are removed, Smash Balls are removed from the foe as if they had been hit out, and so on and so forth. As you will see in Medea's set, this is very important. As a note, if Medea has a move with some kind of two-way contract, say both her and a foe getting buffed by something, then using Rule Breaker will only affect the person she uses it on. I'll have an example to show in a moment, so hang tight.

Rule Breaker can't quite cut everything, for reasons of balance and not destroying the game engine utterly: Things which change movesets, for example Cloud's Limit Break, cannot be Rule Broken, nor can fully passive abilities like Lucario's Aura. Rule Breaker's lag isn't exactly fast combo style, but it is quick enough to not need huge reads to get it off: Beware the move's large ending lag, however, which makes it punishable.

If Medea holds down B, then she can turn Rule Breaker on herself, going through a much shorter animation and about half of the ending lag, but taking 10% damage in the process. This may seem pointless, but it is actually rather importantly interesting: Remember that Rule Breaker removes negative abilities as well as positive ones, such as debuffs and the like. While this has utility against opponents, you'll see it certainly has some utility for Medea's set as well.


Side Special: Dark Blood Bond

Medea brings her hand back, before thrusting it forward with an open palm, shooting out a circular blast of dark purple and red uldulating energy forward, which travels forward about 1.5 Battlefield Platforms. Enemies hit by this sphere take 8% damage and middling knockback, it can KO at 230% or so, although since it travels a decent distance it can be a decent combo move for Medea, although the starting lag is slightly high. The ending lag is around average.

When Medea hits a foe with this, the explosion of energy will create a trail back to Medea, and will cause a link between the two, appearing as a pair of wispy purple and red trails: One flowing from each other to the other. This signals that, in a manner of speaking, Medea and the foe have made a contract, a blood contract if you will, using her magic. Each character feels the pain of the other: That is to say, half of the damage Medea or the linked foe deal to the other is sent back to the other. So, lets say the opponent hits Medea for 8% damage while linked. The foe will then take 4% damage! This makes damage a rather risky prospect as you damage rack yourself, although Medea might not come on top of this, especially if she is camping around. Do note no hitstun or knockback is transferred, so combos aren't helplessly broken.

Enter Rule Breaker. When Rule Breaker is used on a character with a bond like this, it'll only break the bond of the person she hit with: This is to say, if you use this on a foe, they won't get half damage onto you when you hit them...but when they hit you, they'll still take damage! This is obviously quite strong, punishing opponents while leaving yourself un-punished, but it does require hitting with Rule Breaker, which may not even always be desired. In turn, if Medea uses Rule Breaker on herself, then it'll give the foe an advantage, which can make purging yourself of debuffs more unfavorable.

Hitting with Side Special while it is already out refreshes its duration, which is ten seconds. This also repairs any link bonds which had been broke by Rule Breaker, meaning that Medea will need to use it on the foe again to remove their link, but also that she can use it to get her link back again. It is also broken upon death, but not distance.


Down Special: Magic Circle

Medea opens her palm in front of her, opening a purple magic circle in front of her, which by default shoots forward a short ranged blast of magic which travels one Battlefield Platform and deals 6% damage and light knockback to the first foe it hits, which thanks to this move's low starting lag and ending lag can be used to even combo sometimes. Medea can actually select one of four magic circles by way of control stick: The default down is Magic, while Forward is Fire, Back is Ice and Up is Lightning, you need to quickly tilt the control stick one of those ways after inputting Down Special...although the initial blast is the same, so it seems kind of pointless at first, although the Magic Circle will have an appropriate (red/blue/yellow) color around it.

The Magic Circle stays around after being used, guarding an area one Battlefield Platform in width (half a BFP to each side) and 1.25 Ganondorfs in height where it was summoned, the circle's "face" (AKA where it fires from) moving to track the nearest opponent. When an opponent enters the area it protects, it will fire its projectile at their position when they entered, with the same properties listed as above, after which it will take 1.5 seconds before the Magic Circle can reload and fire again. It will reload even if enemies leave it and while the Magic Circle does not have a duration, it does have only 30 HP. In addition, Medea can only have four Magic Circles on the field at a time, although they may be in any elemental configuration.

If no enemy enters the Magic Circle's range for 3 seconds, then it will charge up a special, stronger attack, and this is where the elemental properties kick in, as each of their charged attacks is different. The default Magic is a singular laser which is 3/4ths the size of R.O.B.'s Super Charge laser, it deals 8% damage, a bit more than a normal charged laser. It goes the same speed and has the ability to reflect off surfaces like R.O.B.'s, except it can bounce up to 3 times: Importantly, other Magic Circles count as surfaces to reflect the laser off of, so you can potentially make some interesting paths for the laser to go if the foe enters in various ways. This laser pierces foes and can hit multiple foes: If it is reflected, it can even hit the same foe again, once per reflected surface.

If it is a Fire Circle, then it will created a stream of fire akin to Bowser's fire breath, dealing rapid hits of 1% and 2% damage alternating, gradually growing smaller until it eventually hits nothing and then stops the attack, returning to its normal state after that (IE 1.5 second recharge and so on): This entire process takes 2 seconds and can deal a total of 14% damage (this is very difficult though). This is very good for covering space for a long period of time, although do note that the circle won't follow the foe while it is shooting out fire. The multiple hits can also set Medea up for combinations, or potentially be a good combo with another Magic Circle overlapping its defense area with the Fire Circle.

If it is an Ice Circle, then the circle will fire a blast of ice out at the foe, which deals 9% damage with little knockback and causes the foe to be Chilled for 7 seconds, which reduces their movement speed (air and ground) to 90% of normal and increases their fall speed to 110% of normal, non-stacking but refreshable by further hits. This makes it easier for Medea to fire off her magical blasts and whatnot, and it is easier to hit Rule Breaker on the foe...but, of course, Rule Breaker will remove this debuff as well, so you won't be able to take advantage if you end up using it on the foe, something to keep in mind. The projectile moves somewhat slow and is about the size of a 1/3rd charged Charge Shot.

If it is a Lightning Circle, then it is essentially a beam like the Magic Circle's, but yellow in appearance and crackling with electricity: Like the Magic shot, it has R.O.B. laser bounce properties, although it is 1.25x as fast and 0.75x as big. It only deals 4% damage, but it has very large hitstun, making it an ideal move for comboing the foe, especially into Rule Breaker or with the involvement of other projectiles and/or Magic Circles in the mix. The Lightning Circle can, however, only hit with the beam once even if it bounces, preventing really silly bouncing super hitstuns.

As I mentioned before, Medea can only have four Magic Circles out at once, and she actually can't replace them, nor can she damage them: If Medea tries to make a 5th one, it'll just fail, with Medea making an over the top "WHAT?!" as it fails. Instead, however, Medea has the ability to utilize Rule Breaker on her Magic Circles, severing the magic "contract" she has with them: This allows her to have more Magic Circles out, and even keep them out, in theory to no limit...

Except, just like minions, the Magic Circle, having severed its ties to Medea, is now hostile to anyone: Including Medea herself, who is now in melee range of the Magic Circle, usually requiring the Circle to have wasted a shot at someone, and allowing foes the chance to utilize them themselves...at the same time, Medea does have more Magic Circle interactions, and her kit is somewhat equipped to deal with them more, which can make this an overall plus for Medea regardless, although do note her attacks will now damage the Magic Circles which can make them last less time. The Rule Breaker itself will not damage the Magic Circles when severing them.


Up Special: Levitation

Throwing her arms out wide, Medea's staff glows and her cloak takes on an almost butterfly wing-esque pattern to it, with Medea levitating herself off the ground: Medea now has free flight equal to her dash speed for a whopping 5 seconds, freely able to move in any direction by holding it, using any moves without ending it and what have you: Landing on the ground ends this move, naturally, and she can also end it by hitting Up Special again, although she can repeatedly re-activate it ala R.O.B.

This much time of free flight is quite powerful and Medea has a good few ways of using it for combat, especially due to its very low lag, but the recharge time is immense: 5x the time spent flying without using Up Special is required to recharge the mana fuel, so one second equates to five seconds to get the same time back. Burn all your mana and you're looking at a good thirty seconds to get back to full, although ofc you can use it partially fueled ala R.O.B.. In many ways, you'll prefer to use this for aerial combat and juggles, and try to make due: It is also quite good for navigating the fields of Magic Circles you may Rule Break.

Free flight is useful, but it is not the only benefit that Medea grants. During Levitation, Medea gains the leverage to utilize her Smashes in the air, which is something important to keep in mind.


Grab Game

Grab: Ineffectual Grip / Telekinetic Slip

By default, Medea very quickly and somewhat clumsily grabs forward, a very swift grab without much in the way of ending lag...and REALLY BAD range, like, we're talking bottom in the game levels, Medea needs to get in quite close to use her grab, which is bad for her because she definitely really wants to use her throws, which have a variety of helpful effects.

If you hold down A, then Medea will perform a charge grab, using her magical powers to try and snag people towards her, basically like telekinesis. This is quite laggy, largely in the ending lag where it has the lag of the worst tether grabs in the game, but it has the range of a high end tether grab. Mixing the extremely punishable pull grab into your game can be noteworthy, especially when combined with things like pivot and dash normal grabs which can help confound opponents.


Pummel: Slap / Shock

Medea's pummel depends on if she physically grabbed or magic grabbed the foe, although the grab states are basically the same. With a normal grab, Medea slaps the foe with an audible noise, dealing 1% in a very spammable pummel. With the magic grab, Medea shocks the foe with lightning magic, dealing 3% as a slow but satisfying damage racker.

Forward Throw: Dark Deal

Medea gently tosses the opponent forward for 5% damage, then begins to visibly fill them to the brim with energies of darkness, asking if they'd like to "negotiate" which deals rapid hits and then a final strike which blows people away to total a WHOPPING 30% damage! medea blows a kiss at the foe as they are sent flying. Wow, 35% damage on a throw?! That's pretty nuts...it doesn't lead into any combo chances for Medea at all, nor is it much of a KO throw, but it gets foes off of her back, making it ideal to throw out some projectile or set up a Magic Circle or whatnot after you perform it. Plus, does comboing matter a lot when you deal so much damage in one swoop?!

That's beecause the darkness will seep to escape the foe after 5 seconds, slowly turning into light: It is more of a deal than a strict attack, and will end up healing the opponent right up, specifically healing them 50% over the course of 10 more seconds. Naturally, if left alone, this means the foe WANTS to be struck by this throw: They end up with a net healing of 15% and Medea doesn't even get a combo off on it!

This is one of the primary reasons to go in for a Rule Breaker, though, as it will make this "contract" of dark and light null and void, stopping the healing in its tracks...or at all, if it hasn't started! That's a pretty big swing, of course, but the fact it has easy damage is certainly good reason to go for risk like this. You can also use the fact the foe will need to look out for the Rule Breaker as a form of pressure, as it forces foes to guard and predict an approach to an extent, even while you do elsewise, and can make them a bit chicken about getting close to you, a psuedo-zoner if you will.

Something else to note is there is nothing to say that you can't just take advantage of the damage while it is on the foe, as 35% damage on top of the foe adds a lot to their potential to be KO'd, and of course you can't heal when you're dead. This is mostly valid at higher damage percentages for obvious reasons, but can make this move a "KO Throw" in the sense of helping you KO the foe more than other throws.


Back Throw: Mana Drain

Medea, with great strain, turns around and tosses the foe behind her into the ground, using her hands to drain streams of blue energy from their body in a shocking-like manner for three hits of 1% each, with the throw smacking them against the ground for another 3% damage: Assuming there's no ledge or anything, the knockback from that is enough it usually forces a tech situation at low and mid percentages: Medea here doesn't have the best tech chase game, but her Magic Circles can provide cover, and she has at least some tools for it. A tech chase can potentially lead into Rule Breaker, although this requires large prediction due to low margin of error.

Medea has drained power from her foe, which increases the power of her own attacks, increasing the damage by 1.3x its normal! The knockback is not the same, however, with the knockback only going up by half the boost normally would, or 1.15x. The buff is pretty obvious in terms of its use: You get the buff and then you try to go off on the foe, getting your increased damage in for when you rack it up on them and all that jazz. This lasts for 10 seconds, making it a decently long buff, although further Back Throws will only refresh the duration.

After 10 seconds, Medea experiences a magic feedback, which does the exact opposite of the first effect: It powers her down, her body being shocked by magic energy flowing through her. This reduces the damage of her moves by 0.7x and the knockback in half as well, to 0.85x. This, obviously, is a pretty large downside, drastically cutting into the amount of damage you can output, and it lasts for the same ten seconds that the actual buff lasts, Back Throws will not buff Medea during this time but won't extend her debuff either.

You might not be able to pre-empt the debuff, but there's an obvious way out of it: Rule Breakering yourself. This will purge yourself of the debuff, allowing you to use up that buff without so much of a downside...which isn't to say there isn't one. Remember that Rule Breaker DOES deal 10% to yourself and leave you vulnerable, so the opponent should be hunting to force you to fight them then and there, either opening Medea up to be punished for Rule Breaking herself or forcing her to fight at a disadvantage. Get up close and personal in this Caster's face!

Remember, too, that Rule Breaker purges positives as well as negatives: If you Back Throw the foe and then hit with your Side Special, for example, then purging yourself of the debuff will end up purging you of your side of the Side Special's link as well, putting you at another disadvantage. Purging yourself of other negative effects while Back Throw is up? There goes your power buff. You need to be pretty aware of what's going on before you start recklessly breaking the rules.


Up Throw: Mana Overload

Medea weakly tosses the foe into the air for a whole 2% damage, before zapping them with tendrils of blue energy akin to the Back Throw and other mana looking effects in the set, which send the foe higher into the air with multiple hits of 1% that equal 6% damage in total: This sends the foe into range a bit awkward to combo at, but still decently close, so trying to follow-up is at least possible. This overloads the opponent's body with Medea's massive amounts of mana, which in addition to the damage, causes similiar damage to the foe's body as Medea's magic feedback from her Back Throw: The foe's damage is reduced to 0.7x of its normal amount, with the knockback instead being 0.85x (non-stacking, just as in, for knockback calculations). This, naturally, also lasts for 10 seconds, giving Medea a good chance to take higher risks thanks to lower punishments from the foe, and helps with the rare chances Medea gets to go really aggressive.

You may guess where the second part of this move is heading. After those 10 seconds are up, there isn't enough mana in the foe's body to really constitute an overload, and it turns more into a traditional buff for them as the mana instead flows through their body to power them up. This becomes the same buff Medea herself gets from Back Throw: 1.3x damage but 1.15x instead to knockback, both of which are quite spooky when you're a squishy little mage like Medea. This, too, lasts 10 seconds, and Medea will need to be careful...

Rule Breaker's usage is obvious. Abuse their weakened state, and then use Rule Breaker on their buff, so that they get nothing out of it. It sounds simpler than it is: Rule Breaker is a small hitbox, after all, and Medea is gonna need to get up close and personal to use it, an area in which she will be disadvantaged against most foes, especially considering they'll smash her harder now. You can try and just stall it out, but your Magic Circles are gonna get smashed up a lot more in this case, and being forced on the run might just give up anything you got for you from the first part of the move. Also note that Rule Breaker will get the debuff off the foe if you use it before then, which can make things weird for you at times, like if you want to cut them off of Side Special but have the debuff on them. Sometimes, going for a Rule Breaker near the end of the debuff is smart to take out their buffed state pre-emptively, if possible...but the window is short before you get to the point where they were barely debuffed in the first place.


Down Throw: Mana Bomb

Medea gently pushes the foe to the ground, as blue-and-purple mana collects in her hands, which she quickly sticks to them as she then rather weakly kicks the foe away. This does 2% for the push, then 2% again for the kick, and the knockback is quite small in front of Medea again, making it the only one of Medea's throws which is very useful for comboing the foe off of, potentially leading into Rule Breakers at early percentages, Forward Smashes, Forward Tilts...ah, yes, we haven't gotten to those moves yet. Let's save that for later in the moveset, then.

The throw's title probably clued you in, but the mana that Medea sticks to the foe works as a time bomb effect, with it taking ten seconds to explode: When it does, it hits the foe for 12% damage and moderate knockback that will KO at 140%. This bomb works much like a Gooey Bomb, which is to say, the foe can stick it to Medea, Medea can stick it to the foe and so on and so forth, making for a game of Mana Hot Potato so to speak. This even good if you can pull it off, because the Mana Bomb will leech off mana every time it transfers between characters, adding 2% damage to it and causing it to KO 12% earlier, up to a maximum of 5 times: This means that the bomb can, in theory, do up to 24% damage and KO at 80%! That is pretty big, especially off a throw, but this is if you manage to pass it off 5 times in 10 seconds...and, of course, that Medea doesn't end up the one on the losing end of it, which is absolutely devastating!

Medea can be damaged by the explosion, obviously, otherwise it wouldn't be a very good Gooey Bomb. The explosion can be shielded or dodged, which does open up a potential secondary use of getting up close to the foe close to the timer, and then shielding/dodging to hit the foe with it (especially rolling into them) to hit them and not get hit yourself. This is risky, but it can lead to a pretty strong reversal of fortunes.

Rule Breaker, as you might remember, will stop the Mana Bomb from existing, which in theory means Medea shouldn't get hit by it...reality is a bit harsher, as first off, you take 10% damage to remove the Mana Bomb, which by default on Medea will deal 14% (since it must transfer once to get to her and thus has 2% damage bonus), so you're saving a whole 4% damage in the first place. Secondly, Rule Breaker isn't free: It has lag to it and an animation and all that jazz, which the foe can take advantage of...at the same time, having a Mana Bomb on you might make them skittish to get up close, lest you end up transferring it to them. Also note that this means Rule Breaking the foe to remove Up Throw buffs or Side Special links can destroy a nicely set up Mana Bomb at the same time. Properly managing what and when to Rule Break, or go for it anyway, is pretty vital for playing Medea at the highest levels.


Smashes

Forward Smash: Seeker Laser


Holding her arms out wide, her cape blowing out as it gloes with magic symbols, a magic purple circle which fires forward an equally purple laser. The laser goes a fairly far distance considering it is a smash-projectile, 1.5 Battlefield Platforms, with the beam being a bit longer than Fox's laser and taller as well. The laser itself is rather weak, 7%-14% with pretty sad knockback (but can mean combos), but helpfully, it is not especially laggy, although it is not especially fast either, being slightly faster than average on both ends. This shot can be angled up or down: Angling it up sends it at about a 45 degree angle, while angling it down causes it to hit the ground in front of Medea.

If the laser fails to hit anything or hits into the ground or other things that won't reflect it, then it will cause an explosion at the end of its path, which deals 18%-25.2% damage to anyone caught in the decently wide blast area around them. This KOs at 120%-90% or so. Medea can aim the laser down to cause it to explode in front of her as a surprise, high damage move with admittedly middling KO power, but this causes her to take more ending lag as she recoils back from the explosion, which will happen if it explodes for any reason and she is still in lag and overlapping it as well. At the ledge, the laser will be fired at a downward 45 degree angle instead of exploding, making the weaker hit a possible edgeguard. This also occurs with Medea using it as an edge guarding move, given that she can fire it in the air: She CAN even create the explosion hitbox by hitting a wall with it, but this can be rather difficult, since she needs to face the ledge to hit the ledge with it and opponents can potentially instead intentionally get hit by the weaker laser hitbox, which will simply hit them back towards the stage.

I mentioned "reflection" in the previous paragraph and Medea does have a method to do that, although reflection is not quite accurate. If Medea's Seeker Laser hits a Magic Circle, the circle will absorb it and "seek" the closest Magic Circle, firing the laser in that direction pretty quickly after it does so, with the same stats as the laser it absorbed and is aimed directly at the nearest laser, with its range changed to the distance betweeh tme, even if it is a whole Battlefield. Since it is a "new" laser, it can hit an opponent hit by an "old" laser. This is particularly important due to the fact that the laser deals significant shield damage, 2x its base damage (14%-28%) to shields, in addition to large shield stun. By creating "webs" of Magic Circles, Medea can set up scenarios to deals strong damage to shields or to try and catch dodges with new lasers, an effective if easily pre-seen tool. Medea can potentially MAKE a Magic Circle to bounce off of before it needs to do so, but this usually requires at least one bounce to have enough time. It can be easier to hit a Magic Circle by angling it upwards, in addition to flying into the air and firing one off.

If there is only one Magic Circle out and thus it has nothing to bounce to, it will not absorb or try to bounce it. If the Magic Circle it is being sent at is destroyed, the laser will explode as per normal when it reaches where the Circle would be. Things get really interesting when you add Rule Broken Circles to the mix: These can be used to bounce off of as well and given the possible larger number and that foes are less inclined to destroy them, allow Medea an easier time of keeping them around for this. However, Rule Broken Magic Circles transfer their "Rule Broken" status to the lasers, which makes them un-aligned: Or, in other words, perfectly willing to hit Medea as well as the foe! This means Medea needs to keep strict mind of where she places these broken Circles, lest they return to bite her as she does this.

Lasers will not bounce to Magic Circles which it has already bounced to, with the exception of if you Rule Break a Magic Circle after a laser has been bounced off it which clears it from the "queue" so to speak and allows Medea to double-use Magic Circles for some combos. If a Magic Circle absorbs a laser due to there being more but has no valid Circles to bounce to, it will fire the laser at the nearest foe as if they were a Magic Circle. If the laser has been Broken, then Medea can be included in this list of targets when targets run out.


Up Smash: Chain Magic - Elemental

Medea raises her hand to the sky, calling upon electric-like tendrils of purple magical energy which spread above her, as if trying to spite Zeus himself. The tendrils of energy don't do an especially large amount of damage, 12%-16.8% while KOing at 145%-120%, but they do have fairly large range above Medea, and they come out fairly quick. The long duration of the energy staying out as it crackles makes it punishable if you can land or aren't in the air, as it has little horizontal range, and the ending lag is rather average.

Upon hitting the opponent, the energy will crackle inside of them for 8 seconds, represented by purple electricity coursing and sparking out of them periodically. After that 8 seconds is up, the energy will leap out of said character if there are any other enemies (teammates count in teams w/ Team Attack on) or any Magic Circles within 1.25 Battlefields horizontally and 1.25 Ganondorfs vertically. If it is an enemy or a Rule Broken Magic Circle, then they take 8% damage, light hitstun with no knockback, and then the process repeats, with the magical energy bouncing yet again. This energy can in theory bounce forever, provided it always has targets nearby to bounce too. Note that in a 1v1, Medea will need enemy minions or to set up Magic Circles beforehand to have any hope of chaining it...

Well, not ANY. If you Rule Break a Chain Magic, be it inside of Medea or on the foe, then it won't disappear, but its connection with Medea will be severed. This makes Medea (and any of her teammates) valid targets of the Chain Magic, complete with taking damage sadly. This allows Medea to use herself as a conduit to continue chaining, but at a cost...you don't often want to do this, to be honest, but it more serves as something to be aware of when Rule Breaking yourself or the opponent, since it can really mess stuff up to have this potentially damaging shock flying around.

If a Chain Magic passes through an elemental Magic Circle, overlaps one when it comes out or Up Smash is used within 5 seconds of creating an elemental Magic Circle, then the Up Smash will chain to become an elemental version of the move: Chain Fire, Chain Lightning or Chain Chill. This lasts until it passes through another type of Magic Circle, including base Magic Circles (which return it to the base version). All of these modify the base attack if overlapping or the Up Smash during 5 seconds version.

Chain Fire's initial attack is a fair deal more damaging than the base version, dealing 16%-22.6% damage, but has noticeably slower starting lag than the speedy Chain Magic version as Medea's hands sizzle with heat before bursting out flames. This version KOs at 100%-80%. When this move chains to someone, it will not deal the damage all in one bundle, but instead sets the foe on fire, dealing 1% every two seconds (no hitstun), for the same duration of 8 seconds. An astute reader might note this only deals 4% total, half of the normal version, and suspect something is up, and they would be right.

If that opponent is struck by a move while they are on fire, the fire will explode out, dealing 10% damage that KOs at 130% when it does so, and damages enemies around the foe as well This also increases the knockback of the move that hit the foe by 1.1x damage. This instantly causes the Chain Fire to try and leap to another target in range of where the foe was hit, fizzling out after if there is no valid target. This is more damaging than the natural version, of course, and you can sandbag for a bit of extra damage from the burn, although this is rarely viable. It does need to be triggered first, though, and is underwhelming if not triggered.

Rule Breaking a Chain Fire is interesting, as it not only makes Medea vulnerable to its effects, but it will also mean melee to trigger the Chain Fire is ill advised due to almost certainly chaining to Medea afterwards. Instead, Medea will want to activate it from a distance, preferrably allowing the dangerous unregulated Chain Fire to fizzle out or go into a Magic Circle. The interesting part comes from the fact that the foe remains vulnerable to the explosion when triggering it as well, just like Medea will be if she triggers it on the foe, allowing Medea to potentially use it as a psuedo-counter. Rule Breaker itself can trigger a Chain Fire inside of Medea, due to the self-damage stabbing, allowing Medea to suddenly release the Chain Fire hitbox and cause it to leap, although she will be doing a lot of self damage to herself in the process. Nonetheless, it is a rather tricky option in Medea's arsenal.

Chain Lightning is very similiar to Chain Magic, dealing the same damage, but only KOing at 180%-150%: However, it has higher hitstun than Chain Magic, turning it into a combo tool for Medea. Aside from that, it is the exact same base attack as Chain Magic.

When Chain Lightning bounces to someone, it will deal 2% damage and more hitstun than normal when it enters them, allowing Medea to potentially utilize this to combo. Four seconds after it enters the foe, it will deal another 2% damage, with low hitstun. Finally, after 4 more seconds, it will deal 2% damage and the same hitstun as before, trying to leap out as normal and so on. The uses of this are pretty obvious: In neutral, the hitstun can serve as an opening for Medea to get in a hit. By catching the opponent before it hits, it can be used to extend combos by getting additional hitstun at the end of moves, right when they're about to come out. And if the opponent is attacking Medea, the hitstun can interrupt their attacks and combos, serving as a combo breaker tool.

When Rule Broken, this works the same on Medea as the foe. This does show another side to the status effect, though: Specifically, the hitstun is rather low, which means that for some laggier moves or ones with longer duration, you can use the hitstun of this to interrupt that, causing yourself to be able to move faster and create some rather unique combos: Up Smash itself is an example of a move you could do this with. It can make it an interesting rush/combo when it is ready to bounce, hitting a foe, reducing lag and zapping it into them. Depending on the timing, you can potentially even use the hitstun to "overwrite" old hitstun by getting zapped during it...although if the knockback/hitstun is high enough, it will just negate the hitstun, basically. Note that the foe can do this as well if you are careless: Like a lot of Rule Breaker, a double edged sword.

Chain Chill causes the initial attack to go wider and more horizontal, but otherwise, the attack retains the same characteristics of the original attack.

When Chain Chill bounces to someone, it will deal 6% damage as it does so, and will visibly frost the opponent over, sheets of ice appearing over the body. This ice even aesthetically cracks a little during an attack, signalling the effect of the move: Increasing the starting and ending lag of their attacks by 1.1x! This is one of the most straightforward of the Chain effects, serving to make enemies' feel a bit jerky in their attacks and movements, and giving Medea a light speed edge. Naturally, Medea herself will be affected by it if it is Rule Breakered onto her, and it is Medea's most directly "good on foes, bad on her" Chain move. Like all of the Chains, it jumps after 8 seconds.


Down Smash: Wicked Gale

Medea steps forward and reaches down with an open palm and wicked grin on her face, creating a blast of wind in front of her which deals 10%-14% damage, but a good deal more knockback, primarily base, than one might expect. The amount of which is base means it won't kill until 160%-128%, but it will get opponents out of your face even at low percentages, although it should be noted that it does NOT hit behind Medea like a lot (but not all) Down Smashes do: you can think of it like Mewtwo's Down Smash in that way. This move has pretty average starting lag and pretty average ending lag, with Medea stepping back to her starting position during the ending lag.

Where Medea used the move, a swirling mass of wind will remain for approximately 5-10 seconds based on how long Medea charges the move. This gale of wind lightly affects characters, slightly increasing their speed if they move "forward" through it (IE if they moved the direction Medea was facing when she used this move) and slightly decreasing their movement speed if they move "backwards" through it, but this is hardly noticeable. More importantly than that is the fact that for both Medea and her opponents, the wind will much more significantly affect their projectiles!

Up/Down don't matter here, only forward/backwards as stated, which will cause the projectile to either go at a heightened or reduced speed. Going "forward" increases the speed to 1.5x, allowing projectiles to suddenly surge through select areas, while going against the wind reduces projectiles to a sluggish 0.5x of their normal speed, turning them more into something of a temporary, slow moving projectile traps. Note that opponents can use this just as well as Medea, so she needs to be careful of opponent "trapping" the stage against her. She can, however, combine this in rather unique ways with her Magic Circles, Seeker laser and Chain Elemental to, for example, speed up or slow down Magic Circle attacks the instant they come out, change the timing of Seeker Lasers repeatedly and so on. The fact that Medea can utilize these in the air alongside her Up Special allows her to make these in some pretty tricky places within her setup, which can be particularly good for edge guarding, although this is somewhat setup intensive to perform and not always necessarily great.


Standards

Jab: Argon Burst

Medea grasps something unseen in her hand, which glints golden, and from which Medea releases a green burst of energy in front of her. This blasts might have a sweetspot and a sour spot, but the damage is a consistant 6% no matter where on the decent sized blast you hit the opponent. The sweetspot deals slightly more knockback, which means it can force tech situations earlier but also the range is over sooner. This move comes out pretty fast for a jab, but the ending lag is rather punishable, so it is not very safe, and spamming it is inadvisable, although it does make a good panic too.

The sweetspot is on the inside of the blast and has a vitality siphoning effect on it, draining the opponent and healing Medea for 6%, the same amount of damage that the move deals. While it might not sound like a lot, this covers the cost of a self-Rule Breaker, and can be pretty vital for the lower weight Medea to stick around longer or to pay back for Rule Breaker. This also means this move is one of the other incentives for Medea to ocassionally go in hard, getting in a heal to help her out.

Medea could use this move on Rule Broken constructs like her Magic Circles to heal, but the ending lag along with the Circles being hostile to Medea now makes it potentially rather dangerous to Medea. In addition, Medea only heals 3% off of Magic Circles and other minions or constructs, which makes it a bit less effective than her normal healing, but when she can actively make her constructs is still a notable deal. Nonetheless it is something to keep in mind, as Medea can potentially sneak in heals, or at least put herself in a position where she can threaten to sneak in a heal to get opponents antsy.


Forward Tilt: Stepping Strike

Medea steps forward and slashes forward with her dagger, an average speed move with a surprising amount of reach to it thanks to the step forward, although the dagger itself is not very good on the reach, and this means Medea's hurtbox is extended as well, which can make this more punishable. This move has two hitboxes to it, the sweetspot of the blade and the sourspot of Medea's arm. The dagger deals 9% damage and moderate knockback away from Medea. It is far from a flatout kill move but it might be able to score a kill at very high percents (180%+), primarily it is for pushing people away and resetting neutral, or getting aggressive characters out of your face momentarily for breathing room.

The arm sourspot sends opponents less distance and at a more shallow angle while only dealing 7% damage, which at high damage percentages can force a tech situation sometimes, which because it mostly does so at high damage percentages can potentially lead into kill confirms. When it doesn't force a tech situation, however, it does not get opponents out of Medea's face nearly as well and she lacks combo follow-ups to it, making it pretty much strictly worse than the dagger. This is combined with the fact this moe has high ending lag, which means that it requires long ranged spacing to be safe on shield, and generally is not a super safe move for something Medea wants to use to push people out a good deal. Medea steps back to her original spot when the move ends, so it isn't an aggressive approaching option.


Down Tilt: Storm Chase

Medea places her hands on the ground, sending out a wave of electric energy. This wave travels across the ground and has essentially no vertical reach, so it only really hits grounded opponents, dealing 6% damage and somewhat high hitstun as it launches opponents up and away. which can situationally set Medea up for follow-ups. This is weighed against the fact that Medea's Down Tilt has high starting lag, which makes it difficult to just throw out, although the ending lag is okay.

Something which makes this move really out there is its absurdly high range, which is 3 Battlefields. This range might not sound like it can be realistically achieved, but the Storm Chase has the notable property of turning around at ledges, allowing it to be quite a long lasting and annoying projectile, although it moves pretty fast, and the fact that it is ground only means a simple short hop can be used to evade it. This is quite strong on projectiles, but it will also disappear if it reaches edges 8 times, which means that it lasts a lot less time on platforms. And, in addition, Medea can obly have one out on any single platform, making a new one erases the old one, so camping with this isn't super effective given it is also laggy.

This can be combined well with your Down Smash wind, which can either speed it up to quite fast levels, or slow it to almost a crawl, either making it a projectile whose high speed has to be evaded, or a slow moving trap that can make treading a specific area quite a bother. If the Down Smash is close to a ledge, it can result in one right after the other, which can make for some tricky ledge trapping gameplay or unique pressure. If an opponent is hit by a Down Smash, throwing out a Down Tilt as long range pressure is a perfectly fine and reasonable follow-up. Medea lacks a ton in the way of true projectiles, but Down Tilt can help out with that.


Up Tilt: Arcane Sphere

Medea raises her hands to the sky and shoots out arcane energy, which sparks outwards and upwards like an orb of magical energy. Dealing multiple hits of 1% followed by a popping hit of 3%, this move deals a total of 7% damage and knockback that allows Medea to usually follow up with an aerial for a combo. It is fast to start up and to end, which makes it Medea's only ground standard that has very safe frame data, with the downside of hitting high and thus being difficult (but not impossible) to hit grounded opponents with. It is also important as Medea's primary move to start any kind of combo that isn't from a Magic Circle or something outside of herself, in addition to being a disjointed anti-air to catch people above her. Visually, this move is similiar to Ori's from Rivals of Aether.

While a simple move, it is rather critical to Medea's gameplan, which also means that Medea should be aware of opponents playing around it, which can potentially open up use of other moves, getting a grab on air dodge reads or so have you.


Dash Attack: Fate-al Slash

Medea rushes forward, spinning and performing a strong slash with her dagger as wind trails behind her, which has short range but decently long duration. The slash itself is very strong in Medea's arsenal, 14% damage and killing at 150%, making it one of the strongest melee moves Medea has. Unfortunately, the ending lag is quite poor, and it does not start up especially fast either, which largely makes it a punish tool for laggy but far away moves, and a risky but potent read tool, such as for landing opponents and the like.

This move gains significantly more of a boost or stop when going into Down Smash wind, with her traversing to the end of the area extremely quickly if going to the wind, which if you do it while slashing will extend the hitbox all the while, which can allow Medea to cover some impressive ground while possibly still crossing the foe up or moving in a way to be a bit more safe. If she goes against the wind of a Down smash, the force will be so strong it will actually push Medea back, turning her around at the same time! This, essentially, causing her to finish out the move travelling the opposite direction she started, with the same distance and duration, which Medea can potentially use rather trickily, like catching out some spot dodges by suddenly turning around, or slashing at someone inside the wind and hitting them far away if they shield that the turn around makes it safe either way. Interesting, small uses.


Aerials

Forward Aerial: Rebound Laser

Medea points her open palm forward, cape billowing out briefly (see: Forward Smash) as she fires a single purple laser blast out of her hand. This laser blast functions as a disjointed hitbox, which can cover about half of a Battlefield Platform, and very lightly pushes back Medea when she uses it, being a fast move to start up that deals 9% damage and moderate-low knockback away from Medea: It can potentially be a combo move earlier in stocks, but it kind of sends people far away for that at medium or higher percentages, turning it into more of a spacer. It has average ending lag, but if Medea bounces herself on and off a platform, she can actually platform cancel this move's ending lag. This is a rather interesting option when ledgeguarding or when returning to the stage as well, such as double jump -> Forward Aerial to push away opponent -> Slip onto and then off ledge for less lag.

If Medea uses this move on a Magic Circle, then it will rebound off of the Magic Circle, which essentially results in the Circle firing its own Rebound Laser in the direction Medea was. A normal Magic Circle will merely recreate the blast, but each of Fire, Ice and Lightning will modify the blast in their own way, giving Medea a variety of potential uses depending on what Magic Circles she has set up. The secondary blast firing can make the Forward Aerial an excellent frame trapping move with a Magic Circle in place already, which make them dangerous to be around. If the Magic Circle is Rule Broken, then Medea CAN be hit by the by the rebounded blast, but with proper spacing the blowback from using the Forward Aerial will keep her out of range of these attacks.

If you rebound off of a Fire Circle, then the blast will blow out in 3 segments, each of which deal 3% damage and true combo into each other. The last hit deals weak knockback away from Medea. This causes the hitbox to linger out for a long time, making it really good if you have a Magic Circle read on ledges or near platforms for coverage, and the fact it takes longer to finish + has weaker knockback means that it is a lot better for combos than the initial laser.

If the Fire Circle's Rebound Laser hits the opponent, then they will get a lesser version of the fiery state from Chain Magic - Fire, which can in fact stack with it (this fire glows more orange), but it only lasts for 4 seconds and deals 1% non-flinching damage per 2 seconds, so only 2%. It, too, explodes upon hitting the opponent, but this time it is for a much lower percentage, dealing only 4% extra damage. In addition, the lower knockback "boost" does the opposite here, essentially overwriting some of the knockback with the lesser knockback and reducing the knockback of the move some. This means that while Chain Magic - Fire is good for getting stronger kills, a Fire Rebound Laser is much better for combos or damage racking. All of this applies to Medea if she gets by her own Rebound Laser, of course.

Now, if you rebound it off of an Ice circle, the blast will be a single, large icicle, which deals 10% damage and hits people at a rather shallow angle, with the icicle coming out fast, which can actually make it more difficult to frame trap opponents. The icicle remains in place, floating out of the Magic Circle, for about half of a second before it shatters away, or will shatter from any attack (only attackable by Medea if it is a Broken Circle). The icicle works like a platform which can be stood on by Medea or the foe. The platform is solid, but will allow intangible people to go through it (pushes them out if they end inside of it), so it does not stop ledge actions.

This can allow Medea to force ledge attack, double jump attack or other ledge options near a ledge, extend a platform for further gameplay or to allow Medea to use aerial combos longer. If you start an attack on the platform and it disappears, your action is cancelled, and this includes lag if you are starting it, so both Medea and her opponent can potentially use the platform merely as an ending lag cancelling tool. If Medea uses Down Tilt on this platform, it will drop when the platform dies, and then use the new platform as its platform: If Medea can get to the platform the Down Tilt will land on before it gets there, she can potentially Down Tilt on it and have the first Down Tilt land there, circumventing the Down Tilt per platform limit.

Finally, rebounding off of a Lightning Circle instead causes the laser to diffuse into multiple lightning bolts, which strike as a cone 1.5x as tall as the Magic Circle but 0.5x the width of the laser, dealing 11% damage and a high hitstun, moderate knockback blast that sends opponents away and upwards, being mostly upwards. This is the most straightforward of all Rebound Laser options, being a way to keep juggling or start juggling an opponent, in addition to having much wider coverage than her normal Rebound Laser. The knockback is not exactly killing, but is decently high, which can mean hitting an opponent off the top if you get them high in the sky.


Up Aerial: Tornado Assault

Medea raises her arms to the sky as wind gathers in her hand, lightly tossing it up as a tiny tornado. The tornado rises the same distance as Mega Man's Up Aerial and deals multiple hits as it travels up, dealing 3 hits of 3%, 2 hits of 2% and 2 hits of 1% on its way up, for a total of 15% damage. The last hit lightly knocks opponents up and away. This move has a fairly strong wind hitbox when Medea first releases the tornado and a light wind hitbox at the end of it, so carelessly jumping above Medea can be a good way to get yourself killed. This move comes out decently fast, but it doesn't have very good ending lag or landing lag to it.

If one of Medea's projectiles is caught in the windbox of the Up Aerial, then it will be forced up along with the mini-tornado, which allows Medea to "raise" her projectiles up. Seeker Lasers and Chain Magic attacks will rise up with the tornado, and then curve back to where they were originally targetting, which can allow Medea to make some really unique projectile paths depending on when she tornados them and where they were trying to go. If you get below a Down Tilt, such as if it was below a platform, then the Down Tilt will stay on the tornado and drop straight down when it reaches its top, which it will then continue its normal path when it lands. Much like the icicle Rebound Laser, this can potentially allow the Down Tilt limit to be circumvented.

The lightning beam from a Lightning Circle special shot will be curved to fire straight up, turning it into a potent vertical coverage move, even bouncing off of a "ceiling" such as an icicle or the bottom of the stage or whatever if it hits it. The same is true for the Magic Circle's. The stream of fire from a Fire Circle will be curved but to a lesser degree, think like Bowser angling his fire breath up. And the Ice Circle will simply be carried up, the most simple of all interactions.


Back Aerial: Fiery Blast

Medea reaches her arm back, palm open, and releases a fiery blast from her palm. This is a decently fast but by no means BLAZING fast attack that has two hitboxes, with the outside being the "sweetspot" and the inside the "sourspot" in terms of damage, but the "sourspot" often can be more useful. The "sweetspot" deals 12% damage and has fairly high knockback to it, although not a ton, killing at 160%, which allows it to be a pretty useful edgeguard killer and a launcher to START edgeguards! The sourspot only deals 8% damage and has much lower knockback, which will actually hit the opponent up and towards Medea, which makes it one of Medea's best combo starters along with Up Aerial, and with precise spacing/the right percentages you can go Up Tilt -> Back Aerial -> Forward Aerial as a fairly standard combo for example. Space wrong and you'll get the strong hit, which leads to no combos.

This move has ending lag which leaves it punishable, can still get combos off of sourspot, but it has a small autocancel window and lower landing lag than ending lag, which can make it good for a shorthopped option and as an approaching aerial, and can mix up with Forward Aerial and Forward Tilt in the neutral.


Neutral Aerial: Arcane Spark

Medea clasps her hands together and releases purple, arcane energy all around herself in bursts and sparks, dealing a total of 7 hits of 1% followed by a last hit of 5% that sends opponents away some. Visually, it is very similiar to Mewtwo's Neutral Aerial, although somewhat more magical looking. This move is somewhat slow to start up, but it has VERY low ending lag, which means it is very low risk to end with, although one must also consider that the hitbox can be out-prioritzed by almost anything and the hitbox does not go far from Medea's body, so if you miss, then it can still be punished, although of course Medea can drift during this move.

This move is therefor great for combos, but it does suffer from some of the same weaknesses as a Mewtwo NAir, mainly that it lacks autocancel frames and has more landing lag than ending lag, which means this move is laggier than normal if shorthopped, This makes it a lot less of a neutral or approach move, although it can still be done, and more of a mid-combo move, for example off of an Up Tilt. Combining it with recovery for a low ending lag hitbox is also a valid option.


Down Aerial: Wild Swing

Medea raises her dagger high to the sky and then performs a wild, arcing swing under her, a move with a kind of awkward amount of starting lag, dealing 11% damage and knocking opponents up with knockback that can combo early but mostly serves as a juggle initiator. The middle of the swing is a sweetspot that deals 14% damage and launches opponents upwards with significantly more strength, killing at 170% but a lot earlier if you get in the air, which contributes a lot to Medea's vertical killing game, although Medea does lack a spike in return for that. The ending lag is also kind of long, so this is your standard punish or hard read kind of move. Not a ton to say here.

Final Smash: Argon Coin - The Golden Fleece

The Argon Coin is, in fact, a coat of the Golden Fleece from the winged ram Chrysomallos. Medea does not possess this coat as something of a Noble Phantasm, but instead as a Skill. It is mentioned that the Golden Fleece can be used to summon the colchis dragon which guarded it, the Drakon Kholkikos, but that Medea lacks the skills to perform such a feat. With the Smash Ball, however, Medea is able to unleash this Phantasmal Beast!

Chanting in a langauge that sounds significantly more mystical and ancient, Medea throws the cloth of the Golden Fleece high, the dragon-serpent Kholkikos crawling out of it and roaring to signal the Final Smash's start. The fleece then falls upon Medea's shoulders, glowing magnificently. The Drakon Kholkikos will last for 20 seconds, attacking anyone who does not have the Golden Fleece upon them. This means Medea is immune...but the Golden Fleece CAN be lost. Taking 20% damage will cause the Golden Fleece to fly into the air, where it can be picked up and worn as an item with the same removal conditions, making its wearer not attacked by the Kholkikos (and immune to any attacks of course), so Medea CAN be attacked by her own dragon. In addition, grabbing someone with the Golden Fleece on their person will cause the grabber to take the Fleece, transferring it to them.

If Medea so wishes, Rule Breaker can be used on the Fleece, which will nullify its protective powers, for good and for ill. The opponent can no longer use it to hide, of course, but neither can Medea, a true wild card entering the match and making it anyone's game.

The Drakon Kholkikos' attacks are as follows:

Tooth Shot: The Kholkikos shoots out its teeth as a cone attack downwards and diagonally in front of it, dealing 11% damage and lightly spiking foes in the direction of the cone. If the cone hits the ground, which is usually will, it will stick a tooth into the ground, which lasts for 5 seconds. Fast to come out, duration and ending lag make it punishable.

Golden Breath: The Kholkikos leans down and breathes out a continuous stream of glorious golden breath, a long lasting attack which deals continuous hits of 1% and 2% that add up to 20% damage, the hitbox lasts as long as Bowser's fire breath takes to reach minimum power. If Golden Breath goes over a Tooth, it will sprout into a powerful warrior minion, a Spartoi, which are armored and carry swords, along with the moveset of either Ike, Marth, Roy or Cloud minus any Specials or non-sword attacks. Which one is chosen at random and you can tell which it is by their armor, which will resemble the character in question. This ability is based on the Greek myth where fire breathing bulls pulled were pulled across the Kholkikos' planted teeth and sprouted into the Spartoi, fully grown warrior men. Kinda laggy on both ends.

The Spartoi function on the same loyalty system as Kholkikos and have 30 HP. They will last even after the Final Smash ends: Since the Golden Fleece leaves along with the Final Smash ending, they then become hostile to everyone.

Golden Burst: The Kholkikos readies fire in its mouth, then shoots out a single, large fireball at the nearest enemy. The fireball explodes for 15% damage and high knockback if it hits an opponent and explodes on contact with objects as well into a fiery trap which lasts for 4 seconds and deals 6% and light upwards knockback to anyone it hits. The owner of the Golden Fleece can move through this fire with impunity. The Kholkikos' laggiest move.

Claw Swipe: A quick swipe with its claws, 7% damage, moderate knockback and very fast, the dragon can keep people on its toes by mixing it up, no special effects.

Serpent's Tail: Whips its serpentine tail behind it self for 9% damage and somewhat high knockback, very fast to come out but laggy to end, do not think that being behind the Kholkikos will save you.​
 
Last edited:

UserShadow7989

Smash Journeyman
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Warning! Challenger Approaching!



Bunny the Honeywhite

<> Introduction <>

(Music Playlist)

"In the year 1999X, a mewclear weapon utilizing the power of purrmodynamics was launched, enveloping the world in furry flames and causing the outbreak of Feline World War. While the survivors were on the verge of being plunged into a world ruled by survival of the fittest, a peaceful use for the same breakthroughs in purrmodynamics was found, allowing all to live in peace. And everyone lived happily ever after.

Three days later. A purrmodynamic power plant explodes, and Bunny just so happens to be nearby. While she is fortunate enough to escape harm, a curse placed on her by the exploded cat causes her to grow an adorable pair of ears. And so it came to be that Bunny looked like a rabbit, or maybe a cat, or maybe both, or maybe neither. Who knew. "Oh, I can't believe this! Poor little me!"

Some time later, a chubby and divine messenger appeared from nowhere to guide Bunny deep into the Cave of Devils in the depths of the Fairy Forest so that her curse could be removed.

But!!!

A mad bull attacked them just as they arrived at the Cave of Devils. The chubby and divine messenger fought the bull with all his might, but it was for naught. He was stabbed by the bull's super-pointy horns twenty-four times and was sent straight back to heaven. Yes, that's right! The chubby and divine messenger died!! And then, the mad bull wandered off. But unfortunately for Bunny, she didn't know where the exit was. Etc, etc, etc."
-The story introduction to Bunny Must Die.


Hailing from the game Bunny Must Die: Chelsea and the Seven Devils. Simply "Bunny" everywhere else but in the in-game achievements screen, Bunny is a Bunny cursed with cat ears when she is nearby the explosion of a purrmodynamic (or 'thermomewclear, or 'cattomic', depending on the translation) power plant. She is visited later by a "chubby and divine" profit, who claims the only way to lift her curse is within the Cave of Devils. He leads her there, but is seemingly killed, leaving Bunny to explore the caves on her own in order to remove the curse.

Bunny obtains several time-related powers and other equipment as she travels the cave and slays the Devils she comes across. The story of the game reveals to the player that this power is native (though apparently latent) in Bunny's species, sealed away after one abused the duty of managing time bestowed onto the race for his own ends. Bunny Must Die plays not unlike a cross of old and new Castlevania titles.

In terms of personality, 'angry' is a good word to describe Bunny. Her newly obtained cat ears are a sore point for her, and even implying that she might be a cat and not a bunny will send her into a violent rage. She's a little bull-headed, and impatient to boot. More positive traits include being highly determined, brave, and actually a little ingenuitive with her abilities, given the dangers and puzzles littering the Cave of Devils.

A full English playthrough of the most recent translation and port can be seen here, if you'd like to see what Bunny looks like in action.


<> Stats <>

Traction <> 10
Jumps <> 9.5
Dash <> 9.5
Gravity <> 9.5
Fall Speed <> 9
Size <> 3.5
Air Speed <> 3
Weight <> 2
Crawl, Wall Jump

Bunny is very much the prototypical lightweight fighter; her frame is a slightly taller Luigi, her weight matching Kirby, and her Dash Speed barely outdone by Captain Falcon. Her jumps are also set to impress, with a first jump beaten out only by Falco (appropriate for her species) and a less amazing but still great second jump. Her traction lets her stop on a dime and prevents her from being pushed back far by hits on her shield, practically snapping to a stop.

Even her wall jumps and footstools are impressive. The former are tied with Lucario's for the best in the game after factoring in her fall speed. The latter are on par with Falco's, seven total before she must land, letting Bunny reach astronomical heights or keep off the ground for an extensive period of time.

On a less positive note, said fall speed is on the fast side, and her gravity is very high, both comparable to Greninja. Her air speed isn't much to look at, reminiscent of Dr. Mario's. She's much better at running over and popping into the air to slap an opponent out of it than she is at raining death from above. She can't recover very easily, which is bad news for someone who lacks staying power as much as she does.

Overall, Bunny possesses ridiculous mobility and very precise control. With her numerous options for approach and retreat, surprisingly powerful attacks, and effective reach and projectile moves, short-tempered Bunny sets a highly aggressive pace for most of her matchups. Her projectile options do little to zone foes; instead, she uses them to poke and rack damage. Bunny sticks to close range for most of the fight, where her low weight is a constant hindrance, as her core ability requires she remain aggressive to fuel it. Overall, she has a potent advantage state and a solid neutral, but a poor disadvantage state.



<> Mechanic: Time Gauge <>

Bunnies are well known for their ability to control the flow of time, and Bunny is no exception. Above Bunny's stocks is her Time Gauge, a purple bar connected to a golden stopwatch. When she activates her time manipulation abilities, the stopwatch runs differently according to the power in use, and it turns blue.

The bar is broken into 5 segments that represent 5 units of Royal Yellow Dust (here-on referred to as Dust). Bunny uses Dust to use her time abilities; she cannot use abilities that cost Dust without it. To refill her Time Gauge, Bunny must damage her opponents; purple crystals escape from enemies she damages as a visual effect to telegraph she has regained some Dust. 1 damage refills 1/10th of a unit of Dust.



<> Specials <>

< Neutral Special >

Bunny's time powers are tied to her Neutral Special. Regardless of which she chooses to use, the input itself is nigh lagless, and can even be activated in the middle of lag, stun, or another non-Special input. There's no animation, but it has a visible effect on what it alters and the stopwatch icon.

There's one tiny catch; Bunny's powers are limited compared to what she could do in the game. In this moveset, Bunny's manipulation does not affect enemies, items, or stage hazards. What it affects is her own projectiles, turning her weapons into resources to be manipulated.


Tapping the input causes time to Slow. Her projectiles travel at half the speed they normally do, but retain their normal range; essentially, Slow keeps Bunny's projectiles in play and active for twice as long. Slow also has the unique property of somewhat affecting Bunny herself; with Slow active, her aerial movement becomes more float-y, her reduced fall speed comparable to Mario's. This allows her to better position projectiles in the air, and gain more air time for the purposes of her aerials.

The slow effect drains Bunny's time gauge at the rate of half a unit of Dust a second, being one of her most cost-effective options. A golden glow surrounds her projectiles, telegraphing this effect.


Holding the input brings time to a Stop. Bunny's projectiles remain as active hitboxes, but hover in place indefinitely until the time effect ends, they hit something, or an attack swats them from the air. Stop costs a single unit of Dust, no matter how many projectiles are currently present. Stop does not end until Bunny chooses to end it, is KOed, or drains her time gauge bone dry and attempts to spend more Dust. A deep blue covers her projectiles to show they have been Stopped.


Finally, continuing to hold the input after time has stopped causes it to rapidly Rewind. Bunny's projectiles move in reverse twice as quickly as they move forwards in normal time, vanishing at the point they were created. When time resumes, the projectiles that vanished will reappear at their point of origin once time catches up to the point they would've been made; a small addition to Bunny's power purely for this set, made to compensate for its multiple restrictions. Rewind-affected projectiles become piercing projectiles, not vanishing on hit, though they are destroyed (and don't reappear) when time resumes if they hit something during the Rewind.

Rewind drains half a unit of Bunny's Dust for every second it's active, lasting until the button is released. This cost is on top of the unit of Dust spent on Stop, making it her most expensive time ability. A red aura covers her projectiles affected by Rewind.

Bunny can end any ongoing effect created by her Neutral Special by tapping the input once more while they are active.


< Side Special >

Bunny's time powers are impressive enough, but she's hardly helpless without them. Bunny utilizes a variety of weapons as she searches for her cure, including the three featured here. Tapping the Side Special input has Bunny toggle through three of her trusty weapons; the Sylph Shooter, the Black Wing, and the Rippongi Missiles. Next to her stocks is a small icon indicating which weapon she happens to be wielding at that point in time. Like her Neutral Special's time powers, swapping weapons with her Side Special is almost lagless and can be done at any time.


Bunny defaults to the Sylph Shooter, throwing knives she can fling with impressive accuracy, range, and speed. The daggers are very similar to Fox's Neutral Special projectile in how far they travel, the distance they cover, and their lack of hit stun. Bunny's Sylph Shooters don't do much to stop the movement of her opponents, but they do quite a job of causing burst damage, inflicting 2% a piece with a fast rate of fire (though nowhere near Fox's blaster). Excellent for recharging the time gauge and putting a damaged opponent into KO range.


Next in sequence is the Black Wing. These large boomerangs travel only half the distance of the Sylph Shooter before they abruptly reverse their direction towards Bunny. They vanish on contact with Bunny, and if she has since moved out of their return path, instantly adjust their course to chase her until they reach her or travel half again their initial range. They take the most direct route possible, even if it means hitting a wall and destroying themselves.

The rate of fire for Black Wing is still on the fast side, but is noticeably slower than the spammable Sylph Shooter. With good reason, as foes suffer moderate radial knockback and 6% damage from a Black Wing. This is her heavy-hitting ranged option, and one that opens a number of tricks when used with Stop to give Bunny time to separate.


Last but not least is the Rippongi Missile. They have the slowest (still respectable) rate of fire, on par with Mario spamming his Neutral Special, and travel only 1/3rd the speed of a Sylph Shooter, exploding on touch. At only 4% damage per hit and light radial knockback, the Rippongi Missile seems totally underwhelming, but they have three qualities to their advantage. First, they travel 1.5x the total range of a Sylph Shooter.

This wouldn't mean much, as their various weaknesses mean they're hardly suited for camping, but it works well with their second quality. Rippongi Missiles turn in midair, adjusting their aim towards the nearest enemy. They're not particularly nimble, taking 1.5 seconds to do a full 180 turn, but this does mean they remain a VERY persistent thorn in the opponent's side.

The third quality of Rippongi Missiles gives them some notable interactions with time powers. The explosive hitbox lingers in place briefly after the missile itself is gone, whereas the other projectiles end with a metaphorical whimper. It is affected by Bunny's time powers just as the missiles themsleves are; Slow drags out the explosion and Stop freezes it entirely, both potentially racking multiple hits and forming a temporary wall to pin enemies against. Rewind causes a detonated missile to reappear with an explosion in the spot it met its end.


Holding the input causes Bunny to plant her feet and start throwing. The projectiles come one after the other for as long as the input is held, and Bunny can even aim in a near total 360 degrees around herself (only unable to aim straight down on the ground). Used in the air, Bunny continues moving in the direction she was headed before initiating the input, the control stick giving her full aim around herself. Smashing the input in the air locks her aim in the direction the control stick was angled, but gives the player control over her horizontal movement. Bunny can even use this input to turn around in the air.


While Stop is active, there's an extra twist; Bunny flicks her wrist in a more exaggerated movement to throw a fan of three projectiles, one in the normal direction and one diagonally off to either side of it, which move forward a split second before freezing. The fan takes longer to create than Bunny's normal rapid-fire pace, thanks to the slight change in animation, which also makes it easier to control just how many you want to make.

These projectiles otherwise act normally, but their creation costs Bunny a single unit of Dust for every fan of projectiles she makes; attempting to make more mid-Stop ends Stop prematurely and defaults to the normal held Side Special.

Sylph Shooters act as free damage on an opponent sent crashing through them, their complete lack of stun and knockback meaning they don't mess up a potential KO. Black Wings and their radial knockback let them act as one-shot, heavily nerfed versions of the Bumper item, popping opponents back towards Bunny for more beatdown or up into the air for an aerial follow up. Rippongi Missiles can keep an opponent penned in or otherwise hang over their heads, preventing a jump or letting Bunny keep them in place when an attack would otherwise push them too far or the Black Wings pull them too near.


< Down Special >

Bunny closes her eyes, expression solemn and uncharacteristically tranquil. She is surrounded by a shining white glow, motes of light floating upward around her on an updraft that causes her hair and ears to billow. Her red clothing, too, turns white- then fades to a vibrant violet and purple.

Bunny possesses both Super Armor and Grab Armor during the transformation, which last from a little after the start of the animation to just slightly after the first actionable frame. The transformation itself is only a little lengthy, and has a few seconds of 'cool down' besides where she cannot transform again to avoid stalling; the armor qualities simply protect her from an opponent timing an attack to hit her right as it ends.


This new form is Bunny's Dynamite Body. What she loses in mobility and attack speed, she makes up for with two considerable new assests: increased weight and a hefty boost in firepower. Bunny's new dash speed and weight match Roy's, shifting her classification to middleweight. Her fall speed, jumps, and other innate statistics remain unchanged, however; the transformation is overall a detriment in terms of raw stats, as the weight buff doesn't improve her ability to survive nearly as much as the reduced speed harms her ability to press an offensive.

It's the second aspect of the transformation that makes it worthwhile. Bunny's attacks are, in effect, half again more effective. Projectile weapons are 'doubled' when used; Bunny flings Sylph Shooter and Rippongi Missile projectiles in pairs, effectively just a fancy visual for a slightly larger hitbox that deals 1.25x damage.

Black Wing and (seen later in the set) Spike Hammer and Smile Bomb-based attacks have their hitboxes mirrored on the vertical axis; essentially, when Bunny throws a Black Wing forward, another appears behind herself from a briefly visible distortion in space that acts its own hitbox. Angling one up or down angles the other the same way, and when shot directly up or down, the effect is the same as for her other projectiles. In the case of the Spike Hammer and Smile Bomb, Bunny gets the best of both worlds, as they also receive the damage boost.

Her melee attacks aren't left out of the fun, receiving a 1.25x damage boost and usually having some slight adjustment to their animations (the color of her as of yet unseen Faust Samurai blade glowing red instead of blue for example) that add flair and a feeling of impact to sell the increase in power.

When used while Bunny has projectiles or other weapons present as active hitboxes, they flash white alongside her when she transforms. They gain the damage-related modifiers of the transformation as if she had generated them in her current form, but without the other changes (such as the hitbox size increase).

In exchange for all these benefits, the rate of fire and lag on her attacks are worsened by a few frames; enough to be noticeable and affect what combos she has available, though she still comes out far ahead in terms of damage potential and extra tricks. Knowing when to use Bunny's Dynamite Body and learning to adjust to its changes are vital for making the most of Bunny's attacks.


< Up Special >

Bunny performs a little somersault akin to her second jump's animation; she covers an arc that gains a little less height at its peak, but carries her forward roughly a battlefield platform's length, evening out to a mostly 'meh' recovery accounting for the lack of height for most of the jump and the time it takes.

Bunny moves in the direction she faces normally, but quickly moving the control stick back during the start up causes her to perform a backflip instead, covering the same distance in the opposite direction and ending with her facing the same direction she started in. This opens up an odd escape option for getting horizontal and vertical distance at the same time, and is a small boon for the otherwise fast to fall Bunny's ability to camp a ledge or interrupt a recovery with her aerials.


Bunny's body is not a hitbox in and of itself. As she spins, Bunny flings a single Side Special-chosen projectile in each of the eight cardinal and diagonal directions around herself near-simultaneously.

The projectiles have slight variation on how they work when used through this input. Sylph Shooter causes flinching. Black Wing's knockback is inverted, pulling foes in the direction it came from instead of pushing them away. Rippongi Missile explodes prematurely after half the normal distance as brief lingering hitboxes. All changes make them more effective at covering Bunny's recovery, and also serve to provide slightly different effects when combined with her time powers.

These projectiles are set in number, not multiplied by Stop. Stop will still halt the movement of the projectiles, but Bunny can still use this input even if she lacks the Dust; Stop ends prematurely, rather than the input failing. The collective group only uses up one unit of Dust. Dynamite Body increases the damage normally, but without creating more, still applied in spirit if not in letter. Additionally, if Bunny activates Stop during this input, she momentarily hangs in place mid-spin and dispenses the projectiles from that point, instead of at the peak height of the leap.


Bunny does not enter freefall from this input unless she suffers knockback mid-attack, though she does not gain additional height after the first use until she lands again. Bunny will land properly on the ground even if still mid-ending lag, so long as she's not mid-somersault.



<> Standards <>

< Neutral Combo >

Bunny's Neutral Combo makes use of her current weapon of choice (see Side Special), the combo varying depending on which weapon she has in hand.

With the Sylph Shooter active, Bunny clenches a knife (or a pair of knives, blades positioned between her fingers) in each hand. The combo is a pair of vertical claw-like swipes, one with each hand, and a quick stab with the knife (or knives) in the first hand. This quick combo deals 2% with each hit; it inflicts flinching knockback with the first two, and light knockback with the third. It has the shortest reach of the three combos, barring the stab. The full combo positions opponents just right for Bunny's Forward Tilt to be most effective, or to chain into a second neutral combo with the Black Wing or Rippongi Missile.


With the Black Wing, Bunny grips one end of the boomerang and uses it as a club. She makes a pair of horizontal swipes and finishes with an exaggerated overhead swing. The initial hits do 3% and flinching, with the overhead swing inflicting 4% and mild knockback that puts opponents back at mid range. In terms of reach, the Black Wing is comparable to most sword users' jabs, if only because of how much Bunny leans into each swing. This is a better poking tool than her other options, catching opponents who are hovering too close for Bunny's slower but better reaching options and projectiles, but too far for some of her quick melee tools.


Bunny's combo with the Rippongi Missile is less conventional than the others. Rather than swinging a pair of explosives like bludgeons, Bunny performs a half-hearted underhand toss, the missile blowing up as it hits the ground at the end of its low arc for a hitbox completely unconnected to Bunny's hurtbox. Each missile in the three hit 'combo' is thrown a little further than the last, the explosions causing 3% damage and pushing those hit back into perfect position for the next.

This is the longest reaching of her combos, and has the advantage of producing a hitbox that lingers after the lag, letting Bunny fade back as necessary. Infeasible at truly close range due to its start up, this is best used to space and interrupt approaches- or catch opponents escaping from Bunny's other combos.


Bunny can swap weapons mid-combo without interrupting the attack, flawlessly flowing into the appropriate hit of the new weapon's combo; missing the second swipe of the Sylph Shooter combo can be followed with the Black Wing overhead strike right as the opponent's dodge ends, and a disengaging foe can find Bunny tossing a Rippongi Missile to keep them from running back in to punish her slower Black Wing attacks- or receive an unexpected stab wound when they roll past an explosion.

If the player is fast enough on the input, Bunny can even throw one of her Side Special projectiles, with or without cancelling her combo. The throw happens between hits, Bunny picking up where she left off if the player continues the Neutral Combo input or transitioning into the Side Special fully if they continue to hold the input for more projectiles. She can also, after the combo finisher, transition directly into her Side Special in the same manner.

Foes jumping over the explosions are caught by the Rippongi Missile's homing, aggressive foes are tagged by the Black Wing's return trip or pulled into range of the overhead finish, and retreating foes eat some damage from a quick Sylph Shooter.


< Forward Tilt >

Bunny slides her leg back until she's on one knee, and puts another of her weapons to use: the Faust Samurai. A blade made of blinding light, longer than Bunny is tall, extends from a hilt that appears in Bunny's hand. She swings upward with the long-reaching hitbox, hitting a wide area that starts a little below her and (at its tip) ends slightly above her, covering a 60 degree angle in front of herself.


The Faust Samurai has a few consistent qualities of note. The middle of the blade is a very generous sweet spot that deals increased damage, while the very tip is a sour spot. If Dynamite Body is active, the sweet spots receive a whopping 1.5x damage increase, unlike Bunny's other melee attacks, making them KO early if landed.

The blade cancels out most weak projectiles (those that don't continue on through whatever enemy they hit). She can repeat the attack without starting lag by holding the input past the ending lag, though she suffers increased ending lag on the final swing for doing so.

Bunny's own projectiles are batted away by the blade, moving in a manner dependant on the input instead of their normal trajectory. This movement is faster than the normal movement for the Black Wing and Rippongi Missile, which retain their hitbox qualities, but slower for her Sylph Shooter, which in exchange, now spins for a slightly larger hitbox. Stopped projectiles briefly move before being stopped again, much like how there's a slight delay to the effect of Stop catching up with them when they are thrown normally.

These qualities are applicable unless noted otherwise.


In the case of her Forward Tilt, Bunny suffers some starting lag that makes aiming for the sweetspot over the tip a risk, though the ending lag is more manageable, if slightly poor when repeated. The swing itself is a little slow as well, giving a window for opponents to punish mindless spam if not caught wrongfooted with the initial hit. The tip does light horizontal knockback and 5% damage, while the sweetspot does a more solid 11% damage and solid upward and forward knockback. The rest of the hitbox does 8% damage and moderate horizontal knockback.

The Forward Tilt slings Bunny's projectiles upward in a short, steep forward arc. Bunny can catch an opponent as they try to jump over her projectiles, or throw said projectiles in the path of an opponent hit by the blade's sweetspot. Foes who time their approach or dodge to evade Bunny's sword can find themselves caught by her falling weapons and left vulnerable regardless.


< Down Tilt >

Bunny slides her leg out in a sweeping kick, in this quick if somewhat lacking in reach attack. She does a fair 5% damage and light horizontal knockback, with the point of her heel being a tiny sweetspot that inflicts 8% and moderate knockback angled further upward, popping foes into the air for the use of her air game or other tools. She can pop off a projectile, or take advantage of the angle to launch foes into existing Stopped projectiles already in play.

The input is fast enough that, when spammed, it can catch an opponent who spot dodges the prior use or otherwise be followed up with a speedy response to the opponent's approach. It also lowers Bunny's hurtbox close to the ground as she crounches to perform the kick, acting almost as a psuedo-dodge. On its own, or combined with a Stopped projectile in the right place, Bunny has numerous options out of her Down Tilt.

Sylph Shooter does not interrupt their flight path, merely exasserbating the damage. Used without set up or with Sylph Shooter, Bunny can follow up with her smashes, her grab, or further thrown projectiles. Black Wing bounces the opponent into the sweetspot position for Up Tilt, up for a short hop into an aerial, or an angled upward Forward Smash. Rippongi Missile sets up the Neutral Combo, another Down Tilt, short hop into Down Aerial, or the Grab. Depending on the projectile's position, the sweet spot can also punt the opponent up and over, making a wall between them and Bunny that lets her safely flow into any other input with sufficient reach/range.


< Up Tilt >

The 'default' version of Bunny's Faust Samurai attack in her game is an overhead slash that starts behind Bunny's head and ends against the ground in front of her. Her up tilt replicates the animation of the swing carefully, including the animation being a touch on the slow side for a hectic game like Super Smash Bros.

The actual lag of the input isn't terrible, and indeed if an opponent is above and partly behind her, the initial hitbox comes out very quickly. During the first few frames the move is active, the sword's entire hitbox does 4% damage and light horizontal knockback that puts them right in the path of the rest of the move. It makes for a somewhat awkward poking tool against foes in the air and on platforms, though the reach compensates a little for the positioning required.

The swing proper deals 7% and mild knockback at a low angle, with 4% and moderate horizontal knockback at the tip that pushes foes away, and 9% with very light knockback at the sweet spot that pushes the foes caught down to ground level with Bunny (or bounces foes against the ground if she catches the opponent with the end of the attack animation in just the right spot). If she can catch an opponent with the sweet spot at the end, she'll likely get in a free second hit with either the tip or normal hitbox by repeating the input, inflicting a solid amount of damage and spacing the opponent.


This serves as another large, long-lasting hitbox to pen opponents in with, one that can slap an opponent out of the air. While the sweetspot does dip below the ledge if used at the end of a platform, strict positioning and timing make it a situational spike. It's normally too weak to do much but buy time, but with Dynamite Body active, it can serve as a surprise KO option.


< Dash Attack >

Bunny kicks off the ground into a flying kick, flames bursting from her heel and enveloping her foot. She glides straight forward, moving a hair slower than her dash speed. She's unable to stop or turn until the attack ends a second later, but angling the control stick up causes Bunny to lift off into the air a distance equal to her first jump in exchange for further reducing her speed. If she ends the input at ground level, with the control stick held in a direction, she exits this input still mid-dash.

Wreathed in fire, Bunny's foot is a powerful hitbox that deals 10% damage and moderate knockback at a low angle. The rest of Bunny's body does not act as a hitbox, and she has little protection from an attack intercepting any part of herself aside from her foot, the flames being large enough to block most frontal attacks. Solid obstacles and opponents halt her forward momentum, but the hitbox and animation play out for the remainder of the normal duration, albeit with the damage halved.

The lag is meager enough that Bunny can chain multiple kicks into one another near-seamlessly, either by repeating it manually or simply holding the input when the previous one ends. This is one of her better pressure options; it intercepts foes who jump, demolishes shields and destructibles, and pursues retreating enemies. She can follow up one of her faster moving projectiles (such as the Black Wing) with this attack to punish missteps, or have a slower projectile (like the Rippongi Missiles) cover her in case of a well-timed attack or spot dodge. She can even transition from her ground game to her air game using this attack, or otherwise stay clear of the ground for longer than her fall speed would normally allow.


In her Dynamite Body, Bunny's flying kick is proportionately slower moving, and thus covers less ground. This can adjust the timing of the kick in relation to other inputs, and narrows the window to properly dodge the move.

Bunny isn't able to chain multiple uses of this dash as organically as she normally can due to its increased lag, but the increased damage (and thus knockback) caused by the Dynamite Suit, represented by a small explosion on impact, allows Bunny to outright KO opponents with it easily. She exits the attack and animation on impact instead of continuing as an immobile hitbox, opening up her options. In exchange, it's riskier, and its use as a pressure or punish tool is diminished compared to the version used outside of Dynamite Body.



<> Smashes <>

< Forward Smash >

For her Forward Smash, Bunny utilizes the last of her 'standard' weapon options: the Spike Hammer. Bunny whips a heavy spiked ball on the end of a chain forward, tugging on the chain when it's at its full reach to pull it back towards where she was standing when she made the attack. The Spike Hammer inflicts 16~23% damage and strong radial knockback.

This smash is angleable and has excellent reach. Bunny can aim the Spike Hammer in any direction except straight down by moving the control stick during the charge. Only the spiked ball is a hitbox, and it takes long enough to travel the full distance that a raw use of the Forward Smash is easily evaded with a dodge or jump. Bunny is able to move again when the Spike Hammer roughly reaches the half way point of its travel, making it somewhat safe on a miss.


The Spike Hammer has a few interesting qualities relating to how it moves, shared across inputs that use it. If it hits an enemy or destructible, it retracts early, and Bunny will skip the remainder of the animation/ending lag to catch it; landing the laggy Spike Hammer inputs at point blank is risky, but can give Bunny a tiny frame advantage. Moving towards or away from the Spike Hammer does not increase or decrease its range; more chain seems to come from Bunny's hand and trace the line between them no matter how far apart they are.

Most importantly, the Spike Hammer rebounds off of whatever it hits. Anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves between Bunny and her extended Spike Hammer will find it bouncing off of them for repeated hits as it tries, futilely, to return to its owner. The sole mercy is that once the Spike Hammer has hit anything, it loses a lot of the force behind it, downgrading to doing 6% damage and moderate radial knockback.

When the Spike Hammer hits something at an odd angle, it is bounced up or down slightly in addition to its horizontal movement. Enemy hitboxes can deal knockback to the Spike Hammer, counting as if the Spike Hammer hit something for the purposes of weakening it. A perfect shield or reflector can also send the Spike Hammer back, though it does not do harm to Bunny as a deflected projectile would (acting more as a bizarre melee hitbox that doesn't apply hit lag to Bunny).

Should the Spike Hammer miss Bunny and pass her by on its return course- whether it be because she has jumped or dodged, or the Spike Hammer rebounded at an odd angle- it begins to spin around her as a short-range lingering hitbox. It circles her, hitting above, below, in front of, and behind her should foes get too close at the wrong point of its rotation.

If the Spike Hammer has cicled around her for 3 seconds or bounced 3 times, it near-instantly retracts to her. It has no hitbox and passes through any and everything between it and her without affecting or being affecting by it. If Bunny has two Spike Hammers out due to her Dynamite Body special, each Spike Hammer has its own timer and 'bounce counter' for when it is forced to retract to her.

Bunny can also retract the Spike Hammer early by performing an input that utilizes it; in this case, it does not lose its hitbox unless it fulfills the normal conditions, letting her catch an opponent who has stumbled in front of the chain tracking the closest path between her and the Spike Hammer. Bunny can then perform the input with only a slight delay.

Finally, Bunny has a means to precisely manipulate her Spike Hammer. Her melee hitboxes can affect the Spike Hammer's course just as a solid object would, at the cost of it counting as one of her 3 'bounces' (and thus downgrading to the weaker rebounding hitbox by default).

Hitting it at a side angle, like with Bunny's Faust Samurai, sends the Spike Hammer spinning around herself in the opposite direction. Hitting head on (or close to it), like with Bunny's various kicks, return it to its yo-yo-like pattern. She can use this face to potentially re-aim the Spike Hammer at an angle it wouldn't normally be able to fly at, though it would take some highly visible set up. Bunny can also bounce the shield straight back out by using her shield.

Notably, there's an input that can do either depending on how it is used. Bunny's Dash Attack essentially has its hitbox extended when moving horizontally, the Spike Hammer bouncing against her heel. When she rises into the air, it bounces off at an angle that sends it spinning, protecting her vulnerable hurtbox.


With her Dynamite Body active, approaching Bunny during this smash becomes that much trickier; the resulting second Spike Hammer let fly behind her will hit foes who try to dodge roll past her, and will swing back to hit an opponent in front of her if she chooses to jump before it retracts. With two Spike Hammers spinning around her, she's well guarded on approach from melee attacks lacking in notable disjoint to their hitboxes. An approach from above or below has more lee way in getting past the hammers, but risk being caught between the two.


< Down Smash >

Bunny reaches behind her back with a vicious glint in her eye, and producces a soccer ball-sized metal cylinder with a smiley face engraved on its side. She casually drops it on the ground at her feet, or with a movement of the control stick, performs an underhand toss to land it a short distance forwards, or over her shoulder a short distance back, the arc depending on the control stick's angle. The animation is a little on the slow side, though thankfully the input isn't too laggy.

At first, the cylinder does nothing to opponents but rebound off of them like they were a solid wall- no damage or knockback or even stun. Then it starts flashing red.


The metal cylinder is a Smile Bomb, Bunny's sixth and final weapon she gains access to once she's gained enough Royal Yellow Dust upgrades in her own game. It was available to her at all times after unlocking it, rather than being interchangable the way her other five weapons were.

A Smile Bomb is a timed explosive that takes anywhere from 3~1 second(s) to explode after Bunny drops it (charge reducing the wait by double the time spent charging). It flashes to telegraph that it's one second from detonating, after which it produces a crate-sized explosion that deals 14~20% damage and heavy horizontal knockback. Enemy attacks will detonate the bomb prematurely, for only half damage and reduced knockback.

The bomb and its timer can be manipulated the same as Bunny's projectiles; she can reposition it using her Faust Samurai, and adjust its movement (and detonation timing) with her Neutral Special. Like the Rippongi Missile, even its explosion is subject to her Neutral Special effects.

Her other melee hitboxes can be used to move it around, such as her Down Tilt sweetspot popping it into the air, or her Spike Hammer smacking it across the platform. It's prone to bouncing, gaint roughly a third of the height it fell from with the first bounce, and exponentially less for each after, usually not bouncing more than twice if it isn't dropped from a great height. It falls at the same speed Bunny herself does. Unlike her other projectiles, Bunny's stuck with a maximum of two Smile Bombs at a time; creating a new one causes the oldest to explode as if hit by an enemy attack.


Bunny's Smile Bomb is a solid kill move and possibly the strongest weapon in a fairly sprawling arsenal. Simply having one in play forces opponents to watch their step and encourages them to take to the sky. Bunny's moves battering the bomb around with reckless abandon means it can easily get launched right along with an opponent when she spaces it just right, sending the already airborne enemy clear over a stage boundary. Of course, it can also just go off half a stage away from the opponent, or get sniped by a weak projectile.

Dynamite Body provides almost a straight upgrade to this input; even accounting for the increased lag, getting both bombs out at once is a large net gain, and the damage multiplier makes a fully charged Smile Bomb KO earlier than it has any right to (albeit not to the degree a Warlock Punch or fully charged Samus Charge Shot would). Even 'dud' bombs, bombs detonated by an enemy hit or creating new Smile Bombs, do reasonably frightening damage and semi-respectable knockback.


< Up Smash >

Bunny squats low, clenching one of her currently selected projectiles between her fingers. When using the input uncharged, she flings the projectile straight up, the damage and knockback no more or less than normal. It is a single projectile, regardless of if Stop is active or not. With a charge, Bunny throws additional projectiles in a spread, off to the sides of the projectile aimed straight up. She throws three at half charge or greater, and five with a full charge, covering a wide area above herself. If used during Stop, it costs a single unit of Dust for a whole spread.

Before the thrown projectiles can get particularly far away, Bunny brings up her other hand, clenching the Faust Samurai. The sword hits front-to-back above Bunny, inflicting 16-22% damage to foes close enough for it to hit (20-25% at the sweetspot, 12-16% at the sourspot tip) and moderate upward knockback. The thrown projectiles are batted away by the blade, sent spinning up a short distance and then down, fanning out. They inflict an additional 4% damage and slightly more damage/knockback over what they normally do.

The Up Smash has a bit of ending lag to it, and the duration is a little on the long side as well. If she wishes, Bunny can cancel out of the input between the projectile throw and the sword swing to circumvent both. If she does, the fan of projectiles lose steam early without the extra 'encouragement', only going half as high and lacking the extra damage and spread.


If Bunny's Dynamite Body is active, she still uses the base version of her projectiles. Instead of using the upgraded versions, immediately after throwing the first spread of projectiles, Bunny throws a second. The first will (barring the use of Slow or Stop) escape the range of Bunny's Faust Samurai follow-up, but ultimately it adds up to greater potential damage than the normal Dynamite Bunny buff, an impressive prospect. She can cancel out of the input normally, and can also do so between the first and second wave of projectiles.

Bunny creates a wide shower of hitboxes with a single input at full charge, enough to act as a proper zoning option with the faintly increased stun and damage. The spread means it's unlikely to hit a given opponent multiple times without some set up and Dust expenditure, though with those in place, Bunny is more than capable of hurling her opponents through the field of hitboxes for a sizable amount of damage.



<> Aerials <>

< Neutral Aerial >

Tucking her legs in and reaching above her head with one arm, Bunny extends her Faust Samurai outwards mid-tumble to strike a near-complete circle around herself. The blade leaves a trail of energy in its wake, covering roughly a 20 degree-wide cone from one end to another as an active hitbox at a time. Only a small blindspot up and slightly behind her exists, though it takes some time for Bunny to complete the motion and hit the area behind her, and the area in front of herself is left open briefly as she finishes the spin.

The blade deals 7% damage and weak radial knockback; not enough to spike, but enough to push foes away. The sweetspot of the blade has more respectable, non-radial knockback that slaps foes away at a low horizontal angle, but it exists only near the start of the blade's arc. This sweetspot does 10% damage, and as always, the blade has a tiny sour spot at the very tip of its range that inflicts 5% and flinching. Bunny's projectiles are knocked directly away from Bunny, hitting foes directly opposite of them from herself and extending her Up Special's range during a stop.

Bunny's fall slows for a split second during the start up of the input, not enough to delay her fall by much even if she repeats the input. The input itself is a little slow, both in its lag and in how long the animation takes to play out, but not enough to make the move unsafe on hit when using Dynamite Body. While Dynamite Body is active, the width of the hitbox doubles to a 40 degree cone, and the sweetspot is active at all points except the lower half of the arc.

Bunny can maneuver to catch a fast-falling opponent behind or in front of herself, taking advantage of the slight delay to her fall for easier timing. The Spike Hammer can be sent into a spin around Bunny with this input, though it counts as a bounce, preventing potential spikes. It's better saved for covering Bunny's blindspot during the tumble when already spinning, or to effectively extend her reach by making it spin at a point it just starts to retract (such as if Bunny short hops into this input immediately after Forward Smash). Both the Forward and Up Tilts are just as valid means to do this, but this is also a way Bunny can access that trick in the air.

The radial knockback also serves as a counter for short hops; an enemy only just off the ground below Bunny will be slapped down just enough to bounce them off the ground (though this can be teched). It can also be used, from a short hop, to hit an opponent hanging on the ledge or (on a good read) attempting a get up attack. With Slow active, Bunny can space for the sweet spot much easier.


< Forward Aerial >

Bunny grabs the head of her Spike Hammer and flings it out ahead of herself with an exaggerated motion. Aside from being angleable and having the usual qualities of the Spike Hammer, this input has little in common with her Forward Smash. The initial hitbox is much weaker, only 10% damage and moderate radial knockback, and there is just enough ending lag after the throw to make capitalizing on a hit a pain.

Of course, the qualities of the Spike Hammer are what makes this input valuable. This is a MEAN air vs air option given the returning function of the Spike Hammer; timing an air dodge to evade both the throw and the return is very difficult, and Bunny can fast fall to let the ball fly past herself to hit an opponent behind her, or let it spin around to hit an opponent in front of herself upwards. It can also hit an opponent behind and below Bunny that way, as an awkward semi-spike. A Neutral Air can send it spinning more easily, but reduces it to the weaker hitbox and prevents the spike.

These same qualities make it a poor ledge guard option without Slow; its lag and Bunny's rapid descent make it risky to use, and a particularly enterprising opponent can choose to dodge early, letting the returning spike hammer knock them back up and onto the stage.

The Neutral Aerial sort of counters this thanks to its sweetspot, but the two can still give them enough verticle height that they can likely recover unless at high percentages. With Slow, Bunny can keep the opponent between herself and the Spike Hammer even longer, potentially allowing multiple hits.


< Down Aerial >

Bunny pulls her legs up, and just as quickly stomps down with both at once, heel first. Bunny's feet are a short-ranged melee hitbox that deal 7% damage on a hit, with the side effect of being an automatic Footstool. The resulting 'bounce' Bunny receives from her Down Aerial-inflicted Footstool is lower than her normal one, and she can only do it once in this manner. In exchange, the hitbox and timing are both more generous, and she inflicts damage with a successful stomp.

Holding the input causes Bunny to hold her posture as she falls, the hitbox remaining active. If she hits with this hitbox, it does a mere 3% damage and light knockback angled opposite the direction Bunny faces, and does not apply the Footstool effect. Bunny bounces up a very short height, rebounding off the foe in a way that pushes her further and further from the foe with each hit she lands, in the opposite direction of the knockback.

Though a bit unwieldy, landing the former version of the input, and transitioning into one or two hits of the latter, is possible- and a great way to recharge Bunny's Time Gauge. On larger opponents with wide hitboxes, it also serves as a decent damage racking tool. This is also the sole (hah) way Bunny has to aim her Spike Hammer straight down for a weak spike or just to hit an enemy from decently far above them.

The low range of the hitbox proper makes it difficult to finish an opponent off stage with, along with the already repeatedly mentioned weakness of high fall speed, but this is likely one of Bunny's best options that don't require set-up. Beware of a well-timed air dodge! You might just wind up on the receiving end of a spike yourself, making this a higher risk for higher reward option in regards to off stage fighting.

As her other aerials, Slow makes this input safer for Bunny, and for Down Aerial in specific, can even allow Bunny the chance to land a few non-held hits of the Down Aerial in a row!


< Back Aerial >

Bunny performs a spinning kick to catch someone behind herself, her extended leg wreathed in flames. It inflicts a respectable 8% damage and moderate knockback, and unlike her Dash Attack, Bunny's whole leg counts as the hitbox. Bunny's heel acts as a sweet spot, inflicting 12% damage with surprisingly high knockback. She hits both in front of and behind herself, doing a complete 360 with the motion, though the hitbox is first active behind herself.

Bunny is abruptly pulled backward from the force of her kick, enough that this input could work as a situational evasive tactic with less lag than her proper air dodge, so long as the movement takes her out of the hitbox's path; attempting to evade Samus' charge shot this way, for example, is a terrible idea due to the lack of invulnerability frames.

Moving the control stick during the kick can adjust Bunny's trajectory, letting her gain or lose altitude slightly, or even move in the opposite direction. She'll always start the input moving backwards, limiting how far ahead she can travel. This does not stop Bunny's fall, merely slow it, and she will lose more altitude than she gains by the time the move ends.

Holding the standard button will have Bunny repeat the kick after a pause, letting her use it again and again with lower lag than if she repeated the attack manually. Repeating the input this way may be faster, but Bunny loses the sweetspot at her heel, and she uses her normal air speed and movement instead. Each spinning kick she does stales the input separately as if used that many times normally, so don't keep doing it for the sake of doing it!

Getting behind Bunny is hardly safer than being in front of her in the air. In fact, the sweetspot makes this a consistent KO tool that's perfect for finishing a combo that hit the opponent skyward. The quick repeat option for the input can also be used as a combo tool with a Stopped Black Wing or, better yet, Rippongi Missile to pinball the opponent off of with each kick.

With the benefit of Slow, Bunny can actually stall her fall for a short time with this input, and in particular can hit an opponent a few extra times on her way down (especially in the event of slowed Rippongi Missile).


< Up Aerial >

Bunny pulls her arm back, facing the sky and turned slightly to her side in an animation not unlike Yoshi's Up Special, and hurls a Smile Bomb into the air. Visually similar to the Smile Bomb from her Down Smash, it travels in a short, thin arc before plummeting back down to earth. Holding the input allows Bunny to angle the arc more to the side at the loss of some height, and also allows her to delay the input, Bunny holding her pose indefinitely.

The Smile Bomb functions in many ways like the one produced by her Down Smash, with some exceptions. Obviously, this bomb is nowhere near as strong, and cannot be charged. It deals only 10% damage and moderate upward knockback on a hit. Rather than operating on a timer, explodes when it touches an opponent or destructible, or shortly after bouncing once. Time effects still work on it as on the normal version of the Smile Bomb. In Dynamite Body form, Bunny hurls a Smile Bomb with each hand, one right after the other. She can hold the input after the first to aim the second differently.

This move is a little laggy, but can do as much against an opponent below as one above, and offers some quick, explosive firepower when Bunny needs it. Throwing one of these babies can cover an approach or stall one of your opponent's, and following one with a double jump to get above it can clear out an opponent waiting below to try and capitalize on Bunny's Down Aerial's lack of reach.

Slow makes the Smile Bombs an even longer-lasting obstacle, not to the extent that the Down Smash-generated bombs are, but a respectable duration nonetheless. The combo potential for gradually falling explosives isn't to be underestimated.



<> Grab Game <>

< Grab/Pummel >

Bunny whips out a length of chain, wrapping it around the midsection of anyone in its respectable reach. She braces her foot against the opponent and pulls the chain tight to hold them in place. This grab has some wind up while Bunny draws the chain back for the whipping motion, but little ending lag on a miss. Her pummel is on the slower side, Bunny pulling back the leg she has braced against the opponent and slamming her heel into them with a small fire effect for 3% per hit.

Despite using what is clearly the same length of chain from her Spike Hammer, this input does NOT require she reel it in to use; she's simply using the other end of the ridiculously long chain. This means Bunny can potentially snag an opponent in a position to be hit by her Spike Hammer on a return. The first hit of any of her Spike Hammer inputs will interrupt the grab, but the post-bounce Spike Hammer hitbox will not.

Bunny is also free to use her Neutral Special still during the grab; like her Spike Hammer, Bunny can use Rewind or end Stop to damage foes with her projectiles while keeping a hold on them; these projectiles will not end the grab on a hit, excepting her Smile Bombs.


< Special Pummel >

By holding the A button and using her Neutral Special, Bunny can expend 1 unit of Dust to add a little something extra to her throws and grab release, applying one of her time powers to her opponent. Bunny has the options presented in her Neutral Special- Slow, Stop, and Rewind- and activates them the same way, the effect applying shortly after the throw. They function a little differently for her opponent than her own projectiles, of course.

Slow functions most closely to its normal version. For 3 seconds, the opponent has their movement, animations, fall speed, and aerial DI reduced to 3/4ths. This sets Bunny up for an easy follow up, or even a quick combo with proper set up planned ahead of time. Simple, but brutally effective.

Stop lasts only for half a second, but immobilizes the opponent entirely as a unique stun state. Other stun states cannot be applied during or for a short time after Stop aside from the normal hitlag of inputs. The regrab timer does not count down during this time. Any attack Bunny hits the opponent with does damage, and has a small cumulative effect on the knockback they suffer when the Stop ends, more with multiple and/or harder hits. Lingering hitboxes only hit once in this way each, to keep it within reason.

Rewind is applied shortly after the opponent is flung away. Rather than forcing them through the motions in reverse, the knockback is suddenly applied again- aimed in the opposite direction! This sends the opponent about half the distance in the opposite direction that they would've been thrown normally, possibly back through Bunny's waiting field of projectiles. Bunny has way more options for positioning foes with Rewind up her sleeve, and the forced movement can of course be interrupted with a well-timed attack, such as many of Bunny's long-reaching and lingering melee moves.

Once a time effect is applied, the opponent changes the corresponding color. Bunny can change which effect is applied by repeating the input, not costing any further Dust to do so, though the grab duration continues counting down.


< Forward Throw >

Bunny spins on one foot, swinging the opponent around herself once, and flings them away as she completes the full 360 degree turn. The opponent is sent spinning away as the chain unwinds from them, aided by a hefty flaming kick by Bunny.

As the animation implies, this throw deals modest knockback at a very low arc, almost perfectly horizontal, making its otherwise mediocre knockback actually dangerous at higher percents and perfect for spacing at lower percents. The scorching footprint on the opponent's backside comes with 7% damage, and a small frame advantage for Bunny.


< Down Throw >

Bunny lifts her Faust Samurai above her head, then slams it into the opponent as hard as she can. The blade slices through the chain around the opponent, freeing them as they rebound against the ground from the force of the blow. Foes suffer 9% damage and mild upward knockback as they bounce across the ground, in the perfect position for both Bunny's grounded and aerial inputs to follow up on the attack. This throw has enough ending lag that she doesn't get a guaranteed free shot in, but she has the ever so slight frame advantage over her opponent that helps her take control of the fight.

Bunny's projectiles aren't left out of the fun; they bounce against the ground just the same as her opponent, spinning up into the air at a low arc that usually brings them just beneath the opponent (or into them at very low damage percentages). With projectile set-up, fast falling to evade an aerial input or get back on the ground are poor choices.


< Back Throw >

Turning on the ball of her foot, Bunny swings the opponent behind herself with one arm and the momentum of her spin, the for flying free from the unwinding chain. Her other arm slips behind herself during this turn, and at the very moment she releases the foe, she flings her currently chosen projectile after them. Bunny takes a moment to regain her balance, but isn't especially hampered from following up on the move.

This throw deals 5% damage and moderate knockback, though can easily add up to one of her more damaging throws depending on which projectile she has equipped. Both the throw and Bunny's projectile can be angled, the former by the initial movement of the control stick to perform the input, the latter by moving the control stick during the throw animation.

The projectile functions exactly as it does for her Side Special, including variation dependent on her Neutral and Down Specials. She is even free to use the Side Special to change her selected projectile during the input, up to the frame she would produce the projectile.

While not great on its own merits, the Back Throw gives Bunny a few options; the control she has over the throw and the free projectile lets her set them up just how she wants them, or simply throw the opponent and hit them with the projectile for extra damage. The option to activate or disable her time powers mid-grab or mid-throw gives her more leeway in this respect. Corner an opponent between Bunny and her projectile, block their escape, force the opponent to make a snap defensive decision, or just create a trap for later. Her Down Throw is better for pressing an offensive, but the Back Throw is better for starting one.


< Up Throw >

Bunny pulls the opponent back, bracing both feet on the ground, and hurls them straight up with all her might... which turns out to not be much. The throw does 1% damage and light knockback straight up. Its only saving grace is that the foe briefly tumbles, so they don't get to immediately counter attack.

Luckily, Bunny's not depending solely on her own muscle. Continuing the motion, Bunny swings the chain she had binding the opponent, whipping the Spike Hammer into the air after them! The Spike Hammer does 8% damage and moderate radial knockback. By default, it'll hit the opponent straight up and (due to them being in the air to start) actually serve as a decent KO option, especially if Bunny uses it on a high platform.

Bunny can angle her Spike Hammer ever so slightly with the control stick after the initial input; the radial knockback will then launch an opponent at an angle instead of straight up; not so great for scoring a KO, but a way to get the opponent into the air without also putting them directly above Bunny, letting her transition into her air game. When walls and other obstacles server to get in Bunny's way while trying to KO an opponent, aiming for the top of the screen or putting the foe up and over the block is possible with this throw.

Bunny can cancel out of the animation at any point after the initial throw, aborting the Spike Hammer follow up if she does it immediately. If done immediately, Bunny has the opponent in a very nice position for a more powerful attack, though the opponent is free to DI from the moment she cancels out of the input and may evade slower attacks (such as if the player gets greedy and attempts to land a smash) as a result. This doesn't give her much of a frame advantage if done after the Spike Hammer follow up, but moving to the side grants Bunny a spinning Spike Hammer as a bonus.



<> Final Smash <> Aurum Call <>

Bunny rises into the air, a ring of red flames whirling around her at high speed. Light bellows forth from Bunny as in her Down Special animation, and the red (or purple) of her costume is replaced with gold.

Bunny's Time Gauge turns gold with the rest of her, slowly draining over the course of this Final Smash. Her attacks do not replenish her Dust until the Final Smash ends. It takes 10 seconds for the gauge to fully drain without use of any of Bunny's other time powers, which themselves have their costs halved. That's not the only upgrade they receive, however- Bunny's Neutral Special now affects items, enemies, opposing projectiles, stage hazards- everything up to and including even the match timer itself!

Stopped enemies do not take knockback until the Stop effect or Final Smash end, at which point they suffer half the knockback they normally would have. Hitting stopped enemies also consumes Dust in the same way creating a Side Special during Stop does. Hard to KO enemies this way, but you can hardly complain when Bunny is getting in free hits of any of her buffed attacks. The only exception to everything being affected by her time powers is that rewinding will not cause the Smash Ball to reappear; it seems even with her new powers and the full function of her time abilities returned to her and even empowered by the Smash Ball, there are still things that confound her ability.


Bunny herself has the mobility of her normal form, the damage buffs of her Dynamite Body, and total immunity to harm short of foolishly falling off of the stage. Bunny plays her perfect shield animation whenever she would be affected by a source or harm or enemy input, gaining invulnerability frames and nullifying whatever effect would've been applied to her. Ongoing negative effects similarly end upon activating the Final Smash. This DOES mean that attacks can interrupt Bunny's own rampage, but only briefly, as she suffers little lag from the animation, but the invulnerability outlasts the animation, so don't think Fox can spam his laser for 10 seconds to tough out the timer.


Bunny's Side and Down Specials are altered. As soon as she enters this state, Bunny's current weapon shifts to a seventh, heretofore unseen weapon: "X-Calibur". Bunny can now throw these utterly massive swords, half her width and half again her height/length, at a rate only just shy of her Sylph Shooter.

These swords do 10% damage and moderate knockback; they're unlikely to repeatedly hit an opponent normally, but unlike Bunny's regular projectiles, the X-Calibur ALWAYS has the piercing quality- it will go through destructibles, opponents, other projectiles, everything except solid and indestructible terrain without breaking, and thus will not break if Stopped no matter how many times Bunny smacks her opponent against it.

The only thing lost is that X-Calibur is not thrown in a fan ala the other projectiles during Stop; just a single, massive blade is all Bunny needs (and can throw; you try holding three of these in one hand). Mercifully, any X-Caliburs in play when the Final Smash ends flicker for a short moment after, then vanish, leaving little room to capitalize on them.

For the purposes of her other moves dependent on her equipped weapon, X-Calibur functions as the Sylph Shooter, but with their increased hitbox size, damage, and knockback. If for some reason she wishes not to use her ultimate weapon, such as to take advantage of Aurum Call's extended time gauge to create an exaggerated version of her normal set ups over spamming her uber weapon, she is free to change weapons as normal; X-Calibur is 4th in the rotation after Rippongi Missile.


Finally, there is her Down Special. With the best of both her forms and more, she has no need to switch between her Dynamite Body and normal self. Instead, Bunny gains a completely seperate move. Bunny skids to a halt, floating in mid-air with one leg raised, and glides forward half a battlefield platform at her Dash Speed with a golden aura and afterimages trailing her.

Her body is a grab hitbox in this state. If Bunny hits an opponent, the screen flashes black with explosive graphical effects and the sound of punches and kicks landing repeatedly playing out. Fans of Street Fighter will notice the animation bears a strong resemblence to a certain boss fighter's ultimate move, and Bunny's version is almost as potent.

The opponent takes a whopping 25% damage and obscene knockback that KOs VERY early, Bunny suffering what is effectively heavy ending lag as she performs one of her taunts automatically. Even if she misses, she still suffers some hefty ending lag as she skids to a stop and stumbles, obviously frustrated that she just wasted some of her Final Smash's duration. Opponents suffer vastly less ridiculous knockback if she lands this move while they are Stopped, being perhaps the one thing about Bunny's Final Smash and this move in particular that is within reason.


When the Time Gauge finally empties, Bunny returns to her form and chosen weapon she had before initiating the Final Smash, her Time Guage full of Dust once more as one final cherry on top.



<> Extras <>

< Animations >

Most of Bunny's animations are lifted directly from Bunny Must Die. Her Dash uses the running animation, her first jump is her standing jump animation, and her second jump is her tumbling side jump animation. Shielding uses her parry animation, perfect shielding even having the flash and 'ping' sound effect; an air dodge timed nearly frame-perfect will result in a similar animation and sound effect. Bunny's stocks are represented Bunny Dolls, referencing her Recall Time Power.


< Up Taunt >

Bunny leans to one side, sliding her opposite leg out. She keeps her torso turned directly toward the player, regardless of which direction she faced before performing this taunt (Bunny simply turning her head in that direction). She extends both arms up at an angle in the opposite direction from where she leans, and she turns her head to look off in that same direction. The kanji for "Victory!" appears behind Bunny, and she shouts "Yatta!"


< Side Taunt >

Bunny leans to the side, sliding her opposite leg out, and flashes a pair of victory signs to the player with a smile on her face. This taunt is always positioned so she faces the screen; which way she faces before performing the taunt just determines which way she leans. The sound of a camera goes off.


< Down Taunt >

Bunny turns her back to the screen, arms crossed over her chest. If the player pauses and turns the camera, one can see Bunny smiling smugly, eyes closed. The kanji for "Victory!" appears over her head, as in her Up Taunt. After a moment, she turns back, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. Guess that pose doesn't feel right? As the above, she is always facing her back to the screen; which way she was turned determines whether she looks back and left or back and right.


< Victory Sceen Notes >

Bunny will always appear in whichever suit she finishes the match in; her regular red, Dynamite Body purple, or Aurum Call gold.


< Victory Screen 1: Rejuvinate >

Bunny stands stiffly, eyes closed in concentration and arms pumped to either side of herself. Her clothing flickers between white and her current suit color as if she's on the verge of transforming, motes of white light floating about her. She lets out a deep breath, then awkwardly flashes a peace sign at the player. "...hey, a win's a win."


< Victory Screen 2: Arsenal >


Bunny cycles through her weapons, flinging an assortment of throwing weapons every which way in the player's direction, swinging her Faust Samurai, and finishing with some impressive flail-work with the Spike Hammer, stomping the ground. If her Dynamite Body is active, cracks form on the ground beneath her heel. "Nobody messes with me and gets away with it!"


< Victory Screen 3: Bouncy >

Bunny bounces up and down, pumping her fists in the air and flashing a pair of victory signs at the camera. If Dynamite Body is active, the screen shakes slightly with each landing. "YES!"


< Closing Thoughts >

Bunny's been a set I've been interested in making for some time, but I never had a clear idea of how to fit her very eclectic power set together in a way that made for a coherent playstyle. To an extent, I'm still worried I haven't done enough to integrate her time powers or projectiles into the rest of her play, even with much emphasis there is on her being able to play off of them.

Bunny is also the second time this contest I've wound up coming in under 10k words for the stats, mechanic, and non-Final Smash input sections purely by coincidence, although Bunny is much closer to that number than Hockey Man was. I'm satisfied enough with the quality of the set, though I'm also looking forward to feedback to I can improve it.

All in all, I haven't done much to participate in Froy Appreciation Week, but hopefully this Froy Day entry conveys my feelings. It's been great having you these past few years, FrozenRoy FrozenRoy , and I'm looking forward to the next year as well!


Change Log:

May 8th, 2018: Edited Special Pummel as advised by FrozenRoy; Slow reduces to 3/4ths speed now instead of half, and Stop now explicitly states the regrab counter does not count down during the Stop.
 
Last edited:

Munomario777

Smash Master
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Messages
3,253
Location
Charleston, South Carolina
3DS FC
0387-9596-4480
Switch FC
SW-8229-3157-8114


Click
[ HERE ] to check out Valerie's moveset!

Pastebin backup: [ LINK ]

(As a "test run," I'm hosting this set on another site to see how it works out. :))
 
Last edited:

FrozenRoy

Smash Lord
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,266
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Switch FC
SW-1325-2408-7513
“The Green Thunder strikes like lightning!”

Mr. L

Mr. L is one of the major antagonists in Super Paper Mario. He calls himself the Green Thunder, but Mr. L's true identity is a mystery, forever concealed beneath his stylish green hat. In addition to his potent super jumping abilities, Mr. L's mechanical ability builds him Brobot (and later, Brobot Type-L) to assist him in battle. Mr. L is very arrogant, constantly talking down both his enemies and his allies in Count Bleck's court, a bit of a superiority complex instead of an inferiority complex.

Coincidentally, for the whole of Mr. L's reign of terror, Luigi is nowhere to be seen. How odd...not only that, this masterful thief has stolen Luigi's Thunderhand abilities! I guess they don't call him "The Green Thunder" for nothing.


Statistics


Curiously, Mr. L has almost the same stats as Luigi, to the point that I will instead only list things below which are different from Luigi. In all other aspects, Mr. L is the same as Luigi:

- He has significantly higher Air Speed, his 1.135 Air Speed makes him 12th in the game, above Mr. Game & Watch and Ryu (1.12) but below Mario, Sonic and Donkey Kong (1.15). However, he has noticeably lower Air Acceleration, his 0.065 ties him with Zelda and essentially Dr. Mario. This means that Mr. L has Mario-esque air control if he gets a moving start, say from moving on the ground, but not so much if he is in more of an aerial standstill.

- Mr. L has a "Fullhop Flutter". When Mr. L fullhops, he will flutter his feet in a very similar way to Luigi's first jump animation. While Mr. L is fluttering, his fall speed is reduced to that of Jigglypuff's. This effect can be ended by initiating a fastfall, otherwise lasting until Mr. L lands on the ground. This included if Mr. L is hit, but obviously is stopped by double jumping. This allows Mr. L some rather unique options between shorthopping, shorthopping + double jumping, fullhopping and falling very slow and fullhopping into a fastfall.

- Mr. L can wall jump like Mario. He retains a Crawl which functions as Luigi's.


Mr. Specials

Side Special: Electroball

Swiping his open palm form stylishly while it cracks with electricity, Mr. L sends out an Electroball from his palm! This Electroball is the same size as a Mario or Luigi fireball, with an aesthetic trail of crackling energy rather than, well, fire. The fireball only deals 4% damage (3% late), 1% less than Mario's, but it deals 6% if they hit point blank, the same as Luigi's fireball. Mr. L has two types of Electroballs, depending on if he tilts it, or if he smashes it. On hit, they offer up slightly more of a reward than the fireballs if you are close enough to follow up, but it is less damaging from afar and is a bit less useful as a long ranged projectile.

Tilting the fireball creates an Electroball that functions like Mario's fireball, bouncing off of the ground, dropping off at a steep angle and so on. Smashing it instead makes them like Luigi's fireball: unaffected by gravity and going straight forward. The bouncing version travels slightly faster than the straight version until it hits the ground, after which it moves slightly slower. The Electroball comes out on Frame 17, the same as both fireballs, and has a FAF of 49, right between Mario (53) and Luigi (44). The Electroball has slightly less range than Mario's Fireball.

Mr. L can throw out multiple Electroballs during a Fullhop Flutter, and varying which variant of Electroball that he uses to confound the opponent, for example drop a bouncing fireball down and then throw out a straight fireball as the opponent jumps over it, creating a tiny amount of bullet hell for them to get around. If an opponent is hit by an Electroball, they will become Electrified for 2.5 seconds, crackling with electricity. Electrified enemies have non-electric hits from Mr. L become electric, crackling like an electric-attribute attack in the game and increasing the hitstun of the attack slightly. Electrified enemies, furthermore, are pulled slightly towards Mr. L when he uses an electric attack, with this being a continuous effect if Mr. L charges an electric smash attack. This is magnetism, something the Thunderhand school is not unknown too. Opponents will be lightly pulled towards an Electroball if they are electrified and close to it, which can slightly increase their threat range.

Electroballs are one of Mr. L's primary options to both approach and wall out the opponent, being one of Mr. L's better ways to condition opponent's responses, such as shielding, jumping over the fireball, or trying to stay close to Mr. L to keep him from launching out an electroball, since they aren't the fastest thing in the universe and Mr. L will want to perform a jump of some kind first. Mr. L can then mix this up by performing things like jumping aerials, jumps into fastfalls for a tomahawk grab, changing up how he throws the Electroball and so on. Compared to Mario and Luigi, Mr. L gets more off of landing the Electroball, but it deals slightly less damage and has slightly less range by comparison.


Down Special: Mr. Lcylone

Mr. L outstretches his fists and begins spinning rapidly with electricity whirling around him, looking like an electrical Luigi Cyclone. This deals multiple hits of 1% that equal 6%, followed by a last hit that deals 2% and weakly pops up opponents. This weak, popping knockback has fairly low scaling, with the base knockback also being pretty good for combos, a strong contrast to Luigi's Cyclone. The Mr. Lcylone doesn't start as fast as the Luigi Cyclone, but it has drastically less ending lag, making it safer and more reliable as a combo tool compared to the more launching hit of Luigi. Mr. L can still rise with his Mr. Lcylone like Luigi and in fact has a slightly higher and easier ability to do so (although by comparison he lacks the Green Missile). The Mr. Lcylone lacks a semi-spike hit on the penultimate hit, so he can't cheaply gimp foes like Luigi either.

Against Electrified foes, they will be pulled into him both with normal magnetism and more strongly by the hits themselves, which allows Mr. L to better drag opponents where he wants with this move's good grounded horizontal mobility or potential vertical mobility. In addition, the last hit now deals set upwards knockback and slightly more hitstun that allows Mr. L some more consistant combos regardless of the opponent's damage percentage, and can be used to potentially hit opponents off the top in a similiar vein to Mario's Super Jump Punch, making being high in the air scary. Good button mashing ability to allow Mr. L higher into the air can potentially allow him to snag opponents from a lower angle, or button mashing as a bit of a hover/slow down can allow Mr. L to catch air dodges.


Up Special: Ultra Jump Punch

Mr. L scrunches down like a spring ala Luigi's Super Jump in Super Paper Mario and then leaps into the air with his fist flying high, moving in an arc similiar to Mario's Super Jump Punch rather than Luigi's Super Jump Punch. This move has two hitboxes, which make it function as kind of a "Reverse Super Jump Punch" compared to Luigi. Leaping into the air, Mr. L deals 4 hits of 1% each, with the last of these multi-hits having notable knockback away from Mr. L (not close to KO and a good deal less than Mario's, but still), and a coin aesthetically coming out of each hit like Mario/Doc. There is a single last hit which essentially NEVER combos from the previous hits, a super strong hit of electric power (the magnetism turns on so briefly and weakly it isn't very useful)! This has the same power as Luigi's Super Jump Punch, but slightly reversed: This sweetspot deals 25% damage and more knockback in the air compared to 20% damage and slightly less knockback on the ground, which is the opposite of Luigi's Super Jump Punch.

This move's trajectory is equal to Mario's, but it has noticeably more starting lag thanks to the spring start, and it goes 1.2x the distance. The additional distance is not always a good thing: While it does aid Mr. L in recovering, it also can make it more difficult to actually hit with the potent sweetspot, since the opponent won't always be high enough for Mr. L to get a clean shot at them. The increased starting lag, in addition, makes it a rather poor out of shield option, especially combined with Mr. L's low traction.

This move can make Mr. L very scary if he is below the opponent, however, as he can potentially kill opponents off the top very early with this, forcing tense situations which can lead opponents to air dodging. This can be combined with a Fullhop Flutter to stay in an opponent's danger zone for a longer time, then suddenly fastfall down to potentially catch them or even threaten again. Much like Luigi's Super Jump Punch, it is difficult to land, but threatening and scary to fight against. Helps give Mr. L some deadly juggles and, sometimes, landing coverage.


Neutral Special: Thunderhand

Mr. L holds his palm stylishly behind him, gathering electricity in it as a storable charge that takes as long to charge as Mario's F.L.U.D.D. with similiar mechanics for cancelling and so on. Thunderhand has three levels of charge, divided in third of charge time of course: Low, Medium and Large. While they all have the same starting lag, which is as fast as Mario's Forward Smash, the ending lag is variable based on charge level. Low charge has low ending lag, Medium charge has moderate ending lag and Large charge has fairly long ending lag. The punishability of the move varies accordingly. Each level of charge is accompanied by a lightning crackle and Luigi's hand surging with more electricity in it.

Upon using the Thunderhand, Mr. L thrusts his open palm forward in a manner much like his Side Special, shooting forward a green bolt of lightning! Guess he isn't named the "Green Thunder" for nothing! The hand deals a consistant 4% damage and pushes the opponent into the bolt, which is the main hitbox, with the bolt having three levels of power and range for each size. The bolt is a disjointed hitbox and not a projectile, if you were wondering, so no worries about reflectors or the like. Rather than pulling in electrified enemies, the bolt will curve towards Electrified enemies a little if it gets close, which can lead to some unique angling.

With Low charge, the bolt only goes out about 3/4ths of a Battlefield Platform, dealing a rather weak 3% damage, but it deals high hitstun and the knockback hits opponents towards Mr. L. This means that the low charge version is most often used as a combo extender or low commitment, close range combo starter, with its obvious downside being lesser range than the other Thunderhands, Mario F-Smash starting lag for the reard in neutral and pretty low damage. Something to note about all variants of the Thunderhand is that they cause Mr. L to bounce back and slightly up the first time in the air, with the amount being based on charge, naturally the Low charge only bounces him back a little. This allows Mr. L some surprisingly sneaky aerial mobility, although if he has the move charged he'll have to use it, which can be quite a pain. This level of charge also Electrifies enemies for 2.5 seconds, making it one of your two Electrification moves.

When you have a Medium charge, the bolt goes out about half of Battlefield's size and deals a more sizable 9% damage, with its knockback making it more of a poking tool unless it is landed close, dragging opponents in but not necessarily close enough to get a combo off thanks to the mediocre lag on both sides of this move. The fact that the bolt travels very fast means this is good at a range, which can also make setting up against a Mr. L with charge somewhat tricky, and it can be a solid edge guarding move, especially since it propels Mr. L backwards a decent amount in the air, especially if combined with his double jump, so he can throw it out while bouncing back to the stage. This Electrifies opponents for a total of 5 seconds, which means that while Mr. L might not get anything off it necessarily in terms of moves, it sets him up well for future moves.

Finally, when Mr. L is Large and in charrrrrrge, the bolt is a bit thicker and goes the full distance of Battlefield, dealing a quite meaty 15% damage and huge hitstun plus strong knockback towards Mr. L. Not enough to kill for a while, but combined with the hitstun it sets up combos like nobody's business despite the high lag on both ends. The high lag does make this risky to throw out despite being a grand combo starter and a potential kill confirm, as Mr. L can easily be hit out of the start of this move or punished by getting anywhere not in front of him. In addition, while the bolt is fast, the lag is long enough that this move can be reacted too, especially at range.

This move Electrifies foes for a whopping 7.5 seconds, so it provides a good deal of reward even aside from follow-ups and the foe being Electrified is part of what makes this a superior combo starter to some of your other moves. This move also gives a lot of bounce in the air, which can allow Mr. L to travel surprising distances, but do note that Mr. L's body is not a hitbox and so combined with the lag this is potentially very punishable, although this can also make it possible for Mr. L to go quite far off stage for potential gimps when combined with his Mr. Lcylone and Ultra Jump Punch.

Much like Mario's FLUDD, DK's Donkey Punch, Cloud's Limit Charge and other charge moves, just charging up Thunderhand can constitute a threat and get opponents to be more willing to approach, which Mr. L can then try to intercept with methods such as Forward Aerial, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Jab, Neutral Aerial, Up Smash or even firing off the Thunderhand raw if they don't pay attention. Mr. L can also B-Reverse and Wavebounce the charging, so be aware of Mr. L reversing his direction or momentum suddenly in the air when it isn't maxed out.


Mr. Smashes

Forward Smash: Thunderous Applause

Mr. L leans back in a manner quite like Mario during his Forward Smash except with a more exaggerated lean back, his hand crackling with lightning, before thrusting it forward with a larger crackle and an explosion of electricity in front of him. The electricity explosion starts off the same size as Mario's, but it grows in size with charge. The downside is that the "style" of hitbox is reversed compared to Mario's: It is Mr. L's electric palm which is the sweetspot, while the explosive venting is the sourspot. The starting lag of this is slightly longer than Mario's, with the ending lag being the same. The exaggerated lean allows Mr. L to dodge more moves than Mario, which can be useful with the shorter range sweetspot. This move can be angled the same way as Mario's Forward Smash.

The damage of the sweetspot is more like Dr. Mario's, 19%-26.6% and killing at around 88% (compare to Mario F-Smash sweetspot killing at 99%), but the sourspot is a lot weaker than Mario's, only dealing 12%-16.8% damage and having kill power of 160%-137%, much less than Mario's sourspot, although it can compensate this with higher range. Angled down, this can be used to catch a 2 frame in a similiar way to Mario's Forward Smash, although it is impossible to hit with the sweetspot here.

Electrification is useful so that Mr. L can land the sweetspot by pulling in an opponent in sourspot range into sweetspot range. In general, Mr. L will go more for close range combos with this to try and land the sweetspot, in addition to jab lock setups ala Mario's. Against an electrified foe, this can combo from Down Tilt at some times, and Jab 1 -> Jab 2 -> Forward Smash (with slight movement) can be a mixup option against opponents. However, for the most part, this is a difficult but rewarding move to land.


Down Smash: Electrifying Finish

Luigi Mr. L raises his arms up and gathers electricity in them, collecting in an electric ball before he spreads both his arms to the size, splitting the electric ball in half and causing it to explode to both sides of Mr. L. This move is pretty laggy: It is near the tail end of what you can use as an out of shield option, but it is fringe viable as one. The downside here is huge ending lag, not as bad as Mega Man's Down Smash but it is similarly absurdly laggy at the end and will get you punished hard if you whiff it. On the plus side, if the opponent is Electrified, the pull on this move is stronger than normal, so Mr. L can potentially pull people from further away to punish them. Thanks to Mr. L's very low traction, there are a lot of times he can only punish the opponent with this move if they are Electrified because otherwise he will be pushed too far away while in shield.

The move itself has two hitboxes, a sweetspot and a sourspot. The sweetspot is very strong and located in the middle of the explosion, having heavyweight power that deals 20%-28% and kills with the power of Mega Man's Down Smash, making it super dangerous to be hit by, although the sweetspot is not particularly large. Against Electrified opponents, the sweetspot has slightly larger size, making it sliiightly easier to hit. The sourspot is everything else of the explosion, which deals 14%-19.6% damage and mediocre knockback that kills somewhat worse than a sourspot Mario Forward Smash, which is not very impressive given the risk of the move, but it can be useful.

In particular, this move is rather good for catching out the two frame, but the sweetspot is pretty hard or impossible to hit with depending on the recovery and the hitbox of the opponent, so you'll usually get the sourspot. However, the sourspot is still strong enough to be useful here...in turn, this move is very punishable, so as far as two framing options go this is the risky option compared to Forward Smash. If you hit the sweetspot, though...


Up Smash: Head Bang

Mr. L rubs his hat a little as he leans his head back, before slamming it upwards in a manner pretty much like Mario, Luigi and Dr. Mario's headbutts. This move has 11 frames of startup compared to their 9 thanks to the small rubbing animation, with the same amount of ending lag and intangability frames, and two hitboxes to the move: The early hitbox, which comes out behind Mr. L like Mario, and therefor you will often want to reverse this move to get the hitbox out faster. The later hitbox is the rest of the headbutt, which deals an entirely different angle of knockback and damage. This move has roughly the same range as Mario's Up Smash.

The early hit has (static) electricity properties on the move, which will draw opponents in for only a brief but very powerful moments, mostly good for getting people just outside of your range into its range. It only deals 11%-15.4% damage and it has rather weak knockback, but it has pretty good hitstun on the opponent, which actually makes it one of Mr. L's premiere combo starter moves, leading into the majority of Mr. L's aerials, a Mr. Lcylone, and at very specific character-based percentages his Ultra Jump Punch. Past that percentages, the Ultra Jump Punch can become a 50/50 with the opponent, and at even higher percentages Mr. L might need to jump to even get the 50/50, making it a fairly difficult kill setup. Alternately, Mr. L can try to trap or chase their landing, with either another Up Smash (note that since the early hit starts behind Luigi, it is pretty much impossible to keep juggling with this), a grab, or so on. Note that the reduced damage means that Mr. L gets the least shieldstun of any of the Mario Brothers, making this a good deal less safe against shields. In addition, reverse hitting can be somewhat tricky thanks to Mr. L having Luigi levels of traction, stiffening his turn around mobility.

The late hit is actually the stronger hit, dealing 13%-18.2% damage but hitting at a semi-spike angle. The knockback is still not especially strong, with KO power only killing at 180%-150%, but the angle is very valuable. If an opponent recovers high, then you can potentially snag them with this hit of Up Smash to send them back off stage and force a low recovery or put them in a very awkward position without a double jump, and it forces edgeguard situations well for Mr. L to take advantage of if they are closer to the ledge. This is the hit that will be used to cover enemy landings. Compared to someone like Mario who tries to force more juggles, however, the tricky Mr. L's semi-spike will usually cause a tech situation if the opponent is not sent off stage, allowing Mr. L to transition into tech pressure instead of juggle pressure. Of course, it does mean that Mr. L lacks the smooth kill move of someone like Mario as well, and as you've seen, most of his kill moves are more risky, specific options, so he certainly does miss it. An edgeguard can lead into a kill too, though, with some work...


Mr. Standards

Down Tilt: Sneak Assault

Mr. L performs a swift and stylish sweep kick with his leg/foot, having around the range of a Mario Down Tilt. it only does 4% damage and weak knockback, although it is a very fast move overall. It can be a decent poke, although it does not have a lot of range, thanks to its speed, safety on shield if spaced at long range, ability to shield poke and high combo ability, as Down Tilt functions as Mr. L's primary and lowest risk combo starter.

A hit of Down Tilt can combo into tons of moves. Some examples are grabs (Low percentage), another Down Tilt (very low percentage), sweetspot Up Tilt (low percentage), sourspot Up Tilt (mid percentage), Forward Aerial (most percentages), Back Aerial (mid and higher percentages if you reverse your jump), Dash Attack (low to mid percentages), and so on. Alternately, Mr. L can attempt for 50/50s involving moves like Forward Smash and Down Smash, although at high percentages opponents will be sent too high for this. Naturally, combos can go longer or become more true if the foe is Electrified, although this isn't super big for this move.

While this move is fast and has a lot of follow-ups, it lacks range both vertically and horizontally much like Mario's, it needs to be spaced far away to be safe on shield and at high percentages it doesn't lead into a lot.


Up Tilt: Surefire Upper

Not Luigi takes his fist and punches it upwards in an upper-cut like nature, similiar to Mario and his Doctoriate earning self. This move takes more time to come out than Mario, with the same amount of ending lag (and thus a later FAF since it takes longer to come out). This move has two hitboxes, based on if Mr. L hits with the first part of the hitbox (the rising fist) or the latter part (the punch itself). Mr. L's fist expands with the punch, but a bit less than Mario's, so it has sliiightly less range.

The first hitbox deals 8% damage with an electrical effect, which means this move will lightly pull in Electrified foes during the start-up, and has good launching power that will begin to kill around 200% or so. This makes it a poor move for starting flatout combos or repeatedly juggling the opponent, Down Tilt to Up Tilt for example leads into the sweetspot until later, but it does start things like aerial chase situations and situations for Mr. L to cover landings, excellent for his grab and Up Smash. In addition, at mid percentages (very character specific and pretty short: Think 5%-10% differences of range), this will have the potential to combo directly into an Ultra Jump Punch sweetspot for what will often be a kill. At higher percentages, this offers 50/50s with an Up Aerial, which again can lead into a kill.

The late sourspot deals 4% damage and lightly pops the opponent up, pretty similar to Mario, and can also be used as a combo extender, for a touch of damage and for catching out opponents a slower Up Smash might not or to keep them closer, acting like a somewhat weaker Mario Up tilt that you can't really start on the ground for its hitbox (get the sweetspot instead). The lower damage means it has slightly reduced hitstun normally, but being non-electric, it gains the increased hitstun bonus on Electrified opponents, which gives this move a bit more hitstun than a Mario Up tilt, with the end result allowing it to open up some unique combos.


Dash Attack: Brave Rush

With a determined look on his face, Mr. L rushes forward with a flurry of well aimed punches, each of the 6 hits dealing 1% each and linking into each other pretty well, followed by a final hit which deals 6% damage and has pretty high knockback, which will also link into the rest of the moves until pretty high damage percents, and is entirely inescapable if the opponent is Electrified, being a good way to launch opponents off stage and can even be a kill move when Mr. L has trouble landing his tricky sweetspots, although naturally this won't kill close to as early.

Unlike Luigi's Dash Attack, which is horribly unsafe in general, Mr. L's dash attack is actually decently safe on shield, having slightly lower ending lag than Luigi's Dash Attack and importantly the increased damage and knockback for increased shieldstun and shieldpush. This actually is one of Mr. L's more interesting options against shields, pushing opponents back for stage control but not being punishable out of shield, granting Mr. L stage control and usually conditioning opponents to avoid shielding when Mr. L might dash in with a Dash Attack, which can then allow Mr. L to use another move to catch their new option. It can't two frame, but it does still cover stage for quite a while and is thus a fairly solid landing coverage option too.


Jab: Gentleman Combination

In a manner familiar to anyone playing Smash Brothers, Luigi performs a quick punch, followed by another, but in this case ending with an electrified kick! The first hit deals 3% damage, then then ext hit deals 2% and finally the last 4% damage, for a total of 9% damage. The third hit being electric draws in opponents, which helps the hit connect at higher percentages, and can be a good launcher at said high percentages. Aside from that, the third hit is usually used to reset neutral, useful if Mr. L has Thunderhand on deck or wants to fire off some fireballs. The first jab comes out on Frame 2 (same as Mario), second jab comes out 1 frame later than Mario's and his Jab 3 comes out 2 frames later but has 1 frame less of FAF.

While the damage is the same on both of the hits, Mr. L has a knuckle and arm hitbox on it like most Mario Brothers. The knuckle hitbox lightly pops the opponent up, which can setup aerial combos later, but this popping knockback means he cannot jab reset the opponent with it. The arm hit pushes opponents away lightly and can jab reset opponents. Both hits link fairly well into each other.

Mr. L can go for mixups between the third hit, which is safe damage, his grab, his Forward Smash and his Down Smash. The latter 3 are not 100%, but Mr. L can get a 100% grab at low damage percentages if the opponent is Electrified (the first two hits aren't electric, remember?) and Mr. L can true combo Jab 1 -> Jab 2 -> Forward Smash Sourspot at mid percents (too early and not enough hitstun: Too late and they're too far away). An early kill combo can be to predict an air dodge or double jump at lower percentages and move forward with a Forward Smash for the sweetspot, but this is by far the hardest punish (so people will look for it), it is very non-gaurenteed and its existance will cause opponents to avoid favoring those options...which Mr. L can then potentially use to get a grab (from shielding) instead!


Forward Tilt: Slicing Chop

Mr. L forms his hand into a karate chop and swings it forward like a horizontal slashing motion (Marth F-Tilt would be a good mental example of animation), stepping forward as he does so. The step forward and long swing make this the longest of Mr. L's tilts, but it still does not have all that much reach compared to a good deal of characters, DK's Forward Tilt or swordies will easily outrange it for example. This move comes out just as fast as Mario's F-Tilt, but is slightly laggier on the end of it, and it is not very safe on shield just like Mario's Forward Tilt, although it can be safe on shield at veeeery max range.

This move is primarily an interception and defensive tool thanks to its great frame data to start up, more range than a lot of Mr. L's moveset, knockback that gets people fairly far off of people and so on. You don't get as much off of it, but it does deal the most damage of Mr. L's tilts by itself except for a sweetspot Up Tilt, dealing 7.5% damage. If an opponent is Electrified, then you can get off a Dash Attack to combo it a decent amount of the time (more vs. faster fallers), or possibly go for a 50/50 Forward Aerial. It can be angled to poke at weakened shields.


Mr. Aerials

Forward Aerial: Wall of L

Mr. L performs a horizontal kick forward, think like Diddy Kong's Forward Aerial or Luigi's Back Aerial in appearance. Much like said moves, this kick has a strong early kick and a late hit, with the slightly longer late hit of a Diddy style kick over the shorter Mario one. The early hit is naturally the stronger of the two, dealing 9% damage and solid knockback. It won't be killing off stage or anything, but it is pretty good for launching opponents off stage for an edgeguard, or for hitting someone off when they are already off stage. The late hit deals 6.5% damage and weaker knockback, allowing it to lead into combos and for poking out shields in the neutral.

When taken together, this move is Mr. L's primary shield poking and neutral tool, safe on shield with solid reward and decent range, moreso if Mr. L begins moving first to allow him to carry his momentum better. Like Mario, Mr. L has low enough ending lag on this move to be combined with another aerial in the air, pretty much any of them really. Note that this move still has more ending lag than said Mario move: It is just that since Luigi falls slower, he has more time to throw out another aerial. This allows Mr. L to cross up the opponent, to be difficult to shield grab with correct spacing, and to wall out opponents. This makes the Forward Aerial one of Mr. L's bread and butter neutral moves.


Neutral Aerial: Brokick

Mr. L kicks out in a classic Mario Brothers sexkick fashion, electricity shrouding his foot for the strong hit but disappearing for the rest. The first hit, being electrically charged, will draw Electrified opponents in, while the late hits are not electric and so instead get the hitstun bonus, which can be a plus for Mr. L as he can draw the opponent in (but not hit them) with the Electrified hit and then hit them with the non-electrified hit to instead start a superior combo. This move comes out on Frame 4, which is a frame later than Mario and Luigi. The sex kick lasts as long as Luigi's.

The first hit is the strongest and deals 10% damage, hitting opponents away from Mr. L for a fairly solid spacing move that will be safe on shield with proper spacing, allowing it to be potentially combined with a Forward Aerial on a shield to both intercept a grab and safely hit a shield, although note that Mr. L has a much shorter autocancel window on his Neutral Aerial which means it is potentially more punishable than Maro or Luigi. It can launch people nicely, but is not an especially great combo starter, and it doesn't really have killing power unless you are edgeguarding someone, where it can be pretty solid.

The late and long lasting hit only deals 5.5% damage, which means that it doesn't really deal enough shield stun to be safe, but especially thanks to the hit coming later it can combo fairly well, for example if you hit later on near the ground, you can potentially fastfall and land a grab, or on a slightly longer window a Down Tilt. It can cause a ledge slip on platforms and lead into jab resets with Jab in some situations, as another example, and can be a decent shield poke IF you land late (too early and as said it is not truly safe). Using it to retreat can also be a good idea simply due to the long length of the hitbox. The ending lag makes this move's FAF 49 (All other bros have FAF 46), but its autocancel frame only begins on Frame 39 (Luigi is 36, Mario and Dr. Mario 34).

Of all of Mr. L's aerials, the Neutral Aerial is likely the most interesting with a Fullhop Flutter, as the long duration means that Mr. L has quite a few ways to mix the move up, be it gently falling with it in place, suddenly fastfalling or even hanging under someone and then doing a quick jump + Neutral Aerial to cover people's options from below. This can also be mixed up with shorthops for a lot of varied timings in general.


Back Aerial: Crossing Chop

Mr. L performs a bottom-to-top upwards chop, in many ways it looks like a reverse Luigi Forward Aerial. This move comes out fairly fast and has incredibly low ending lag, which is made up for by its lack of power, dealing only 6% damage and weak knockback. While Mr. L cannot exactly chain the move, because it turns him around, it can combo into his Forward Aerial at a lot of percentages, and Mr. L can also combine it with a Forward Aerial first, especially as a shield pressuring cross-up: Forward Aerial -> Back Aerial as you cross up to turn around and space -> Run in for a grab or begin another aerial and generally mix the opponent up. Back Aerial to low charge Neutral Special is a true combo at a good deal of percents that can lead into another aerial at times, forming a bread and butter "extended combo".

Because it is fast, this can potentially be used to frame trap opponents, with them dodging the attack and then getting struck by a punish for doing so, sometimes a harder one than normal: The Mr. Lcylone is a good option for frame trapping with Back Aerial, along with Up Aerial which usually doesn't combo well out of Back Aerial itself. This move has good vertical coverage on Mr. L as it goes from bottom to top, but it does not go very far out horizontally from Mr. L, so it is better at walling out close range opponents from a variety of angles than an all around stuffing move.


Up Aerial: Supreme Rising Kick

Mr. L aims his legs upwards and performs a single powerful spin, which is Mr. L's slowest aerial to come out, and generally serves as his strong punish and killing aerial. It won't kill fast from the ground, but quite obviously one will be looking at midair kills for a vertical knockback killing Up Aerial, which allows it to kill pretty early. It lasts a decently long time, but its ending lag is pretty punishable, and it does not come out especially fast either, but it also deals a pretty meaty 13% damage to boot, and the high launch can potentially allow Mr. L to continue to cover the landing, such as with another Up Aerial, a Neutral Aerial or an Up Smash.

This move can put on a lot of pressure when combined with a Fullhop Flutter and other aerials, for example, with Mr. L threatening an opponent in Ultra Jump Punch range during a Fullhop Flutter, he can fire off an Up Aerial to catch them air dodging the expected Ultra Jump Punch, potentially into a KO or to cause yet another juggle situation. If he predicts wrong, he can fastfall potentially to avoid being punished too hard. And then this can be mixed with the long lasting Neutral Aerial for more option coverage. The downside of course is that this move IS laggy, which makes this harder to pull off, and that it is pretty punishable when you aren't pulling off movement tricks.


Down Aerial: Fluttering Flurry of Fury

Mr. L rapidly kicks under himself in a way that is essentially a faster version of his fluttering animation, with electrical effects added, dealing a large amount of hits that deal multiple hits of 1%, finishing with a lightly popping hitbox of 3%, with the hitbox angling more left or right if Mr. L is moving that way when the final hit occurs. This move is decently fast to start up, but naturally it has a long duration that makes it punishable on whiff, with the ending lag actually being decently low and thus making this a combo-able move, although it actually has somewhat long landing lag. The total damage is equal to 13%.

If Mr. L combines a Down Aerial with his double jump or upward momentum from the Mr. Lclyone or Medium or higher Thunderhands, his fall speed will be decreased during the move and for a few moments after to Fullhop Flutter levels, which allows him to subtly delay ot suddenly alter his vertical momentum with this move. The move itself can be used as a long lasting mixup with a Neutral Aerial or as different coverage compared to the Neutral Aerial as well.

The electric hits of this move will drag Electrified opponents towards him, which also increases his ability to drag opponents where he wants by moving during this move, which can allow him some noticeable repositioning ability. It also increases how much he can alter the angle of the knockback by moving left and right, which can allow him to launch the opponent at new angles to open up new opportunities, for example Forward Aerial at some percentages he normally could not. Note that this move is generally unsafe on shield unless you cross the opponent up, so it is not a very good approach tool, although you can do something like Down Tilt -> Up Tilt -> Down Aerial -> Neutral Aerial for example at low-medium percents (too low and Down Tilt will lead into the Up Tilt sweetspot and be awkward for Down Aerial without more hitstun) when in advantage. So, don't sleep on this move.


Mr. Grabs

Grab Game: Demented Grip

Mysteriously, Mr. L's grab is the same as Luigi's in almost all aspects. That's strange! The primary difference is that Mr. L's grab has electricity flow on his hands, which gives it higher grab range against Electrified opponents. It isn't a huge difference, but it can make or break a tight, clutch situation.

Pummel: Head Beater

Mr. L headbutts the foe, dealing 3.64% damage to them. This pummel has the same 23 frame duration as the other Mario Brother's pummels, so it is not very fast. Does not deal additional hitstun on Electrified opponents.

Forward Throw: So Long, Dang Boo!

Mr. L grabs the opponent by the feet and spins them around rapidly before sending them flying from him, dealing 10.5% damage to the opponent and knockback which can be compared to Luigi's Back Throw, being slightly weaker in knockback. In exchange, being on a Forward Throw makes it easier to setup in kill scenarios, for example shield dashing forward or with opponents on the ledge. This throw does not benefit from Electrified foes.

Mr. L appreciates cornering foes to the ledge, as this is Mr. L's lowest risk kill option, even if it'll kill a fair deal later than many of his riskier moves comparitively. One of the primary ways to do this is to drop fireballs Electroballs on the opponent and get them to retreat or to hit them, which can lead into Mr. L getting them for a grab, especially if he conditions the opponent to prepare for an Electroball, then he can instead fastfall for a Tomahawk Grab, which can lead into an offstage or kill situation. Thunderhand's higher charges being easier to deal with at range can also make opponents retreat towards the edges, opening them up to more dangerous Forward Throws, or into positions where they can be dragged that way with for example an Electrified Down Aerial.


Down Throw: Thunderchop

Mr. L uses his foot to trip the opponent down to the ground for 2% damage, then performs a downwards lightning-infused karate chop to them that deals 5% damage and sends them lightly up and forwards, making it a good combo starter for your grounded moves, especially Down Tilt at lower damage percentages, Forward Tilt at more mid percentages, and then potentially instead leading into aerials or 50/50s as their damage percentage gets higher. This move works like Ryu's Down Throw in that the second hit deals damage to anyone very close to Ryu and massive damage to shields, which does not usually have a ton of utility but can be niche helpful in 2v2s.

Which throw of Down Throw and Up Throw Mr. L wants to use depends often on situation, with Down Throw's lead in to more ground combos making it better for: Pushing opponents towards the ledge, resetting neutral, comboing floatier characters and comboing at higher damage percentages. It has one more use, though, as it Electrifies opponents for 1 second after use, which can be used to extend combos more with non-electric foe and creates a brief, stronger advantage state than other combo options.


Up Throw: Mr. Toss

Mr. L knees the opponent in their midsection for 3% damage, then grabs and tosses them up for 4% damage and light upwards knockback, making it good for starting aerial combos: Up Tilt is a true combo at starter percents, after that you're looking at comboing into basically any aerial until high percentage (except Up Aerial later, which is a 50/50 at most percents), potentially comboing into an Up smash at very low percentages, Mr. Lcylone is a combo or 50/50 at some percentages or you can not go for any combos and instead use it for aerial launch situation. On Electrified opponents, the first hit will make the throw have slightly more hitstun, increasing the window of combos.

For Up Throw, it is better for comboing opponents vertically, for better combos on fast fallers, for creating aerial landing and chase situations to threaten with Up Smash, Ultra Jump Punch or aerials, and can set up these aerial non-combo situations earlier than Down Throw sets up similiar grounded pressure.


Back Throw: Catch and Release

Mr. L's hands crackle with electricity, as he quickly tosses the opponent behind him with a flourish. This deals a mere 4% damage and lightly tosses opponents behind Mr. L while turning him around: This can lead into combos, but less so than Down Throw, and instead leads into many tech situations. This, however, is only one thing the throw can do, as Mr. L can hold the control stick back to continue the throw, up to 6 rotations which will leave Mr. L throwing the opponent backwards as usual, dealing 10% damage and knockback which is about 4/5ths of Forward Throw's. Mr. L can release the move at any point during the rotations, which can include when the opponent is in front of him, which will throw the opponent forward and thus can be used as a DI mixup.

This Back Throw is a weight dependant throw like the kind that exists in Smash Brothers, which means that the animation is slower for heavier opponents. This means that Mr. L is better at DI mixing up lighter opponents who are tossed faster. The actual animation is very fast if not extended, which can make it tricky to DI anyway. If the opponent DIs this move incorrectly at low percentages, it can lead into true combos that no other throw can, and at higher percentages it can potentially kill before Forward Throw if they DI the wrong way.

Opponents are Electrified for 2 seconds + half a second for each rotation, meaning a maximum of 6 seconds. While this throw cannot be mashed out of per se, opponents ARE able to "escape" it by mashing, which in this case merely means that they are thrown at the earliest moment from "mashing out" and thus cannot be kept spinning by Mr. L, which can limit how much Electrification that Mr. L gets off of this and gives some level of control over the damage and knockback of the move until higher percentages where no amount of mashing will be good enough. The mashing time shared with the grab timer, so it is harder to escape if Mr. L does not pummel first. This also means heavier opponents can force the throw to finish prematurely better, while lighter opponents will find it tougher. A rather complex throw.


Mr. Final Smash: The L-Zone

Mr. L shouts out "L-Power!" and performs his signature pose from Super Paper Mario (which he actually only did once, in his first appearance) as two robots burst out of the background like it was made of paper: It's Brobot and Brobot L-Type!

Brobot takes the left side of the stage/screen and Brobot L-Type takes the right side, staying at the edges of the screen and not serving as physical obstacles and can be killed with 55 HP each. Alternately, they will disappear after 27.5 seconds or when Mr. L is killed. Both Brobot and Brobot L-type have 4 attacks and will attack in alternating order, Brobot and then L-Type, with a cooldown period of 1 second after their attack ends.


Laser Ripper Super Eyes: Brobot fires a laser about the size of Falco's from his eyes, which travel to the other side of the stage, but this laser deals a lot more damage, 11% and a good deal of hitstun although the launching power is rather weak. This doesn't take long to use.

L-Missile: Brobot fires out a single, quite large green missile forward, which travels straight forward and explodes on impact with an opponent or the stage for 20% damage and strong knockback that kills at 80%. It takes a long time for the missile to come out, but it is strong.

Super L-Missile: Brobot fires a different, smaller green missile with red accents. This missile only deals 15% and kills ay 110%, but it tracks the opponent like Samus' homing missile, lasting for 4.2 seconds or until it hits the stage or the opponent. If it is led into Brobot or Brobot L-Type, it will explode and damage them. Launches slightly faster than an L-Missile.

Kirby Vaccuum Robot: Brobot opens his mouth and begins to create a powerful suction in front of him, moving towards the nearest ledge on the stage. Brobot will keep this suction up for half of a second. Any opponent who is sucked in by Brobot will be trapped at grab difficulty, taking rapid alternating hits of 1% and 2% until they mash out, at which point Brobot will spit them out for 5% damage and weak knockback. Since opponents can be trapped for a good while, Mr. L has a good amount of time to set up a follow-up. It takes a while to start up, and more importantly, its long duration makes their attacking pattern slower, as L-Type cannot attack until Brobot is done and Brobot's 1 second cooldown only starts after the attack ends.


Rocket Punch: Brobot L-Type shoots forward one of its fists, which travels at a high speed (Captain Falcon's dash), dealing 15% damage and medium knockback to anyone that it hits. The fist fires off quite fast and this makes it hard to react to or defend against, but L-Type doesn't start up his 1 second cooldown until the fist returns, nor can Brobot fire up an attack until it returns to L-Type. The fist cannot be attacked to damage L-Type.

Ground Pound: Brobot L-Type activates its thrusters and takes to the skies, travelling high over the stage. When L-Type passes over the first opponent in his path, he will drop at Bowser Bomb speeds to the ground, dealing 18% and a strong spike to anyone he runs into on the way. Grounded opponents are crushed for 22% damage and ludicrous vertical knockback and an earthshaking hitbox half a BFP to each side of L-Type pops up opponents for 6% damage and weak knockback. While extremely powerful, it is slow to start up, can take quite a long time to occur (meaning longer until next attack) and has quite a lot of ending lag when he lands, which can be used to damage L-Type severely as he gets up and then travels back to the stage edges.

Boomoustache: Brobot L-Type takes off its metallic moustache (another one sliding out from a compartment under it) and throws it forward like a boomerang, which deals multiple hits of 3% (Total: 9%) before launching opponents away with 6% damage and moderate knockback at the end of its 2 Battlefield Platform path. At the end of said path, it will return to Brobot L-Type, doing the same hitbox but in the opposite direction. Like most of L-Type's attacks, it delays how long until Brobot can attack, but only until the moustache reaches the end of its first path, which can alllow Brobot to combo with it.

Get Clapped: Brobot L-Type rears its hands back, then smashes them forward Donkey Kong F-Smash style, dealing 19% damage and high knockback. The only one of L-Type's attacks that doesn't delay Brobot in some way, it is also very slow to come out, so Mr. L or one of Brobot's projectile attacks will be needed to set it up.


Playstyle: The Green Thunder
 
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Djimmi the Great is a boss from Isle 2 of Cuphead. Djimmi is a genie who has a strong control over many forms of magic, summoning weapons, growing into a giant, turning himself into a series of walls and having a powerful ability to conjure up a massive puppet that parodies the protagonist Cuphead. Djimmi takes great delight in fighting Cuphead always having a great smirk on his face and only seems to get truly serious in the final phase, playing with Cuphead in the earlier phases as he merely hovers in place firing off projectiles at a casual pace.

Djimmi's fight is among the earlier airplane boss fights in Cuphead and is one of arguably the biggest difficulty spikes in the game after the easy isle 1. Djimmi's fight is a lot more complicated than Hildaberg, the first airplane boss, due to the varied phases. The first phase is a randomly chosen projectile that spawns out of a magical box summoned by Djimmi, varying between a bunch of Russian doll cats that split in pieces, curved swords and a bunch of less threatening items thrown at Cuphead all at once. The second phase has Djimmi turn himself into a bunch of walls that Cuphead has to shoot down as he avoids circular saws.

The third phase has Djimmi transform into a giant sarcophagus that has a little red alien inside of, strangely enough. This shoots ghosts at Cuphead as Djimmi fires flying saucers from his slug antennae. This very abstract phase (also one of the easiest using bombs) is followed by an interesting puppet show by Djimmi as he creates a duplicate of Cuphead he controls on string as his hat fires projectiles of its own. After killing the puppet, Djimmi uses all his power to transform into a giant and creates three huge pyramids that circle around Cuphead and fire massive beams in the four cardinal directions, filling the entire screen with hitboxes. Finally, Cuphead defeats Djimmi leaving his giant form reeling on the right half of the screen!

This is one of the most elaborate boss fights besides the final boss, as it has 5 distinct phases, from the initial treasure box, to the walls, to the alien sarcophagus, the puppet and finally the giant form and pyramids! It’s a strong argument for Djimmi being one of the more competent bosses in the game even if he’s not one of the hardest. The only more complicated airplane boss is Kahl if you count all the ways his first phase can change depending on what Cuphead hits, but has nowhere near the amount of phases. Djimmi is part of the ending the deepest lore would suggest unlike my two other sets’ characters, Goopy and Wally, the genie does survive the events of the game. This should be no surprise given his apparent competence.

Weight: 108 (Same as Samus/Heavyweight)
Walk Speed: 1.15 (Same as Mii Brawler/Mid Tier)
Dash Speed: 1.25 (Slightly Above Ganondorf/Bottom Tier)
Air Speed: 1.2 (Same as Mii Brawler/Top Tier)
First Jump: 42 (Slightly Above Diddy Kong/Top Tier)
Aerial Jump: 31 (Same as Ike/Low Tier)
Gravity: 0.062 (Same as Rosalina, Floaty)
Fall Speed: Samus (Floaty)


Djimmi's size is the typical buff cartoon character, top heavy like Donkey Kong if he stood on his hind legs. Compared to a character like Bowser, Djimmi is marginally wider and taller. This makes him among the bigger characters in Smash 4 though his hurtbox is a little deceptive in that he's got a smaller lower half and small legs (must've missed leg day!). On the ground, Djimmi's walk, more of a swagger, is not that slow and his dash is bad though as you can imagine trying to run on those legs. His air speed as expected for a genie is quite good because Djimmi uses his magic to boost himself in the air, although Mii Brawler is just outside top 5 so it's nothing too great. His weight is perhaps surprisingly not amazing at 108, on the upper cusp of heavyweight but Djimmi is far bigger a target and easier to combo than Samus.

Djimmi uses his magic as in his air speed to give a huge boost to his jumps, one of his greatest assets, though mostly due to his first jump than aerial jump. His gravity and fall speed also helps in this regard as he's a very floaty character but this does make getting back to stage far harder. Djimmi's traction is not good either, on the below-average side, so despite being great at getting into the air and staying there Djimmi will then have to contend with the foe's anti-airs and it's easy with his statistics to keep getting juggled if he doesn't successfully attack the foe from the air. Nonetheless, high weight, good jumps, good air speed and low fall speed is a great set of stats for a heavyweight character, bad dash speed and being floaty is not the greatest hurdle. All KO percents apply to Mario at the centre of FD.



Neutral Special: Djimmi's Treasure


Djimmi kicks back for a decent bit of start lag as a treasure chest poofs into existence sitting on a magic flying carpet, before jutting open and shooting out a bunch of items forward! The treasure chest largely fires out random objects as seen in the GIF ranging from goblets to jewellery, but all are only around the size of a Pokeball item so extremely small by projectile standards. These travel at the fast speed of Fox's blaster. Each projectile will deal 1% to foes, and only deal a minimal amount of hitstun the first few times, and then only once again after the foe hasn't been hit by the same move after 2 seconds, so mostly will only deal hitstun a very limited amount of time. There is a 5% chance that one piece of "treasure" will be pink and deal 3% with a small amount of hitstun. There's a ton of junk being tossed out by the treasure chest, it will spit out 5 a second and lasts for 5 seconds, so can deal up to 25% if the foe just sits in front of the chest and tanks all of it like a cup-headed idiot.

The treasure chest spits these out in a largely random trajectory too though mostly forward and at a slight diagonal, shooting in a roughly 30 degree arc just in front of Djimmi but angled slightly up so it's mostly useful as an anti-air. However as the move is useable in the air, this can be useful in more situations than you'd expect just using it on the ground. The amazing "treasure" will travel a lengthy three battlefield platforms and this can technically cover a massive area of stage with 25 projectiles at somewhat random angles. Djimmi's start lag isn't terrible but can be interrupted out of the move, causing the chest to dissipate early. Once the chest starts firing Djimmi is free to move and can take advantage of all the extra hitboxes he's got out on stage.


Djimmi's chest can shoot out two other forms of projectiles instead through a non-storable charge, accessing the Russian doll cats once charged for an additional 15 frames! This instead has the chest shoot out three Yellow Pikmin-sized cats at the speed of Mario's fireball that fly out to a random area half a battlefield platform away from the chest. If a foe hits the cat at this point, it's a weak hitbox that deals 3% and radial knockback, mostly just useful for low percent combos or to cover the screen in hitboxes. This gets rid of the cat early as its next step is a lot more powerful. The cat after sitting in place for half a second will split open and fires out another 4 smaller versions of itself that will home in on the nearest foes with better homing than Samus' missiles, travelling slightly faster. Each of the smaller cats is half the size of the original cat and deals 1% with the same weak hitstun as the previous projectile, only dealing a small amount every 2 seconds, but as these home, are far more likely to hit the foe given the homing. There is a 10% chance one of the cats will be pink and deal 3% with guaranteed short flinch stun on the foe. These smaller cats will travel 2.5 battlefield platforms before they dissipate. Each cat is shot out after a second and the chest dissipates after all four have been shot out over four seconds.


After 30 frames of lag, automatically firing out of the chest at that point, Djimmi fires out 4 swords half the size of a laser sword item, fired at the ground and covering a battlefield platform of space as they spin in place! The swords as they move into position just in front of one another deal 4% and weak knockback compared to the other projectiles so far, dealing knockback either towards where they were floating towards to begin spinning, or radial once they do start to spin in place. This like the previous version of the chest takes 4 seconds to fire out all 4 swords before the chest dissipates.

After spinning in place for another second, the swords will all fire towards the foe again, targeting the nearest foe and then shooting in that direction. Whether the swords home on the foe like this or shot out at first the sword travels at the brisk pace of Falco's blaster, though not fast enough to not be an annoying lingering hitbox as well. It regains its 4% hitbox. The swords will not fire towards the foe all at once, a slight pause of around half a second takes place with the one furthest from Djimmi fired first. As the swords home in on whether the foe was and doesn't redirect mid-flight, it is easily dodged if the foe keeps moving, but will cover a huge amount of the screen in hitboxes. The sword travel 2 battlefield platforms before spinning again, and firing back at the nearest foe once again, then dissipate after travelling another 2 battlefield platforms. There is a 15% chance one of the swords will be pink and deal 7% with stronger knockback, able to KO from 150%.

Each of the projectiles take their time to come out all at once and when they are putting out other projectiles, Djimmi can use his neutral special to put out a chest with barely any start lag. This chest will immediately fall and not be on a flying carpet, open all the while it falls as a slow Jigglypuff falling speed. It is not a hitbox as it falls and will dissipate if its 40HP is depleted. The treasure chest will absorb any projectiles that go into it and turn from its usual gold colour into platinum as it builds up to 50% worth of damage through projectiles that are absorbed into it. Djimmi can cancel this out early by pressing neutral special when the chest is out, snapping his fingers and causing the chest to snap shut and vanish in a short animation. This will only work if the chest has absorbed a minimum of 25% damage worth of projectiles, otherwise it slams shut and a sound denoting failure plays. Though this isn't all bad as it is then resummoned saving the projectiles it absorbed so far the next time a chest is summoned in this way.

After saving a chest that's absorbed projectiles Djimmi's next neutral special use when a chest is not already out will instead summon this now heaving full chest of projectiles. The chest will fall to the ground like a rock, going at Kirby's down special stone form's falling speed and dealing 15-25% depending on how much was stored in it and high knockback up, able to KO from 150-100%. When it hits the ground or is hit by any attack that deals 10% or more, the box will not simply open but explode. The last projectile absorbed has been beefed up by all the others, increased to at minimum be the size of a Mario fireball, and then increased by up to 4x that size the more projectiles were absorbed. This maxes out at the size of Bowser. The new projectile deals at minimum 5% when buffed, multiplying its power by 3-4x, so even the weakest projectile (5%) at maximum will deal 20% damage, capping out at 30% damage for projectiles that deal over 10% normally. These projectiles cannot be re-saved into the chest again.

This super projectile's pattern and behaviour is decided by what it's based on. The first projectile, the junk, will uniquely be comprised of many little bits of Mario fireball-sized goblets and jewellery, shooting out a small swarm of it as it travels in 8 directions, each dealing 1% damage and weak flinching at it homes in on the foe at the speed of Falco's blaster shot. This flinching is very minimal but will stun the foe for as long as Bowser Flame Breath if it gets in close before they're let out, making it extremely dangerous. This lasts for 3-8 seconds depending on the amount saved into the chest.

The cats and sword are a lot more what you'd expect out of the move. The cat will travel the battlefield platform distance before it splits into 4 cats, all of these are buffed the uniform same amount, though the smaller cats are going to be sized up and all deal at minimum 5%. The sword is very self-explanatory: it's a much bigger sword and it homes in the same way, only it has a potentially massive hitbox now and can deal from 12-16% damage, scaling knockback to now KO from 120% at 16% damage.

The chest can also absorb the foe's projectile, but only one at a time, simply being hit by any others that come into contact with the chest after absorbing the first in a Pocket-like situation. However Djimmi can absorb any amount of the same projectile from a foe, so if MegaMan spams his Mega Buster into his chest, this will help power up his chest greatly! Djimmi can discard this projectile by holding B when the chest is out to make it spit the projectile right back out, having ownership over it for 1 second before it returns to the foe. This one projectile can be the base for the super projectile Djimmi makes if he absorbed it last, not an easy feat, or if he also holds B when he summons the chest. This will make him snap his finger and cause the chest to glow pink as it falls denoting it will be the opponent's absorbed projectile instead. This follows the same rules as his own for how it's buffed, but gives a lot of potential for Djimmi's match up to change depending on if the foe has or uses a particular projectile.

Side Special: Block Head


After a short start up, Djimmi transforms himself into a wall 1.5x the height of Ganondorf and the width of Kirby, moving forward at his dashing speed for half a battlefield platform. The wall rapid hits of 1% and will stun the foe in place once hit, until dealing a final 10% and strong knockback upward and away at a diagonal able to KO at 130%. The most amount of damage the move can deal is 15%. The move has longer end lag and is easy to punish, so hitting with it is recommended just to make it safe.

Djimmi can angle the side special to appear as one of the four blocks seen in the GIF, able to choose whether he's the top, top-middle, bottom-middle or bottom block. As he goes forward as a wall he has super armour and only his head takes damage, but if it takes 25% over the duration of the move, Djimmi will be forced out of the move and take 1.3x the damage and knockback the attack dealt that finished him off so has to play it pretty safe. The head can be grabbed too which might make the highest slot preferable but in actuality this opens him up to be attacked with stall then falls or down aerials that do some of the most damage. Though in general, this move is pretty pitiful to use by itself as an attack and practically begs to be used alongside Djimmi's projectiles.

The wall will reflect Djimmi's own projectiles back in the opposite direction, being reflected at an opposite angle like ROB's laser. When any projectile hit the Djimmi wall face's block they will be buffed to deal 1.3x damage and boosted to go 1.5x as fast for the next second of their existence, extending their duration by 1 second too. This can be used as something of a mix up when Djimmi goes through the long start up to make the foe think he'll boost a projectile hitting a certain angle of the wall then appear somewhere else entirely, helping to discourage foes from attacking the wall at all in the right situations. This is a perfect follow up to hit back Djimmi's various projectiles he can make out of his treasure chests and is the perfect remedy for the move's shortfalls, really devastating on foes caught shielding right in front of the wall too as it will do all the damage as it brushes up against them but also reflect any projectile that went overhead to cover their jump or hit them right into the foe below if they came in at a high angle.

Up Special: Now You Djimmi




Djimmi disappears into a puff of smoke, smirking at the camera, and re-appears two Ganondorf heights in a chosen direction! As he re-appears, Djimmi has no hitbox and is a far easier to punish as a result than Zelda's teleport, but this is much faster and still sweetspots the ledge so is a fairly excellent recovery. This puts Djimmi into a horrible fast fall in the air that increases his fall speed massively so is suicide to use to go off stage. This has a little less start lag than Zelda's move too so is definitely a nice way to get around the stage. The move has very quick landing lag too but is much slower for 5 seconds after its first use and has far worse landing lag, lasting until Djimmi's portrait on the HUD has a sheen effect signifying the up special is back to full power.

Djimmi's most obvious use for this move is when his projectiles are already going to teleport right in the middle of their path, using them to cover the telegraphed and punishable nature of the up special and take full advantage of his projectile barrage. Then there's the obvious combo of side special after up special to put up the wall right in the middle of the projectiles to make the most of variations such as his junk projectiles which are normally the hardest to try and reflect off the wall in the first place. Though this move puts him in a horrible helpless and therefore can't be used to go off stage and do this combo, he can use it to recover from very precarious situations after using the wall off stage to recover, so helps him anyway.

Down Special: A Puppeteer's Sheep


Djimmi performs the laggiest attack yet, meditating in place for 45 frames before he performs the GIF's animation, turning himself into a hand holding a puppet's strings. After successfully finishing the animation, Djimmi will poof into existence right above the hand, and below the puppet strings appears a wooden puppet lookalike of the beloved mascot Cuphead!


On a break from his Muno set, Cuphead appears stockier than usual, as his body is the size of Ganondorf's and has a massive head that's as big as a Bumper item on its own. Cuphead floats in place if summoned over a Ganondorf height off the ground or walks on the ground, either way he travels at the walking speed of Mario. Cuphead has 50HP but with the caveat that any damage dealt to it will be halved and dealt to Djimmi's percentage, but not if Djimmi himself attacks the puppet, incentivizing that Djimmi pepper it a little himself so that he doesn't tank the 25% every time. The strings and puppet strings/wood at the top are not hurtboxes.


Puppet Cuphead will travel towards the nearest foe for 5 seconds and then stops, in the air or on the ground, then points out its finger and firing in their direction twice a second. These Crash Bomber-sized projectiles travel at a slow speed for a projectile and deal 3% with weak radial knockback, making it hard for them to combo. There is a 10% chance one of these will be pink and deal 5% and stronger knockback to KO at 200%. Puppet Cuphead will continue to fire these weaker projectiles for 5 seconds before moving again for another 5 seconds. These projectiles won't home in on the foe but will be shot where the foe was so like the swords, can easily be dodged but then cover most of the screen. Besides its main projectile, for the entire time it's firing Cuphead's gun will spark a small Ganondorf height of projectiles vertically at a slight angle that deals rapid 1% 4 times a second and a weak single instance of flinch to foes, so being close up is very dangerous.


When Puppet Cuphead is already out Djimmi instead performs a similar animation to the one he uses to summon the minion, meditating in place with an evil expression on his face. After a short moment of lag, Djimmi's puppet strings lower Cuphead down a Ganondorf height and interrupt him out of any action he performed. Cuphead's entire body becomes a hitbox that deals 10% and spiking downwards knockback as he drops at a typical stall then fall speed. If Cuphead hits a foe or the ground, he'll be dealt 15% damage with no damage done to Djimmi. Djimmi is in lag until Cuphead falls but once he does start to fall is free to act so he can make use of this huge hitbox. Cuphead if he doesn't die from this will them continue his old pattern from his new position. When lowered into the ground, Cuphead's body will be sprawled out either side for a Bowser-width hitbox that deals a lessened 7% and decent knockback, only able to KO at 145%, dealing the same self damage.

Puppet Cuphead can be used in tandem with Djimmi's chest to create a far more useful projectile spitter. Djimmi can drop a full chest of projectiles, whether it reached the threshold for creating a super projectile or not, and if it lands on Puppet Cuphead it will transform into an abstract cluster of energy that then immediately is absorbed into Cuphead's hand, causing it to glow pink! This signifies that Cuphead has absorbed the chest. No help needed from that capitalist shop pig.

When Puppet Cuphead has absorbed projectiles from a chest, it now lets him passively shoot out the chest's contents in reverse order to what was absorbed, and in much the same fashion as it was originally shot out. What's extra useful about this is it has no cap on the quantity of projectiles he can shoot out to potentially let Cuphead shoot out an infinite amount of saved projectiles. This means that he will shoot out the junk in a constant stream for as long as it can be shot out and will shoot out the swords and cats using the same mechanics as they use in Djimmi's neutral special. The one useful buff is that these will all be shot out at minimum only a half second apart from one another, faster if they normally go faster, so Djimmi can rapid fire the swords and cats alongside the junk. This can benefit then from Djimmi collecting a good variety of projectiles in his chest so that the foe doesn't have an obvious strategy to dodge all being thrown at them. There's nothing stopping Djimmi from re-absorbing what Cuphead throws out at him too, or even using his wall to reflect it back at Cuphead. At the perfect range, this won't even damage Cuphead if the projectiles run out of space, but if they do that's not all bad. Cuphead will waste any projectiles he hadn't used yet when he dies.



Forward Smash: Face of Evil


Djimmi rears his head back for charge then bows it forward, shooting out a massive projectile with his ghostly face on it! This projectile is really quite huge, roughly the size of the max-charged Charge Shot AKA MegaMan's fsmash, and that's at no charge. The head will deal 13-18% damage and high knockback at a low horizontal angle, actually slightly lower than MegaMan's Charge Shot despite the much better size of the projectile, though it scales up with charge to be quite a beast too. Another big advantage of the move is that the projectile is transcendent. The catch to all the positive here is that this has really bad end lag where Djimmi manually grows back his face. The start lag isn't too fast either, so this move is a huge commitment. The ghost face will travel 2 battlefield platforms at the speed of the weakest Charge Shot in distance before it dissipates.

The ghostly skull will not be reflected off of Djimmi's wall but go right through it, along with any object due to its transcendent nature. This can work to Djimmi's advantage to hit foes guarding behind their own walls or trying to cap his with their own projectiles or attacks, making it an invaluable part of his projectile game. The attack does cover all the way to the ground despite being shot from Djimmi's face, so there's no issue that the foe can dodge under it, making it an amazing coverage move that forces the foe to largely dodge, jump or shield around the skull.

The skull has a unique effect when shot into the chest that Djimmi can create on his neutral special to absorb projectiles. The skull will not become the super projectile if it didn't put the chest over the edge for making a super projectile by making it deal 25% or more, then Djimmi can put in something else. As the last saved projectile in a chest, the skull will become the super projectile and apply all the same rules to potentially make the projectile even bigger, easily getting to be the size of Bowser at the minimum!

The skull will maintain its transcendent projectile quality but will add the homing of the swords if in the same chest as one, powering up the skull to have homing just a little better than Samus' homing missiles, and each sword increasing this effectiveness little at a time. This also increases the duration of the skull to go an extra Kirby width for each sword, maxing out at a full Final Destination length. The skull will uniquely add the cat and junk's traits. For each cat added, a small skull the size of a Mario fireball will be fired out of the skull's mouth as it travels forward, homing in on the foe with the same mechanics as the Russian cat doll does, dealing 5% and weak knockback, and firing once every 40 frames, or three every 2 seconds until the cats run out. The junk will act in a similar way firing out of the skeleton's eyes. Despite firing out of both eyes this is in fact only one stream for gameplay purposes so can last a good while, the junk increased again to be as big as Mario's fireball and dealing 3% a hit and very weak knockback, practically stun at a close range without DI, like a giant Flame Breath out of the eyes. This lasts as long as the junk will allow, firing 3 them out times a second.

When the skull isn't the last saved projectile, it adds to the resulting projectile instead not only by adding its damage, but will turn the projectile into a transcendent projectile. This can be good but also bad as it stops the projectile reflecting off of Djimmi's own wall. This isn't as easy as it sounds as it requires getting a chest out, firing a fsmash into it, making it not go over the limit then resummoning it, so the transcendent quality is more than earned for whatever Djimmi ultimately creates out of his chest.

Down Smash: Slug Worthy Tomb


Djimmi transforms himself into a sarcophagus a little taller than Ganondorf’s height over a very long start up, then for charging pops it open to show his new slug form on the inside! After charging, the sarcophagus slams shut dealing 18-25% damage and extremely high knockback at an almost perfect diagonal angle, KOing first off the top blast zone most of the time, around 100% uncharged so easily one of Djimmi’s strongest attacks. This comes at a cost: the move is also his slowest by a wide margin, and has only okay end lag, as well as a long duration as the sarcophagus shuts and Djimmi must transform back into his regular form. The appearance of the sarcophagus is a little different from in Cuphead as it opens towards the screen, slamming shut with the middle always facing towards the screen to give an equally huge hitbox on both sides of Djimmi. The range of this is no joke as it is the height of Ganondorf and then a good Kirby width as well, dealing massive shield push too.


The space-like aesthetic of the inside of the tomb is not only for show as any projectile that comes into contact with the sarcophagus when it’s open after start lag will be absorbed into that side. This largely means that any projectiles that go left or right into Djimmi during this time will be sucked into the side facing in the opposite direction. What can or cannot be absorbed works on the same rules as Villager’s Pocket only you know, making a lot more sense here why Djimmi can absorb a laser into his black hole space. After only a few frames the projectile will then be fired back out of the same side but in the opposite direction. Not only that but it will be carried for a whole battlefield platform by small Djimmi ghosts which have no hitbox or hurtbox but extend the projectile’s duration by that much before they dissipate. As an aesthetic, more Djimmi ghosts, roughly the size of a Purple Pikmin will spawn to carry more powerful projectile forwards, or simply appear above and below it for projectiles such as Thoron that have “infinite” range.

Any projectiles saved into the sarcophagus at the end of the move’s duration, within the final 10 frames of the charge after start up, will instead be used the next time the down smash is used by Djimmi. This can be easily forced by ending the charge earlier to capture projectile for this direct purpose and naturally helps to make the move less of a pain to throw out and cover its very, very painful start up. This will keep the exact positioning of the projectile saved too so that it can hit in both direction for even more of a worthy combo of hitboxes. This can save the foe’s projectiles and has none of the limitations of the chests from the neutral special, although it will only “pocket” a foe’s projectiles for up to 30 seconds before giving it back to them. A nice touch of the down smash is if the sarcophagus slams shut just as a projectile is fired, it kills any ghost Djimmis carrying it and shoots the projectile forward another battlefield platform before it returns to its normal pattern/duration, which can really catch foes by surprise.


There is a follow-up attack where Djimmi pokes his slug head through the now slammed shut sarcophagus doors, shooting out two Saturn-lookalike tiny planets the size of a Smash ball that will travel in opposing patterns. They deal 5% and weak knockback, but more importantly their pattern has them first go up/down a short Kirby height, before looping back down and going a full Ganondorf height up/down, then repeat this pattern, each one taking a battlefield platform of width. This lasts for 5 seconds until they dissipate. The two Saturn planets aren’t particularly powerful but do have a very tricky pattern for the foe to dodge. Though it’s not that easy, the planets can absolutely be saved into the neutral special chest to turn the super projectile into a pair of projectiles as the resulting created projectile. Both projectiles will share the same buffed damage/knockback but the size will be the combination of both, so things can’t get too crazy. Nonetheless a projectile that loops around in a huge vertical pattern like this is great to have around.

Up Smash: Pyramid Scheme


Djimmi puts his hand above his head and summons a pyramid the size of Wario, spinning it in place over charge time and then causing it to opens its eye to shoot a bolt of energy down to the ground and above itself in a Ganondorf tall, fairly wide hitbox! This deals 13-18% damage and high upward knockback, though hitting the lower half will only KO at very high percents, the top half of the hitbox will KO as low as 100%, which makes it a fantastic anti-air option. The move isn't fast but is the quickest of Djimmi's smashes. The pyramid itself is a weak hitbox that deals 5% and radial knockback, rarely able to combo into the powerful part of its attack. Besides its hitbox the pyramid is intangible. The move has fairly low end lag as the pyramid dissipates independently of Djimmi’s lag.


Djimmi can do a follow-up press of A/standard to perform a further attack with the pyramid or cancel into this version of the usmash by pressing A again during the start up, taking a solid 20 frames of hefty lag. This would make it by far Djimmi's slowest smash attack. A second and third pyramid then appear a Bowser width away from the first, creating a triangle of pyramids above Djimmi with the initial one as the single point at the bottom. Djimmi can charge this second follow-up like a normal smash attack to make the pyramids rotate around one another, going in an anti-clockwise pattern at a very slow pace. The pyramids become weak active hitboxes that deal 5% and radial knockback for the charge time, which far more regularly than the normal move will combo into the next phase. After charge time or immediately, the three pyramids will fire the same laser for 13-18% damage.

The foe better keep their eye on the birdie however as the type of laser varies per pyramid! The initial pyramid above Djimmi's head will fire the same downwards/upwards laser that deals upwards knockback, but over the course of charge time can end up above Djimmi's head and the other two pyramids. The other two pyramids instead send out a laser that goes in a horizontal line for the same distance but deals knockback left and right. This is even more dangerous than it sounds as Djimmi can time the pyramid to line up these various hitboxes. He can't hit more than two at a time, but if he does this will combine the damage of both for a truly devastating attack! This will average out the angle to be between both lasers so an upwards knockback laser from one pyramid and a horizontal, right knockback from another will go up and right diagonally.

Djimmi will find it harder saving this to his chest than other attacks due to all the lag. Djimmi gets a great reward if he does as the laser will retain its massive hitbox and be given the same huge buff as any other projectile. This projectile breaks the rule for being as big as Bowser as do any lasers that come into the chest, instead they can be as long as a battlefield platform at their biggest as a super projectile. The laser can also travel the stage of Battlefield before it dissipates at its strongest, needless to say quite a distance! As part of another super projectile the laser will lend a far more helpful tool than a merely range upgrade. When the super projectile comes out of its chest the projectile will not appear immediately but instead spawn a pyramid that will attempt to home in on the foe, using the same homing power as the super projectile will have. This will go on for 2 seconds for every laser absorbed, capping out at 10 seconds, before the pyramid dissipates and releases the super projectile in a far more delayed pattern. The pyramid keeps its 5% hitbox all the while.

Djimmi can drag the new super projectile pyramid into his up smash by charging the move when the pyramid is above his head. This only happens using the follow-up or cancelled pyramid move where 3 pyramids are created so has no effect on the base up smash. Djimmi will replace the nearest pyramid with the one already out on the stage and can rotate it around the same as that pyramid would. At the end of the charge time, the pyramid will instead of firing out a laser fire the super projectile! This will deal 1-1.4x the damage for the initial few frames the super projectile is released to potentially stack power on top of more power if the foe is that predictable to let Djimmi charge the pyramids up and get hit by the worst of the three. This gives Djimmi a way to manually set off his super projectile on his own and have a huge degree of control from when and where it's fired.



Neutral Aerial: Get That Cuphead Turbanned


Djimmi closes his eyes and spins completely around in place as his body is covered with sparkling white magic, entering a meditative cross-legged stance to slightly reduce the size of his hurtbox. Djimmi's hands now covered in magic and making an "okay" gesture become hitboxes as well as his turban! The hands deal 10% at the start of the attack and over an average-length sex kick animation will degrade to deal 7%, and again fairly average knockback for this type of attack. The hitbox is naturally fairly large being that Djimmi's hands and turban are large parts of his body. This move does however have a lengthy duration that gives it a similar weakness to many sex kicks in that it's easily punished. It doesn't have bad start or end lag for a sex kick however so is perfectly usable in most situations. At the start of the attack when Djimmi turns around he will momentarily make the side of his body intangible as he turns to face the other direction.

The turban has a different hitbox that deals a weaker 5% and radial knockback that does not change for the duration of the move. The turban will fire out four projectile two times over the course of the sex kick. The first four travel in the four cardinal directions, then the second set travel at the four diagionals. These travel at Falco's laser's speed for a battlefield platform. These are very small projectiles at two-thirds the size of a Pokeball and deal only 1% and half the flinching as a Mega Buster shot. This means they largely won't even cover the end lag of the move and make it safe on hit without a combo of them and the main hitboxes of the sex kick together. The projectiles can however be hit into the neutral special chest.

This is a significant projectile to add as despite its incredibly weak damage and power it will be buffed to be regarded as at least dealing 5% when used as a super projectile and its size at least that of a Mario fireball, potentially getting the biggest buff of any Djimmi projectile. This just generally makes the easiest cheesiest way to fill a chest. Djimmi can try and land a specifically angled version of the projectile as the last projectile, this will make the resulting super projectile fire in that angle when it comes out of the chest for a battlefield platform at the Falco laser's speed before returning to any homing pattern it might have. Like the lasers in fsmash, these angles can be combined to give the average of both angles to essentially create any possible angle to fire the super projectile, effectively Djimmi can gain the important ability to choose the direction he shoots his super projectile using his seemingly useless tiny bullets.

Djimmi can alter the move by holding down A/standard to extend the end lag of the move, he will then hover the turban off his head while grimacing evilly at the camera. This causes his turban to stay out on stage where Djimmi was at the end of his nair and continue to fire its weak projectiles in place about twice a second in the same pattern. This merely duplicates Djimmi's turban and doesn't affect his appearance. These projectiles will be shot at the same fast rate but lose any of their hitstun, only dealing a passive 1% a shot to foes they hit, so at best is just a passive damage racker. When absorbed, this version of the projectile always stays this weak. The turban will dissipate when the foe deals it 20% or if it's on stage for 10 seconds. This can at least help to make it easier to manipulate the chest using the weak pellet-like projectiles of the nair now that it's totally disjointed from Djimmi's body. Only one turban can be out at a time, the old one dissipating if Djimmi makes another.

Djimmi unsurprisingly has a few tricks up his turban! Djimmi can press A/standard when summoning his chest to have it appear where his turban is on the stage, this can be either his normal projectile chest or the one used to collect for or create super projectile. He can also hold his up special down to go through a longer start lag animation where he spins in place, only in the opposite direction to in his nair, and then instead of teleporting to a chosen area will pop into his turban wherever it was on stage! Either of these will destroy the turban it used however so are one time use. As Djimmi re-appears on his turban he is surrounded in magic and his hurtbox becomes a hitbox that deals roughly 3/4 the damage/knockback of Farore's Wind's hitbox at the same angle. Though the start lag is upped, it's still not as high as Zelda's up special so this is actually a very powerful option for what it costs Djimmi.

Forward Aerial: Punjabi Punch Up


Djimmi rotates his clenched fists in front of his face rapidly for a constant stream of hits, dealing 2% each (the same as Fox's fair) and very low knockback as it combos into itself, largely due to the shared damage this will go on about as long as Fox's fair. The sizes of Djimmi’s fists are increased a little for the move. This isn't all that similar however as instead of hitting the foe forwards at the end of the move's last hit, the foe will be hit into the air by the fair though at the same low knockback, so this move is one of the poster boys for being unable to ever KO unless practically touching the top blastzone. When Djimmi can have so many projectiles on stage at once it's nice to have an aerial designed to just reel the opponent for ages and pull them down into the stage. Due to his floatiness however, Djimmi won't be able to reel in foes that far down, more keep them in place considering his low fall speed. This has fast start up but pretty bad end lag as is typical for this kind of move.

When Djimmi lands on the ground during the move he'll perform a unique landing attack, pounding his hands against the ground for a shockwave enhanced by magic, dealing 5% over a Bowser width area at a straight upward angle, untechable. This has a lot more kick to it than the regular fair and can KO around 200%, though certainly nothing impressive, when the fair us used close to the ground the reliability of a straight up angle to hit foes into projectiles above Djimmi is always appreciated. This isn't just any magic however, Djimmi uses his space-like magic displayed in his down smash to turn the ground he pounds into a short-lived gravity well. For the next second, the ground will suck in any foes at the power of Dedede's Inhale, or any other projectiles, covering the same space of ground in a space texture.

This gravity well isn't just for show, any of Djimmi's projectiles that come in contact with it will be sucked into the portal and shot out dealing 1.2x their damage and knockback a moment later, lasting for only half a second before returning to normal. This only really delays the projectile ever so slightly so might ever be a small inconvenience, but mostly will just act as a nice little tactic for Djimmi given the upgrade in power. When a projectile was either under 1 second or one half a Bowser width away from dissipating/running out of duration will instead be absorbed by the gravity well and lets it linger for another 1.5 seconds as it shoots out small stars purely as an aesthetic. The wind hitbox will gradually get weaker though, halving in strength after 2 seconds and completely stopping after 3 seconds. This can only bring the well to a maximum of 5 seconds at a time, though can be infinitely replenished. This is of course much easier to set up beforehand than trying to fire nair into the thing, though that is certainly possible if Djimmi wants to sit in place not fighting the foe like a mug.

The gravity well has another feature that is largely unusable unless it is fed some dying projectiles. Any foes who are hit into the ground where a well is will be sucked in like an Inhale and then spat out at a straight upward angle! Any knockback the foe was going to take will be boosted by 1.2x and redirected upward, most of the time this obviously will be redirected from straight down. Given many of Djimmi's projectiles deal radial knockback this is an easy way to hit them into the well. Djimmi's fair itself is a good way of doing it as Djimmi will slam the foe into the gravity well at the end of the move. This is so weak before the landing hitbox that the foe will be launched barely any distance to almost perfectly combo into another move at low percents. The easiest way to set this all up might be leaving a turban firing at an open gravity well but again, this requires a lot of commitment that Djimmi might want for his offence.

Down Aerial: Two Wishes

Djimmi showcases his inherent strength by performing a heavyweight classic, leaning over and punching two enlarged fists beneath him dealing 16% damage and only marginally lower knockback than Ganondorf's down aerial, about 3/4s its strength. This has about the same end lag but comes out a little later, so overall isn't as useful as Ganondorf's move but still incredibly useful. The move has much better landing lag than end lag, making it a safe bet to use close to the stage. This is an obvious choice to use to punch the foe through fair's gravity wells. A small nerf from Ganondorf isn't enough to keep it from being a terrifying move in the air for a heavy floater especially given it has some good range, although is lower range on the vertical side, it's great on the horizontal spectrum.

The move will deal straight downwards spike knockback from the middle of the move and for most of the punch's hitbox but at the sides will instead hits foes at a diagonal, at a reduced 15%. This isn't as bad as it first sounds because of gravity wells and being able to both redirect the foe upward at the end and the fact dair can hit foes into gravity wells whether they're just under Djimmi or a ways in front on the ground. This is made easier by the start up's animation where Djimmi tucks himself in a little as he leans downwards, reducing the size of his hurtbox slightly to dodge close shaves or trade for foes to then be hit into the gravity well for an advantage to Djimmi.

The move has a different use when held out when Djimmi is in touching distance over a Puppet Cuphead's wooden puppeteer paddle. As he leans forward, Djimmi will go out of his way to punch the paddle with all the might of his dair! The paddle usually cannot be interacted with by Djimmi or the foe, so this is one big exception. After being hit the paddle will be knocked down a Ganondorf height in the air becoming a powerful spiking hitbox dealing 10% and downward knockback! This can be devastating over the ledge especially although it can be tech’d if the foe hits the ledge or stage, and is highly telegraphed. As it falls the paddle becomes a reflector to any projectiles hit on the bottom side, reflecting them back in the opposite direction. This only works on opposing projectiles that deal 9% or less so is largely not too relevant, plus the projectiles that are stolen come back under that character’s control only a second later. The projectiles will deal 1.2x the usual damage and knockback for their first second after being reflected and go 1.5x their normal speed in their new direction.

This has an even more important interaction on Puppet Cupheads! The paddle will bash into the Puppet Cuphead in midair and push them downwards, initiating the same hitbox as Djimmi can manually perform when the puppet is out and he performs down special. That’s not all however as if Cuphead hits the stage and the paddle is in a Ganondorf height of the stage, it will squash the puppet against the ground too! This deals the puppet 15% self damage and will shoot out two projectiles to either side of the paddle. These projectiles will either be the generic kind the puppet shoots, or using the neutral special chest the next two it was about to shoot, the next one shot forward and one after shot backward. When the Puppet Cuphead is killed by this interaction, all of its projectiles will instead be shot out of the sides of the paddle as it lands in a massive magical explosion. This explosion ranges from that of a Bob-Omb to 3x that size if up to 30% damage worth of projectiles was still to be used by the puppet and will linger only 3 frames at first, but can last for up to a second on stage maintaining its powerful hitbox. This deals from 8-24% damage and medium-very high knockback at a high angle. It’s almost like Djimmi doesn’t like that there Cuphead.

Up Aerial: A Bright Idea


Djimmi transforms his head into an enlarged light bulb, shooting out little visual sparks as the light bulb deals 12% and high upward knockback, with a weak sourspot just around Djimmi's head on top of a large amount of static dealing 5% and weak radial knockback, though only is active at the start of the move. The main hitbox of the move has comparable knockback strength to Ness' uair, not bad at all. This is a comparable range to other headbutt up aerials but with the addition of the sour spot is a useful tool to have, the downside is that it has poor start lag and landing lag so far more dangerous to throw out than the other aerials, though it does have good end lag so is suited to air-to-air combat.

The light bulb has a unique attribute when the main 12% hitbox lands, putting Djimmi but not the foe into a short freeze frame as electricity channels through his body. What may sound like a painful extended lag for the purposes of the move is useful as it will keep Djimmi stalled in the air for a short amount of time and able to follow up easier without falling as the foe is shot up, or even comes back down if shot back down by another hitbox. The light bulb and sourspot remain hitboxes for this extended freeze frame, though it only lasts 10 frames. This only works once per 1 second but at super close ranges this lets the move easily combo into itself as the foe ricochets off a projectile above Djimmi then into the same hitbox again for a massive amount of damage. This does require Djimmi be a little more careful however as if he gets countered or shielded it leaves him open to punishment.

Where this factors more is that like the gravity well, weakened projectiles can be used to absorb into the strength of the light bulb, extending the freeze frame far beyond what the foe can do for Djimmi. A projectile that is as weak as stated in the fair, lasting for under 1 second longer or going half a Bowser further, will be destroyed and Djimmi's light bulb will light up brighter, not only letting it last for a full 20 frames longer but dealing a boosted 15% and 1.2x as high knockback upward. The sourspot is also upgraded to deal 7% and knockback able to KO at 180%. This will stall Djimmi in place for those 20 frames letting him stall himself even further and gives him weak armour to resist attacks that do 3% or lower.

This isn't actually the end of this light bulb rollercoaster for Djimmi! Djimmi can continue to keep the attack going if he can keep absorbing projectiles to power his light bulb, grinning evilly all the while. This only works if A/standard button is pressed immediately as the freeze frame begins. The light bulb however demands more and more power. After absorbing the first projectile, it needs to eat a projectile that would deal 5% or more damage, but this will increase the light bulb’s damage to deal 17% damage and knockback 1.1x greater than the infamous DK uair, sourspot increased to deal 10%, with appropriately stronger knockback. Finally Djimmi can absorb a projectile dealing 10% or more, increasing the main hitbox to deal 20% and massive upward knockback on par with a Ganondorf dair upwards, with the sourspot dealing 12% and knockback on par with Ness' uair. Each time, the attacks he can tank with super armour multiplies by 3x, ultimately tanking attacks that do 12% or lower damage. Each time too the sourspot's range increases 1.5x, and any projectiles within this range are game to be absorbed too. The attack always has good end lag so Djimmi can set up for these, largely using projectiles to pressure foes at the same time or using it merely to pressure foes out of a particular part of the air. This is one of his best ways to pressure falling foes.

Back Aerial: Cleaning the Carpet


Djimmi quickly takes out his carpet and flaps it behind himself in another sex kick lingering hitbox, dealing 6% close to Djimmi and 4% in a sourspot at the end, a very effective Wall of Pain due to its long range but has longer than landing lag forcing it into that role. This won't KO besides a sweetspot at the very end of the carpet for a few frames at the start of the move as it flaps around that deals 8% and will KO at 170%, making Djimmi's bair uncharacteristically weak as a KO move. The move is far more suited to comboing as it also deals knockback at a slight upward angle, and due to Djimmi's floatiness this tends to mean he will end up on level with the foe again high in the air. This then leads into comboing into itself well which is good as it means Djimmi doesn't have to land and turn around, keeping in mind he only has two jumps this is an important move for the sake of his aerial based playstyle.

Djimmi can influence any projectiles of his caught in the hitbox of the carpet as it obscures the screen for a short time. By holding A/standard past the start up Djimmi will flap his carpet revealing that all projectiles have been moved as close to the end of the carpet as possible, without overlapping one another, effectively keeping their previous patterns. Holding it up until end lag will have Djimmi flap away the carpet just in time to reveal the projectiles have been all moved to overlap one another at the furthest pixel of his carpet. If he lands with projectiles in his carpet, Djimmi will use them to add some kick to his carpet and bash it to the ground behind him, this deals 5-15%, dealing another 2% per projectile caught in the roughly Wario-sized carpet. This scales from just dealing weak knockback to KOing at 100% at the highest. After being hit into the stage, the carpet will re-launch projectiles off the ground at a high angle if caught in the closest hitbox of the move, or released at an upward angle if caught by the end of the hitbox, so all in all one of the best ways to redirect Djimmi's projectiles, and a powerful air-to-ground move when utilizing projectiles. Djimmi can also just not hold A/standard at all for an effective mindgame, as all these options do add a small amount of extra lag.



Grab and Pummel: Lampshade

Djimmi casually points forward and shoots a thick ring forward that covers all the way to the ground, travelling forward the distance of an average tether grab. This is a fairly standard tether despite the unique aesthetic so actually puts it on the slow side for Smash 4, but nothing extraordinary either way. It’s about average for dash and pivot grab too. If nothing else this is useful for Djimmi to use in the middle of his projectile game to reel the foe into anything between the two characters and to pressure them from beyond close range, but definitely huts his melee game. After being hit an opponent is teleported into a physical grab by Djimmi who lifts them off the ground if short enough to do so and smirks in their face. Djimmi’s pummel is a slow punch to the guy, dealing 3% damage.

Forward Throw: Short Leash

Djimmi points both hands forward as the foe levitates in place, laughing for a short while as he summons a wooden paddle and strings above the foe. This now enters the foe into a unique Cargo Throw-style throw. Djimmi can now move the foe around the stage at his dash speed, levitating in place just in front of them for the duration of the throw. The paddle and strings are only a short distance above the foe and will dissipate the moment the foe escapes the throw, using the same rules as Cargo Throw, or is thrown normally. This is actually a fairly perfect throw for Djimmi’s playstyle as he forces the foe into all of his set up projectiles on the stage and can try throwing them directly into the worst of them. Foes will awkwardly ragdoll around as they’re struggling to escape from the strings.

When thrown forward from this throw, Djimmi holds both hands behind his back before quickly gesturing them forward at the foe, causing the strings to stretch them back and then snap, dealing the foe 9% as they’re weakly tossed forward! This is about the same power as DK’s forward Cargo Throw and therefore is not going to KO any time soon. What’s good about this is that while techable, this can be used when off stage as a semi-spike to combo the foe into the side of the stage into Djimmi after the throw is over for a follow up. They are frame neutral but compared to Cargo Throw, this will actually place both Djimmi and the foe close enough they can start immediately fighting again to keep the pressure from grab game going even after the throw is over. The same goes for just tossing the foe into a projectile and back at Djimmi immediately afterward. The foe teching the wall or ledge is not the worst situation either as Djimmi’s recovery lets him easily dodge a ledge trump attempt. As a basic fthrow option, this is a handy tool.

For the up throw Djimmi gestures his fingers for the paddle to lift the foe up a Ganondorf height into the air as the paddle moves underneath them in the background, appearing below them after they take 3% from the sheer pained movement, and then the paddle finally hits them from below for 8% damage and middling upward knockback, snapping the strings. Again not the best of upward knockback but as Djimmi can move through the air easier than DK, he can use this to get a vertical KO especially on a stage with platforms. As it’s not mediocre knockback however it won’t combo for Ding Dong-style confirms. As the paddle hits the foe up, it also hits any projectiles in the way for the same effect as it had in the dair, reflecting Djimmi’s projectiles upwards at the foe. This is pretty relevant for Djimmi due to the fact he’s got a Cargo Throw that lets him move the foe in front of projectiles he wants to hit at them and lets him not hit any of his set up if he so chooses too.

For the back throw, Djimmi steps aside making himself intangible for a moment as the opponent is flung towards him and the strings on the paddle snap, dealing them 10% and medium backward knockback again at a semi spike. This is practically a mirrored version of the Cargo fthrow as this leads into some easy combos when the foe hits a wall or the stage next to Djimmi. The foe is not technically thrown until they are thrown from behind Djimmi’s back as the throw doesn’t make use of any weird set knockback or strong base knockback to make it interruptible, this does mean the foe can be railroaded into any stray projectiles in their path. As the foe is thrown right behind Djimmi, this means he has to then use his bair in the air or wall side special to follow them. This isn’t the best position to KO due to his bair’s upwards knockback but will keep them combo’d at least, and pushed far enough off stage they can no longer recover if it lands. The moment of intangibility is largely not relevant but can be used to dodge any of the foe’s own set up or traps on stage, which might ever be important in match ups where Djimmi is using his Cargo Throw to move around an entire stage.

The down throw is definitely the most unique part of the fthrow as Djimmi points his entire hand down with an evil grin on his face, causing the paddle and the foe to go down a Ganondorf height. When the foe doesn’t hit anything, this simply releases them at the end for 13% damage and good… upward knockback. The strings will pull them back as they snap for high damage and keep them from being spiked at all off stage. Though keep in mind that when the foe has been put off stage, even being dealt that high knockback upwards will put them in prime position to be hit by a dair or Djimmi’s aerials to finish them off. At the same time, this is designed so that Djimmi can’t get any cheesy gimps off stage for good reason, at 8% damage this will always hit the foe a good distance up so they’re even at 0% a bit higher than wherever Djimmi put them from his Cargo Throw, so he really has to work to get a gimp out of his fthrow.

When the foe hits into a projectile or solid object like a wall or most likely the ground, the hitstun will be increased uniformly if it wasn’t enough already to be hit by the paddle as it slams down, dealing them the damage of that projectile plus the paddle itself which deals 5% and weak downwards knockback. This can be a huge amount of damage considering what projectiles Djimmi can create. Hit into the ground or a wall the foe is instead dealt a uniform 3% and then the 5% damage but hit up in an untechable ground bounce for great combo potential. This scales very slowly due to the weakness of the ground bounce knockback so that it is always a semi-competent combo tool, the best in Djimmi’s set. This is another case where the paddle will turn into a momentary reflector and while it’s far more difficult to hit the foe into projectiles hit down at them in this case, somehow doing this over a fair gravity well is very powerful, and some projectiles like the up smash lasers will reflect off the ground or wall for great effect.

Up Throw: A Beautiful Carpet Ride

Djimmi grabs the foe in one hand and points the other below him, summoning his magic carpet, unnecessarily flying both characters around in a loop above Djimmi that goes a Ganondorf height and then does a Meta Knight Shuttle Loop-sized loop in the air, then dives back at the ground for 11% damage and high upward knockback! This is uncharacteristically slow for this type of throw, not that it’s so slow it looks awkward, but doesn’t deal nearly as much as Charizard’s up throw, only average as far as up throw go. Naturally this can let Djimmi combo the foe into his projectiles set up on stage and similarly to other uthrows of this type will KO far earlier on stages that have platforms.

The move has a few interesting interactions with the rest of Djimmi’s set, the most obvious one being his fair gravity wells as it’s the other big move besides dair that will reliably hit the foe into one when they’re stood over one. The problem might be here that with the throw taking a little longer than the normal loop de loop uthrow, that Djimmi might run out of time to take advantage of the well. What helps out here is the fact that the uthrow does go in the loop de loop for the majority of the throw above the ground giving time for Djimmi’s other projectiles to go into the well and extend its life span. This is helped by the fact that Djimmi is off the ground and not himself blocking his own projectiles coming up behind him from being sucked into the well.

This throw is not weight dependant but unique is Rage dependant, specifically Djimmi’s rage. At no rage, the carpet ride goes as planned and Djimmi takes a longer time to hit the ground at the end. As he gets more and more rage, Djimmi is less inclined to take the foe on a fun carpet ride and speeds up proceedings, his face growing angrier and angrier. This will add a small amount of extra damage and knockback to the move, though is really only for show. The important part of this is that the animation goes through far faster to the point it’s on par with other uthrows and will give Djimmi less air time before he comes back into the ground, letting him make use of nearby projectiles. When he’s at high rage you could assume he’d have more set up out anyway so it’s a safer bet he can immediately jump on any projectiles in the way. Besides that, it simply lets Djimmi maintain a bit of extra pressure on the foe.

Back Throw: Turnaround Turban

Djimmi simply flings the foe behind him one-handed for 2% damage then without turning juts his neck and head backwards, hitting the foe with his head for a strong 10% hit that deals solid backward knockback at a slight upward angle. This isn’t nearly that powerful of a KO throw but it’s the strongest Djimmi has in his grab game, above average for the Smash 4 cast so plenty usable. As the turban hits the foe, it’ll discharge a small electric shock that gives the foe an electricity element, more importantly once the foe is out of hitstun the electricity will create four of the nair turban’s projectiles out of the foe’s hurtbox that travel away at the same speed, cloned from the nair, covering the space around the foe. This isn’t too difficult for the foe to ignore if they merely stay in place but does box them in a little bit and if done at a lower percent makes a follow up a lot easier when they can’t rush off as easily. This largely depends on where exactly the foe is launched and at high percents, it’s best to try and use this to hit the foe a long ways off where Djimmi has stored something to make use of these small projectiles. This is surprisingly one of the best combos for his side special wall as he will be able to teleport over before the foe is out of hitstun at high enough percents, and if they hit one of his projectiles first will precariously create the small nair bullets right then, easily leading into some projectile chaos as they reflect back at them out of the bthrow.

Conversely Djimmi can press A/standard during the bthrow’s animation to have a second turban already out on the stage from nair frizzle up in overly strong electricity, causing the electricity on the foe to magnetize them towards that turban’s location! This uses up that turban and means the foe doesn’t send out those four weak projectiles when out of the bthrow but gives Djimmi a decent amount of control over how their knockback is taken. This gets stronger as the foe is closer, so that if the turban is right next to the foe then they can do a clean 180 degree turn and come right back around towards Djimmi, though will only go so far as their knockback allows, and at best this is always frame neutral. At its most powerful if the turban is directly in front of the foe at a perfect angle this will power up the bthrow a great deal, a pixel perfect throw making it one of the best KO throws in Smash 4. Sadly not a part of the Cargo Throw so Djimmi’s going to have to space his tether grab very well for that to work!

Down Throw: Egyptian Russian Dolls

Djimmi points at the foe levitating them in front of him in midair then summons two of his cats from his neutral special, sized up to be around half the size of Kirby each. He casually splits the cats in two and places them over the foe’s hurtbox from both sides, closing in on the foe so that one overlaps from the top half of their hurtbox and the other from the bottom half. Using some cheap smoke and a little pizzazz, this creates the illusion that the foe’s body has been split in two as the two cats go up and down respectively, apparently taking that half of the foe’s body! This is not as slow as the way it’s written may make you assume, although long for a foe (which is nice given that it’s all the more time for the foe to be forced to be hit by outside projectiles). When they’re finally sealed away, the foe takes 1% and constant 1% as the cats move around for another 5% damage.

The cat dolls will move up and down so that they’re separate by 1.5x Ganondorf’s height. One doll hits the ground and the other going into the sky before they rustle around and break open, dealing the foe 8% and weak upward knockback revealing that the foe was in by default the top cat doll all along! This can be chosen by Djimmi when the foe is first locked away into the cat dolls although neither will ever KO, at best the lower cat doll better lends itself to combos while the higher one is the better spacer. What’s more interesting is what’s in the other cat doll. It breaks open and out of the cat doll pops a spherical blue projectile unlike any other in Djimmi’s set! This projectile ranges in size, shape and what it does, though the one thing that’s uniform is when it appears out of the top cat doll, it falls, and when it appears out of the bottom cat doll, it goes up, and it lasts for only another 2 seconds.

What determines the nature of these projectiles is in fact the foe! This is actually pretty simple: Djimmi takes the foe’s size for the projectile, at minimum it is the size of Kirby and at maximum, the size of Bowser. The bigger it is however, the longer it will stall before it starts to move, at minimum travelling almost instantly while at Bowser’s size it will lag for around 20 frames first in a wannabe stall-then-fall. The next statistic is how much damage it deals, and this is dependant on the foe’s percent. At 0% it will deal only its lowest damage possible, 5% and low knockback, great for combos! For every 10%, the projectile deals another 1% damage, maxing out at 10% when the foe is at 100%. This will make it KO at 130%, and in the middle at around 50% it acts as a good spacing projectile. This largely just scales so that when the foe is at low percents, it combos, but can KO when they’re higher. The projectile also changes colour from pure blue to red as it starts to deal more damage.

The more important part of the equation is how the projectile moves. This is determined by two things: the foe’s recent movement around the stage and their jumps. If the foe was moving and jumping a lot over the last 5 seconds before they were grabbed this increases from the speed of Mario’s fireball to Fox’s laser. The bottom cat doll instead fires the projectile up at the same minimum/maximum speeds! The more foes moved and jumped around, the faster the projectile goes. This can actually not be a great thing but really, this all massively depends on what the situation of the match is and the foe’s exact statistics, there are a lot of variables at play here. Djimmi can even take advantage of his own pressure to force the foe into making him a faster projectile, or snag them as they’re turtling for a slow one. Number one important to keep in mind though that even if the projectile isn’t all that useful for hitting the foe, although it almost always can be used for that, this gives two amazingly versatile projectiles for Djimmi to try and use in his neutral special chest or simply bat around using his side special wall!



Jab: Rapid Punches

Djimmi punches forward in one of his most straightforward attacks thus far, rapidly dealing 3% a shot in an average-speed jab that ends with Djimmi rearing back an arm and taking a powerful swing forward, dealing 5% and high knockback at a low angle. Despite the high damage, this quickly decays to 1% like other jabs. This is not a particularly powerful jab finisher but not among the weakest, his fists get a slight enlargement so have decent range for a melee jab finisher and can easily stall the foe long enough to hit them into his projectiles. The low angle is another part of this that lets Djimmi combo the foe into his projectiles. The foe is best off DIing upwards due to the jab finisher hitting forwards, it’s possible to DI out the top and dodge the jab finisher if it’s timed poorly by Djimmi but has too low of end lag to punish. The move also has solidly fast start lag.

This is another move like the dair that has a unique interaction used on the Puppet Cuphead. This will be able to land strikes on it but deals no damage to the puppet as it does to foes. Though jab won’t damage the puppet, it will deal it hitstun and delay it from shooting its own projectile for as long as it’s jabbed. The puppet will slowly DI away so that it will dodge the final jab finisher. Every time it’s jabbed however it will shoot the first saved projectile, not out of the puppet’s finger, but his head pops open slightly and lobs it forward, going a short arch over a Kirby width forward before it continues its normal pattern! This is the opposite order to what the puppet shoots out on its own, which goes in reverse order, so at worst this lets Djimmi use up the most potentially easily wasted projectiles saved to the puppet. The lobbing arc if saved to a chest right away will save that part of the pattern as part of the super projectile if that’s what is last saved, mostly though this can be used offensively due to the speed of an average jab popping out projectiles is very handy. There is also a slight delay to the effect that means the puppet will fire out up to another two projectiles out of his head after the jab is over before it snaps shut, not a ton to work with, but having both the fired out projectiles and projectiles from his head at the same time an be really powerful. This will take a good 4 jabs to accomplish though.

When Cuphead is struck by the jab finisher, this will send him forward a full battlefield platform or twice that depending on how low his health is, treated like a reversed percent. If there’s still projectiles coming out of the puppet’s head, they will be treated with a sort of physics, lobbing out as Cuphead goes forward to land behind him as he goes forward, or landing right behind or in front of him depending on the timing, or just shooting them further forward if shot out at the end. The most important one to time is probably leaving it behind the puppet so that the foe can’t roll behind him as he’s launched forward. His body also becomes a weak hitbox that deals 5-8% and generally just spacing knockback so this can create a very hard to dodge combination. This is a rare disjointed hitbox that can’t be absorbed or reflected, which in his playstyle is a decent asset for Djimmi. He does however still get reflected by the side special wall so this all works as a good mix up to bait the foe into thinking this is the plan when it isn’t, then letting the puppet slip through the jab with DI and fire its projectiles at the foe alongside the ones in its head.

Dash Attack: Spinning Genie

Djimmi starts to lean forward and spin very fast as he traverses the ground the same speed as Ganondorf’s dash attack, turning his entire body into a small tornado – except for his head which magically stays in place looking forward as the attack rages on! The tornado deals 3 rapid this of 1% that always combo into the final powerful hit of 10% and diagonal forward knockback at a high angle, able to KO at 115%, very powerful but this is your typically very slow and laggy dash attack so Djimmi has to read his opponent heavily to land the move. The move also isn’t as easy to land on aerial foes as it might sound due to the fact it’s moving forward and the hitbox only extends in front of Djimmi, his head not being a hitbox at all and a big target for the foe to punish if they read Djimmi’s dash attack. As Djimmi has to stop spinning and come to a stop, the move has fairly bad end lag too, par for the course.

The tornado naturally has some projectile-affecting attributes. Any of Djimmi’s projectiles the tornado touches will be swung around 360 degrees so that they end up on the same side of Djimmi, stalled to have a slightly longer duration and turning them into a hitbox as they spin around the other side of Djimmi. This can let the move punish foes rolling behind Djimmi, but more than that it can let projectiles originally behind Djimmi be rolled up into the move as he travels forward too, and any projectiles in front of Djimmi will then be spun behind him for both effects. This will deposit projectiles to continue their previous pattern just slightly ahead if foe interrupts the move, and projectiles picked up later in the move simply spin around the tornado faster so it is impossible for the move to really change a projectile’s pattern it interrupted all that much at all. This is obviously mostly a big positive for the already cumbersome dash attack to not mess with Djimmi’s important projectile set up, and actually not only helps stall their duration but helps defend them against the foe in case they have a Pocket, reflector or a way to tank through them.

Forward Tilt: Genie Power Gauge

Djimmi juts his hand forward in a slightly awkward animation resembling Ganondorf’s jab, only with a completely open flat palm forward, dealing 5% damage in one of his faster attacks that has low end lag. This can combo into itself once at very low percents, and it’s very hard to punish. The range is helped by an enlarged hand too, and can be angled up or down to better hit airborne or crouching foes, simply dealing semi-spike or 45 degree knockback angled up or down. The palm strike can hit the foe into the fair gravity wells when angled down. The semi spike makes it a perfect move to combo into the wall too If Djimmi can teleport ahead of the foe at low-mid percents and block their path, the hitstun will largely prevent them from hitting his face whatever angle it appears on, and the semi spike also makes this one of his best tools for putting the foe off stage ready for a gimp attempt.

The move can be followed up on if any projectile lands on the hitbox of the open palm as it’s got active hitbox frames. The A/standard button will make Djimmi absorb some of the strength of the projectile into his hand in an extended hitlag animation, then perform a magical blue explosion of energy forward out of his hand a moment later! This is largely the same as the Lucario side special, Force Palm, dealing from 3-8% and weak-strong knockback, although even at its most powerful this will only KO at 150% at a low horizontal angle, but does have very low end lag to make it perfect for a combo or simply to space and make hard to punish. This explosion won’t dissipate the projectile, instead it will take a chunk of its power. The amount it takes depends on the timing of the ftilt. An earlier hit will take the biggest chunk as Djimmi goes through more of the animation while a later hit has the opposite effect, the move always having uniform lag. Djimmi can take up to 8% from the projectile and add it to the power of this unique follow up, or only as little as 3%, but will never dissipate the projectile even if it had less damage than that, as damage is not technically “health” for a projectile.

Arguably more important than the follow up is the fact that a projectile can have its damage reduced by this move, while not changing its overall size or shape, it does colour the projectile more of a red shade to signify its strength has been sapped. This can be done multiple times to sap a projectile down regardless of hitting the foe or not and is a useful set up manoeuvre because of the various moves that benefit from weakened projectiles such as the fair and uair, but also for combos. The damage is reduced and as a result the knockback is reduced too, and the duration is not lowered so the projectile will now knock the foe around a lot less, which can allow Djimmi himself to go in for punishment. The ftilt does have a special effect on projectiles though that they start to decay in terms of hitstun, mirroring the way his nair bullets work so that eventually when they deal miniscule knockback, their hitstun won’t combo into themselves for cheesy infinites.

Down Tilt: Black Hole Stomp

A quick stomp forwards by Djimmi for 4%, weak knockback at the Sakurai angle. This can be spammed for repeated combos at very low or 0% as it has great range and low knockback for its damage, and is alongside the jab and ftilt great ways to stall the foe to get hit by Djimmi’s projectiles. The tech chase provided by the Sakurai angle is great for Djimmi due to his long range grab and projectile playstyle to cover the foe’s options. As Djimmi’s legs are small his range is less mediocre than you’d think, more comparable to a dtilt like Mario than Falcon, but gets the job done nonetheless.

Each time that Djimmi stomps the ground, it creates a crack in the ground that remains for another 5 seconds. When Djimmi stomps on the same ground 4 times over this period it will create the fair gravity well. This is a standard “shortcut” but takes far longer and is a lot easier to interrupt compared to the fair and its shockwave, the down tilt isn’t nearly as reliable. However the dtilt’s crack will aid the fair greatly, as when the fair lands over the crack, it will buff the power of the landing hitbox, adding another 3% to it and a disproportionate amount of shield push to ensure that Djimmi can’t be punished by anything less than a perfectly-timed dodge or roll. On top of that, the crack will force the gravity well to have a 1 second longer duration. Each stomp will produce a crack, up to 3 before it creates a well, each will result in a well that has an extra second of duration, signified by stars being shot out of the well upon creation. All of this does mean that a foe can be stomped inside a gravity well as it’s created, much of the time leading to a midair confirm into a combo at low percents.

Up Tilt: Magic Rings


Djimmi focuses so hard he turns his eyes blue and he creates a ring of energy just in front of his head and turban, roughly the width of Kirby though fairly thin that deals a powerful 12% damage and downwards high angled knockback, perfect for a spike! This angle is convenient enough for spikes that it will spike foe from on stage but has worse lag to come out than Falcon’s utilt, though this angle has more leeway, essentially trading lag for the angle. That’s not all however as momentarily two more rings appear after the last dissipates, dealing 8% and then 4% respectively and appropriately weaker knockback. The second is already not going to KO but may gimp from very high percents, while the 4% ring, appearing furthest out and on level with Djimmi’s chest deals pitifully low almost non-existent knockback. Djimmi can’t really take advantage of this though as the move has poor end lag on top of its high start lag, but still is a nice move to have around for the ledge play if nothing else.

The rings won’t ever exist at the same time but can combo into each other if the last frames hit the foe, able to combo just one time between the two rings. This will however also mean that the first ring’s powerful knockback is then replaced by the 8%, trading higher knockback for a fairly crazy 20% damage all in one go, but is hard to replicate. The timing of the second one is even harder but potentially preferable considering it leads to much easier combos with the lower damage and knockback, especially if hitting the foe into a gravity well. This move is also a great shield poke due to its unorthodox hitboxes that should hit the top right or left of the shield but then the middle and lower-middle parts to shield poke the corners, due to the slight slant of the hitbox the last ring can hit their lower corner nearest to Djimmi.

The rings do not count as projectiles and are instead transcendent disjointed hitboxes. The rings have a unique interaction on projectiles, actually changing how some projectiles work. Most prominently, the laser from usmash will adversely change as it passes over a ring. A new laser will form that is will fire at the same angle the ring is facing – most obvious in the GIF, but essentially firing right over the top of Djimmi’s turban! This will deal 0.9x, 0.7x and 0.5x the damage and knockback foe the ring is copied respectively for the first, second and last rings created. This is not only a direct buff to the laser (although it’s highly situational) it gives a few other forms of the laser to play with too. Another unique change is the planets from dsmash. If a ring would come into contact with the planet, it will go out of its way to land inside the ring, changing its path to do so. This will even make the ring linger for up to half a second longer to ensure this can happen. The planet will go through all the rings if it has the time to.

While that last one is mostly an Easter Egg, the up tilt has a strong effect on those near death projectiles mentioned in fair and uair. These projectiles will dissipate when in the first ring specifically, become a spec of energy and then as the ring dissipates, will be fired as a very small laser down to the next rings before it veers off. This is a thin laser, as thin as the weakest ROB laser and only deal 1%, but will reflect off any surface, such as the ground or walls, and even off of projectiles. It will last for 5 seconds but will last another 4 seconds for each projectile it hits in midair and build up its damage by 1% each time. It can build up to at its maximum power, 10% damage and knockback on par with a full strength ROB laser after reflecting 9 times. This is a fairly big pipe dream among everything else Djimmi can do, but remains a decent pressure tool and successfully carried out is another powerful projectile at his disposal.

When upgraded into a super projectile as the base, the size increase can create a monstrous projectile that will reflect off other projectiles easily due to its largeness. The projectile will not be able to get beyond the same cap as any other super projectile but can build up to that state, something the other projectiles can’t do once super, from reflecting off of other projectiles in Djimmi’s set. At the same time, homing is made useless on the laser due to its unique pattern too. The laser always deals knockback in the direction it’s travelling and can be shot out of the gravity well too giving it a more predictable and useful pattern. However this super projectile won’t go on forever and will dissipate after 10 seconds being on stage.



Final Smash: Copyhead


Djimmi laughs aloud as he uses the Smash Ball to summon Puppet Cuphead… and his pal Puppet Mugman! This time both are summoned and for once, they have no strings! Both Cuphead and Mugman appear right where Djimmi stood as he dissipates in a puff of smoke, then take to attacking the foes.

Cuphead and Mugman both use Munomario’s set but with a few key changes. For one thing neither takes any form of damage, knockback or stun, they have buffed statistics to have Falcon’s dash speed and Yoshi’s air speed, as well as Falco’s first jump, and their attacks universally have lag reduced to the point it’s like there’s two Wario Mans on stage at once. These however are AIs, smart AIs but exploitable nonetheless. Their attacks all deal 2x the normal damage and knockback so a lot of very standard moves now KO and KO moves becomes insanely powerful.

After 10 seconds, Djimmi will appear overhead as a giant angry head, frustrated that his puppets haven’t already finished the match! Djimmi’s eyes glow blue and Cuphead and Mugman will begin to glow an ominous red! This boosts their speed as they act frantically to finish off the foe, and after another 5 seconds both Cuphead and Mugman explode into bits in a 4x Bob-Omb sized explosion that deals 20% and will KO at 50%. Djimmi will then appear back on stage smile on his face no matter the outcome.

If Djimmi wins the match by using his final smash and his puppets survive, there’s a unique victory screen resembling the bad ending where Djimmi replaces The Devil with the two puppets as Cuphead and Mugman.
 
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MasterWarlord

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Aug 24, 2008
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(10K word challenge minus intro and Final Smash.)

Grim Matchstick is a boss in Cuphead and considered by a good amount of people to be one of the big difficulty spikes and one of the harder bosses in the game. He has little in the way of character or dialogue, and is largely defined by his boss battle and how he fights. One of the reasons his fight is made so difficult is because it's the first scrolling stage that doesn't use the plane, and in expert the stage scrolls towards the boss rather than away from him, turning the first phase into the hardest phase rather than the easiest. Given he's in Cuphead, the majority of his attacks consist of elaborate series of projectiles such as many different fireballs he can shoot from his mouth.

STATS

Size: Slightly larger Charizard
Weight: 120 (3rd below DK)
Dashing Speed: 1.38 units (51st above King Dedede)
Air Speed: 1.11 units (14th)
First Jump Height: 38 (9th, tied with Rob)
Second Jump Height: 36 (18th, tied with Charizard)
Falling Speed: 1.61 (23rd, tied with Wario)
Aerial Control: 7.5/10
Traction: 2/10

Grim's neck isn't quite as stretched out as in his Smash Bros fight, instead more comparable to Charizard's to make him be less insanely huge in Smash Bros. He is smaller than Bowser in Smash, but is definitely wider. Unsurprisingly, he is slow on the ground and fast in the air, but he isn't some aerial god just by statistics alone.


NEUTRAL SPECIAL - HYDRA


Grim Matchstick spontaneously grows two extra heads, granting himself 23 frames of lag as he guffaws at the foe with his three heads. Immediately after inputting this, Grim must input three moves at once, and at least two of them must be attacks that use Grim’s head. This will enable Grim to use three attacks at once, at the cost of those extra 23 frames of start-up and that Grim will be unable to move until after all three of the moves have finished, so if Grim uses two quick moves and one slow move, it doesn’t matter, he’s waiting for the slow move to be done. After all three moves are completed, the two extra heads will retract back into Grim Matchstick’s fat lump of a torso, not giving any further lag to Grim Matchstick as he is free to act while they do so, just unable to immediately use this move again during those 30 or so frames. If Grim attempts to use more than one non head based attack with this move, he will just get the next closest thing to that input that is a head based input automatically rather than nothing. Grim's primary head will always be the last head to attack.

Even aside from the extra frames of lag, this move has extra risk because of greatly increasing Grim’s hurtbox to be bigger than anyone else’s in the game by a decent margin. If he is interrupted out of this, his heads will stick around as nothing more than deadweight sandbags to be hit for as long as he remains in hitstun. Only after he gets out of hitstun will the heads begin retracting into Grim’s body like normal, and during that time even then they are hurtboxes. Grim primarily wants to use these attacks during the advantage state, though this move has enough starting lag that it can’t combo off of anything. That said, the three attacks made during Neutral Special are more than capable of comboing into each other.

SIDE SPECIAL - SENTIENT FIREBALLS


Grim Matchstick extends out his tongue in front of him for as long as he holds down the button, causing an army of sentient fireballs to march out of his mouth along his tongue. Each fireball is 0.8X the size of Kirby and deals 5% with radial knockback that won’t kill in any realistic match, finishing people off at around 325%. The fireballs come out at a rate of one per fourth of a second and march forwards at Mario’s dashing speed, so you’ll be getting out a lot of these guys, but there’s 1.1X Bowser’s width between each of them due to their high movement speed, enabling even large characters to more easily fit between them and approach Grim Matchstick as he sits and shoots fireballs.

The length of Grim’s tongue is 1.5 platforms, and if he retracts his tongue before the fireballs are done marching along it, he’ll devour them as they let out muffled screams. The fireballs are capable of marching forever if they manage to escape Grim’s tongue, but waiting that long is quite a commitment. During the starting lag where Grim first extends out his tongue, Grim can make inputs to redirect it. The tongue itself doesn’t interact with foes in any way, but the fireballs will march along the tongue. If he makes his tongue sloped, the fireballs won’t be slowed down, but if he makes it almost entirely vertical, they will have to climb his tongue rather than walking along it, which will significantly slow them down to Robin’s dashing speed. If they reach a slope, they will instead roll down the side of it which will increase their speed to Captain Falcon’s. If you make a Sonic the Hedgehog style loop with the tongue, they will roll through it in a similar fashion to the hedgehog, even gaining cartoony red “spines” to emulate him as they do so. If the fireball is rolling and the tongue ends in a ramp, Grim can also launch the fireballs at the end at varying trajectories based off the steepness of the tongue. Just know that you can’t entirely turn Grim’s tongue around and it has to keep generally going forwards, upwards, or downwards – if you try to make it go backwards, you’ll just get the loop de loop instead.

The ability to control the trajectory of these projectiles so greatly is definitely helpful, but the fact Grim has to sit there in the move makes it hard to use outside of when he’s in the advantage state. This move is mainly reserved for use with the hydra heads out, as it means Grim can be using two other attacks simultaneously with it. Ideally, you would want to knock the foe into a weak fireball to be knocked back into yourself.

Because this attack can be held out as long as you want, this move is a bit strange in that it can keep hydra heads out longer than usual. If Grim continues holding out this move after the attack of the main head has finished, the main head will be allowed to act again, but not the other Hydra head. Keep in mind Grim is still stuck in place and cannot move while he uses this attack, but this is still really helpful to get out a lot of projectile clutter. Grim can potentially have both extra heads use this attack simultaneously while the main head can still act, but the tongue trajectories will be identical, just starting from different head positions. If Grim is interrupted out of this attack, the tongues will retract even more quickly than usual, enabling the foe to quickly get rid of all the fireball hitboxes.

UP SPECIAL - FLIGHT OF THE FAT DRAGON



Grim’s tiny wings flap as hard as they can to give Grim access to a basic free flight recovery. This recovery lasts for 2 seconds and lets Grim move around as fast as the highest air speed in the game during it, but has absolutely no hitbox given those pathetic chicken wings carrying his fat turkey body. Not having a hitbox doesn’t matter a whole lot because Grim is allowed to attack during this recovery, even without using hydra heads. If hydra heads are used, the main head loses the ability to do anything other than keep up the flight with this move, but enables the dragon to actually move while the other attacks are being performed, which is especially good for something like the sentient fireballs. When the 2 seconds are up, Grim enters helpless, which will interrupt the other heads out of whatever they were doing. This can potentially be exploited if near the edge/flying on the ground and using a move with a lot of ending lag, but will more often than not just leave Grim punishable.

With this recovery, it is very possible to just bounce a foe between 2 sets of marching fireballs with hydra heads to combo them for a very long time until they go past, like, 70% if he has a good runway for the fireballs with his tongues. This combination of moves is a very scary comboing tool, the only thing limiting it is the fact Grim eventually enters helpless, meaning it’s not going to combo nearly that long. Grim can try to refresh this by going to the ledge in the middle of this nonsense, but that will generally enable the foe to escape if they are remotely capable of reading you at all. Regardless, over 2 seconds, 8 fireballs are produced, which could potentially be up to 40% if you manage to get the foe in it by reading their movements and surrounding them with the pair of hydra tongues. Grim Matchstick can also start the use of Neutral Special with a move other than Up Special before going into Up Special afterwards with enough hard reads – the kind of reads he’s going to need are hard enough it will pretty much only ever work on off-stage foes.

DOWN SPECIAL - TAIL IMPALE


Grim Matchstick impales his tail into the ground. It travels forwards through the ground for as long as he holds B before the tip of it resurfaces upon the release of the button. The tail can extend up to 2 platforms away from Grim Matchstick, and if it reaches the edge of the stage the tail will instead come out of the side of the stage. Impaling his tail into the ground has minimal lag if he just has it immediately resurface, though it’s quite punishable if he wants it to come up a good distance away from him.

When the tail resurfaces, it’s not a hitbox and just stays out there harmlessly at first. Grim Matchstick is now tethered to this area, and if he is knocked more than 2 platforms away from where he first impaled his tail into the ground, the knockback will be severely reduced, with Grim’s weight being considered 200 units in that knockback calculation. This will uproot Grim’s tail on the spot. Foes can also uproot Grim’s tail by just attacking where he popped the tail up out of the ground – any attack will cause it to go back to Grim while dealing its damage to him, though thankfully no other effects. If Grim moves out of the range of the tether voluntarily, he will automatically uproot his tail laglessly.

Once his tail is impaled into the ground, Grim can press Down Special a second time to have the tail extend the rest of its length out from wherever it is, dealing 16% and knockback that kills at 90% in whatever direction the tail was extending out. The visible portion of Grim’s tail will waggle a bit in advance for starting lag before the length of the tail shoots out very quickly after that. The closer Grim is to where the tail was impaled into the ground, the more of the 2 platforms worth of tail range he has at his disposal, but the more ending lag the attack will have as the tail retracts back to Grim Matchstick afterwards. It’s hard to be precise at long range when the tail won’t extend out very far, especially when Grim’s tail is less protected, but if used from the full range or close to it the attack is lightning quick.

Unlike Up Special, Grim is allowed to have his tail impaled into the ground and to use other moves with his main head while in the process of using Hydra Heads. This means that once the tail is set-up, Grim can threaten with all three attacks before shooting out his tail and abusing the range of it later, ideally as the finisher, especially in an off-stage context with his tail coming out of the ledge. That’s not to say that a giant vertical wall of tail hitbox isn’t good either – if anything that’s a lot easier to directly combo into, if less directly threatening.


FORWARD SMASH - CURVING FIREBALL


Grim Matchstick inhales deeply during both the charging animation and starting lag. The charging, which comes out on frame 1 by nature of being a chargeable attack, has a very, very weak wind hitbox that will rarely have much influence on foes and has the range of Dedede's inhale. If all 3 heads do this at once, the strength is still weaker than Inhale. Once the charge is released, the suction becomes more forceful, half the strength of Dedede's inhale with an individual dragon head.

Once Grim has finally inhaled enough to get past the bad starting lag, he shoots out a very large fireball the size of Bowser. The fireball goes up and down in a zigzag pattern, leaving enough room for even someone as big as Bowser to manuever around it. The horizontal range of the projectile isn't huge, only traveling about two thirds of Battlefield, but it goes up to 1.5 Ganondorfs into the air and all the way down to the bottom as a very long lingering threat of a projectile, lasting almost 2 seconds. As far as when it first comes out, it goes straight down to make sure it actually hits people standing in front of Grim. On contact, the fireball deals 18-25.2% and knockback that kills at 130-90%. While not weak in general, this is weak when you take into account all the lag you're paying for it on both the end and especially the start. The main feature of the move is the lingering nature of the projectile.

During the charging and starting lag while Grim is sucking in air, he is capable of eating projectiles. The wind hitbox will pull in projectiles more forcefully than foes, and after eating them he will then shoot them back out along with the fireball! The projectiles will trail along behind the fireball going in the same trajectory, with the ones Grim has eaten first being spat out first in the event he ate multiple. In addition, the smoke trail of the giant fsmash fireballs seen in the image, while normally not accomplishing anything worth mentioning, will obscure projectiles behind it assuming they're not gigantic.

If Grim is interrupted out of the attack for some reason, he will keep what he has devoured and spit it out on the next use of fsmash. He can't keep it stored for very long, though, only 5 seconds before it's uselessly digested inside his stomach. With multiple heads, it's easier for Grim to simultaneously do set-up before immediately spitting out the fireballs, so this is much easier than it otherwise would be. If Grim devours an unallied projectile, he will not suffer any hitstun or knockback from it, but will take one fifth of its damage/misc effects every second until he either fully digests it or spits it out. Once he spits the projectile out again, though, it will be fully allied to him and refreshed.

If Grim has his additional heads, the inhaling portion of the attack will enable Grim to shorten the starting lag of another attack that involves shooting a projectile out of Grim's mouth. This attack has a good 32 frames of starting lag, and for every 2 frames of starting lag of this attack, 1 frame of starting lag will be removed from another head's mouth based projectile attack they're in the process of, enabling it to remove up to 16 frames of lag from another head's attack over the course of 32 frames. If more than half of the starting lag is used for this purpose, however, no hitbox will come out once the starting lag is finished and the head will just be free after a token 4 frames of ending lag. Alternatively, the head can opt to just charge the fsmash to keep the inhaling going for longer, but charging only removes 1 frame of starting lag per 3 frames of charge from another head's attack. However, using the charging means the head can still use the actual fsmash curving fireball attack, and this will still increase the power of the fireball as normal.

If multiple fsmashes are used simultaneously, only the one that was input last will actually generate a fireball as the other fsmashes are just used to speed it up. Generating the hydra heads then having all 3 heads immediately input fsmash will get it out on frame 11 which is quite fast, but this is only after having gone through 23 frames of lag to get out the extra heads which makes it technically slower by the end of it at a total of 34 frames. Still, a mere 2 extra frames of lag can be worth is to have all those wind hitboxes out at once.

More commonly, you will want to just have 2 heads use fsmash at once and/or have one of them charge the fsmash so that they can still generate their own fireball at the end also. For example, head 1 uses fsmash and head 2 charges fsmash. Head 1 releases it with a slight lag reduction due to head 2, then head 2 goes through the starting lag of the attack so that it still is allowed to generate a fireball now that head 1 is done. Head 2 sucks up the fireball head 1 shot during the starting lag, then finally shoots out both fireballs at the end. This whole time you have a third head at your disposal to either fly them around, defend yourself, start a combo, or throw in other projectiles to be inhaled. If you don't want the third head's projectiles to interfere with the fsmash mechanics, you can opt for a faster move or just use the eye laser rings which aren't a mouth projectile.

DOWN SMASH - FLAMETHROWER


Grim Matchstick's head morphs into a flamethrower nozzle. This is another slow attack, but after half the starting lag Grim's head becomes superarmored once it transforms. Unlike the Cuphead animation, the dragon's neck also turns into a "hose" to connect the nozzle of the flamethrower to the fire source, the dragon's body. This means the dragon's lanky neck is also superarmored. After the transformation, the head shoots fire along the ground in front of it at a 45 degree angle before sweeping the trail of fire across his body and behind himself. This deals 16-22.4% and sweeps the enemy along with the attack through several hits, with the final hit dealing knockback that kills at 150-120% behind Grim Matchstick.

The superarmor is pretty pointless on this attack with all of the heads unless they all use the attack simultaneously. If all heads use the move (or, you know, you use it with just one head), this attacks serves as a surprisingly great anti-air as foes are knocked to the ground and unable to interrupt Grim's head/neck out of the long move. The hitbox starts from Grim's heads up in the air despite being aimed at the ground, so if anything this is the easiest way to hit this dsmash despite it still eventually covering Grim's body and hitting behind him.

If a second head uses this attack simultaneously, the second head will aim behind Grim Matchstick before sweeping the fire in front of him. This means if you hit with the start of the move and have a second head delay his attack by holding the charge briefly before releasing it just as the foe would come in range, this can casually combo into the second hit and sweep the foe back across Grim's body, interrupting the final hit of the first head's dsmash before the foe takes knockback. This will deal an extensive amount of stun for the third head to try to finish the foe off with some other attack, though requires pretty specific spacing. Grim cannot combo for a third sweep of dsmash with the third head because the third head will still target behind himself, though he can have both head 2 and 3 charge and release their charges simultaneously.

This attack will incinerate any projectiles Grim has eaten to be used to boost the power of the dsmash. Half the damage of anything he's eaten will be added to the damage of the dsmash, though over the course of several hits. If using multiple dsmashes, keep in mind all of this power will be used up on the first dsmash only, and comboing into a second dsmash will make you miss out on an extensive amount of that bonus damage by skipping the final knockback dealing hit.

UP SMASH - EXTENDO NECK

Alright capable of performing weird transformations with his head and extending out his tongue and tail, Grim extends his neck upwards during the charge as an appropriately tacky cartoon sound effect is played. Upon release of the charge, Grim does his one fast smash attack, a simple chomp that deals 15-21% and vertical knockback to kill people at 150-105%. With no charge, Grim's neck doesn't extend up at all, it's just a no nonsense spammable chomp attack, though the hitbox is so hig in the air even wqithoug charging that the dsmash often serves as better defense despite being so much slower.

Grim's neck extends upwards up to 2.5 whole Ganondorfs heights from where it naturally sits. Hitting with this out of the neutral game is basically impossible, though thankfully Grim's neck, aside from the base of it that is always a hurtbox, is intangible during this attack. Where this attack belongs is in the advantage state, as this kind of crazy range lets Grim do some ridiculous combos a regular character could only dream of, especially considering the attack's knockback is completely vertical to enable Grim to get very cheap kills off the top with this attack's normally unimpressive knockback. This is only further accentuated with this attack can be slightly angled 15 degrees to the left or right during the charge.

Having one head use usmash as the launcher while the other one extends up to combo the foe as they get shot up is one of the most basic combos, but this can work to much later percentages than you'd expect by having the third head use Up Special. Having the base of your body fly upwards while your head simultaneously extends up higher into the air can enable you to get that usmash hitbox very high very quickly to get the combo, and ideally the kill confirm, if you're preparing for it in advance.

During the ending lag of the attack, the neck extends back down to the dragon's body. The head has enough ending lag that if the head was extended upwards a Ganondorf height or less, it will be fully retracted before it gets out of lag, but if it hasn't it can act with the neck still being in the process of retracting, enabling the head to use attacks other than usmash with the neck extended up to 1.5 Ganondorfs above its usual height if the usmash had been fully charged. Of course, the dragon can also opt to just use usmash again to get a head start, but this will not enable the neck to extend up higher than the usual 2.5 Ganondorfs.

Be aware that during the ending lag/retraction period, the neck becomes a (grab immune) hurtbox and isn't intangible anymore, so you may want to use dsmash to turn the neck into a flamethrower hose and makes it superarmored if you don't want to just delay the problem with another usmash. If using this with more than a single head, you will almost always want the primary head to be the one to use this move if possible, as that enables it to attack as the head extends downwards rather than just sitting limp as an extra hurtbox.


JAB - SPLITTING FIREBALL



Grim Matchstick quickly spits a tiny fireball the size of a Pokeball that does a paltry 5% and knockback that kills at 400% on contact. The fireball slowly travels 1.4 platforms before vanishing, and with just one head Grim can spam them enough to have 3 out in existence simultaneously, even if it will be very, very brief before the first one fades away.

If this fireball is out-prioritized by anything or hits a shield, it will split into four even smaller fireballs that go in the four cardinal directions, each one dealing 1.25% and a microflinch. If the foe shielded the attack, the fireball that goes towards them will instantly be shielded as well, but the other three will exist a while, most annoyingly the ones going up and away from them which limits them from punishing Grim for this attack much at all. Given how many of Grim's attack are for use in the advantage state, this move is one of his key defensive ones in neutral.

These things may seem too weak to even be worth absorbinig, but putting one of them behind a fsmash fireball can potentially knock foes into one, and they're so small that they are easily masked by what little obscuring smoke is generated by them. As far as projectile clutter, these things are the main cause of them at the end of the day.

If Grim holds down the A button to shoot these fireballs, it is faster than treating each fireball as a different input of jab. However, after shooting 3 fireballs, Grim will cough and hack for some bad ending lag, which definitely takes longer in total than shooting 3 manually. In the neutral with one head, you will want to be either shooting 1 or 2 fireballs at a time to keep yourself safe, but hydra heads can only use one "attack" anyway before retracting so this gives you the best of both worlds, even if it means you'll have to wait a while for the head to recover before using it again.

DASHING ATTACK - BUTT STOMP

The dragon leaps forwards and crushes enemies with his fat rump for a laggy dashing attack comparable to Dedede's with slightly less power but better range, dealing 14% with knockback that kills at 80%. This is just as slow as Dedede's attack, but as soon as Grim inputs this attack he is no longer considered "dashing." This means his other heads are free to use attacks other than dashing attack to support this otherwise slow, vulnerable move, with dsmash being especially potent to both suck a foe into the dashing attack and/or protect Grim during the ending lag. This can enable Grim to get out tons of super safe and terrifying hitboxes all at once as they all cover for each other, but he will still be vulnerable as usual once all of them end. This is still rarely going to end up being practical, as this is still something you're not going to want to commit to during neutral.

When Grim falls over, this will by nature change the angle of his heads, radically altering where those attacks are aimed. This will let Grim angle his Side Special and fsmash downwards against the edge of the stage briefly to create some horrifying projectiles there, though at the cost of piles and piles of lag to make the hydra heads, then use dashing attack. Aside from ledgeguarding, if Grim Matchstick somehow hits with dashing attack while charging his usmash, the neck extending upwards will now be facing horizontally, enabling Grim to combo dashing attack into usmash to KO foes horizontally. Ideally, the third head can use an attack that's not insanely slow to make this actually viable and combo into the dashing attack.

FORWARD TILT - SMOKE



Grim Matchstick snorts two trails of smoke out of his nostrils before they culminate in a larger cloud of smoke together. Unlike the gif, Grim's mouth is closed during this attack. The trails of smoke push foes up towards the cloud, dealing rapid hits that could theoretically deal 30% over a ton of hits, but they will push the foe up to the cloud far too quick to do that, dealing about 10% if this hits at point blank. The smoke cloud is about a Ganondorf away from Grim's nose, is the size of Wario, and deals 6% with knockback that kills at 225%. This can serve as a riskier close range move to do good damage, though viable due to lower starting lag, or more commonly as a spacer to keep foes out of Grim's face and/or to redirect the foe into the attack of a different head.

The smoke cloud will linger on for 30 frames after the attack is complete, which isn't bad at all for the purpose of creating projectile clutter, though can casually by out-prioritized by anything unlike a jab fireball. Because the smoke cloud is considered a projectile despite the fact it's stationary it can even be destroyed during the main portion of the attack.

The smoke will obscure things that overlap it, similar to the smoke generated by the fsmash fireballs. Combined with a jab from another head, a foe attempting to destroy the cloud can be met with a nasty surprise as they cause it to split and get hit by the four splitting fireballs on the spot. The smoke cloud by itself isn't big enough to obscure much else, but when combined with the smoke trail when ftilt is first used can make it less clear what attack Grim Matchstick is using, much less when the foe has to keep track of 3 attacks at once.

This attack can be angled, and if multiple ftilts are used simultaneously the heads will be default all angle their ftilts to snort towards the same end destination to create a bigger cloud. This will cause the smoke cloud to linger for 30 additional frames and grow an additional Wario in size per dragon, as well as increase the damage by 5% and make it KO 45% sooner. This can enable the smoke cloud to obscure a lot more than it normally would and let Grim play around in his smokescreen for whatever nefarious projectiles he has in mind. Given how big he is, he will need a lot of smoke to make it work well, and since it's a hitbox the foe will struggle to use it much if at all. Alternatively, Grim can just keep snorting into the same smoke cloud with a single head before it expires, but Grim doesn't have the time to babysit a smoke cloud with only one head.

If Grim consumes a smoke cloud with fsmash, the trail of smoke from the fsmash fireball will be much longer and have the smoke cloud's normal hitbox. Any other projectiles eaten will still be in their usual spots, but now many more projectiles/much bigger projectiles can be hidden in the trail of smoke. Because the smoke is so much more spread out here, it will only linger for a third as long as it would normally, so 10-30 frames rather than 30-90 frames, but it will still obscure everything just as long as it would normally. Since the fireball waves about in such an elaborate pattern and covers so much stage, it's going to be obscuring a lot. If Grim Matchstick ftilts on top of this smoke, it will be as if an extra head is helping him use ftilt. Given the nature of Hydra heads and the lag of both moves, it's impossible to get 3 heads using ftilt at once + this effect simultaneously, though.

UP TILT - SNAP DRAGON

Grim slightly extends up his neck and chomps at the foe, dealing 7% and vertical juggling knockback that kills at 190%. Grim does a tiny hop in place similar to Dedede's utilt in order to justify this move making his whole body a hitbox, and if anything works better as a combo tool if you hit a foe with Grim's fat body. This is still considered a "head" attack despite this jump, so multiple heads can use this attack simultaneously. The heads will act independently of one another, but the body's animation will reset to the first frame when utilt is input extra times, refreshing its hitbox.

This attack can be angled left or right, which will only change the direction the head snaps and not the body's hitbox. By default, all three heads will just chomp straight up to make a large hitbox in the middle, though you can have them all chomp in one direction to concentrate the hitbox there.

If the 2+ heads cross each other up during this attack, they will get awkwardly tangled up and increase the ending lag greatly. Any extra heads involved in this tangled up mess, once they untangle themselves, won't retract back into Grim's body. This is slow, but is faster than painstakingly waiting for them to retract and going through the lag to summon them again. Ideally, you would want the two extra heads to tangle themselves up with utilt as the main head enters the ending lag of its own attack or something, most likely usmash or dsmash so the two utilts combo into it.

DOWN TILT - EXTENDO WINGS



Grims roars and morphs his wings into fingers as he waggles them around in a fashion he thinks he is intimidating. This deals a few hits that totals to 6% that reels foes in right against Grim at point blank range, then as his wings morph back they're knocked away with a final hit of 3% and knockback that kills at 250%. The move comes out fairly fast and he goes through it more quickly than you'd expect, with most of the lag being on the end. This is a pretty casual move Grim can throw out whenever he wants to defend himself, though if he hits a foe at point blank with this he runs the risk of pushing them through his body before the final hit connects. Regardless, it's a very casual spacing reset Grim is glad to have at his disposal alongside his ftilt.

While the attack's duration isn't super long, it is possible for Grim to interrupt this attack with something else before the move's knockback is dealt. This is more useful than dsmash for this because of how fast it comes out and because the attack reaches out from Grim rather than just covering his body, enabling him to easily rake foes in for another attack. He doesn't have a lot of time to set something up for this to combo into from another head, but this is one of his best ways to reliably land grab if nothing else. With multiple heads, this attack also combos very easily into itself 3 times regardless of the foe's percent, though you should really make the third attack be something other than yet another dtilt.


GRAB - DEVOUR

Grim Matchstick chomps in front of himself to eat the foe in a similar manner to Yoshi, but without being a tether grab. The foe will remain devoured until Grim spits them out with one of his throws. If an extra head eats the foe, it will be allowed to perform its pummels/throw before it retracts back into Grim's body. Grim has to act pretty fast to be able to play off of whatever his other heads are doing, though the combo potential is pretty crazy.

PUMMEL - CHEW

Grim chews the foe in his mouth, dealing 3.5% per pummel in a fairly fast pummel, not that you should have a lot of time to use it most of the time. Sometimes you can stall for a head's smash attack to fully charge or make more sentient fireballs and get in some good pummeling, but that is pretty rare.

FORWARD THROW - TONGUE SLIDE

Grim moves his head against the ground and extends out his tongue like in his Side Special, extending out straight forwards the usual 1.5 platforms. Two sentient fireballs show up at the edge of Grim's mouth and come out, carrying the foe. One of them releases the foe and prepares a kick with an exaggerated fiery foot to deal the foe's knockback that kills at 130% along with 10% damage along the ground, then the two fireballs jump forwards to slide along Grim's tongue like it's a fiery slip'n'slide. The fireballs go faster than their usual marching speed, and take turns so that one will be approaching the foe sooner than the other one.

This attack will cause the foe to trip, and it always deals horizontal knockback without need of the Sakurai angle so it will always cause that trip unless they slide off-stage. At very low percents, the first fireball will just combo and deal 5% with very weak radial knockback. This knockback will be low enough foes will be out of hitstun before the second fireball arrives, but will have to react to it immediately. At slightly higher percentages, foes will have time to react to the fireballs, but will still be in their tripped state. If they get up backwards, they'll be hit by the first fireball, while if they go towards Grim they'll get hit by the second one. Getting hit by the second one is generally worse, as the radial knockback of the fireballs means they'll sometimes end up being knocked towards Grim, though getting knocked further away just means they'll give him more set-up time. Some small characters can sometimes get around these, but if Grim presses and holds Side B after/during this attack, this head will just immediately transition into Side B after the first two fireballs come out, putting another fireball in the rear quickly to make sure the foe can't get around them all.

If Grim already had a head out in the process of using Side Special when he chooses to use this throw, the throw will take place from that head rather than the one that grabbed the foe. The grabbing head will remain in lag during this time for the same amount of time as it would normally, though doesn't have to wait for that head to stop using Side Special. This lets you make a crazy obstacle course in advance for the foe to slide through, but keep in mind the foe is just taking generic horizontal knockback at the start of the move from the fireball's kick and aren't actually sliding along the tongue, with only the fireballs caring about the tongue's existence. The foe isn't going to slide down your entirely vertical tongue down to the blast zone.

If Grim has devoured any projectiles, after the fireballs dispose of the foe, they will reach back into Grim's mouth and start carrying the two oldest projectiles along with them. If the projectile was especially large, like an fsmash fireball or a fully charged Samus charge shot, it will require both of the two fireball men to carry the projectile simultaneously. This practically forces the foe to go out of their way to avoid it if it's remotely threatening, though if Side Special was already in use you can just have fireballs in front of them to knock them back into this regardless of their percent. Even if this won't combo, this will let you have the projectile out in a custom arc for you to do with as you please if this was used with Side Special, and Grim can also release Side Special to redevour those two fireballs and the projectile in question, refreshing the projectile's duration back to 5 seconds.

BACK THROW - TAIL SLAM

Grim spits the foe out and tosses them towards his tail behind himself. The tail unavoidably regrabs the foe as it wraps the tip of itself around the foe, then Grim Matchstick slams the foe against the ground twice, doing two hits of 3%. Grim then throws the foe towards the ground for an untechable hit of 4%, and slams the tail down on top of the foe's head for another hit of 5% and finally dealing the throw's knockback behind Grim at a diagonal angle that kills at 160%.

This throw is highly damaging and can keep the foe stunned for a while, but the fact this whole throw takes place behind Grim Matchstick makes it very hard to combo into any other attacks from the other heads outside of maybe dsmash, and both extra heads will have to do it to make the second one aim behind Grim. It doesn't make for a good combo throw compared to his others.

This throw loses out on the last hit if used at the edge of the stage, but will cause Grim to smack the foe down towards the blast zone with the third hit. The knockback isn't too great, but knocking the foe directly down at the edge is still very powerful and will kill foes with bad recovery at 100%, or the memetically bad outlier of Little Mac at like, 50%, but what bthrow at the edge doesn't kill him anyway? Grim's tail will retract back to him after the bthrow is finished. This can also cause Grim's bthrow to happen in front of him to let him easily capitalize on the move's long animation.

If Grim's tail was impaled into the ground with Down Special, Grim will still throw the foe at the tip of his tail to catch it regardless of where it is. The tail will still swing the foe in the opposite direction Grim was facing when he first input bthrow, and will extend some of its mass out of the stage to have enough length to slam the foe down properly. Most notably, if the tail was extended out of the side of the stage, the foe will be getting slammed against the side of the stage before the tail slams down on top of them to deal horizontal knockback instead of vertical knockback. This is more potent because the foe will be taking it at a lower elevation than the regular stage.

UP THROW - EXTENDO NECK

Grim Matchstick extends his neck upwards until the foe would naturally escape the grab at a rate slightly slower than Mario's dashing speed. If Grim Matchstick's head comes within a platform of a blast zone, he'll just spit them up early. The damage is an unimpressive 7% with knockback that wouldn't naturally kill until 250% without this feature, so pretty pathetic. Grim's neck retracts back downwards faster than in his usmash, so he will never be out of lag before it's extended more than 2.5 platforms. The primary "knockback" being dealt here is just letting the foe travel up Grim's neck towards the blast zone, with the foe needing a very high percentage to go up all that way without escaping the grab to die, 200% for the average competitive button masher.

With multiple heads, Grim can fly towards the top blast zone during the throw to lower the needed percentage to about 140%. If Grim has already extended an head upwards by charging usmash, Grim will always have that head extend upwards and spit the foe out regardless of which head ate the foe, and he won't care if that head has done their one attack already or not. Just keep in mind that if the head hasn't chomped yet, spitting the foe out will override the usual usmash hitbox, that's not going to get generated. The head that originally grabbed the foe will not be free to move by making the usmashing hit spit the foe out, and will just be waiting for this to finish. With these factors in mind, you're looking more of a kill throw at 70% if the third head is flying up to the blast zone while this is happening and the usmashing head was fully extended right as the foe was grabbed and Grim input uthrow immediately. This is pretty good but requires a lot of prediction to get the ideal timing, though even if Grim doesn't get it perfectly, so long as the usmash neck is extending up or retracting down, it will still help.

This is not a useless throw at low percents and without set-up/extra heads. If Grim has no time to extend up his head, this throw's naturally pathetic knockback makes it a nice combo throw. Even with only one head, if the foe breaks out instantly this can reliably combo into Grim's usmash at very low percents, and if he predicts the foe and angles his usmash accordingly at middle percents. The catch is that the foe still decides when they are launched, and can intentionally delay their button mashing to make themselves harder to combo. As such, even at low percents Grim is gambling a bit, and will want to use uthrow right before they escape the grab as he uses his good pummel while waiting. If the foe actually does do this, it's not the end of the world, as it will buy Grim precious set-up time.

DOWN THROW - FIREBALL LEECHES

Grim Matchstick opens his mouth as a big pack of fireball men are there carrying the foe like in his fthrow, rather than just two. Four of these fireballs latch onto the foe at opposite extremities of the foe's body, while the fifth fireball kicks the foe out of Grim's mouth before going back into his stomach as Grim's mouth closes. The foe is dealt 8% and untechable knockback where they bounce off the floor that kills vertically at 180%.

After the throw's knockback is complete, the foe will still have these four other fireballs latched onto their body. They will be instantly killed by any attack whatsoever, but are spread out enough it's difficult to kill them all instantly without using attacks that makes the foe's entire body a hitbox. They will punch and kick at the foe as best they can, which translates to a rather pathetic 0.4% damage per second per fireball for a total of 1.6% per second, but it's better than nothing. Ideally, you want to pressure the foe with other heads so they can't kill them for a while either due to being comboed or having to dodge.

These guys contribute more than just a little bit of extra damage. If a fire hitbox hits the foe and one of these fireball leeches simultaneously, they will detonate and fuse with the fire hitbox, adding 2% damage to it and making it KO 7% earlier per fireball. This throw is pretty fast so it doesn't make for the best combo piece, but if you can manage it will make the hit you're comboing into a lot stronger. Alternatively, it just makes foes killing these things a lot bigger priority than it would be otherwise. Note that this applies to any fire hitbox, even something as weak as jab. In the case of jab in particular, if a fireball fuses into the main hitbox this will also power up all of the smaller fireballs that can split off from it, as they are always one fourth the power of the main hitbox. Having the fire leeches around is a great way to get the fireball to split in general, given it encourages them to attack ASAP.


NEUTRAL AERIAL - AIR BOMBING

Grim Matchstick sweeps his head around his upper body, swinging it as he does so. As he moves his head, he spits out five sentient fireballs. One on both of his sides, one at a 45 degree angle above him on the left and right, and one directly above him. These fireballs come equipped with parachutes, and will slowly fall down to the ground at 0.9X Jigglypuff's regular falling speed. Contact with them is still the same power as they are in the Side Special, 5% and small radial knockback, ideally ping ponging the foe around long enough that Grim can hit the foe with something else even without extra heads. At low percentages where foes won't be knocked far enough to reach other fireballs, this attack is quite poor at close range, though the hitboxes still linger out a long time.

The parachutes on these guys don't last forever. Because the men are in fact made of fire, they will slowly burn up the parachutes, after which they will fall down towards the ground very quickly at the rate of Bowser Bomb as they flail their arms about and scream in high pitched voices. They will fall for roughly a second before this happens, and when their fall speed accelerates their power greatly boosts up to 9% and vertical knockback that kills at 160%. Nothing huge, but you have five of these guys. The fireball men will splat on contact with the ground, though if they land on a Side Special tongue before their parachutes vanish they will survive and walk along it normally. If Grim can go out of his way to catch them, this can be a faster way to produce fireballs, though it's only especially advisible with multiple heads and is a bigger lag commitment than using Side Special.

If one of Grim's many fire hitboxes (Or even a foe's for that matter) comes in contact with the parachutes, they will burn up instantly and cause the fireball hanging on to drop off early. This can be useful to get their hitboxes out on demand, in particular against recovering foes. While their lingering nature can also be very useful, having the ability to do this, whether or not you actually do it, makes the space they can potentially cover a much more immediate threat for you to use to claim that territory for yourself.

FORWARD AERIAL - EYE LASER RINGS


Grim Matchstick's flash black and white as they spiral in and out with a cartoony effect, then he shoots three rings from his eyes. The first all deal 5%, and the first pair of yellow rings stun the foe in place, while the last ring is pink and deals the attack's knockback that kills at 140%. The rings are shot downwards from Grim's head at a 45 degree angle, and travel a platform away from Grim before vanishing. The rings are big enough that very small characters can potentially fit through the middle of them, which aren't hitboxes, though that're more trouble than it's worth most of the time.

Foes can parry the final pink ring by pressing A when in contact with it, picking it up the same way they can pick up an item, enabling foes to invalidate it the same way they can invalidate Mechakoopas. This is a lot harder to do with two rings that can't be parried in front of the pink ring, though. Parrying the ring will give foes 8 frames of invulnerability with no start-up lag and give them a small boost a Mario height into the air, while boosting their aerial movement by 0.25 units for 30 frames. The foe will still be in a state of lag during those 8 invulnerable frames, so Grim can still punish them as they come out of the parry state if he has another head on the job. This is still a lot faster than the foe mashing air dodge twice in a row, which they'll need to do to dodge all three rings, and some large characters/those with slow air dodges will simply have to parry the third ring due to the lower starting lag on parrying rather than air dodging. This attack will almost always make the foe act in a very predictable fashion, to the point foes may even want to choose not to parry the ring sometimes since Grim should usually prepare for that if the foe is using dodges. With the nature of his hydra heads and projectile clutter, baiting and punishing dodges is one of the big names of Grim's game.

There is a second reason why parrying a pink ring can be a really bad idea for the foe. Grim can still eat these rings with his fsmash, and if the foe destroys the pink ring that means the two yellow rings can be used as pure stun with no third ring to follow after them to interrupt that stun. While Grim's fthrow specifically regurgitates two projectiles, it regurgitates the two oldest ones, and since the pink projectile is closer to Grim that means he'll consume it first and make it the oldest one. The pink projectile must be removed to make proper use of the two stun projectiles with fthrow. When Grim vomits them up with fsmash, he'll vomit the pink ring up first in the line of rings, which makes it a lot easier to dodge than with the pink ring last, though if the foe is pressured into doing a regular dodge instead of a parry will make their stun uninterrupted by the pink ring.

BACK AERIAL - TAIL WHIP

The fact that so many of Grim's attacks are fired from his heads means he struggles with enemies behind him a lot, and his turning lag/traction is some of the worst in the game to make it even harder for him to turn around. His token attack for hitting foes behind, thankfully, is quite good to make up for this. Grim does a single sweep of his tail, dealing 10% with high base knockback that kills at 130% in order to reset the situation and give him more than enough time to about face. While the move is fast, the knockback is too high to make it practical for wall of paining. Grim has to be careful when he's using Up Special with three heads, as the fact this and Up Special are both body attacks means he can't use both at once and will be even more vulnerable from behind, forcing Grim to have to make better use of moves like ftilt, dtilt, and uair to keep foes away from himself.

If Grim's tail is impaled into the ground, he can't use it for this attack. Instead, you get an attack where Grim juts out his rump to crush foes, dealing 15% and knockback that kills at 90%. The attack is still just as fast, and he gets superarmor on his butt as another bonus. This gives more incentive to keep Grim's tail impaled and at the ready, as it gives you a very powerful melee attack that if anything turns his former "weakness" into a strength. Keep in mind the tail can be uprooted by hitting it with even so much as a Fox laser, though, so Grim will have to be quite protective of his tail to have access to this attack, high knockback resistance, and the ability to throw out the Down Special hitbox on command.

UP AERIAL - SNORT FIRE


Grim Matchstick snorts fire out of his nose, dealing 15% over a handful of flinching hits as the foe gets juggled to the top of the fire, which deals 7% and vertical knockback that kills at 170%. This move is quite fast, and the foe will be knocked out of the attack by coming into contact with the hitbox at the top before taking all 15%, similar to his ftilt. The closer the foe was to Grim's nose when they were first hit, the more damage they'll take as they have further to go up, though at most they'll only be taking 10% + 7%. This is a very nice juggling attack, and gets the foe back into mid range that Grim enjoys so much.

The key difference here is because this attack is an aerial, Grim has a lot more freedom of movement during the attack. If Grim uses Up Special during this attack, he can fly upwards to keep the foe trapped in the fire for its entire duration to take the full 22% this attack has to offer. If Grim is flying straight up, the foe will not even have to be hit at the base of his nose to take all 22% damage. If they are hit at point blank range as he's going up, the final hit won't even connect, enabling the uair to casually combo into itself. This could theoretically go on forever as it doesn't care about the foe's percent, but Grim's Up Special duration prevents it. Still, Grim can threaten vertical juggling kills very early with this attack and has a terrifying anti-air game in general what with how so many of his attacks come from his heads, so landing against Grim is very difficult. While Grim's tools for the neutral game are limited, if the foe is anywhere other than right in front of him it's something of an advantage state for him.

DOWN AERIAL - TAIL POGO

Grim Matchstick goes to crush goes with his gigantic rump in a standard issue stall then fall, giving everything besides his head and neck superarmor, giving the more good synergy with his dsmash. Grim deals 17% and vertical knockback at a slight angle that kills at 65% for a very powerful attack. Unlike most stall then falls, the stall is where most of the lag is located rather than the landing lag. When he lands on the ground, Grim Matchstick lands on his tail. His tail will curl up against the ground before extending out and springing him back up into the air as a tacky accordion sound effect plays, bouncing him up twice the height he fell back into the air, similar to Ridley's infamous attack. This is still considered ending lag, as Grim has no hitbox as soon as he falls down on the ground. Grim will fall a maximum of 3 platforms before leaving this attack if used off-stage.

Grim enjoys having a stall then fall more than the average joe because of his Up Special enabling him to move during the whole course of the move. Aside from moving horizontally, this means he can accelerate or slow down the stall by moving with/against the momentum of the dair. Even more importantly, Grim can move during the laggy stall of the move, letting him get right into position if he so pleases. Like the Bowser Bomb, Grim can cancel out of this attack by grabbing the ledge, which will also cancel out of his Up Special. This is one of Grim's most powerful options in neutral and makes his gimping game very strong, but there's a big catch. Both his Up Special and dair are non head based attacks, so Grim can't use them both when he has hydra heads active, since Up Special counts as something Grim has to fully dedicate one head to during that time. As such, this is one of Grim's most threatening tools in neutral when he doesn't have the heads out yet, and can be a good way to block off the foe's recovery as they make their way back to the stage after some elaborate three headed combo sent them off.

That's not to say this attack has no uses with three heads. During the brief period where Grim is springing on his tail, he is considered grounded, meaning Grim can start up a standard, grab, or smash with his other two heads. If he wants aerials, he just has to use them before or after that. This can be used to help defend Grim, or potentially combo off of the dair if it hit with Grim's dtilt or usmash.

If Grim's tail was impaled into the ground when he used this attack, he will crash down and cause an earthshaking hitbox and have the typical long landing lag associated with these types of attacks. The earthshaking hitbox extends a platform to either side of Grim and does 5% with set vertical knockback that will knock foes into range of Grim's heads based attacks. Given how hard it is to hit with the main dair hitbox with extra heads out anyway, it can sometimes be smarter to intentionally aim for this sourspot to get an easy combo into another attack.

FINAL SMASH - PEANUTS

Grim Matchstick takes out a bag of peanuts and eats them, healing himself of 40%. He then goes into the process of using his Side Special, which causes peanut men with top hats and monocoles to come out of his mouth instead of fireballs. These peanut men come out at a rate of 15 per second, so they are much more threatening by virtue of quantity even if their power is the same as the fireball army. Grim can still angle his tongue however he pleases like with his Side Special, making this quite versastile. After 2 seconds of peanut men, Grim Matchstick will breathe a gigantic pillar of flame along his tongue that instantly incinerates all of the peanut men as they scream in horror, dealing 40% with knockback that kills at 80%.
 
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Professor Lexicovermis

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Peacock



Peacock is one of the playable characters in the indie fighting game Skullgirls. Contrasting the more mature ladies in the roster, she's a foulmouthed, chainsmoking, violent psychopath with an obsession with cartoons. She lost her limbs and eyes as a child, and so a man by the name of Dr. Avian bestowed her with prosthetics. Additionally, he granted her the Argus system, which takes the place of her arms and grants her sight as well. On top of THAT, she has the Avery Unit, which manifests as a cartoony bird sidekick. This unit allows her to conjure up props and weapons from her imagination, and it's this that gives her her trademark fighting style!

Screwball Stats:

Height: Peach
Weight: Luigi
Ground Speed: Luigi
Air Speed: Peach

Peacock is actually not as tall as the Princess, but her hat makes up for this; it also counts as part of her hurtbox, so take care. She's decently light considering her height, and shares the man in green's snappy, slippery movement. She can move at a fair clip through the air as well. Nothing spectacular here, but they're respectable stats nonetheless.

Screwball Specials:

N-Special: BANG!

In a typical charged projectile, Peacock points a cartoonishly large revolver forward with a malicious grin. The gun's barrel swells ominously as she charges, and it slowly glows red as well. Once the charge is released, she quickly fires off 1-3 Turnip-sized shots in quick succession, depending on how long she charged up. There are several things she can fire, ranging from traditional bullets to baseballs; no matter what the projectiles are visually, they all act the same. Specifically, they'll fly forward a Battlefield length at Peacock's Dash Speed, ignoring gravity. Upon hitting a foe, the projectiles deal 6% and light knockback, making it likely that any successive shots will land as well; at least, at low percentages, anyway. Getting a full charge out of this takes as much time as fully charging Samus's Charge Shot, during which she can adjust her aerial movement with left and right. Additionally, Peacock can cancel her charge by shielding. However, she cannot store a charge. Instead, she has two separate moves that occur when the charge is cancelled.

Canceling the charge before its halfway point (signified by a smoke ring puffing from the gun barrel) will produce Bang! This has a Bang! Flag pop out of Peacock's gun after a startup equal to Megaman's Jab. This flag has no hitbox; in fact, this entire gesture is totally harmless! What gives? Well... rather than do anything offensively, this move gives Peacock a few invincibility frames while the flag is out. You can't use this for offense, and she has a bit of endlag, so don't get smart and try to spam this!

Cancel the charge AFTER the halfway point, however, and you'll get BANG! With a startup comparable to Marth's Shield Breaker (and a similar range, actually), Peacock will shoot the blade of a huge sword from her gun! This blade never truly seperates from the gun, and so is not a projectile. Instead, this disjointed melee attack deals 11% and moderate knockback. It can even be angled up or down like some F-Tilts. However; Peacock suffers some endlag after this, about as much as Shield Breaker. So, make sure you're gonna be able to connect before using this, okay?

Normally, Bang! Bang! Bang! will be fired off as soon as it's ready, signified by the gun barrel sparkling. However, B can be held down to continue the animation...

If the charge is held for 1.5 Falcon Punch startups, Peacock will immediately use a much more intimidating move: Argus Agony! Her snazzy hat becomes a mechanical peacock head, piloted by her pal Avery; with almost no startup, he fires off an infinite range beam that's as thick as a Turnip! This Beam travels instantaneously, lasts as long as a fully charged FLUDD shot, and cannot be reflected or Pocketed; it deals a whopping 20% and high knockback, making this a dangerous kill move! But... Peacock suffers from lengthy endlag, the beam can be shielded, it only hits in front of her, and the charge needed to get this limits its usefulness. You're mainly gonna want to occupy foes with your other moves and take a nasty potshot when there's no chance of retaliation!

S-Spec: George's Day Out

In this projectile move, Peacock calls in her explosive pal George. Depending on how this Special is input, she can send him out in one of three ways. It's important to note that, no matter which version is used, some things remain the same. All 3 versions deal 10% and moderate knockback, and up to two Georges can exist per Peacock at a time. George is also always Turnip-sized. All three versions also boast infinite range. Finally, all 3 variants have the same startup and endlag, identical to Duck Hunt's Clay Toss. George's main job is to harass from a distance. He's a pretty reliable projectile, and getting two of him out is easier than charging your N-Special! Of course, his trajectories make it a little more difficult to land him at times, and his moderate knockback means he's definitely not going to be comboing into himself like your bullets.

A simple input of the move while grounded or airborne will have Peacock gently toss George forward. He'll always land roughly a Bowser ahead of her, and then he'll begin wandering across the stage at Mario's walk speed. George will walk forward forever, only stopping if he hits a foe or other solid object. He'll even casually hop off ledges! Should he hit a foe, he'll unceremoniously explode, dealing his 10% and moderate knockback as normal. This is by no means a complex attack, but it is a fairly reliable, groundbound projectile.

Smashing the input while grounded will have Peacock frantically gesture forwards. George will then jet out of a tiny black portal, driving a go-kart. This particular variation of George will scoot along at Captain Falcon's dash speed, sticking to the ground no matter what. Despite the speed increase, he still deals the same 10% and moderate knockback. The main benefit to this is mixing up your projectile game; you can have a slower walking George and a speedy driving George out at the same time, after all!

Finally, smashing the input while airborne will have Peacock quickly perform some flag semaphore; this signals for George to swoop in, flying a biplane. George exits from a portal behind Peacock, and then flies forward in a sine wave pattern. This wave pattern covers about a Ganon height in total, with the peaks and troughs coinciding with his head and feet, respectively. As usual, contacting a foe has him explode for 10% and moderate knockback. One good thing is that the sheer airspace this covers makes landing it a bit easier than landing the grounded Georges. Combine a flying George and a grounded one for maximum stage coverage, or simply toss out two flying ones at different altitudes for unparalleled sky control!

George, outside of his variants, makes for a very straightforward attack. Master the three types of George, learn when to use them, and he'll be quite a boon to Peacock's damage output! Use him poorly, however, and the foe will simply avoid him, leaving you to wait for him to hop/drive/fly away before you can try again!

U-Special: The Hole Idea

With slightly more startup than Farore's Wind, Peacock vanishes into her hat. Simultaneously, a black portal resembling a cartoon hole appears beneath her. If Peacock is offstage or there is no ground below her, the portal simply appears on the nearest ledge. After a brief "travel" time, she pops out of this portal safely, and it closes. As a recovery, this is practically impossible to interrupt; foes CAN, however, simply wait by Peacock's portal and prepare a killing blow.

To circumvent this, Peacock can press B again during the move's startup. Doing this will have her instead toss something into her hat; after the same travel delay, a bomb will pop out of the portal! This bomb will almost immediately explode into a Bowser-sized blast, dealing 13% and moderate knockback. Thanks to this, Peacock can either easily make her way down to the floor OR send a nasty surprise down for anyone trying to catch her off guard.

D-Spec: Shadow of Impending Doom

In an animation not unlike Olimar's D-Spec, Peacock whistles, with a cartoony musical note popping out of her head and everything. Once this happens, a shadow appears roughly a Battlefield platform ahead of her. This shadow is extremely similar to the one produced by Greninja's S-Spec, and slowly expands in size over time. Additionally, a cartoonish whistling slowly lowers in pitch, as if something were falling... After about a two-second delay, a portal appears 1.5 Ganons above this shadow and instantly drops an oil barrel/trash can/other heavy, Kirby-wide object; this object will ALWAYS land on the shadow, even if it needs to ignore a platform to do so. All objects fall at Bowser's fall speed, no matter what it is. These objects all behave the same way, dealing 15% and moderate knockback. It's worth noting that this shadow is normally static and immobile, but it will begin relentlessly pursuing any foe unlucky enough to walk or dash over it. This also applies if they're knocked onto it...

This may seem like a straightforward time-delayed attack, but there's a bit more to it than that. Holding B during startup will allow Peacock to charge the move by taking an exaggeratedly deep breath, with there being 3 levels of charge. The initial level, no charge at all, will have the move act as described above. The second level, reached after roughly as much charge time as Samus needs to fully charge her N-Spec, will cause one specific object to drop every time: a steamroller. This steamroller is nearly two Kirbys in width, and behaves a bit differently than the other objects. Upon it hitting a foe, said foe will be "buried" beneath the roller. Then, Peacock's pal Avery will appear on top of this roller. With a mighty screech, he'll begin rapidly pummeling the roller for about a Falcon Punch startup, after which the roller explodes. This rather lengthy animation results in the foe taking 20% and moderately high knockback. But... Peacock cannot save a charge, so landing this is tricky.

Much like her N-Spec, Peacock's D-Spec can be "supercharged" by holding B for 1.5 Falcon Punch startups. Doing this will have the move immediately go off. Instead of a two second delay, the portal will instantly drop Peacock's big bomb buddy, Lenny. Lenny is massive, about the size of two Bowsers. He has no hitbox when falling, and merely sits on the stage, confused, when he lands. What does the big lug do? Well, he sits in place, of course; but, more importantly, his fuse burns down. After 5 seconds, Lenny will erupt into an explosion easily 4 Bowsers in size. This explosion will deal a horrifying 25% and very high knockback to anyone in range. This includes Peacock herself, so be careful! Lenny can be knocked around like a normal fighter, and weighs as much as Bowser at 0%. The foe is probably gonna want to kick him off the stage as soon as possible. But, Peacock can also push him around, letting her get him into a high-traffic area for maximum fun!

Screwball Standards:

Jab: Poke!

With low startup and endlag, Peacock simply pokes forward with a finger. This is an extremely simple jab with decent range, about 3/4 of a Ganon Jab. Fittingly for a simple jab, this deals 4% and light knockback. Double tapping A will allow Peacock to perform a second poke immediately after the first ends, dealing the same damage and knockback. These will always combo into each other, regardless of percentage! This Jab seems incredibly simplistic... because it is. Though, Peacock can exchange the second Jab for any of her Tilts with the appropriate input. They too will always combo no matter what.

Because of the low knockback, this can be a decent move to gently nudge Lenny into a more advantageous position. Just... don't get that close to him if you think he's about to explode, obviously.

F-Tilt: Pie Splat

Slightly laggier and longer-ranged than her Jab, this move has Peacock slam a pie into her opponent's face (hopefully)! This also deals slightly more damage (6%) and knockback (light-moderate) than the Jab. Again, a very simple, straightforward tilt. As with several F-Tilts, this can be angled up or down, though it cannot be angled if used in a Jab Combo. This tilt is interesting in that its hitbox lingers for a moment after the actual "attack" animation ends; this can be good for foes who attempt to dash in and punish Peacock, as they'll run face first into the pie!

It's worth noting that all of Peacock's tilts can be comboed into another tilt by simply inputting the desired move during the endlag. Though, unless the combo began with Jab, it's not guaranteed for both hits to connect. Combos can be a max of three standards long, and the same attack cannot be used twice in a combo.

Thanks to the longer range and higher knockback of this Tilt, it's even better for repositioning Lenny than your Jab. It's also not a bad move for knocking foes onto a Shadow of Impending Doom, triggering the homing.

U-Tilt: Curb Your Shoe

With lag comparable to Mario's U-Tilt, Peacock tips her hat. Simultaneously, her little buddy Avery flips out from beneath the hat, wearing... a Kuribo's Shoe? This creates a sort of makeshift kick that covers a fair area above Peacock, though it has a bit more endlag than her other tilts. This kick deals 5% and light upwards knockback, and qualifies for the Standard Combo mechanic. This way, Peacock can potentially keep foes from jumping in on her while she combos another foe.

This tilt will pop Lenny up into the air slightly, allowing Peacock to get him airborne, where her aerials can help reposition him better. Due to its upward knockback, it's not the best for getting someone onto a Shadow, however. It CAN, however, have some use in knocking foes up and into an object that is already falling onto a Shadow...

U-Tilt: Ant Wasted

In her laggiest tilt, Peacock pulls out a magnifying glass and fires a laser from her Argus eyes. This laser starts at her feet, and is swept outwards to reach nearly as far as her Jab. This deals 6% and light-moderate knockback, making it a fair contender to end Standard Combos. It's worth noting that the laser doesn't physically separate from Peacock, and so is not considered a projectile.

Like her other tilts, Peacock can use this to move Lenny around, with this one very slightly popping him off the ground. This is also a pretty solid move for shoving opponents onto a Shadow!

Dash Attack: Banjo Trouble

With a very brief startup that doesn't halt her momentum, Peacock drops to her knees and slides across the stage. During this classic rockstar maneuver, she strums wildly at a banjo. This dash attack greatly shrinks Peacock's hurtbox thanks to her crouching stance, and it maintains her dashing momentum the entire time. Thanks to this, it's a very handy method of approaching foes. These sick riffs deal 8% and light-moderate knockback.

As usual, this can be used to kick Lenny around. The force and angle of this attack means that it sends him flying a fair distance forward in a shallow arc. This is one of Peacock's best attacks for moving Lenny easily, so don't be afraid to whip out the banjo when he's around!

Screwball Smashes:

F-Smash: Screwball Cannon

With startup comparable to the average tilt, Peacock pulls a large hand cannon from nowhere and thrusts it forwards, staring down the length of it while charging. Unusually for a Smash, this has a hitbox as soon as it begins charging, with Peacock bashing foes for 2% and very light knockback. The purpose of this is to allow her to essentially perform a two-hit combo by C-Sticking this up close. This initial hit reaches about as far as a Ganon Jab.

Upon the charge being released, Peacock lights the cannon's fuse with a cigar, then it fires after a Megaman F-Smash startup. No matter how long the charge was, it always fires off a Turnip-sized cannonball that flies forward with infinite range. Depending on the charge, it'll fly at Mario's dash speed to Pikachu's dash speed and deal 8%-14% and moderate knockback. After this, Peacock suffers about as much endlag as the Koopalings' own Cannonball.

Both bits of this can move Lenny around, of course. The initial hit barely shoves him, but the cannonball can knock him around pretty well. This is a fair option for maneuvering Lenny from a safe distance.

U-Smash: Buzzin' Buzzard

During the charge animation, Peacock removes her hat and glares down into it. Once the charge is released, she gives it a swift kick, launching her pal Avery up and out of it! Avery immediately goes wild, swiping around himself rapidly and making himself into a round pseudo-projectile roughly Kirby's size. How high he goes depends on the charge, with the range variance being identical to Snake's U-Smash. As soon as Avery is launched, Peacock can act again, giving this rather low endlag for a Smash. But as punishment, this has notable startup.

Avery, rather than launch foes like a typical Smash, drags foes along his path, swiping at them for rapid hits of 1%. Depending on how early he hits them, they suffer more damage, obviously. Assuming he hits as early as possible and successfully lands where Peacock launched him, he can deal anywhere from 12%-18%. This is of course more difficult to pull off than you might think. Avery cannot be reflected or Pocketed, and will vanish into a black portal upon landing. Peacock cannot use this Smash while Avery is already out; attempting to do so will instead toss George up along the same trajectory. George behaves as he normally does regardless of charge.

Using this out of a dash is interesting, as the momentum will cause Avery to fly in a forward arc instead of straight up and down. This Smash can also be used to move Lenny, with Avery carrying him along the usual path. Since Avery drags foes down with him as well, this can be a good way to yank airborne foes onto a Shadow.

D-Smash: Springboard Panic

While charging, Peacock raises a foot with a mischievous grin. When the attack is released, she suffers about as much startup as Megaman's D-Smash before stomping her foot. The force of her stomp causes a cartoonish floorboard to pop up, serving as the move's actual hitbox. Once it pops up, Peacock suffers some endlag (again, similar to Megaman's D-Smash) as it retracts. Unusually for a Smash, the knockback of this attack differs depending on the foe's position. The farther they are from Peacock, the stronger they're popped upwards. Charging the Smash lengthens the floorboard, with it ranging from a Bowser to 1.5 Battlefield platforms with charge. No matter how long it's charged, or where it hits, the floorboard always deals 12%.

The upwards knockback this move causes is excellent for getting Lenny off the ground. Even better, charging it can let you pop him much higher. Unfortunately, this isn't the best for getting foes on Shadows, however. There is a little bonus to this, though. If George (specifically one of his grounded variants) happens to be in range, the floorboard will send him flying in an arc! His arc depends on his position, and he'll resume walking/driving when he lands.

Animated Aerials:

N-Air: Screwball Combo

With rather brief startup on par with Bayonetta's N-Air, Peacock pulls a chainsaw from nowhere. Unusually for an N-Air, this move hits in front of and slightly below Peacock. The chainsaw is cartoonishly large, granting this Aerial range roughly equal to that of Megaman's F-Air. Landing this deals 4 rapid hits of 2% each, and gently pops both Peacock and her victim upwards.

Unusually, this is a multipart Aerial; pressing A again upon landing the chainsaw will cause Peacock to stretch an arm out in front of her. She then uses a foot to push one of her Argus eyes outward roughly, essentially making a sort of punch in front of her. This is shorter ranged than the chainsaw, obviously. This popeye attack is guaranteed to hit anyone hit with the chainsaw, and deals 4%. Again, landing this pops Peacock and her victim upwards.

Hitting A again will have Peacock take a vicious bite with her beartrap teeth, them popping out of her mouth comically. This hits higher up than the other components of the N-Air, and deals 4% and light-moderate knockback. This attack ends the N-Air combo, and has a bit of endlag as Peacock's teeth return to her.

Peacock can mash A to perform all three parts of this attack even if nobody is hit. This way, she can take advantage of the three different hitboxes. This move is rather poor for moving Lenny around, barely shoving the lug. It's also not great for getting foes on Shadows.

F-Air: Robo with a Shotgun

In her laggiest Aerial (roughly equal to DK's own F-Air), Peacock pulls out a comically large shotgun and fires it. This causes a large muzzle flash in front of her, reaching nearly a Bowser width ahead of her. Simultaneously, the kickback launches her backwards about a Battlefield platform. This shot deals 12% and moderately high knockback, being her best aerial for killing. However, it has unfortunate endlag, the hitbox is brief, and Peacock suffers considerable landing lag should she hit the ground.

The knockback of this attack, combined with its retreating kickback, makes it exemplary for moving Lenny around. This can easily kick him around the stage while helping Peacock get away from the inevitable blast. It's not great for getting foes on Shadows, however.

B-Air: The Eyes of Tomorrow

In a rather bizarre animation, Peacock roughly shoves her "elbow" behind her as three of her Argus eyes become daggers. This is very similar in reach and speed to Megaman's B-Air, but deals one hit of 9% and light-moderate knockback. Despite being her eyes, the daggers are considered a disjointed attack. Since there are three of them, this covers almost all of Peacock's rear, making it great for protection.

The light knockback of this is not optimal for moving Lenny, but it's definitely an option. It's also not the best for getting foes onto Shadows, though really only one Aerial is good for that purpose.

D-Air: Hammer for the Worms

In a move comparable to Ganon's D-Air in terms of lag, Peacock pulls out a cartoonish hammer and swings downward viciously. This hits below and in front of her, making it a bit more difficult to land than some D-Airs. However, in exchange, it deals 12% and a fairly decent spike. It even bounces grounded foes upwards! Should Peacock land during this, she suffers considerable lag, so don't get too trigger happy!

This is a fair option for moving Lenny, as it'll bounce him into the air; try using this and F-Air to really get him moving! It's also the best aerial for getting foes to touch your Shadows. Simply dunk them into one and watch the fun ensue!

U-Air: Buzzin', No Buzzard

In her fastest Aerial, Peacock simply removes her hat and kicks it, popping it inside out and creating a hitbox above and in front of herself. This quick, decently large attack deals 7% and light upwards knockback. It's incredibly spammable, making it a great option to protect against jump-happy foes. It even has low landing lag!

This is not at all optimal for moving Lenny unless he's already airborne. If he's grounded, it's barely gonna pop him up. In air, it can give him a little more airtime, letting you hit him with something more useful. It's also not good for your Shadows, unfortunately.

Goofball Grab Game:

In a rather slow, but long-reaching grab, Peacock swipes forwards with a burlap sack. Should she successfully connect, she'll quickly tie the bag shut with her foe inside it, then drop them at her feet for the "grabbed" animation. It's worth noting that foes in a sack have knockback resistance. This'll be a bit more relevant in the throws. Additionally, if the foe finds themselves trapped in a sack, they can simply mash buttons to escape it, even in mid-travel. If they're actively suffering throw knockback, they'll still suffer it. Peacock's pummel has her roughly kick the burlap sack for 3% in a slow pummel.

D-Throw: Goodfellas

With a mischievous grin, Peacock calls in her posse of toons. Her gang almost immediately converges on the grabbed foe, and they proceed to beat the tar out of the helpless foe, punching, kicking, even hitting them with a bat! In the meantime, Peacock steps away slowly. By the time the throw ends, she covers about a Battlefield platform. She then throws a cigar over her shoulder, which hits George, detonating him and destroying the sack. All in all, this throw deals 13% and leaves the foe standing behind Peacock. This seems like a flawless throw, but there's a catch. Peacock actually suffers some endlag on this, making it possible for a foe to punish her afterwards! Additionally, this does no knockback whatsoever, so it'll never kill nor combo into anything.

F-Throw: Burlap Beatdown

In a fast motion, Peacock quickly starts stomping on her trapped foe repeatedly. After a few stomps, she kicks the sack away, with it flying forwards like a normal foe. This deals 8% and light moderate knockback. However, it leaves the foe in their burlap sack while they fly! So, if they're thrown into one of Peacock's projectiles or traps, they'll be hard pressed to do anything about it.

B-Throw: Scram!

Showing unusual strength, Peacock lifts the sack and roughly tosses it behind her. She then dusts her gloves off with a grin. This is an extremely straightforward B-Throw, dealing 7% and moderate knockback. It, again, leaves the foe inside the sack, so it's also not bad for simply chucking them into traps.

U-Throw: A Wrong Turn at Albuquerque

Peacock winks audibly as she tosses the foe up and into a black portal. An identical portal then appears a Ganon above her, dropping the still-bagged foe downwards with 6%. This is excellent for Peacock, as it gives her a chance to hop up and slip in some sneaky damage!

Final Smash: Tickets, Please!

With a wicked chuckle, Peacock pulls out a paintbrush and a can of paint. She then paints a huge tunnel, before pointing forwards, eyes glinting with malice. Immediately afterward, a massive train screeches out of the tunnel at Sonic's dash speed! This train is absolutely huge, being impossible to spotdodge or roll through due to its length. It deals a staggering 35% and kills as early as 50%. Once it travels a Battlefield distance, it vanishes into an identical tunnel that poofs into existence.


Happy Froy Day, ya bums! Get out there and enjoy yerselves; go paint the town red!
 
Last edited:

ProfPeanut

Smash Ace
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Oct 1, 2008
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in

“Fire and Debt”


Grim Matchstick is the local draconian denizen of Isle 2, who spends his days guarding his tower (princess not included). Unlike most others of his kind, Grim looks a lot nicer than most dragons – his sharp edges are less sharp as they are droopy, and he has a greater liking for fun and games than fear and flames, which might be why he took to the carnival scene. Still, taking a devil’s contract is still taking a devil’s contract, and the fight he’ll put up is no joke - not only do players have to survive a constant bombardment of fireballs, they have to do while platforming across a sparse cloud line that moves throughout the entire fight. Don’t be fooled by his dopeyness - Grim’s got more than enough firepower to make up for his less-than-ideal physique and life choices.



Size: A little larger than Charizard
Weight: Medium-High
Ground Speed: Low
Traction: Poor


Number of Jumps: 5
Jump Height: Low-Medium
Air Speed: Medium
Air Control: Medium
Fall Speed: Medium


Grim’s posture while airborne is nearly identical to that of the first phase of his boss fight; his body covers a height one head taller than Ganondorf. His tail extends down a length that nearly matches the rest of his body in height while he’s airborne; whatever length of it touches the ground will drag against it as he hops and floats around. That tail, although part of Grim’s hurtbox, only takes 2/5ths of all damage it receives, and doesn’t share any knockback or on-hit effects that it takes.

On the ground, Grim keeps a more modest posture. His neck cranes down so that his head is about level to Marth’s height, and his body squeezes down to match a size a little larger than Charizard. His tail automatically coils closer to his body, extending out behind him only while he walks fast or dashes.

Grim has a unique floating mechanic to complement his numerous jumps. After any jump, he can hold the jump button to maintain his vertical height for up to 8 seconds, all the while able to move back and forth or use aerials. Unlike Peach, Grim can float after any jump he makes, even after cancelling a float from a previous jump. All the floating he does shares that 8-second time limit, however, and it doesn’t simply recharge once he lands – rather, it recharges at a rate of 1 second every 1.2 seconds. Grim can also perform any of his Smash attacks in midair, but will always automatically float while performing them, up to the last frame of endlag, using up the float timer the whole while. If the timer runs out in the middle of a Smash attack, it’ll cancel mid-attack as he starts dropping again.



Jump Special: Dragon Flight

When Grim attempts to float while pressing the special button at the same time, he’ll find himself floating in place, unable to move either forward or back but still able to attack. Meanwhile, his wings start to beat the air furiously, catching the air either behind him or in front of him to form a gust at his position. This gust, which can only form above terrain, blows through an area as tall as his body but as wide as a platform, and will begin to slowly push foes leftwards or rightwards depending on where the input is being pushed! The longer it’s held down towards the same direction, the further the range of the gust, which can potentially pull or push along the whole length of Battlefield if Grim spends his whole float timer on it. If Grim pushes towards the opposite direction, the gust will quickly die down no matter how far it’s reaching, quickly halting any influence it has on the foe’s movement. If Grim leaves the gust’s area, or if he releases the input, the gust will die down over the same amount of time Grim spent charging it. While multiple gusts can be set up at once, they’ll likely not last long enough to stay around at once, given Grim’s limited float timer.

Causing the winds to push his foes away helps Grim space better and gives him time to charge up his attacks. Pushing foes towards Grim, on the other hand, can make his attacks harder to dodge, force foes move away for a better vantage, or to bait them into attacks. Grim only has to hold down the jump button to continue floating, leaving him free to release and use the special button as he pleases, such as firing fireballs and other such projectiles towards his foes.



Neutral Special: Dragon Gaze

Grim focuses his eyes and shoots out three consecutive rings of energy from them, with the first two being yellow and the third one being pink. The yellow rings deal 4% damage each with flinching knockback, which can chain foes into subsequent rings unless they’re at a really high percentage. The pink ring deals a measly 1%, but has strong diagonal knockback, capable of KOing at 170%. Each of these rings fly a little faster than Mario’s fireballs to cross 2.5 BFPs in distance before expiring, and will pass through soft platforms. Grim can angle the direction that these rings fly up to 80 degrees upwards or downwards – if he doesn’t bother to do so, they’ll be automatically aimed at the nearest enemy’s position on firing.


These rings are about a Kirby tall and take up two SBUs in total width. From a horizontal standpoint, they shouldn’t be hard to jump over, but choosing to shield them might lock you in place longer than you’d like. If they’re fired from higher up, they can cut off a section of the stage for a bit thanks to their angles.


Side Special: Fireball Frolic

This special has two different functions depending on whether the input is tapped or held down. Tapping it has Grim quickly spit out a small firebomb barely the size of an X Bomb that lazily flies towards the inputted direction in a straight line, dealing 6% and low knockback that’s unlikely to KO. These firebombs move fairly slowly, at about 3/4ths the speed of the energy rings above, and dissipate if they hit a solid surface. However, if any enemy attack destroys them by out-prioritizing them, the firebombs will instead explode into four smaller fire fragments that fly in cardinal directions, moving twice as fast and dealing 9%. These fragments pass through all platforms and can KO as early as 120%, making them much more dangerous than the firebombs they spawn from. Foes have to be wary they don’t pop them by accident, or try to destroy them with disjointed attacks only to take a fire fragment to the face. The animation for spitting out the firebomb takes only a short time on both ends, but Grim has a soft cooldown of two seconds between spitting out Side Special fireballs of any kind.


If he holds down the input instead, Grim will start charging up his gullet to shoot out a massive swerving fireball, about as large as a Gordo, that deals 14% and KOs at the 105% mark. These fireballs don’t simply fly forwards – they swerve upwards and downwards in a steep wave pattern, going up and down over and over in an otherwise-dragging flight forward. Fireballs will fly up only to match their downward descent such that they don’t touch the stage but remain symmetrical in their flight; from the ground, Grim’s fireballs only cover a height of about two Charizards – but the higher up Grim spews out his fireballs from, the higher (and lower) that those fireballs will swerve to graze the stage, reaching up to a max vertical coverage about five Charizards! Despite the speeds that fireballs will fly at, their horizontal distance covered will remain surprisingly slow, moving forward only about three SBUs every second. If Grim fires one from offstage, it’ll cover a default height of one Ganondorf until it runs into the stage – but if he shoots one out close enough that it spawns above the stage ledge, it’ll orient its height accordingly. If his head’s as level to the main platform as possible, Grim can cheat out fireballs that move essentially straight forward this way, as much effort as that’d take.

Charging the move doesn’t increase their speed, damage, or size, but instead the horizontal distance that these fireballs will cover. Fireballs spat out immediately will fly only one BFP forward before dissipating unceremoniously. Grim can increase this distance by charging for up to 3 seconds, increasing the range covered at the rate of another whole BFP per second, allowing him to prepare some screen-covering cover from one end of the stage. And if the foe tries to rush him down, he can simply release the fireball early and utilize its flight path regardless, as long as the foe runs into the path it’ll cover.

As you can imagine, such massive swerves and low horizontal speed leaves large gaps for any foes to hide within. And although fireballs are calculated to not touch the main platform along their path, they’ll dissipate if they run into any actual surface, making it tricky to plan them out if there’s any platforms along the way. Grim can choose whether a fireball swerves either upwards or downwards by tilting the analog a little as he charges, without any consideration for order


Because of the soft cooldown, Grim essentially has to charge for 2 seconds between fireball casts if he tries to do them consecutively. However, casting a third fireball in a row in any situation will cause it to spawn two fireballs instead, flying parallel to cover both upwards and downwards flights at the same time. As unlikely as it is to pull this off in a 1v1, such fireballs will have much narrower blindspots for foes to hide in.


Down Special: Flame Parade

Grim cranes his head down and opens his mouth wide, opening the way for marching flames to walk out of his maw. Grim normally has to keep this stance for 1 second to let 3 marching flames out that cover 2 SBUs of space total, walking forward at the speed of Ganondorf’s dash. Holding the input allows Grim to hold his mouth open for up to one more second, spawning an additional marcher flame every 20 frames for a maximum of 6 flames total. Grim spawns these flames around the bottom of his hurtbox, leaving the upper half vulnerable until he finishes.

Marching flames don’t really care about whether they walk off his tongue and fall straight down, or just walk across the whole platform until they fall off the edge. They deal 6% to anyone they run into, with diagonal knockback that’d KO at 150%, but will dissipate as soon as they actually damage someone or something. This makes them a little easier to snip, but at least they’ll cover a lot more guaranteed horizontal distance compared to Grim’s other specials, for a somewhat-low investment. Marching flames are also one of the few of Grim’s moves affected by the gusts that he whips up, and will move either faster or slower depending on the wind that they’re marching through.


Grim can only have one procession of marching flames on the battlefield at a time, but has a special re-input option while one is out. The last marching flame will always have a grin on its face – if Grim re-inputs this special, that flame will crouch, then make a long leap towards the nearest foe! This marching flame has quite a bound, homing in on a foe from whole Battlefield away to precisely leap towards their position, passing through all platforms along the way. Although it’ll still deal the same damage, it’ll certainly force the foe to either move out or take the hit. Grim doesn’t even take any animation time to perform this re-input, although the marching flame will give a half-second’s warning of start-up before it makes the leap.


Up Special: One, Two, Three


After three-fourths of a second of concentration, Grim spouts two extra dragon heads from his body! Once out, Grim’s extra heads can perform any breath or head attack simultaneously, as long as no two heads are performing the same input, and also as long Grim isn’t performing any attacks that drastically move his body. Their drawback is that they only stick around for five seconds, or after they perform three attacks simultaneously with another attack, with Grim’s head being the first attacker in all cases. So if Grim forgets to perform any extra attacks the extra heads will stick around for the whole duration, increasing Grim’s hurtbox as long as they’re out. But extra inputs will keep both them and your foes busy, making plenty of clutter for any would-be dragonslayer to get through.

The specials these heads perform can be held down just as well as the tapped versions, allowing Grim to concentrate a bit on more practical moves while his extra heads ready fireballs or spew out marching flames. They can even perform most of Grim’s tail attacks, taking temporary control of it. Heads have separate soft cooldowns for Grim’s Side Special, allowing him to shoot out more firebombs in a row.

A buff for an up special leaves Grim without any real recovery special. He’ll only have his weight, his many fire attacks, and his many jumps to get back onstage! It helps that he can perform this attack while floating, even when he’s whipping up a gust.



Jab: Puff


Grim first coughs out a puff of smoke at a downwards diagonal angle, covering a Bowser-fist-sized area in front of him to deal 2% and flinch, pushing any foes struck back a little. Inputting it twice performs a two-cough combo, both dealing the same damage and knockback. Inputting it thrice finishes it with a sudden fire blast that hits in a cone larger than the original hitbox, dealing 5% and diagonal knockback that takes a long while to ramp up, KOing at 180%. Although the attack comes out fast, only performing a single cough is safe on whiffing, as the latter hitboxes have more ending lag. The two-cough-combo can be punished if it’s shielded at any range and the total three-hit attack leaves Grim open long enough if it’s completely dodged. If the third hits a shielding foe, however, it’ll push them back a short distance, making them unable to punish with their own short-range attacks, or even longer ones if they shield from further off.


Dash Attack: Dragon Dash

Grim stops to make a brief wind-up before suddenly blitzing forward, funneling his whole body into a conic hitbox as he zooms two whole BFPs forward. While dashing, he does 16% to everything he hits and knocks them straight upwards, KOing at 150%. At the end, Grim takes a while to stop his momentum, leaving himself open to counterattacks if he wasn’t able to hit the foe along the way or leave them far enough behind. This is one of the few attacks that Grim’s extra heads can’t perform on their own or attack simultaneously with.


Similar to Kirby’s dash attack in Melee, Grim can overshoot the stage with this dash, slowing himself with his wings when he ends. He won’t start descending until halfway through the end lag, but it’ll still leave him facing away from the stage and at a potential disadvantage if his opponents are better at stage-guarding than he’d like. On the other hand, it could also leave him at the perfect altitude to turn around and blast the stage with projectiles, for floating immediately once the dash ends leaves Grim at an almost-perfect height to shoot straight-flying fireballs at the stage.



Forward Tilt: Flametongue


Grim spits out a lick of flame that slopes downwards then curls upwards, dealing 8% and decent knockback to anyone it hits. The hitbox dips down low enough to hit most fighters at least 1.5 SBUs in front of him, striking multiple times in a few frames, while the curl contains a sweetspot that deals 4% more damage and higher knockback, KOing at 130%. If Grim tilts up or down while inputting this, he tilts the direction of the flame accordingly, striking either a narrower space right in front of him or the air in front of his high-up head. This can shieldlock an enemy while pushing them back a little, but it’s also fast and safe enough to poke enemies with from a decent range.

Extra heads can use this move to make almost any frontal attack impossible, timing forward tilts with jabs to shove shielding foes away, in return for spending precious attacks on simple tilts.


Up Tilt: Dragonspine Ridge

Grim quickly curves his neck upwards into a horseshoe shape and sticks out5 ridges on them, causing them to suddenly grow into spikes! These stab anyone they hit for 9%, sending foes towards whatever direction they were pointed towards Covering a wide fan-sized area above Grim, this nevertheless has a bit of end-lag to make any whiffs punishable, but the range and the fast start-up can make air-dodging it a tricky prospect.

This is one of the few non-special/smash attacks that Grim’s extra heads can perform, and is classified like Grim’s breath attacks. They can’t perform it at the same time, but having the option to perform it whenever a foe tries to jump past a grounded Grim can be handy for the dragon.


Down Tilt: Wake-up Whack

Grim’s crouch has him lie down on all fours, squashing down his height. On input, Grim spins around, to sweep his voluminous tail across the ground in front of him. Unlike most Down Tilts, this is fairly slow to start up, such that even its punishable end lag is faster. However, the tail covers an impressive 3 SBUs of area forward in its swing, dealing 6% to foes at the farther half of the tail and 10% at the nearer half, along with good knockback that’s scaled similarly to KO at 130%-110%. While it can poke foes at midrange, it’s also an ineligible attack that Grim’s extra heads can’t attack alongside or perform themselves.



Forward Smash: Flamethrower Breath


Grim shoots out a long gout of fire that stretches straight forward between 1 to 2.5 BFPs in distance, based on its charge time. This has quite the start-up, with Grim’s head lowering down to Mario’s height and transforming into a flamethrower nozzle as he breathes in, and is almost as punishable as Dedede’s forward smash. But the attack deals a hefty 15%-21% total in return, through a constant multi-hitting hitbox over 20-28 frames, which also based on the charge time, finishing off with a strong hit at the end. For a forward smash, however, it takes a while to ramp up, reliably KOing at around 170%.

Grim can actually attempt to cancel his forward smash by quickly re-inputting after release. What this does is cause Grim to instantly stop and hack out a cone of smoke that covers a large area in front of his belly, dealing a paltry 3% and weak forward knockback. Grim recovers from this attack much faster, can perform the cough even during the start-up, and doesn’t have to lock himself to the flamethrower’s animation along the way, so it’s a quick back-up plan for him if this foes recover faster than he’d anticipated. If Grim performs FSmash in the air, then running out of floating time will cause the move to cancel, whether Grim inputs it or not – even in the middle of the flamethrower animation, when Grim can’t normally cancel.


Up Smash: Volcano Spout

Grim scrunches his head back to the base of his neck, squishing his body as his open maw boils with a heated glow. He then spits out a shower of 5 meteors above him that climb 1 SBU upwards before raining down around him, crashing to the earth in a steep upwards cone formation. Each meteor deals 12%-16% in a small explosion around the first thing they strike, KOing at about 125%, and are joined by a hail of embers between them that deal 1% and flinch. This rain of fire covers his body when grounded, but spreads out wide the higher up he uses this.

This attack can also be cancelled like his FSmash. If cancelleced, Grim, instead spews out a Ganondorf-tall plume of ash, dealing another 3% and medium upwards knockback. Unlike the FSmash’s cancel, this plume of smoke can KO, especially when juggling high-up foes.



Down Smash: Horntail

Grim slithers his tail forward, waggling the tip of it upwards during the charge to show where it’ll stab. Tilting left or right while charging moves the position of the attack - while the hitbox normally strike an SBU ahead of him, Grim can move it as far as one and a half platforms forward. On release, the tail will quickly strike upwards, covering a height a little taller than Grim’s to deal 16%-22% damage and high upwards knockback, KOing at 100%. The further away the tail stabs out, however, the less height it’ll have, capping out at 1.5 SBUs at maximum range.


The tail lingers for about half a second after the initial hitbox, whacking anyone that touches it from the sides for 5%-7% and knocking them back respectively. It’ll then recede slowly back down, the hitbox remaining active until it falls back to its usual resting place. The start-up of this attack, is relatively fast compared to Grim’s other smashes if it’s quick-smashed, but he won’t be able to move until his tail starts receding. In the air, the tail hitbox will move relative to Grim’s, but will immediately recede if Grim runs out of floating time. While Grim can again cheat out the lagginess of the attack by timing everything a little, down smash is still the costliest of his three smashes in terms of float time spent, since he can’t really cancel it otherwise.


It takes only one head to concentrate on the tail, so if Grim has his extra heads around, the others are free to spit out flame licks and fireballs while the foe’s distracted. If he’s already inputting extra moves, though, then he’s likely already done moving the tail hitbox around, given the inputs required.



Grab/Pummel: Inheritance

Grim uses his tail to attempt to grab someone in front of him. While on the ground, Grim can take a bit of a while to prep his massive tail for such an attack, but he can start it up during a breath attack, with the grab hitbox coming out once that attack’s hitbox disappears. It’s a punishable whiff if he misses, but the range is good enough for a massive character of his class.


If Grim does grab someone, his tail will curl back behind him, tightening his grip on the foe behind him to rapidly deal 1.5% every 0.33 seconds. Foes released out of Grim’s grab will end up behind the dragon, and possibly over a ledge if they’re unfortunate enough.

Grim can perform his grab in the air, and he doesn’t even have to float to do it. Being able to whip his tail upwards lets him perform the grab faster than on the ground, even, but landing in the middle of it results in a hefty amount of landing lag. If he can grab a foe while airborne, then he can safely land while keeping his foe grabbed. Throws, like smashes, will mandatorily take up floating time if performed in the air, releasing the foe if floating time runs out in the middle of the animation.


Forward Throw: Draco Ball


Grim casually tosses the foe in front of him, only to suddenly swing his body around and bat them a far distance with his tail! This deals great diagonal knockback, doing 12% and KOing at around 110%. The throw itself isn’t really the damage portion, but instead the swinging tail, which reaches as far as 2 SBUs forward to hit anyone else unfortunate enough to stand in the way.


Up Throw: Beanbag Toss

Grim lazily lobs the foe in an arc above him, flinging them overhead to land back in front of him. The lob itself deals 6%, and scales farther the more damage the foe has, throwing them at much farther distances at higher percentages. If performed on the ground, foes won’t recover before they land, but airborne foes will have a good chance to recover if Grim tries to cheekily lob them off-stage. This isn’t likely to KO unless Grim is facing the edge of a walk-off stage.


Back Throw: Dungeon Dive

Grim brings the foe far above him with his tail, then slams his tail down behind him, dealing 11% to the foe, and 13% to anyone else struck by the tail’s descent. This deals strong diagonal knockback, KOing at about 130%, but it’s a lot more reliable on the ground than on the air. If the tail travels 30 degrees downwards without hitting the ground, it’ll instead release the foe into a tumble, dealing only 4%.


Down Throw: Yoyo Bounce

Grim rolls his tail up, then rolls it straight downwards like a yoyo, dealing 6% and bouncing his foe off the ground, sending them off a fair distance. While the grounded version is straightforward, the aerial version adds more distance and damage to the attack as the tail unfurls its whole length, dealing 14% maximum instead if the rolling foe hits the ground at the end of the tail’s length.

If the foe doesn’t hit the ground, the tail will suddenly roll back up just as quickly, dealing 6% instead as the foe is tossed into the air right above Grim. He can immediately follow up in this manner, or bait out a counterattack with a dodge before retaliating.



Neutral Air: Frolic


Grim does a full body twirl, knocking foes away with multiple hits that do 7%. He straightens his neck and his tail as he does this, making the hurtbox cover a much taller area. If Grim’s tail is dragging on the ground when he performs this, it’ll twist for a few frames before making an appropriate hitbox there as wide as the length of tail touching the ground, spinning around and repeatedly sweeping it for the same damage. This attack comes out relatively fast and can KO at about 150%, but has poor horizontal reach and doesn’t go well with Grim’s extra heads, being another ineligible attack that prevents them from attacking.

If Grim performs this while his body is hit by any fire projectile, whether his own or an enemy’s, he’ll cause it to disperse, coating his body with a veil of heat that lasts between 1 to 5 seconds, based on the projectile’s strength. This veil deals 3% constant hits in an area around him, flinching foes away and making him a lot harder to get past.


Up Air: Rain of Fire


Grim points a head upwards and puffs out a light rain of embers, dealing 8% and good upwards knockback. The embers then rain down over a second, covering a space as large as Grim himself; they deal the same damage, but now only flinch. These embers only fall from the place Grim spat them from, allowing him to either quickly surround himself in a veil with neutral air, or to leave an unsafe space of air behind him as he moves away from the foe.


Forward Air: Burn in 8


Grim points his maw to space in front of him and breathes out a steep cone of fire, dealing 9% over numerous hits and decent knockback at the end that could KO at 160%. Angled 30 degrees downwards, this move comes out fast enough to be a usable shorthop option, but it’s also Grim’s one quick counterattacks in the air, covering a tall area reaches a little below his body. Extra heads will have no problem using it to ward off attackers right in front of him, but the duration can leave Grim open if he whiffs it.


Back Air: Tail Sweep

Grim pulls his whole tail up in front of him, then lashes out at the space behind him, covering a wide arc both beneath him and behind him. This deals 13% and strong diagonal knockback to anyone struck along the way, pushing them farther away than he’d be able to follow up on. While the attack hits a wide area, the ending lag is particularly punishable, especially if Grim lands in the middle of the attack instead of after it.

While an extra head can concentrate on using tail attacks when other heads are attacking, they obviously can’t use multiple tail attacks at once.



Down Air: Tail Spike


Grim looks down and coils his tail up like a spring before stabbing it downwards, its straightened form reaching much farther than its usually-lax state would suggest. The stab deals 7% and does average knockback, knocking foes away at diagonal angles potentially leading to the space in front of him. There’s a sweetspot at the tip of the tail that deals 13% and spikes, which can be tricky to land, but ultimately satisfying if it does. Similarly to a side-tilt, Grim can tilt forward or back during the wind up to tilt the move 30 degrees towards either direction, though the brief movement he makes towards that direction can tip a foe off. Still, given the tail’s range, it makes even passing under an airborne Grim a tricky prospect.


Final Smash: Better than Three

Grim suddenly zooms out of the screen, reappearing at a lower corner of it afterwards with a significantly-increased size to perform the extra-heads attack. However, four extra heads split out from his neck, and will begin spewing a constant supply of firebombs aimed straight at the foe. Worse, the winds across the entire stage have started blowing against Grim’s foes, pushing them constantly towards the five-headed dragon. Attack inputs will cause the center head to perform any breath attacks in Grim’s retinue, save that they’ll be greater in size than usual, including a screen-wide forward smash and down smash, and swerving fireballs that ignore the stage as they fly from stage top to stage bottom. This whole phase lasts for eight seconds, with the winds slowly increasing in strength the whole time; when it ends, Grim’s extra heads band together and fire final four-headed flamethrower blast, scorching anyone in the way off the screen at 60%! Grim will shrink back both his size and his extra heads, descending down the screen’s bottom and suddenly reappearing from the top, dropping back to his original cast location.

Changelog:
04/17/2018
- Reduced Grim's jump count from 6 to 5.
- One, Two, Three now takes 45 frames to complete, up from 30.
- Extra heads from One, Two, Three only last for up to five seconds now, down from ten seconds.
- Extra heads from One, Two, Three now only perform up to three simultaneous attacks before disappearing, down from four.
 
Last edited:

Katapultar

Smash Lord
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
1,283
Location
Australia
I know I said I quit MYM, but I didn't want to waste a moveset near completion.







Ziz is one of the main characters of the Zettai Bouei Leviathan series, though she is absent from the anime despite this. She is one of several dozen recruitable characters from the original freeware game, various denizens of the fantasy planet Aquafall that fall under human, beast, spirit, devil, god or dragon category - all depicted as cute or sexy girls, of course. This is all in Japanese and has to be translated by Google to be understood by us English-speaking folks, which can only be so accurate as you probably all know. Her name is translated to "Jiz" or "Sizzle" depending on how the translator is feeling, but Ziz makes a lot more sense as most of the characters are named after mythological beasts or figures; her namesake being a bird of Jewish mythology said to block out the sun with its huge wingspan.

According to her butchered lore, Ziz is a young girl who had someone destroy her hometown. Actually she had her hometown destroyed and became the "Fang of Revenge" to exact retribution with her dark flame magic. But Google translate also claims that she was forced to destroy her hometown by someone? Through untold events, she would mistake Jormungandr as the culprit (because she causes collateral damage with her super strength?) and eventually join Aquafall Defense, where her sassy side and a heated rivalry with fellow flame-user Bahamut would be revealed for all to see (apparently she is not as ticklish compared to Bahamut?). She also appears to be in love with Leviathan to the point of comical effect, and is described as being the youngest of the 4 dragons - which is saying a lot given they're all pretty short. Though dark and vindictive in battle from her tragic loss and desire for revenge, she eventually becomes something of a dark avenger to fight against everyone's enemies or something along those lines. We're not too sure who actually destroyed her hometown, but as the series revolves around cute girls banding together to fight evil insect aliens (known as Lucasite) they were probably the ones responsible and this in turn becomes her motive for joining the protagonists.




Size: 3
Weight: 1.5
Ground Speed: 1
Jump: 10
Air Speed: 11-2
Fall Speed: 1
Traction: 7

Little Ziz is a slow and light fighter with 3 midair jumps to her name. These jumps don't cover much height, but they do grant her immense horizontal movement that almost outclasses Yoshi's, the best in the game. Through these jumps, Ziz can easily weave in and out of combat and is practically guaranteed to recover horizontally, even without her main recovery. On the other hand, her base air speed is poor and combined with her floatiness make her an easy picking in midair, very susceptible to being star KO'ed. And while not particularly vulnerable to spikes due to her low gravity, Ziz may find herself the target of such nonetheless given her amazing horizontal recovery, which cannot save her if she was too low beneath the ledge.



Neutral Special ~ Black Magic Arrow
Bow aimed 30*, Ziz fires an arrow that soars to the height of Pikachu's Thunder cloud before it nosedives back to earth and lands exactly 2 platforms ahead of where she fired it from. This comes out dead quick and doesn't even have that much end lag (but still enough to punish close-up whiffs), making it a dangerous anti-air but a difficult projectile to hit with given its slanted firing angle and slenderness. On the other hand, Ziz can move moments into the arrow's descent and can use it for pressuring opponents a specific distance ahead of her. The higher the arrow was fired, the farther it will land and the more time Ziz has to capitalise on it (especially if she fastfalls), but it also becomes harder to hit with. There's also the obvious fact that the arrow could potentially go offstage or even off the screen before it can even hit an opponent, in which case Ziz is better off using this move offstage to better cover the stage. You can also fire it some distance below the ledge to hit such a edged opponent deceptively early, though it's not something you can do casually given Ziz's weak vertical movement and better as a last resort move if she's about to die.

The arrow typically deals 5% and sharp upwards knockback that KOs at 229% or earlier near the top of the screen, but a point-blank shot will yield 10% that KOs at 150%. Landed at the apex (this requires good aim!), you get 10% and a sharp spike that's ripe for a true combo or an early death offstage. Striking a grounded target, the arrow will explode into a Bowser-sized burst of black flame to deal an extra 5% and 1.115x the knockback it normally deliver in that circumstance, which is pretty scary and can even catch nearby opponents. There's not much shield damage and even less stun that keeps foes from being locked for too long when Ziz can move, but the flames from the blast are residual and will burn for passive damage that punishes those who dared to block the arrow. This starts out at a weak 10 hits of 0.75% over 1.5 seconds, but as Ziz takes damage her vengeance will fuel the flames to make them more powerful; dealing an extra 0.0075% per hit with every 10% to cap at a net 22.5% after reaching 200% - if she can even get that far given her light weight. The flames also have their timers paused whenever Ziz takes damage/hitstun/gets grabbed by an enemy, for 0.005x that length of stun per 1% she took or for an extra 4 frames per 1% taken if the move would deal no hitstun. Multiple flames, should they ever exist and overlap, will have their timers combined. These flames can prove quite useful in the right situation, as Ziz has a hard time casually racking up damage without a little extra help from hated.

Once fired, Ziz must wait 4 seconds before she can use this move again and will have the arrow in her hand surge with dark magic when she can. Every 2% Ziz has taken reduces the cooldown by 1 frame however, and caps at having to wait only 2 seconds to recharge upon reaching 240%. Yes, Ziz thrives on damage despite her frailty, for suffering merely affirms the resolve of her revenge. If Ziz lands the arrow halfway before it reaches the apex however, she is allowed an extra shot but must wait 5 seconds to fire again no matter her percentage if she chose to fire before she would normally recharge. This can be used to create 2 overlapping flame traps or use the extra shot for juggling off the first with minimal difficulty.

If Ziz was struck by an enemy and used this move within 1.35 seconds of recovering from the stun - or the lag on her move because it had super armour - her next shot will be aimed up in such a way so it lands directly over the aggressor. If the victim was too far away for this, Ziz will aim on a lower angle to hit them from almost anywhere, firing almost horizontally to reach from the farthest of stages like Temple. Attacking a vertically-aligned opponent is better though; exploiting the arrow's speed to quickly punish an opponent from below if they inflicted insufficient downwards knockback, or using it for after taking vertical knockback to have the arrow overlap with Ziz for coverage/pressure as well as much more easily hitting grounded opponents to create a fire. While more useful onstage, it can also be deadly over the abyss in retaliation for downwards knockback that didn't finish the job, by spacing so that the apex hits and the attacker is spiked down to their death - potentially more common than you'd expect given Ziz has a hard time recovering from spikes and they're the better way to deal with her amazing horizontal recovery. It's a great revenge move in general that can deter follow-ups, but it's extremely unlikely that she'll get to exploit this at higher percentages where she'll reload quicker, thus it can pay to be more reserved with how you use the projectile.

Side Special ~ Arrow of Destruction
Ziz fires an arrow wrapped in spiralling darkness, a lightning-fast projectile that goes a seemingly infinite distance and can be angled. This deals 2% up-close, but it gets a bit stronger the farther it travels; dealing an extra 1% with every 1.5 platforms, with slight knockback at 5% that can potentially KO weakened foes offstage. Though fast, it's deterred by some harsh end lag that makes it unusable as a conventional projectile and very punishable up-close, better used for sniping like a true archer. You can also input this move with a circular motion in midair ALA Bayo SSpec to fire the arrow down on a steep angle with far more reasonable end lag, but at the cost of being more difficult to hit with given the angle.

Like flames, this particular arrow gets stronger as Ziz's vengeance builds; taking form as a dark aura at 40% and building up with damage until she reaches 200%. This powers her next shot to deal an extra 6-30% on top of the usual range bonus, with anywhere between solid knockback (KO'ing at 190%) or enormous knockback that can KO from the centre at 50% and even earlier closer to the blast zone - as well as breaking shields in one hit at full power. What's more, when the arrow hits a target or a surface it will detonate into a black fiery blast that expands to cover a 0.5-2 0.5-2 platform radius over its duration that deals half the damage and knockback of a direct hit or a third of it nicked, with radial knockback no lower than a 60* angle Between 100-200%, the blast will linger slightly or for just long enough to outlast dodges at max, making it easier to catch opponents but it won't affect those who've been struck by the arrow directly. Ziz can be damaged by her own blast, which makes the move suicidal to use up-close at higher percentages and for this reason foes may even stick close to her to deter her from firing the death shot. On the other hand, the blast can make for a great spacer, pseudo-jump and means of avoiding punishment at lower-mid percents or on weaker blasts. You can also use the blast to knock opponents towards you for comboing purposes, much more easily done out of the downwards air shot for its lower end lag, but as you only get one shot it's much better to actually hit your foe with it head-on for maximum power.

Built-up vengeance carries over between stocks, so Ziz doesn't have to worry losing it if she dies and can even deliberately save a powerful shot so the explosion is less risky to her. Better yet, if she was KO'ed by an opponent (not self-destruct or being killed by your own blast) she will gain vengeance equal to 2/5ths the percentage she had upon dying, a free max power shot should she succeed in the absurd task of reaching 500% but even getting to 200% will make a bare arrow sufficiently strong (80/200%) to KO at decent percentages. You may want to use a very strong arrow before you die at very high percentages so the respawn boost isn't wasted, however. It's also a great revenge move over the Neutral Special if that doesn't work for the current situation or a mix-up, hitting sooner than that move and getting great mileage out of the fact that you can shoot the ledge to trigger the blast - especially if it was a max blast that's dangerous to shield and will expand over time to mess with their dodge timing depending on where exactly you hit, possibly forcing foes to stay away from near the ledge altogether.

Up Special ~ Fearflight
Oozing with dark flames of revenge, Ziz beats her wings hard to propel herself directly upwards, dealing 5% but no hitstun to those who touch her. This does not put Ziz into helpless and has very little end lag. The grounded version has a noticeable delay, but carries Ziz nearly as far as Sonic's Spring. Airborne, on the other hand, makes the flight nigh-instant but only 1.8 Ganons to contribute to her weak vertical recovery, especially given it offers her no horizontal momentum. Nonetheless, Ziz appreciates the quick burst of movement for when she's used up all her midair jumps or when they wouldn't be viable in the situation, great as a means of escaping a spiking attempt if she can first find even the slighest opening in the attacker - or extending an air combo.

The soaring Ziz will push away any close-up and grounded opponents she happens by along the way, while dealing them the 5% as though she touched them. The gust gets weaker into the ascent and will position victims perfectly for a downwards Side Special no matter when they were pushed - or halfway towards such if Ziz started the move in midair - giving them fairly little time to react and keeping Ziz out of a big blast's range if she landed the difficult windbox at the start. Even if the victim was pushed off the stage, that's not a problem as Ziz can just fall a little and fire at ledge to trap them in the blast if they do not escape quickly enough, or even use such fear to follow-up if they took to the air for refuge. The windbox also blows NSpec arrows within a platform from Ziz away from her to fly horizontally, useful for catching opponents ahead of her and taking them up into the air with their knockback for a combo.

By holding B when using this move, the dark flames around Ziz will glow during the recovery, after which they simmer down into an aura and her eyes glow red. Driven by revenge, this aura straight-up keeps Ziz from being KO'ed off the blast zone (pummel KOs and danger zones and what not still work), allowing her to survive instant death hits which becomes extremely important at higher percentages. This works even if the recovery was interrupted, so it can come off as being a surprise. Too bad it only lasts 4.5 seconds, and actually weakens with damage to be reduced to a scant 2 seconds after reaching 200%. What's more, this ability cannot be activated for a whole 15 seconds afterwards, full stop. Survival is practically guaranteed if Ziz was knocked off the top blast zone, unless the knockback would outlast the survival timer, but offstage it's a matter of whether she still has midair jumps and with the abyss she's pretty much dead anyway. The main purpose of the ability in such grave scenarios is to give Ziz one last fighting chance to fire a revenge projectile in a situation where she would normally be already dead, especially surprising if the recovery was interrupted and most effective for getting the most time out of it. Between this and the other Specials, Ziz is not a fighter you should stall out as time only strengthens her revenge; use the cooldown time of the survival ability to deliver her a decisive blow.

If Ziz used this move within a second of being struck, she'll growl and a dark light will flash around her attacker. Again driven by revenge, this boosts her mobility by 1.5x when moving towards that attacker until she lands. This activates under similar conditions to the revenge arrow of the NSpec, but you cannot activate both from the same blow and must choose between one. The speed boost is amazing for Ziz mostly for what it does for her jumps, not only improving her already monstrous air movement but also helping her vertical movement for various important purposes like comboing and even recovery. The catch is that this takes 10 frames to activate, and doesn't actually causes Ziz to soar on top of using up the recovery as though she did. Worse yet, she cannot use this move at all while the movement buff is in effect, effectively turning it into a trade-off and a very risky one if she fails to touch down and is forced to use up all her jumps. There's also the issue of Ziz needing to still have her jumps available to make use of the speed buff, or else it's practically useless.

By smashing the input while grounded, you can have Ziz gain the survival buff and/or movement buff if possible without having to commit to the recovery. This takes 5 frames and allows Ziz to boost her ground movement at all, lasting for a whole 3 seconds, though she's unlikely to be grounded within a second of recovering from damage to begin with unless it was something like a prone effect or a move that dealt no hitstun.

Down Special ~ Shadow Maker
Swinging a hand upwards, Ziz commands a dark, bubbly shadow to extend 1 platform along the ground from her feet. This comes and goes quickly, but the shadow takes its sweet time and leaves Ziz very open if whiffed from close-up. The shadow drags opponents along for up to 10 hits of 1% followed by purely upwards knockback that is weak with only one hit, but very strong if they all connected. That strong hit positions opponents perfectly to be spiked by the NSpec arrow, which they will get hit by if they don't react right away given this move's low end lag - forming a deadly true combo with the Side Special or putting them in a precarious position if the shadow dragged them offstage. Unfortunately, the knockback scales slightly at higher percentages and with rage to the point where the combo won't work close-up where the move strikes quickest, forcing Ziz to land the move from farther away to combo where it is more telegraphed. The close-up combo will also fail in midair due to Ziz falling, forcing her to connect from a slight distance even at low percentages.

Opponents hit by this move will have their shadow materialised in front of them, taking a a noticeable black-and-wispy form and being as tall as them. The shadow can be struck to deal 0.5x that damage to its owner while still potentially damaging them as well, giving Ziz a much-needed boost in her damage output. If the victim leaves the ground, the shadow will stretch out relative to their height off the ground, becoming a wider target but transferring less damage to its owner - only 0.45x as much damage when they're not grounded at all and reducing it by a farther 0.05x for every Mario height off the ground to cap at a mere 0.2x (1/5ths) of your regular damage output - not much at all. The shadow also increases Ziz's movement speed and jump by 1.3x while she's standing over it however, giving a much-needed boost to her pitiful dashing speed and an incentive for having your opponents high up in the air. The shadow remains for for 1.25 seconds per 1% the foe took from the shadow attack and lasts for an extra second per 1% dealt to the shadow. If a shadow is materialised on an airborne target, it will not manifest until they land and the timer will not start until then. Shadows will take effect if the victim was offstage, but not if they were beneath the stage.

Your NSpec arrows benefit from cast shadows, as they count as a target to trigger their fire traps and in turn damage opponents without needing them to be directly over the flames. This lets Ziz make the most of that arrow should the combo fail and can force opponents to stay close to her to keep their shadow from creating fire - which she can then exploit with her enhanced movement unless they somehow got behind her. Fire traps will also double the length of a victim's shadow if they or it were engulfed in such or positioned in front of it, even if the actual foe was high up in the air. A shadow also works well with SSpec arrows, as damage from both the arrow and the blast will be transferred to the victim to deal them some decent damage, but quite the full brunt of the arrow but it's better than having it completely go to waste.

By smashing the input, Ziz will spread her arms out in a grandiose pose to materialise her own shadow all the same. This takes 5 frames and has no effect other than the shadow being a separate hurtbox that transfers half the damage of an attack to Ziz. Its use is obvious as it allows Ziz to soak up some damage without taking knockback or hitstun, but not as often as you'd expect given the shadow is low to the ground and most projectiles and basic attacks will miss it. It can be used to trigger traps such as bomb-ombs without Ziz needing to touch them directly, however. The shadow can be withdrawn anytime by reusing the smash input.



Jab ~ Vendetta
Ziz stabs with an arrow for 1%. This comes out on frame 2 and is good for interrupting close-up assaults (especially at higher percentages) or creating openings. It can then be followed into an upwards slash of the arrow that deals 2.5% and minor mostly-upwards knockback. At low percentages, this keeps opponents close enough to be shot by the NSpec and in a rather disadvantageous position where they will often have to jump away to avoid punishment - or use a combo-breaker aerial if they have one, but likely suffer landing lag due to being close to the ground. This follow-up potential worsens with damage as the knockback scales surprisingly so, enough to KO at 999%. Ziz's rage factors uniquely into this knockback too; adding twice her percentage to the foe's when calculating such up until the rage stops scaling (150%), anywhere between 70% (rage takes effect at 35%) or 300% of which can scale the knockback immensely without needing the foe to be damaged. This is great for providing Ziz with space at a percentage where she needs it, and works into one of her 2 Jab finishers based on whether A was tapped or held - both of which will only work if the Jab connected with a target.

By tapping A, Ziz will fire her stabbed arrow towards the target at such speeds that it is generally unavoidable no matter how far they were from her. This deals 5% and solid base knockback that is purely horizontal, but the fact that foes are launched upwards prior ruins its potential to gimp except at lower percentages. On the other hand, it scales nicely with rage and can potentially KO at 140% if it was maxed out, or just provide Ziz with a ton of space if it didn't come to that. This is useful on a healthy foe given your attacks typically won't send them flying far otherwise, and can distance Ziz to safely fire a max Side Special that is very much able to kill.

By holding A, Ziz will de-materialise her bow and hold out that free palm towards the target as they spontaneously burst into dark purple flames that sear them until she stops or is forced to. This starts out with a burst of 5%, then accumulates another 5% over one second and an extra 2.5% every second for the next 2 seconds so that after 3 seconds they're suffering 10% per second. Grounded and shadow materialised, they'll take extra damage. That's a heck of a lot of damage, and it can't be avoided by shielding either, but if opponents move 1 platform away from Ziz past where they were first ignited they'll only take half as much damage and another half if they move an extra 2 platforms away. Ziz also suffers a lot of end lag out of this and is very open to punishment together with the lack of hitstun, only safe if opponents decide to back off. Struck out of this move however, the burning opponent will take half the damage they inflicted on Ziz, even if it didn't do hitstun so she can at least get something out of Fox blastering her all day.

Ziz can get a lot of damage out of the burning with max rage, but it's only necessary when you actually need to damage opponents and don't have the max Side Special to kill them with. If they advance towards you, you're pretty much dead but you'll have at least gotten a decent amount of damage on them. If they back off to take less damage, it's likely because they can benefit from the space/set-up time and can potentially fire a projectile at Ziz to knock her out of the burning, which can actually be beneficial if it wouldn't KO her while getting free damage. It's all about reading the opponent and understanding what hazardous options they have against you, but not backing out from the burning so quickly that it's wasted as it is not something you can do too casually. You won't get much out of the burning with no/lesser rage either, but it can force foes to casually hit you with an attack that likely not endanger you. They can try a big move too, but unless it was something like a Warlock Punch it likely won't KO you and they'll take a decent amount of damage in the process, especially with a shadow.

Dash Attack ~ Kill Surge
Ziz kicks off the ground to perform a flying shoulder tackle remiss to Ganon and the like, made dangerous by the dark flames covering her body. This only deals 8% that KOs at 175% up-close or 4% with low Sakurai knockback later on, but it has low end lag. It also has transcendent priority and comes with a degree of knockback resistance from the front while the hitboxes are active. Ziz will plough right through attacks that deal very little or no knockback, even if they dealt 10 years of hitstun, whereas stronger moves will simply push her back while she goes through her minor end lag. The most push she can take from a move is 4 platforms worth, stronger cases allowing her to act partway into the slide, and she won't go offstage but she can still be KO'ed on walk-offstages. The super armour allows Ziz to tank hits and trade blows safely for self-damaging purposes, namely projectiles that could potentially kill her at higher percentages, then retaliate with a projectile if she was pushed back. It's also a great approach move of course, but Ziz's low dashing speed can make it predictable/hard to use unless it is boosted with the Up Special or by treading on a shadow.

F-tilt ~ Gust
Ziz pulls her wings back and gives them a good flap, generating a surprisingly strong gust of wind. This has notable starting lag, but it hits 1 platform ahead of Ziz and even has a little wind hitbox just beyond that. Up-close, it deals 9% and solid knockback that KOs at 160%, while any farther nets you 5% that scales badly. This can be angled, and if angled downwards the knockback will be on a high angle. Otherwise, the knockback is on a convenient low angle. The gust itself also has a moderately strong/weak wind hitbox that makes itself known when a foe shields or otherwise armours the main hitbox, actually growing with rage. This works to cover the low shield stun, but it only works close-up and with at least 70% rage on characters with average traction.

The starting lag and high range of this move make it good for catching out dodges, whether they be avoiding Ziz's projectiles or what not. It can start tech situations if it doesn't knock foes offstage for a ripe gimping session; easily doing so at mid-percents with the sweetspot or on a perfectly healthy foe with max rage. The sourspot demands higher percentages to work, but at least you won't miss out if the foe's percentage gets too high for the sweetspot. This is deadly for the simple fact that Ziz can easily follow it up with her Side Special arrow, and with the right read and right power levels you can instantly take a stock from your opponent. You can also knock foes into the space where your NSpec arrow will land ahead of you, easier to do at mid-high percents with the sourspot given the wide area you can cover as well as this being when it can kill. It's even possible to fire off an NSpec arrow and then quickly follow up with this move to knock foes towards where it'll land before it does land.

Ziz can also blow her arrows and flames around with the gust. Arrows are redirected on the trajectory you angled the move, and this works like a more versatile USpec wind with less commitment involved. Flames instead rush to the edge of the wind hitbox, but will stop before going offstage or when they come into contact with an opponent. If an opponent bathed in flame was hit by this move, the flames will carry with them and then drop off when they touch down or just before they would go offstage.

U-tilt ~ Dark Skies
Ziz waves overhead and a trail of dark flame follows, starting out intense at the front and getting weaker as it goes over and behind her. That strong frontal hit deals 10% and high 30* knockback that can KO at 120% with max rage, as well as dealing good shield damage - breaking off 2/5ths of one with rage. It comes out fast too, but Ziz then has to contend with the rest of the move and this leaves her open to attack. The arching flames deal 2 hits of 2.25% and relatively low upwards knockback that barely scales, good for keeping enemies close-by for your arrows or low jumps. The flames linger slightly above Ziz, making them a good defensive option.

Even better is the end hitbox behind Ziz, which deals 4% and low purely horizontal knockback towards her. It's got very little end lag too, enough that if you hit with this you will get a true combo out of it. Only fair given the long duration and hitting behind Ziz make it difficult to connect with. It's a good edgeguarding option, and overall good against opponents trying to get behind Ziz to avoid her NSpec arrow or to keep her from exploiting their shadow.

D-tilt ~ Serpent's Strike
Ziz uses her long, ribbon-like tail to perform 2 sweeps that reach 1 platform forwards, a hefty strike followed by a quicker lash. The first hit deals 10% close-up with surprisingly strong 40* base knockback, assisted by dark flames to KO at 146%. Hitting from a distance deals 4% and slight inwards knockback. The second sweep deals 5% and decent upwards knockback close-up, or 2% with very little mostly-upwards knockback from a distance. The attack comes out slow for a D-tilt, with a noticeable gap between each hit, but shield stun will lock foes in place for both hits and the second strike has very low end lag. Both hits - mainly the first - deliver respectable shield damage close-up, but the move is unsafe against shields from that distance unless you were able to get a shield poke in with the second hit.

With its long reach, this move can open up foes or force their guard up from a respectable distance, allowing Ziz to follow or mix up her other ranged attacks. It's particularly useful against shields where her other ranged attacks might not be as effective, and can hold foes in place to be burned by a patch of flame - or deliver some respectable damage to their shadow with the strong damage output of both sweetspots combined. The sweeps can also be used to bait out dodges against the NSpec, or perhaps condition landing foes to manoeuvre themselves out of sweeping range or directly above or behind Ziz, the former supplementing her ranged game. Just be careful not to abuse the move, because for all its strengths it does have a lot of starting lag and duration that leaves Ziz open to attack.



F-Smash ~ Impact Shot
Ziz fires off a dark winged arrow that covers 3 platforms and pierces to deal 9.5-7% with decent base knockback that KOs at 235-277%, getting weaker after covering 1.25 platforms. This cannot be angled and has moderate lag all around, serving as a more conventional and reasonably spammable projectile to Ziz's arsenal. The projectile is slower than those of her Specials, but it gives her a frame advantage when it hits from a distance, and if the arrow hits one from the NSpec it will create a large (1.5x Bowser-sized) blast that'll deal the full brunt of an exploding point-blank arrow - though this requires good timing and can be a bit predictable.

Charging this move doesn't increase the arrow's power, but rather boosts its speed - potentially higher than a Special arrow at full charge - and makes it thicker, taking on something of a serpentine appearance. The arrow also gains slight homing properties from 1.5 platforms away at full charge. Ziz is allowed to angle the arrow while charging, to fire it on a 45* 30* angle upwards or downwards. The arrow can also be angled towards the ground in front of Ziz.

By angling the arrow upwards and charging halfway (you can tell as the arrow becomes notably more dragon-like), an uncharged arrow will split off and curve to land 0.75 platforms ahead of Ziz. An extra arrow follows with 3/4s charge, followed by two more at full charge so you have four arrows landing 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 platforms ahead of Ziz respectively, with a slight gap between each one. These arrows always deal 9% on contact and can wreak considerable havoc over a wide area, being very possible to hit a shadow with more than one - especially if that shadow was airborne. They can serve to hinder airborne approaches.

By angling downwards with at least half charge, the arrow will burrow into the ground and tunnel forth at 4/5ths/2/5ths of its regular speed, emerging to explode instantly for 14% that KOs at 160% when it meets a foe or covers its full distance. This burrowing arrow can even tunnel along the side of the stage and hit foes at the ledge, of which requires considerably good timing. The arrow's use lies in its inability to be reflected unlike Ziz's other projectiles, and how it can be used as a delayed hitbox - especially with higher charges - though only one of these grounded arrows can be out at once. You could even release the arrow into the ground if you think you're about to take an attack, or use it as a pseudo melee attack close-up. If Ziz was close-by to the blast when it occurred, she'll take its full damage but no knockback or hitstun.

U-Smash ~ Vindictive Soil
Ziz kneels and slams a palm into the earth, and a wall of fiery shadows slowly rises in front of her and reaches 1.2 Bowsers upwards. This has a frontal hitbox dealing 3-4.5% and very low knockback towards the tip of the wall, which deals 2 hits of 5-7% followed by some good mostly upwards knockback. If Ziz was below 50%, her rage will lack the knockback supplement necessary for the frontal hitbox to knock the foe into the shadowy tips to complete the attack, actually giving them a free hit on her as she has to commit to the rest of the attack. This isn't too bad though, because the hit will trigger Ziz's homing NSpec and will almost certainly not kill her. The frontal hitbox also packs 3 extra hits of 4.5-6% that deal no flinching after the initial hitbox has been triggered, up to 17.5-22.5% and almost certainly giving Ziz the damage lead. Past 50%, you can rest assured knowing that the frontal hitbox will yield reliable results, because although it lacks horizontal reach it comes out very quickly. It takes a bit longer for the tipper to come out, but it has a good duration to catch out foes expecting the NSpec.

Once cast, the wall of shadows remain as an intangible construct that lingers for 7-10 seconds. When a materialised shadow passes the wall, it will split off into a secondary shadow that is cast on the wall and serves to extend its hurtbox - allowing Ziz to hit a foe's shadow with higher-hitting moves and more projectiles. This particular always takes the maximum 0.5x damage from attacks. If a foe passes the shadowy wall with their back to it, they will leave a secondary shadow that remains connected to the base of the wall until they go out of range, essentially putting shadows on both sides of them. Passing the wall while facing it or facing the wall with a secondary shadow will not stack the damage it takes.

D-Smash ~ Counterflare
Ziz turns partway towards the screen and crosses her arms over her chest, before splaying her hands to either side and summoning a maelstrom of dark, transcendent fire around her. This comes out quick and lingers to deal 10-14% with strong base knockback; mostly-horizontal early on; diagonally inwards midway; or upwards late. It has low KO potential unless the first hit connected near the ledge, more to stave off pressure and punish rolls. The move has surprisingly low end lag too, possibly starting a combo late, but its duration makes an early hit punishable if whiffed - only fair given it's the most potent hitbox. The flames have good horizontal reach, but are only half as tall as Ziz and leave her vulnerable to aerials; a good option if she's overusing this attack. This, however, can be used to condition aerial approaches for your NSpec arrow, especially if combined with a shadow to damage-rack foes from afar and pressure them.

Charging this attack increases the post-charge lag proportionally, but Ziz experiences super armour early into that lag. This requires strict timing (2-11 frames), but it's good for countering aerials (or projectiles), and any damage Ziz took will be added to the flames' damage output. Charging the move also causes the flames to linger for one second, dealing 0.2-1.05x the damage the flames did but no hitstun. This can, for what it's worth, punish foes for punishing Ziz with an out-of-shield option or deter grounded approaches to some degree. Ziz cannot be harmed by these particular flames, and they can be pushed around like the flames from her NSpec

If Ziz was overlapping her NSpec flames when using this move, they will be added to her maelstrom to make as tall as her and add its remaining damage output to it, making it deal 1.025-1.1x more knockback as well to make it a better kill move. This can punish foes for avoiding direct contact with her fire. If this powered version didn't connect, the fire will be restored with its remaining timer in-tact.



N-air ~ Geist Vortex
Ziz crosses her wings forcefully for some notable starting lag, creating a suction effect partway that pull in grounded opponents on either side from 0.95 platforms away and airborne opponents from 0.55 platforms away - possibly dragging them to the opposite side of Ziz if they were close enough. Afterwards, Ziz spreads her wings to create a darkly spiral of wind around her for 10% and knockback diagonally away from her against opponents hit from the side, or mostly upwards elsewhere. The knockback scales consistently to KO at 150%. The wind has relatively short horizontal range, but just outside of that is a wind hitbox that works solidly against grounded opponents, making it safe to hit shields. With fairly low end lag to compensate for its start-up and short duration, this is a good combo move at lower percentages and a finisher at higher percentages, able to chain into the NSpec to finish at lower percents. While difficult, it can even mess up edge guarding attempts by pulling the foe offstage and behind Ziz to be knocked towards the blast zone.

Landing during most of the start-up lets Ziz cancel the rest of the move, somewhat useful as a fake-out. Better yet, this works during or immediately after the pull portion, so that you can immediately exploit it with a Jab, Grab or a shield, the latter good for interrupting attempts to exploit the starting lag. You may also enjoy faking out the pull altogether, as Ziz has many ranged options to mix things up and keep opponents on their toes. Don't forget that Ziz can cross-up with her high air speed or use it to hit and run, the former letting her use the pull to draw opponents to the front of her if she gets behind them.

The wind pulls and pushes arrows and flames from twice as far to similar effect to the F-tilt.

F-air ~ Quick Snipe
Ziz fires a quick shot not unlike Villager's slingshot F-air, but on a slight downwards slant. Point-blank nets you 7% that KOs at 215%, mid-range a basic 4.5% while the tipper yields 2% with only an inch of knockback but a bit more hitstun than you'd expect. The slant and lesser max knockback make this inferior to Villager's move, but that's only fair given Ziz can get a whole lot more from it with her insane air speed and multiple jumps. She can push opponents with the mid-box for some basic gimping, poke at them or even use the tipper to open them up and close the gap with the superior air speed from her jumps. Or just retreat on the go. Though a good alternate to the Side Special if you want to save that, repetitive use will see it stale quickly to become practically worthless for racking up damage and KO'ing; unlike Villager, Ziz doesn't have the liberty of having such a convenient move on her B-air as well as a back-up if the F-air gets stale. She can always turn in midair with her jumps if she wants to use the F-air instead of the B-air, anyway.

B-air ~ Lash Out
Ziz swings her tail upwards; dealing 3% and inwards mostly-upwards knockback at the tip or 8% that KOs at 185%. This has less reach than the F-air, but covers a great area and has more cross-up potential with the sourspot.

U-air ~ Flame Void
Ziz dematerialises her bow as she faces the screen and raises her hands, creating a small black orb between them that expands into a Wario-sized fiery void. This comes out slowly for an U-air, but deals 3 hits of 3% followed by very low base downwards knockback that scales to KO at 200% if there was no ground beneath Ziz, as well as having very low end lag. An unorthodox U-air for sure, but Ziz always has her NSpec to juggle opponents. It's perfect offstage for turning spiking attempts against a foe and has that bit of duration to help catch them out, but the weak knockback gives them a very good shot at surviving unless you were close to the abyss and the duration jeopardises her chances of a vertical recovery despite her floatiness - effectively turning a successful hit into a suicide KO if it would deprive her of recovery.

Onstage, Ziz can knock foes into prone and will often do so given how low her jumps go and the dragging nature of the U-air. This can lead to some scary tech-chasing if Ziz had some midair jumps remaining. Foes can tech to avoid this, but if Ziz was close enough and their knockback wasn't too high she can punish them for this worse than if they just laid still. Even if foes don't get knocked to the ground, there's a good chance they'll be close to it and this can present Ziz a chance to hit with a downwards Side Special during their landing, of which can force them to use their midair jump if they still could somehow when they were struck from above to begin with. If Ziz lands before the victim is launched, they'll take decent base upwards knockback that scales to KO at 160%.

The void actually has a strong suction hitbox that will draw in grounded opponents within 1.25 platforms on either side of it, though it's pretty situational given it's on an U-air. It can be used to draw in foes on a platform above you rather suddenly - or pull them towards the ledge as you pass it (they won't get pulled offstage) which in turn positions them for your NSpec, or better yet they'll get pulled into the void if they were moving towards it at the time where they'll get spiked. The void will also pull in flames to potentially expose a drawn foe to them, dealing them extra damage in the process.

D-air ~ Dark Dive
Ziz turns upside down and straightens her entire body as it becomes enveloped in dark flames like some corrupt meteor. This turns Ziz's body from the head down to the knees into a hitbox over a long duration, burning more intensely two-fifths into the move before gradually fizzling out. Hitting at the start nets you 10% with very high base upwards knockback but low scaling, making it a great killer only near the top of the screen. The peak of the burn deals 14% and slightly higher knockback with better scaling to KO at 160%, while midway only gets you 5% or 3% near the end - but with slanted downwards knockback away from Ziz with some gimping potential offstage. This has very low lag on either end and even comes with knockback resistance before the fizzle, cutting such down to 0.67-0.33x or being full super armour during the sweetspot. All the hits will connect on a shield too to deliver some decent damage, but the weak final hit still makes this punishable.

A great combo-breaker, this move is designed to trade blows with opponents, and is very beneficial to do so before the fizzle given the knockback resistance. It allows her to set-up a revenge shot at percentages where she would normally be killed straight-up - most likely taking convenient upwards knockback given this is a D-air - and makes great use of her air speed as an offensive move on top of being a fantastic anti-juggling move if timed right. For all its perks though, Ziz is left highly vulnerable if she doesn't connect and the landing lag isn't forgiving either; her floatiness and weak air speed putting her in a very, very bad spot if a midair jump isn't used to retreat. This makes staying away from Ziz the best way to counter the move, but that's not so bad as she can react to this with her ranged options if she reads her opponent correctly.



Ziz holds out her free hand and clenches it to conjure dark, fiery bindings that magically restrain targets like a more noticeable Robin grab. This is a slow grab and contributes to a poor out-of-shield game for Ziz, but when have archers even been notable for grappling? Her dash grab comes out faster however, quicker than the hitbox on her Dash Attack so it can be used as a mix-up to that move. The end lag is atrocious however, and it can be rather predictable from a distance given Ziz's poor dashing speed. Land the grab though, and you'll be rewarded with a strong set of throws as Ziz uses the dark powers of revenge to alight her opponents.

The timer on a shadow is paused while its owner is being held/thrown, and any damage they take is added to the shadow's timer.

Pummel ~ Raze
A cold Ziz commands the restraints to burn with such fury that they scorch their captive for 1.4% and singe her for 1% as well. This is a fairly fast pummel, but its damaging capabilities are only average unless the foe had their shadow materialised, in which case it will take damage as well to total at 1.5%. If Ziz's percentage was higher the foe's however, their escape difficulty will be made to match hers and she can potentially hold them for an extremely long time to rack up more damage depending on her percentage - a fair reward for for landing the grab at more precarious percentages. The pummel has another effect too in that, after Ziz throws an opponents, her movement speed will be boosted by 0.08x per pummel when moving towards that opponent to cap at 1.8x after 10 pummels, lasting for 5 seconds. This can make follow-ups much easier, but don't get too greedy as it won't take effect if the foe breaks free from the grab.

If you pressed B instead of A, Ziz will materialise the foe's shadow for 2% if it wasn't already. This is very slow and can be escaped from, enough so that a throw follow-up is only guaranteed if you or your opponent were past 120%. This is simply another way for Ziz to conjure an opponent's shadow, because having to land a single move for it isn't 100% reliable and you'll often be strained to exploit it with a throw or whatnot for all its time constraints.

F-throw ~ Bound by Revenge
Ziz places her hands on the foe's chest and channels a chain of darkness from hers to theirs to connect them. Her dark essence appears to be channelled into them this way, and then she scowls and her her hands alight with black magic to blast them away for 10% and 50* knockback that scales extremely well - enough to KO at an astonishingly low 109%. The catch is that Ziz takes damage as well (for better or worse), and the dark link stretching 2 platforms will pull her along for the knockback at higher percentages to potentially start a gimping session, keeping her in stun for as long as the foe and disappearing upon use. Used to KO a foe however, Ziz will be left near the blast zone and in a precarious position as the respawning foe gets a good shot at gimping her, a straight-up stock loss in the worst-case scenario. It's brutal against opponents on their last stock, but if you're looking to stay alive you might want to try a different throw.

At lower percents where the foe wouldn't be launched past 2 platforms to trigger the dark chain, it will remain attached to the fighters for 3 seconds or until it is triggered through sufficient knockback. On a weakened Ziz, this can deter opponents from launching her sideways lest they be pulled offstage with her, in the same precarious position to be gimped or even die if their recovery was bad enough, better of launching her vertically where she can exploit her revenge arrows and their shadows to create damaging fires if she wasn't KO'ed first. The chain can also be used for the more casual purpose of having one fighter pull the other along from a sufficient distance, though that pulled character will have their ground lag cancelled if they are taken into the air.

B-throw ~ Into the Abyss
Ziz smashes the foe with her tail to knock them far behind her for 3%, only to follow with an arrow that goes over and behind the victim to knock them back down for 6%, down and slightly towards Ziz. This typically puts the victim into a prone position about 1 platform ahead of Ziz, putting them in a similar tech situation to a well executed F-tilt; welcome to tech it, but doing so might leave the victim open to a SSpec arrow, and if they roll away they may give Ziz the right distance for her NSpec. It is also possible to knock foes onto a platform with the right stage, of which Ziz enjoys for her NSpec and hit-and-run aerial capabilities. Knocking the foe offstage will put them in a relatively precarious position recovery-wise, but you need to be close to the ledge at lower percentages.

The arrow's knockback scales a bit with percentage and rage, but the tail knockback scales notably more so. The latter can KO past 300% at best, but before that it serves to increase the distance of a prone foe relative to Ziz - as well as potentially mess-up the timing for a tech. It also increases the chances of knocking a foe offstage this way, but you can't actually KO them outright this way until past 200%.

U-throw ~ Apocalypse
Ziz clenches her fist towards her captive to have their bindings squeeze them, popping them out immediately for only 4% but low base and scaling knockback that's almost a guaranteed follow-up with the NSpec if they did not react immediately - not the easiest thing when the throw animation is so quick. Not using the arrow, foes will remain very close to Ziz unless they jumped or DI'd directly above her in anticipation of that move, as dodging close-by is rather risky business if she sees through it.

By holding A or the control stick, the bound victim will get magically pulled towards Ziz as she puts them in a full nelson, singing herself on their fiery constraints for 2%. You think she has the physical strength necessary to hold a big bad heavyweight? She then soars straight up with her captive - 1.3 Ganons in height - before crashing for a fiery impact that deals 8% to her opponent and 4% to herself - dealing noticeable more knockback than the base version to KO at around 166%.

At 35% when rage takes effect, Ziz will gradually soar higher as her damage builds to deal an extra 1% to both the victim and herself for every 35% she had, on top of having the move KO 4% earlier. This has no real cap, because if Ziz was past 300% when performing this throw she will engulf both herself and the victim in flames as they takes them past the top of the screen for a suicide KO. It's downright deadly if you've got a stock lead, and if you perform it on both of your last stocks you'll win the match, but you'll be hard-pressed to pull off the throw when any hit at the required percentage will kill you.

D-throw ~ Soul Connect
Ziz shuts her eyes as she and her opponent are engulfed in a fiery aura that deals them 5% over half a second. The fire holding the opponent then explodes and they're launched on a 30* angle for very strong base knockback. This barely scales and will never KO however, but with high rage the base knockback will become extreme and serve to get the foe far out of your face.

After hitting with this move, Ziz and her opponent will remain imbued with the aura for 7 seconds plus up to another 7 seconds based on a character's rage to the point where it can last for 21 seconds if both were at 150%+, carrying between stocks. When one character is hit by an attack, the other will suffer 2%, multi-hitting attacks and projectile spam like Fox's laser only counting as one hit. Pummels count as a single hit, making it so Ziz could be dealing herself a hefty 5% a pop if she can grab the foe again. Even hitting a shield or a shadow will trigger this, the latter making a foe potentially take 4% from one attack if they hit both the foe and their shadow with their attack. Ziz much appreciates the extra damage she can dish out to foes as well as herself, because she taking "voodoo" damage counts as being hit to get the NSpec homing and the USpec buff on her own terms. While the high base knockback of the throw works against Ziz to lessen the time she can exploit the effect, she can always hit the foe's shadow while they're airborne if it has been materialised.



Arrow Rain
 

a smart guy

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Not sure if this is still open for movesets, but...
Dr. Lobe from Big Brain Academy
Background: Big Brain Academy released for the Nintendo DS in June 2005 in Japan and June 2006 in the United States. Designed as a sister series to Brain Age, the game was an educational puzzle game designed to make kids smarter. Your guide through the game was Dr. Lobe, an absentminded professor who instructed you on the various mini-games, and provided a rambling lecture whenever you booted up the game. The DS game was a huge success, selling over 5 million copies worldwide. Nintendo commissioned a sequel for the Wii, titled Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree. It was released and sold moderately well, still selling over 2 million copies. Unfortunately, the edutainment genre fell out of style, and Dr. Lobe fell into obscurity. Recently, however, he was added as a costume in Super Mario Maker, so Nintendo hasn't totally forgotten about him.

Moveset:

Since Dr. Lobe doesn't actually participate in any of the mini games in his game, it's tough to come up with a move set for him. I took inspiration from the scale that he uses as a Segway. Dr. Lobe's main gimmick is that he can change his weight during a fight. The games are all about measuring the weight of your brain, so I feel this is a good fit for him. His weight would be indicated by the dial on his scale, where the further clockwise it is, the heavier Dr. Lobe is. This icon would also be present next to his %damage for visibility. Dr. Lobe starts out weighing about the same as Mario, but that can easily change. Dr. Lobe naturally grows heavier as time goes on, but he can speed up this process using his Down-B. He expends weight by using his other specials and smashes.

Specials:

Down-B (Evaluate): A red pentagram starts forming around Dr. Lobe, dealing small (3%) damage to all enemies hit by the pentagram. This move has very little knockback, and leaves Dr. Lobe wide open for attack. However, as he uses this move, Dr. Lobe gains weight at a much faster rate than normal, similar to Cloud's Down B. In addition, when used in the air, this move can act as a meteor smash, making it a versatile option.

Neutral-B (Shadow Shift): Dr. Lobe flings a shadowy outline of a projectile at his opponent by using up some of his vast knowledge. The projectile is tossed in a shallow arc, similar to Duck-Hunt Dog's Side-B. The size of the projectile is determined by Dr. Lobe's weight. If Dr. Lobe is heavy, the projectile will be large, dealing ~25% damage with high knockback. It has a small range before hitting the ground. If Dr. Lobe is light, the projectile travels very fast, but only deals ~5% damage. It should reach across the stage, but it has very little knockback. This move is Lobe's primary way of losing weight in a hurry. The projectile itself is revealed when it hits an opponent. There are plenty of circular objects from the game, including currency from around the world, crayon-drawn animals, circles with numbers on them, and 3-dimmensional cubes. This would purely be cosmetic as a way to reference Dr. Lobe's games.

Up-B (Pathfinder): A line in what appears to be pencil races out of Dr. Lobe. Tilting the control-stick changes the trajectory of the line. The line itself deals no damage to enemies, and passes right through them. Releasing the B-button, or running out of pencil, causes Dr. Lobe to be flung along the arc of the line. If Dr. Lobe hits an enemy, he deals damage based on his current weight. This ranges from 2-14%. The length of the line is inversely proportional to Dr. Lobe's length, meaning that a light Lobe will have more control over his recovery. This move isn't great for combat, as it has a large lead up time while the line is being drawn. Using this move consumes a small amount of weight.

Side-B (Heavyweight): Dr. Lobe hops on one end of a 2 plate scale. See this picture for an example. If an enemy is caught on the other-side of the scale, one of two things will happen. If Dr. Lobe is heavier than his opponent, they are dealt 15% damage and sent flying into the air. This move has very little ending-lag, which makes it a useful combo starter. If Dr. Lobe is lighter than his opponent, he is the one sent flying. However, Lobe doesn't take damage from this, and it sends him in an arc similar to Zero Suit Samus's Down-B. This can be a good mix-up, and leads to some combo potential as well. If Dr. Lobe and his target weight the same, it goes in Dr. Lobe's favor, and his opponent is launched. The hitbox for this move is fairly low to the ground, so don't expect to hit many enemies in the air.

Tilts:

Jab: Dr. Lobe swings his baton at his opponent in a three-hit combo. Deals 3% then 3% then 4% damage.

Up-Tilt: Dr. Lobe lectures to no-one in particular, swinging his baton in the air two times. The attack is slightly diagonal. Deals 2% then 8% damage. Timing the second-hit can prove challenging.

Side-Tilt: Dr. Lobe punches with his free hand. Deals 4% damage, but has more knockback than normal.

Down-Tilt: Dr. Lobe shifts his weight slightly, propelling his scale to one side of him. The wheel deals 8 consecutive blows, with each one doing 1% damage.

Dash Attack: Dr. Lobe stops suddenly, swinging his baton in an upward motion. This deals 3% damage, and can hit enemies above Dr. Lobe if timed right. This move is performed quicker when Dr. Lobe is light.

Aerials:

Neutral Aerial: Dr. Lobe spins 360 degrees in the air, whacking people with the wheel of his scale. Deals 12% damage, but the attack takes a while to finish, and leaves Lobe stunned if he lands on the ground while in the middle of it.

Forward Aerial: Dr. Lobe quickly swipes with his baton. Deals damage based on Lobe's weight, ranging from 4-8%.

Up Aerial: Dr. Lobe swings his mortarboard (his hat) upward. Deals 5% damage, and can be used as a juggling tool.

Back Aerial: Dr. Lobe kicks out his scale, dealing 10% damage. This move has a high-amount of knockback, and is a good way to get kills in the air.

Down Aerial: The scale's wheel spins rapidly, making 6 blows that deal 1% damage each. You're usually better off using Dr. Lobe's Down-B instead, but this move has additional damage against shields.

Smashes:

Forward Smash: Dr. Lobe gets out a hammer from out of nowhere. This uses up some of Dr. Lobe's weight, which influences the damage. Damage dealt ranges from 10 to 20 percent. This is a reference to Number Smash, a mini-game in Wii Degree. It uses up a moderate amount of weight.

Up Smash: Dr. Lobe thinks hard, before a light bulb appears above his head. Damage scales based on weight, from 6 to 14 percent. This move comes out quick, but it has a fair amount of ending lag. It makes Dr. Lobe slightly lighter.

Down Smash: Dr. Lobe jumps on the scale, sending dust clouds on both sides of him. Damage and knockback varies wildly based on weight, ranging from 3% to 28% damage. This move uses up a lot of weight, and is probably the best way to make Dr. Lobe light on command. This attack has several frames of start up lag.

Grab and Throws:

Grab: Dr. Lobe reaches out with his free hand, grabbing the opponent. This move has very little range, and has several frames of ending lag if it misses. However, it is fairly quick to come out, and looks very similar to Dr. Lobe's Side-Tilt, which creates a mix-up opportunity.

Pummel: Dr. Lobe berates his foe by whacking them with his baton. Deals 1-3% damage with the amount depending on Dr. Lobe's weight. Each use decreases Lobe's weight slightly.

Forward Throw: Dr. Lobe whips out his hammer, smacking his opponent with it. Deals 5-8% damage based on Lobe's weight, and tosses foes in a linear arc across screen. This is Lobe's only throw that does not change his weight.

Up Throw: Dr. Lobe becomes inspired, tossing his opponent up in the air with joy as a lightbulb appears over his head. This throw causes Dr. Lobe to gain some weight, and always does 4% damage. The height the foe is tossed is inversely proportional to Dr. Lobe's weight. That means a lighter Lobe will throw an enemy higher, while a heavier Lobe doesn't throw them very far.

Back Throw: Dr. Lobe throws his opponent behind in disgust. Deals 3-5% damage based on weight, and has high knockback. This is Lobe's primary way of launching an opponent with a grab. This move slightly decreases Lobe's weight.

Down Throw: Dr. Lobe runs over his opponent several times with his scale wheel. This move deals 3 hits before sending the opponent flying backwards. Each hit deals 1-6% damage, again based on Dr. Lobe's weight. This attack has a long animation, and can be interrupted by something damaging Dr. Lobe. The attack uses up a fair amount of Dr. Lobe's weight, and its ending lag prevents it from being used in many combos. However, the damage dealt by this move can be extraordinary, making it a valuable part of the professor's toolkit.

Final Smash (Big Brain):

Dr. Lobe's scale becomes massive as he steps off of it. A giant brain appears on it, its size determined by Dr. Lobe's weight. When the brain appears, anyone hit by it takes 6% damage. Brain Points begin raining on the brain, growing its size. Anyone hit by a brainpoint takes 16% damage and large knockback. It's like PK Starstorm, but contained within one column. The brain becomes massive, growing slightly smaller than Jigglypuff's Inflate final smash. After absorbing all the brain points, Dr. Lobe taps the brain checking its weight. The brain then explodes, dealing massive damage (27%) to anyone close by.

This is my first moveset, so let me know what you guys think of it. I'm curious to see your thoughts.
Edit: Added grabs and throws
 
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a smart guy a smart guy We're still open and you're very welcome!

Dr. Lobe is a character I've never heard of before, and I was definitely entertained and educated (edutained?) by your explanation for the character, plus your quirky interpretation of how his power could work. I had a similar idea when I made a Lickitung moveset some time ago where his weight changed depending on what food he'd eat. Dr. Lobe is pretty abstract by comparison, and rightly so for the character, merely changing his weight using a scale. The set gets off on the right foot in the specials and I have few complaints. After that, the rest of the set feels like you should state more details. I do like your writing style though, so maybe you could think of a way to maintain the style while giving key information like duration, knockback, KO percents.

One thing that's obviously missing is a grab game. Dr. Lobe at the moment has no throws, and that's not very educational at all. This is an obvious oversight and everyone has done it at some point, I do hope you come back and add some. I have a set in the works right now that has a similar mechanic to your side b and one big suggestion I thought you might want to add to the set is having projectiles be affected, especially when you can change your weight so easily. If a projectile hits the other side and is heavier than Lobe maybe it could also be launched, and given higher damage/duration? Just little interactions like that would go a long way in this set. The set is fairly simplistic after the specials but it does have a lot of charm and I enjoyed reading it, the one thing it really needs is a grab and throws. Thanks for your submission!
 
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Professor Lexicovermis

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a smart guy a smart guy

Hello and welcome to MYM! It's always nice to see a fresh face around here, and you've brought with you a pretty interesting set!

Lobe and his game were an odd part of Nintendo history, and you've done a fine job of bringing him into Smash. The Brain Weight mechanic is a very interesting idea, and does a very good job of translating elements of BBA to Smash. It's also visualized well, with Lobe's scale providing information on his current weight at a glance.

Lobe's specials are all good. D-Spec is a good old fashioned mechanic charger; perfect for this Brain Weight shtick. N-Spec becoming more dangerous as Lobe gains weight is a neat idea, and it's a neat way to help him become lighter. U-Spec is a solid directable recovery. Finally, S-Spec is the most interesting of the bunch. I really like the concept of this attack, as it gives Lobe the choice of launching himself or the foe. All in all, solid specials.

The remainder of Lobe's set, however, is... a bit underdetailed. Seeing as this is your first set, that's perfectly understandable, though I'd love to see you elaborate on his moves a tad more. Additionally, Lobe is missing his Grab and Throws. Again, perfectly understandable (I have a lot of trouble with throws myself), and easily remedied. Perhaps one throw could increase his weight, while another expends it?

All in all, Lobe is a nice first set. Welcome to MYM, and I hope you stick around!
 

Munomario777

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Hey hey hey, got an important announcement to make, straight from Leadership HQ!

MYM20’s submission period has been extended to March 7!

We thought we’d give everyone (including ourselves) a bit more time to polish up those last-day sets, particularly for that Movmeent that’s about to wrap up. Don’t expect the Boss to take kindly to ya if you’re still missing those Contracts after a one-week delay, though!!
 

a smart guy

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a smart guy a smart guy We're still open and you're very welcome!

Dr. Lobe is a character I've never heard of before, and I was definitely entertained and educated (edutained?) by your explanation for the character, plus your quirky interpretation of how his power could work. I had a similar idea when I made a Lickitung moveset some time ago where his weight changed depending on what food he'd eat. Dr. Lobe is pretty abstract by comparison, and rightly so for the character, merely changing his weight using a scale. The set gets off on the right foot in the specials and I have few complaints. After that, the rest of the set feels like you should state more details. I do like your writing style though, so maybe you could think of a way to maintain the style while giving key information like duration, knockback, KO percents.

One thing that's obviously missing is a grab game. Dr. Lobe at the moment has no throws, and that's not very educational at all. This is an obvious oversight and everyone has done it at some point, I do hope you come back and add some. I have a set in the works right now that has a similar mechanic to your side b and one big suggestion I thought you might want to add to the set is having projectiles be affected, especially when you can change your weight so easily. If a projectile hits the other side and is heavier than Lobe maybe it could also be launched, and given higher damage/duration? Just little interactions like that would go a long way in this set. The set is fairly simplistic after the specials but it does have a lot of charm and I enjoyed reading it, the one thing it really needs is a grab and throws. Thanks for your submission!
a smart guy a smart guy

Hello and welcome to MYM! It's always nice to see a fresh face around here, and you've brought with you a pretty interesting set!

Lobe and his game were an odd part of Nintendo history, and you've done a fine job of bringing him into Smash. The Brain Weight mechanic is a very interesting idea, and does a very good job of translating elements of BBA to Smash. It's also visualized well, with Lobe's scale providing information on his current weight at a glance.

Lobe's specials are all good. D-Spec is a good old fashioned mechanic charger; perfect for this Brain Weight shtick. N-Spec becoming more dangerous as Lobe gains weight is a neat idea, and it's a neat way to help him become lighter. U-Spec is a solid directable recovery. Finally, S-Spec is the most interesting of the bunch. I really like the concept of this attack, as it gives Lobe the choice of launching himself or the foe. All in all, solid specials.

The remainder of Lobe's set, however, is... a bit underdetailed. Seeing as this is your first set, that's perfectly understandable, though I'd love to see you elaborate on his moves a tad more. Additionally, Lobe is missing his Grab and Throws. Again, perfectly understandable (I have a lot of trouble with throws myself), and easily remedied. Perhaps one throw could increase his weight, while another expends it?

All in all, Lobe is a nice first set. Welcome to MYM, and I hope you stick around!
Thanks for the feedback! I've added in the throws, so that the moveset is complete. I need to research the terminology involved with Smash to add more details to the regular attacks. My main focus was the specials, with the normal attacks being mostly afterthoughts. I'll try looking through some other movesets, so I can make my moveset more detailed.
 

Altais

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Starbase, where no turtle has gone before.
I made it in time... Hopefully the sets came out good this time. Also, since items are pretty much taboo in competitive play, I probably won't be doing Final Smashes in mine sets anymore. [EDIT] Fixed some minor errors, and added a few Author's Notes.


Copen Moveset


- Index -
1). Summary
2). Specials
3). Jab & Dash
4). Tilts
5). Smashes
6). Aerials
7). Grab & Throws
8). Author's Notes



1). Summary:

"His eyes were burning with hatred. There was simply no reasoning with him. At least, that's what my gut told me." ~Gunvolt

Copen Kamizono is a playable character in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, and is Gunvolt's rival. Before the events of Gunvolt 1&2, Copen and his father were scientists hired by the Sumeragi Group to study the power of Adepts. They eventually developed Project Muse, a technology capable of locating Adepts accross the world. Copen's father began to express concerns that Adepts would one day rise above humans. Before he could take further action, however, he was assassinated by an Adept, and his death covered up by Sumeragi. Copen, blinded by revenge, took it upon his duty to exterminate all Adepts.

Copen's most dangerous weapon is his genius mind. Though lacking supernatural powers, his technological prowess allows him to outmatch many Adepts. Like Mega Man, he is able to copy the powers of fallen foes. In Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, Copen can only use these powers a limited number of times before they recharge, and conserving these powers will give him a Flash Field capable of blocking physical projectiles. But for Smash, Copen has reprogrammed his gear. Sacrificing defense for offense, Copen can now use his copied powers as many times as he wants, at the cost of his Flash Field.

Copen is roughly as tall as Pit. Among Ganondorf and Villager, Copen is the second-fastest runner. He has roughly the same jump height as Mega Man, and the same fall speed as Roy. As Copen moves, he leaves behind a trail of dark-pink shadows.

The Gunvolt games aren't about surviving, so much as they are about playing well. Beating the game is the easy part. Try clearing a stage without taking a single hit. Azure Striker Gunvolt features a kudos-based system, in that your score builds faster, the more enemies you defeat without taking damage or touching a checkpoint. Taking damage erases all your kudos, while touching a checkpoint cashes them in. The main focus of the Gunvolt series is achieving the highest possible score by gambling your skills.

Copen is all about offense and evasion. His gun allows him to camp from afar, and he has a jetpack that allows him to fly away from enemies. However, playing it safe will not get you that kill. In order to win with Copen, you have to get up close and personal. He has a lock-on based fighting style, in which he tags the enemy by dashing into them. Once tagged, Copen's projectiles will home in on the enemy, and his melee attacks will launch them farther than normal.

Copen has a Bullit Gauge, which affects two of his Specials; Bullit Dash and Prevasion. The former is used for tagging enemies, while the latter is used for dodging. Using either Special will consume one Bullit. Copen has a total of three Bullits. Without these, he cannot Bullit Dash or Prevade. Each Bullit takes roughly eight seconds to refill; however, Copen can reload all three of his Bullits while on the ground. Doing so leaves him vulnerable, however.

Copen's biggest weakness is his lack of defense. Much like Robin, he can't handle rushdown. So while his evasive game can make him a real pain, once the opponent catches him, it's hard for him to get away. Ergo, the best way to beat Copen is to not give him a chance to tag you, and make him spend all his Bullits evading your attacks.

In a nutshell: rack up damage as quickly as you can without getting hit, then move in for the kill.​



2). Specials:

• Side Special (Bullit Dash): Copen flies forward using his jetpack. The speed at which he flies is roughly the same as Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick. He can fly as far as half the length of Final Destination; however, this distance can be shortened by letting go of the special button. The angle at which he flies can be altered between 45 and -45 degrees. If he collides with a floor, wall, or ceiling, Copen will bounce off the surface. The angle at which he bounces depends on the angle at which he originally flew. Copen will also regain a Bullit if he collides with something. So the player can stay in the air indefinitely simply by repeatedly dashing into the floor.

If Copen Bullit Dashes into an opponent, unless the opponent shields or uses a counter move, they will be tagged for roughly four seconds. Copen will then somersault either backward or forward (depends on the player's input) a short distance at 45 degrees, then enter a glide. Tagging an enemy deals 1% damage. Copen will also regain a Bullit. Afterwards, Copen has the choice whether to shower the enemy with homing shots, or deal a quick and brutal melee attack.

At the end of the move, whether he tags an enemy or not, Copen will glide for roughly one second. During the glide, he can move back and forth freely. The speed at which he glides is roughly the same as his running speed. As long as he has Bullits to spare, he can use this move as many times as he likes.


• Down Special (Prevasion): This move is immediately activated when the player holds the Down-Special input command, and will stay activated until he/she lets go. However, the move will not take effect until Copen takes a hit.

Copen's Prevasion allows him to make any attack, no matter how powerful, slip right through him, effectively rendering him intangible. When Prevasion occurs, Copen turns transparent, briefly dividing in two. Copen loses a Bullit once the Prevasion takes effect. His intangibility only lasts a fraction of a second, roughly as long as Lucina's counter, but this brief interval can be life-saving. During the intangibility, Copen can still move, attack, and whatnot, making it useful not only for escaping, but countering as well.

Once the intangibility is over, if the down-special command is still being held, Copen will spend a Bullit on another Prevasion as soon as he takes another hit. Rinse and repeat. Once he runs out of Bullits, he cannot Prevade. Ergo, much like a counter move, Prevasion should not be used carelessly.


• Reload: By tapping down on the control stick twice quickly, Copen will reload all three of his Bullits. The duration of this move is roughly the same as an average spot-dodge, but nevertheless leaves Copen vulnerable. So the trick is knowing when to use it. If this move is interrupted, Copen will only reload one or two Bullits, instead of all three.


• Standard Special (Hailstorm Blade):
A looping attack. Two triangular ice blades appear behind Copen like a pair of wings. The length of both blades is roughly 4/3 of Copen's height. For as long as the special button is held, the blades will repeately spin in circles, slicing through the air. The rate at which they slice is roughly the same as Ike's 3-hit jab at its fastest, though this rate can be altered by pressing the special button at different times. When slicing, the blades emit blue crescent-shaped shockwaves. These shockwaves travel twice as fast as Cloud's Limit Blade Beam, and 3/4 the distance of Mega Man's fully-charged f-smash. The shockwaves are as big as the blades, and as they travel, they shrink in size, losing their power. It is not the blades themselves that damage the opponent, but the shockwaves. They will cut through anyone directly in front of Copen without stopping. At point-blank, the shockwaves deal 1.2% damage, pushing the opponent out of arm's reach. Midway, they deal 0.8% with slightly less knockback. Far away, they deal 0.4% non-flinching damage.

On its own, this move is not meant to harm the opponent, but rather to get the opponent away from you. Since it can damage multiple enemies, it is very useful when Copen is cornered. Despite its rapid hit rate, this move is easy to DI out of. When caught in this move, the enemy can either go upward or away from Copen. That will give Copen enough time to run away. This move has very low shield pressure; however, blocking the move will not save you. While this move is in effect, Copen can still move and perform attacks. So if you shield the move, he can easily close in for a grab.

If an enemy is tagged, this move will change drastically. Instead of slicing straight ahead, the blades will send their shockwaves directly toward the tagged enemy, allowing Copen to attack at any angle. Furthermore, the knockback of this move will be severely buffed. At point-blank, the shockwaves will deal 1.8% damage to the tagged enemy, killing reliably at 100%. Midway, they deal 1.2% damage, pushing the opponent well out of arm's reach. Far away, they will deal 0.6% non-flinching damage.


• Up Special (Twintail Bunker): Copen launches himself upward with a pair of drill-shaped hair locks. The distance of Copen's jump is roughly the same as Mega Man's up-special--and like Mega Man, Copen can use this move before his second jump, and can still attack after using this move. Copen can use this move as many times as he wants in the air. However, until he lands, only the first use will propell him upward.

Both drills are roughly three times Copen's height. The move lasts for one second, with the hit rate being roughly the same as Meta Knight's jab. The damage is proportional to the distance; the base of the drills deal 6%% damage, the middle 4% damage, and the tips 2% damage. As they take damage, the enemy is pushed slightly downwards--as a result, most opponents will be hit two times. At the very start of the move, the base of the drills can spike enemies.

Recovery aside, this move's main purpose is to escape rushdown. Think of it as a last resort when Copen is almost out of Bullits. However, if he has no Bullits left, he has no choice but to go right back down--and his horizontal movement in the air isn't good without his jetpack.

If the enemy is tagged, this move changes. The base of the drills will deal 9% damage, the middle 6% damage, and the tips 3% damage. The overall knockback is also slightly increased. Furthermore, both drills will launch two tiny drills that home in on the enemy at roughly the same speed as Pit's fully charged arrow. Right before homing in on the enemy, the tiny drills will briefly stall, giving the opponent time to react. The knockback of each drill is roughly the same as Dark Pit's arrow. The main purpose of the homing drills is to fend off a pursuing enemy. There are a total four tiny drills, all of which deal 3.2% damage. A total of 12.8%. WARNING: The homing drills can be reflected.



3). Jab & Dash:

• Jab (Border MK II): A non-flinch attack. Copen fires his laser revolver. Overall very similar to Fox's laser gun, but with minor differences. Unlike Fox's laser, the power of which is proportional to the distance, Copen's laser power is constant regardless of distance. Each shot deals 2% damage. Normally, the laser travels in a straight line.

At the very start of this move, the barrel of Copen's gun will shock the enemy, pushing them away a short distance and stunning them just long enough for Copen to follow up with a grab, dash attack, or d-tilt. So aside from camping, this move can also be used for surprise attacks. For instance, if Koopa drop-kicks Copen and he Prevades, Copen can then shock Koopa with his gun, then grab him. The barrel of his gun deals 3% damage.

If an opponent is tagged, the lasers will instead home-in on the tagged opponent, dealing 3.5% damage each. Very low shield pressure. WARNING: The homing shots can be reflected and absorbed.


• Dash Attack (Grounded Bullit Dash): Copen bolts forward a short distance; roughly as fast and far as Falco's dash attack. Any opponent he collides with will take 1% damage, and be tagged. After colliding with an enemy (or their shield), Copen will backflip a short distance at 45 degrees and enter a glide. Quick startup.

Unlike his regular Bullit Dash, his Grounded Bullit Dash does not consume a Bullit. Just like his normal Bullit Dash, Copen will regain a Bullit if he collides with an enemy. This move basically functions as an alternative if Copen has no time to reload, or if the player is feeling conservative.

If the attack button is held during this move, Copen will immediately begin firing his laser gun. However, the laser will lose its point-blank hitbox.



4). Tilts:

• Forward Tilt (Border MK II): Exactly the same as Copen's jab, only he is walking forward whilst shooting, and there is no point-blank hitbox. This move is only good for chasing an enemy whose either far away or off stage. Otherwise, Copen is better off using other attacks for close quarters.

• Upward Tilt (Bullit Upper): Propelled by his jet pack, Copen performs a Shoryuken-style uppercut. If an enemy is hit by this move, they will be tagged. Similar to Mega Man's up-tilt, only it is slightly faster and weaker. This move has three hitboxes. The initial hitbox deals 15% damage, the middle hitbox deals 10%, and the late hitbox deals 6%. On Final Destination, the initial hitbox is guaranteed to kill a middleweight at 100%. Quick startup.

This move will not consume a Bullit. Also, unlike his Bullit Dashes, Bullit Upper does not regain a Bullit upon contact. This move is best used as a surprise attack, as it is punishable when shielded. For instance, if Koopa bombs Copen from above and he Prevades, Copen can counter with a Bullit Upper.

• Downward Tilt: Copen slides forward on his back, knocking any enemy he collides with straight upwards. Similar to Mega Man's d-tilt in terms of distance, only it is stronger and faster. The initial hitbox deals 10% damage, with the late hitbox dealing 7% damage.

This move is not designed for aggression, but evasion. If Copen is cornered by an opponent, he can use this move to knock them away long enough to either reload or run away.​



5). Smashes:

• Forward Smash (Greed Snatcher): A three-hit move. Copen fires a large, purplish-back sphere of dark energy. If the attack button is quickly pressed two more times, Copen will fire a total of three shots. The shots are roughly the same size as Lucario's fully charged Aura Sphere when he's at 0%, and travel slightly slower. Each shot deals 8.5% damage, knocking the opponent slightly backwards. This move has high hitstun; so if the first shot hits, the other two are guaranteed to hit. This move also has high shield pressure, and can break reflectors. A fully charged Greed Snatcher will break any shield or reflector. Quick startup, and very low endlag.

This move doesn't necessarily have to hit the opponent. Instead, it can be used to distract or condition the opponent. For instance, if an enemy jumps over this move and towards Copen, then he can scare them into air-dodging. Afterwards, he can punish the dodge. If Copen Bullit Dashes and they dodge, then he can still punish with another Bullit Dash. If the enemy is off-stage, they will have no choice but to evade or take a hit. If the opponent gets hit, then depending on how close he is, Copen can quickly Bullit Dash above them, then spike them with a down-air.

If an enemy is tagged, this move will be altered. Instead of flying in a straight line, the bullets will home in on the enemy. They will also deal 10.5% damage, with higher shield pressure. However, due to their low speed, they are fairly easy to outmaneuver. But once again, this move doesn't have to hit the opponent. If they airdodge, Copen can punish the dodge with a Bullit Dash. This move can also force the enemy to waste a double jump.


• Upward Smash (Arrogant Radiance): Using his technology, Copen conjures a green lance above his head. The lance is roughly Copen's height. The lance spins faster and faster until it looks like a drill, then flies straight upward. The speed at which the lance flies depends on the charge. If used immediately, it will fly roughly as fast as the Drill Arm item. If fully charged, three times that speed. Similar to Corrin's f-smash, the charge of this move will repeatedly damage any opponent the lance-drill touches. Roughly the same startup as Corrin's f-smash. During the charge, this move repeatedly deals 1.5% damage. After firing, the lance-drill will repeatedly deal 3.5% damage whilst carrying the opponent with them. The hit rate of both parts is roughly the same as the Drill Arm. Unlike the Drill Arm, this move is easier to DI out of.

If an enemy is tagged, then instead of flying straight upwards, the lance-drill will fly straight in the tagged enemy's direction, never changing angle. It will also deal 5.5% damage per hit. This move will not go any lower than 40 degrees. If the tagged enemy is too low, the lance-drill will simply fly straight upwards.

This move is not about attacking the opponent, so much as it is about conditioning them. For instance, anyone in the air will naturally see this move coming, and will either air dodge, double jump, or use a side special. Air dodges can be punished, double jumps will be wasted, and side specials will put more distance between Copen and the enemy. WARNING: This move can be reflected.


• Downward Smash (Flesh Eater): Using his technology, Copen summons a swarm of tiny, piranha-like insects that engulf his feet in a spiral. The swarm covers roughly the same distance as Shulk's down-smash, and lasts as long as Mewtwo's up-smash. Anyone caught in the swarm will be trapped until the move is over. The swarm repeatedly deals 0.8% damage at roughly the same rate as Sheik's needles. At the end of the move, the enemy takes 1.2% damage and is pushed away horizontally. Slightly slow startup, very little endlag.

The main purpose of this move is to punish dodge-rolls. Unlike most smashes, which are meant for killing, this move is designed set up the opponent. At the end of the move, the enemy will be stunned long enough for Copen to follow-up with a Bullit Dash, or Grounded Bullit Dash.

If the enemy is tagged, this move changes from close-range to long-range. Instead of swirling around his feet, the swarm will instead appear where the tagged enemy is. The hit rate is the same as the normal version of this move, only the enemy takes 1.2% damage during the move, and 1.4% damage at the end. At the end, the opponent is launched upward a very short distance. Futhermore, the duration is slightly shorter, so the enemy can easily air dodge if this move is used predictably. Lastly, just like his other smashes, this move doesn't have to hit the opponent, but can instead condition them.​



6). Aerials:

• Neutral Aerial (Border MK II): Exactly the same as Copen's jab, only he is airborne whilst shooting. However, the barrel of his gun has higher knockback in the air than it does on the ground. Furthermore, it deals 5% damage. In the air, normal shots will deal 2.5% damage instead of 2%. If an opponent is tagged, homing shots will deal 4% damage instead of 3.5%.

• Forward Aerial: Copen does a roundhouse kick that leaves a hot-pink trail. This move deals 12% damage, launching the opponent in a straight line. If the opponent is dagged, this move deals 14% damage, and higher knockback. At the edge of Final Destination, a tagged enemy is guaranteed to be KO'ed at 100%. For an untagged enemy, 130% damage. Quick startup. This move's main purpose is to kill opponents off-stage. If Copen Bullit Dashes into the opponent, then instead of somersaulting backward, he can immediately follow up with a forward-air.

• Backward Aerial: Similar to ZSS, Copen hook-kicks behind him, leaving a hot-pink trail. This move deals 13% damage, launching the opponent at a slight rising diagonal angle. If the opponent is tagged, this move deals 15% damage, and higher knockback. At the edge of Final Destination, a tagged enemy is guaranteed to be KO'ed at 90%. For an untagged enemy, 120%. Slightly slow startup. This move's main purpose is for punishing air-dodges. For instance, if Copen Bullit Dashes toward the opponent and they dodge, Copen can stop right behind them, then back-air.

• Upward Aerial: Similar to ZSS, Copen kicks above him in an arc, creating a hot-pink crescent moon. The hitbox covers in front, above, and behind him. This move deals 9.5% damage, knocking the opponent upwards. If the opponent is tagged, this move deals 11.5% damage, and has higher knockback. This move's main purpose is for Star KO'ing opponents near the top of the screen. Depending on how high up, this move can kill a tagged enemy as early as 90%. For an untagged enemy, 120%. If Copen Bullit Dashes into the opponent, then instead of somersaulting backward, he can immediately follow up with an up-air.

• Downward Aerial (Impact Reload): Copen plunges straight downward, feet first. Falls roughly as fast as Koopa's down-air. When he hits the ground, he will reload his Bullits. This move can be cancelled mid-fall by using a Bullit Dash, making it useful for off-stage KO's. Whilst falling, this move deals 12% damage, spiking the opponent. When landing, it deals 4.5% damage, launching the opponent 45 degrees. Depending on Copen's altitude, if the opponent is spiked into the ground, then the landing hit is guaranteed to connect. If Copen is too high, the opponent can roll away before he lands. At the centre of Final Destination, the landing hit is guaranteed to kill at 100%. This move has very high shield pressure, making it bad to block. Quick startup, but because of reload, high ending lag. This move doesn't always have to be used as an attack. Instead, it can safely get Copen to the ground if he runs out of Bullits.



7). Grab & Throws:

• Grab (Vantage Raid): Using his technology, Copen bounds the enemy with a giant orange ring composed of a myriad strings. Copen has a higher than normal grab range, matching that of Robin's Nosferatu. However, his grab has a very slightly slow startup, and is punishable upon missing. His dash grab has a longer duration, but also longer endlag. His pivot grab is the fastest, in terms of startup and endlag. Ergo, his grab is usually best used to counter the enemy after Prevading. Otherwise, landing it requires accurate reads.

Unlike most characters' throws, which are meant to set up combos, all of Copen's throws are designed to get the enemy away from him. They all have fairly high launching power, but not enough to kill. They also have high hitstun, giving Copen more than enough time to either reload or run away.

• Pummel: The orange ring constricts, crushing the life out of Copen's prey. Roughly the same hit rate as Robin's pummel. Deals 3% damage. Once again, Copen's grab game is not desgined for building damage, but to get the opponent away from him. For building damage, he's better off using his gun.

• Forward Throw: Copen launches the ring in front of him and dissipates it. The inertia sends the enemy flying at 25 degrees. Slightly higher knockback than Robin's f-throw, with higher hitstun. If the player is fast enough, Copen can quickly follow up with an aerial Bullit Dash. Deals 8% damage.

• Backward Throw: Copen rotates the ring around him, gaining momentum, then flings the enemy behind him at 35 degrees. Roughly the same knockback as Robin's back-throw, but with slightly higher hitstun. At the edge of Final Destination, this move can kill above 100%. Deals 12% damage.

• Upward Throw: Copen flings the ring above him and dissipates it. The inertia sends the enemy flying straight upwards. Roughly the same knockback as Robin's up-throw, but with slightly higher hitstun. Deals 9% damage.

• Downward Throw: Copen slams the ring into the ground along with the opponent. The opponent bounces upward at 80 degrees. Slightly higher knockback than Robin's down-throw, with higher hitstun. If the enemy is tagged, Copen can follow up with Arrogant Radiance. Deals 7% damage.​



8). Author's Notes:

• In Azure Stiker Gunvolt 2, Copen's default power is Stellar Spark, a long-range electric move. He does not obtain Hailstorm Blade until after defeating a particular boss and copying their ability. However, since I wanted the focus of Copen's playstyle to be offense and evasion instead of camping, I changed his standard special from Stellar Spark to Hailstorm Blade. Hailstorm Blade is actually the most useful power in the game. It is quick, powerful, and consumes the least energy. As a result, it is commonly used. Thus, I saw nothing awkward about making it his standard special.​



Dante Moveset


- Index -
1). Summary
2). Specials
3). Jab & Dash
4). Tilts
5). Smashes
6). Aerials
7). Grab & Throws
8). Author's Notes



1). Summary:

Dante is all about approaches, and hitting the enemy fast and hard. He has many attacks whose guaranteed follow-ups can kill reliably. Similar to Cloud, Dante's attacks are powerful and come out pretty fast, but have a noticable endlag. Thus, the trick is knowing when to move in.

Dante is roughly the same height as Ike, but since he stands erect, appears taller. Like Shulk, he always has his sword hung over his back, and only holds it when attacking. He has roughly the same jump height as Ike, and the same fall speed as Roy. He also has roughly the same running speed as Ike.

Dante's main weakness is his predictable recovery and overall lack of defense. While he can dispatch of enemies rather quickly, he himself can be killed early if the player is careless. The best way to beat Dante is to predict his next move, shield it, then punish him.​



2). Specials:

• Down Special (Devil Trigger): Dante takes on his true form, releasing his full demonic power. Near his damage percent are three runes. Dante will revert back to normal once all three runes empty, but the move can be cancelled sooner than that. This move can ONLY be activated when all three runes are full, so plan carefully. This move can also be activated at ANY time, even while Dante is attacking. By default, each rune takes roughy eight seconds to automatically refill, but taking damage will refill them faster. This power-up only lasts up to three seconds, but the trick is knowing when to use it.

During Devil Trigger, Dante's attacks will deal more damage and knockback. And like Little Mac, he will be able to shrug off minor attacks. His moves will also be altered in different ways (see each move).


• Standard Special (Handguns): A chargable move. Dante fires his signature guns, Ivory & Ebony. Hold the special button to charge, and/or press the special button rapidly to fire. Very similar to Bayonetta's Bullet Climax, only the charge can be held. Also, it has a slightly faster startup. Like Palutena's Auto Reticle, Dante will automatically lock onto the nearest opponent. If there is nobody close enough, Dante will fire at zero degrees. While shooting, Dante can step forward and backward, or even jump, making this move great for follow-ups. For instance, if the enemy is close enough, Dante can start shooting, and while they are stunned by the bullets, move in for a grab. The bullets can be easily DI'd out of, though, so move in quickly. Overall an all-purpose projectile to either keep the enemy at bay, or stun them long enough to move in for the kill. Normal shots deal 1.92% damage. Charged shots deal 3% damage, and are much harder to DI out of.

If Devil Trigger is activated, the bullets are always charged. Furthermore, they fire at a slightly faster rate.

I considered giving Dante's dual guns a reload mechanic, to prevent abuse. But since that didn't happen in his games, I chose a different approach. Instead, I made the bullets easy to DI out of.


• Side Special (Stinger/Full House): This move works differently in the air than it does on the ground. On the ground, Dante will rush forward, skewering the first opponent he collides with. By default, this move travels roughly the same distance and speed as Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick, but if the enemy is closer, will end once the blow connects. Also, this move can be cancelled by letting go of the special button, after which Dante can follow with another attack. Similar to Ryu's Focus Punch, this move briefly stuns the opponent, leaving them open for a follow-up attack. Like Bayonetta's Heel Slide, Dante's Stinger has high KO potential, due to its guaranteed follow-ups. As a result, any experiened player will be wary of this move. So don't use it predictably, as it is punishable upon shield. Quick startup, and deals 9.5% damage.

If used in the air, Dante will fly in a straight line, sword thrusted forward. In the air, this move travels roughly as fast and far as Ike's uncharged Quick Draw, and has a quick startup. Unlike on the ground, Dante will slice right through the opponent. Similar to Bayonetta's Afterburner Kick, Dante can use Stinger twice in the air, either to combo an opponent or recover from off-stage. This move never induces helpless frames, allowing Dante to either double jump afterwards or use his up-special. Deals 6.5% damage.

Last but not least, if the player inputs the "Hadoken command" for this move, Dante will perform a diving kick at -45 degrees. Unlike Bayonetta's diving kick, Dante's diving kick will spike the opponent. Roughly the same startup as Captain Falcon's downward Falcon Kick. This move can be used for recovery as well, or to simply get out of the air. Deals 10.25% damage.

If Devil Trigger is activated, the ground version will deal more damage and hitstun. The air version will also deal more damage, and be usable up to four times instead of two. This will make the move useful not only for offense, but recovery as well. Lastly, Full House will have a larger hitbox.


• Up Special (Flush): Surrounded by a red aura, Dante leaps into the air at blinding speed. Much faster than his regular or double jump, but slightly lower distance. The angle of this jump can be altered between 45 & 135 degrees. This move has no offesive properties; however, its uses range beyond mere recovery. Like Bayonetta, Dante can use his recovery twice in the air, and can still attack after doing so. So he has the choice whether to persue an enemy, or put some distance between the enemy and himself. Quick startup.

If Devil Trigger is activated, Dante will be able to use this move four times. So aside from a boost in offense, Devil Trigger can also be used as an emergency recovery.



3). Jab & Dash:

• Jab 1: Dante brings down his sword in a swift two-handed blow. Covers Dante from above and in front. Deals 2.5% damage.
• Jab 2: Dante follows up with a rising diagonal slash. Covers Dante from in front. Deals 2.5% damage.
• Jab 3: Dante finishes with another descending two-handed blow that sends the enemy away. Roughly the same knockback as Ike's Jab 3. Deals 5% damage.

Dante's first two jabs can be cancelled into another move. If Devil Trigger is activated, the damage dealt by each jab is increased by 1%.


• Dash Attack (Kick 13): A six-hit move. Dante deals five low kicks whilst moving forward, then finishes with a rising push kick. The first five kicks deal 2% damage, while the final kick deals 3% damage, lauching the opponent at a 50 degree angle. A total of 13% damage. This move is impossible to DI out of, making it excellent for building damage. However, it is best used as a counter or surprise attack, as it is punishable upon shield.

During Devil Trigger, Dante will instead perform 13 Kicks. The first ten kicks hit low, dealing 1.5% damage each. The 11th kick is an axe kick that deals 2% damage. And the 12th and 13th kicks are rising kicks that both deal 3%. A total of 23 damage. The final kick sends the enemy flying at a 70 degree angle.



4). Tilts:

• Forward Tilt (Million Stab): A looping attack. Dante deals a flurry of lightning fast thrusts with his sword. He will keep doing so as long as the attack button is held. When the player lets go of the attack button, Dante will finish with a powerful thrust that sends the enemy flying at roughly 10 degrees. Roughly the same hit rate as Captain Falcon's rapid jab, each hit dealing 1%, the final hit dealing 2%. Quick startup, but punishable if shielded. Like Ike's f-tilt, the angle of this move can be altered. This move can also be jab-cancelled into.

If Devil Trigger is activated, in addition to dealing increased damage, this will become a kill move. Normally, this move only launches the enemy a short distance. But during Devil Trigger, this move is guaranteed to kill a middleweight 100%, if they are near the edge of the stage. This move also becomes harder to DI out of.

This was originally Dante's rapid jab, but that's not how it works in Devil May Cry. In DMC, Dante can use this move immediately. Thus, to reflect upon his games, I decided to make it into his f-tilt instead.


• Upward Tilt (Prop/Shredder): A 5-hit move. Dante twirls his sword by the hilt. Very similar to Pit's neutral air, in terms of animation and hit rate. The hitbox covers in front and above Dante, effectively creating a wall of hurt. Like Pit's neutral air, the cleaner the hit, the harder this move will be to DI out of. The last hit will send the opponent flying upward at 70 degrees. This move can be jab-cancelled into.

Aside from dealing damage, this move can also be used to condition the opponent. For instance, when used near the ledge, any enemy off-stage will be forced to either go over Dante or immediately snap onto the ledge. Quick startup, but punishable if shielded. The first four hits deal 0.9% damage, and the final hit deals 5% damage. A total of 8.6%.

If Devil Trigger is activated, Dante will be able to use Shredder. Shredder is activated by pressing the attack button again during Prop. Shredder functions exactly like Prop, only it is ongoing, and the sword spins in the opposite direction. The looping hits deal 1.2% damage, and the final hit deals 6% damage. The final hit will automatically occur once Devil Trigger is over. The main purpose of this move is to build up damage. Has only slightly more knockback than Prop.


• Downward Tilt: Dante fires along the ground with one gun. The bullet pushes the opponent backward, putting space between them and Dante. Covers roughly the same distance as Mewtwo's d-tilt. Quick startup. Has roughly the same endlag as Marth's d-tilt. Deals 7% damage.

During Devil Trigger, this move will have slightly higher hitstun, allowing Dante to follow up with another attack.



5). Smashes:

• Forward Smash (Drive): Dante holds his sword behind him in a reverse grip, charging it with demonic energy. He then slashes upward, unleashing a crescent-shaped energy blade. If the attack button is pressed two more times, Dante will follow up with two more beams. Very similar to Cloud's Blade Beam, but different. Unlike Cloud's Blade Beam, which is meant to keep the opponent at bay, Dante's Drive is meant for offense. Furthermore, Dante's beam is faster than Cloud's beam, travelling roughly as fast as Pit's fully charged arrow. Once it makes contact, the blade disappears. Each beam deals 6% damage, launching the opponent backward a short distance. A total of 18%. Quick startup, but punishable if shielded. This move's main purpose is to harrass opponents off-stage, though it can be used for camping as well. However, it has low shield pressure. Can be jab-cancelled into. WARNING: This move can be reflected and absorbed.

If Devil Trigger is activated, in addition to increased damage and knockback, instead of disappearing, the blades will go right through opponents.


• Upward Smash (High Time): Dante deals a rising two-handed slash that sends the opponnent flying straight upwards. The hitbox covers Dante's entire front. If the player holds the jump button during this move, Dante will immediately leap after the opponent, after which he can follow up with an aerial. Otherwise, Dante will stay on the ground, after which he can follow up with Handguns. Quick startup, but punishable if shielded. Deals 15% damage. On Final Destination, this move is guaranteed to Star-KO a middleweight at 100%.

If Devil Trigger is activated, in addition to increased damage, this move will have higher hitstun, allowing enough time for a back air.


• Downward Smash (Crazy Dance): Dante sticks his sword into the ground, grips the blade with both hands, then swings in a circle several times. This move lasts roughly as long as Shulk's downsmash, and the speed of his rotation is proportional to the charge. The hitbox of this move is strongest at Dante's feet, and weakest at his arms. His feet deal 16% damage, his torso 10%, and his arms 3% damage. When this move connects, the opponent is knocked away at zero degrees. The sweetspot of this move is at his feet. This move's main purpose is to punish dodge rolls and ledge rolls, though it can also be used for edgeguarding. Quick startup. This move has low shield pressure, but will still push the opponent out of grab's reach. At the edge of Final Destination, the sweetspot is guaranteed to kill a middleweight at 100%.

If Devil Trigger is activated, in addition to increased damage and knockback, this move will have a vortex effect, in which nearby enemies are pulled toward Dante's sword. If done just right, the DT version of this move can break an enemy's shield.

I considered making this move Shock, in which Dante punches the ground, producing an earthquake. But since I wanted his moves to hit fast and hard, I chose Crazy Dance instead.



6). Aerials:

• Neutral Aerial (Fireworks): A ranged move. In a lightning fast motion, Dante fires his shotgun in all directions. Any opponent hit by the bullets is knocked away in whichever direction they were hit. The range of this move is roughly the same as Bayonetta's looping up-air. This move's main purpose is to either escape rushdown or fend off an enemy whom is chasing you off stage, though if used expertly, can also be used to score an early ledge KO. Deals 9% damage. If Devil Trigger is active, in addition to increased damage, this move will have a wider range.


• Forward Aerial: A three-hit move. Dante deals a lightning-fast downward slash. If the attack button is pressed two more times, he will follow up with a rising slash, and finally a two handed vertical slash that knocks the opponent at a -15 degree dangle. The first hit deals 4% damage, the second hit 3.2 damage, and the last hit 7% damage. A total of 14.2%. Quick startup. Inspired by Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. During Devil Trigger, this move's knockback is increased.


• Backward Aerial (Backslide): A ranged move. Dante fires his signature shotgun behind him, under his arm. Covers roughly the same distance as Robin's uncharged Thunder. This move's damage and knockback is proportional to the distance. Up close, deals 15% damage and kills middleweights off-stage at 100%. Midway, deals 9% and pushes the opponent slightly backward. Far away, this move deals 4%, not even making the opponent flinch. Quick startup. During Devil Trigger, this move's kill power is increased.


• Upward Aerial (Beast Uppercut): As the name suggests, Dante uppercuts the opponent. As he does so, his arm is surrounded by red demonic energy. The hitbox covers both in front of and above him, launching the enemy straight upwards. Deals 13% damage. The main purpose of this move is to Star-KO an opponent after hitting them with High Time. On Final Destination, this move is guaranteed to kill an airborne middleweight at 100%. Quick startup, but noticable endlag. During Devil Trigger, this move's kill power is increased.


• Downward Aerial (Helm Breaker): A stall-then-fall move. Dante plunges downward, slicing as he goes. Very similar to Bayonetta's down-air, only the spike hit box covers Dante's entire sword. As a price, however, Dante falls faster than Bayonetta, making this move harder to recover with. The descending hitbox deals 10%, while the landing hitbox deals 7%. At the centre of Final Destination, the landing hitbox is guaranteed to kill a middeweight at 100%. If the opponent is at just the right distance away from the stage, Dante can High Time them, then Meteor KO them with Helm Breaker whilst still landing on the stage. Quick startup, but punishable if shielded on the ground. During Devil Trigger, the hitbox of this move will be slightly bigger.



7). Grab & Throws:

• Grab: Dante grips the opponent with both hands. Roughly the same range as Ike's grab. Very quick startup, and almost no endlag. Bluntly put, this move's purpose is to get around a counter-happy opponent. During Devil Trigger, it will be harder for the opponent to break free of Dante's grab. This gives Dante more time to pummel the opponent.

• Pummel: Dante headbutts the opponent. Roughly as fast as Ike's pummel. Deals 3% damage. During Devil Trigger, this move will be slightly faster.

• Forward Throw: Dante grips his sword with both hands, holding it like a bat, then strikes home. The enemy flies at a 30 degree angle. Deals 14% damage. At the edge of Final Destination, this move is guaranteed to kill a middleweight at 100%. During Devil Trigger, this move will have higher knockback, killing at 80%.


• Backward Throw: A 5-hit move. Dante somersaults over the opponent whilst raining gunfire on them. The last shot is a charged shot that sends the opponent flying at 35 degrees. Like most back-throws, this main purpose of this move is to get the enemy away from you. The first four shots deal 1.5% damage, the final shot deals 5% damage. A total of 11%. If Devil Trigger is activated, this move will deal a total 13% damage. Inspired by Marvel vs Capcom 3.


• Upward Throw: Dante sweeps his sword upward, sending the opponent flying at 80 degrees. Roughly the same knockback as Ike's up-air. The main purpose of this move is to get the enemy in the air, so it is very useful for juggling characters whom have slow aerials. However, there are no guaranteed follow-ups. Deals 9% damage. During Devil Trigger, this move will have higher knockback, and will deal 11% damage.

• Downward Throw (Rainstorm): A 10-hit move. Dante slams the opponent to the ground, leaps in the air, then fires down on them whilst spinning. At the end of the move, the opponent flies upward a short distance. Dante can then follow up with a jab, f-tilt, or u-tilt. Each shot deals 0.7% damage. A total of 7%. During Devil Trigger, this move will have higher hitstun, and will deal 9% damage.

I immediately came up with this move while watching Devil May Cry 3, but I picked up some traits of this move from Marvel vs Capcom 3.



8). Author's Notes:

• I considered incorporating Dante's many other weapons like the dual blades and the guitar, but I wanted the main focus of Dante's moveset to be his traditional dual guns and broad sword. Sakurai could have incorporated Bayonetta's many weapons, but instead focused on her four guns. Ergo, I figured using Dante's other weapons would be like giving Cloud magick; it would drag attention away from his signature weapon, and what makes him stand out.

• I considered making Quick Silver into Dante's down-special, but in the end thought it was way too similar to Bayonetta's Witch Time. Plus, defense kind of goes against his style. So I stuck with Devil Trigger, since it's a signature skill of Dante's.

• In Devil May Cry 4, Devil Trigger not only powers up Dante's moves, but also enhances them in special ways. I decided to incorporate that aspect in this moveset, as it would make Devil Trigger more than just a generic buff. I considered having Devil Trigger increase Dante's movement speed as well, but decided against it, as it would make things awkward for the player; kind of like putting on a Bunny Hood.​
 
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Bionichute

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"Come. See what happens when you defy the universe itself!"

The Shogun of Jark Matter
Don Armage


Created from the despair and suffering of the universe itself, Don Armage is an ancient, immortal being, and the lead villain of Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger. He leads the evil empire known as Jark Matter, which controls the entirety of the universe. He remains enigmatic throughout most of the show, only showing up in a Sheev-style cloak. It isn't until the Kyurangers time travel to his first defeat when we find out more about him, including getting to see him for the first time as a brain covered Grim Reaper.

However, that isn't the real Don Armage. Don Armage is capable of cloning himself and uses this power to spread himself through the universe and control it much more effectively. Eventually, after killing him several times, it becomes apparent to the Kyurangers that Don Armage is truly immortal. This is explained by way of his power to possess others when he is close to death, an ability he used on Kuervo, the ranger Phoenix Soldier's old war friend who died protecting him from Don Armage himself. However, this isn't even where this end, as after Kuervo is killed, the Don goes on to possess Phoenix Soldier himself! However, THAT isn't the end either, as Don Armage, the true one, finally appears once he has been separated from Phoenix Soldier.

It's only during the final fight, in his true final form, that we learn what Don Armage truly is. At this point, he absorbs every single living being in the universe, and declares himself to BE the universe itself. It takes all twelve Rangers, their most powerful mech, the power of every constellation, three separate finishing moves, and the power of every living being in the universe in order to take him down, in what might honestly be one of the most extravagant Sentai final battles of all time.

A thing to note is that, despite the possession, there's a strange implication that Kuervo is entirely in control when being possessed by him. Given what we see of Kuervo's motivations, and how different the real Don Armage's are, this just seems to strengthen this possibility even more. And if you can't tell, his name is a terrible pun.


Jark Stats
Weight – 116
Running Speed - 1.2
Walking Speed - 0.73
Air Speed - 0.8
Fall Speed - 1.65​

Don Armage enters the battle in his ultimate form, which is rather unwieldy and clunky. As such, he has fairly terrible stats around the board, edging close to just being a heavier Ganondorf. His model is bulky, letting him stand slightly wider than Ganondorf as well. His height is also comparable to Falcon and Ganondorf, but the ring on his back edges him out slightly, and even then, he's also slightly taller counting the head. His run animation is also awkward looking, much like Ganondorf's. His jumps are actually fairly good for his size class as well.

As a note, during idle and running animations, Armage will always carry his two swords. In his left hand he'll carry the sword pointing downwards, and in his right, he’ll carry it pointing upwards. This comes to play, though not in an especially important way, during a handful of moves.

Also, of note, Don Armage’s intro animation has him starting in his “imperfect” form, before swallowing up everyone in the universe in order to shift into his final, perfect form. This does have some relevance to the set.


Jark Specials
Neutral Special - I Am the Universe!


Armage lets out a roar as a swirling, pink and purple vortex surrounds him, centering on his chest. The vortex is around 3/4ths the size of a Smart Bomb explosion, and is instantly created after a bit of lag. This vortex can be held indefinitely, but Armage is incapable of actually doing anything else while holding it. Its start-up lag is slow, but not extremely so, taking around the lag of a Bob-Omb explosion start-up in order to perform. The effect of the move only happens once an opponent steps into the vortex. Instead of being sucked in, they will enter a short stun state as a piece of Planetium is taken from their body and absorbed into Don Armage's. Planetium is one of the most important parts of Don Armage's arsenal.

Planetium is a floating orb of pink energy, which is a common plot device in Kyuranger. Its a force created from planets themselves and is what Armage uses to power his own body. It can also be found within living beings as well, as demonstrated when Armage converts every living creature in the universe into Planetium in order to fuel his final form. When the Don collects a piece of Planetium from the opponents, he will get a slight boost to speed and damage, but not to knockback. This only really becomes noticeable when Armage gains around five stacks of Planetium boosts however, that's how small the boost is. At five stacks, Armage will gain a total of +0.25x boost, but he can gain a total of 20 Planetium stacks in a match, totaling out at a +1x bonus. This might seem like a lot, but its incredibly difficult to get 20 stacks.

The main reason is that this is one of the only moves in Armage's set that lets him collect Planetium, and its a fairly slow and telegraphed attack. The second is that each opponent only has a certain amount of Planetium in them. Specifically, every character only carries two per stock, totaling in six if you're playing a full 3-stock match. Third reason is that, when KOed, Armage will lose the stack as well. The final reason is that Armage will have to use these buffs to power some of his more useful abilities, which we'll get to soon. But don't worry, it isn't possible to run out of Planetium and just be out of it until you manage to KO someone. When KOed, the Planetium will return to the players it was taken from, allowing the Don to potentially steal it again in his next life.

Players aren't the only thing that Don Armage can take Planetium from, however. He can take them from minions as well, who unlike players, WILL get sucked into Armage's body if they enter the vortex. This will transform them into 0.5-3 Planetium buffs, depending on the strength, and also do something else quite special. You see, the minion is kept alive inside of Armage's body, which circumvents the opponent's ability to summon any more of them. For example, if all three of Olimar's Pikmin were to enter the vortex, he would not be able to pluck any more of them because, technically, all three are still on the stage. Just to note, the entire reason the lowest amount of buffs for this is 0.5 is because of the Pikmin. You can indeed take this to mean that Armage is great on the Olimar matchup. Also, if Armage is KOed during this time, then the minions will go out with him, and then the opponents will be able to summon them again. This will also apply if Armage uses a buff, and in the case of Pikmin in particular, will free up two of them for Olimar to use. There is also another way to free minions, but that's for later.

Armage can also take Planetium from the stage itself! When using the vortex, Armage will always suck up one Planetium particle for the first five times. The stage only has these five, which he can get at any time, but Armage will have to work for the rest of his buffs beyond that. These five don't regenerate if he uses them up as well, and only return once Armage has been KOed, letting him gain an easy amount again. You'll still want to take this into consideration, however.

The amount of Planetium he is carrying is shown under Don Armage's icon, and the amount that other players are currently carrying is shown under theirs. Keep in mind your current Planetium amount at all times, and whether you have enough for current plans and such. Planetium is very important, as will be demonstrated in a bit.

Going back a bit, the stun state the opponent is put into is definitely short, not as long as the rest of the attack’s animation, but long enough that Don Armage can definitely take advantage of it. Its easier to take advantage of if the opponent enters Armage’s range during the mid-point of the move. Basically, it’s safe on hit generally, but that’s a bit variable.


Up Special - A Being of Pure Despair


Don Armage takes a short amount of start-up lag to spread his arms out, and then bursts into a cloud of dark energy, red eyes shining in it for a few frames. From this point, Armage can now travel in any direction he pleases at speed far faster than his usual. Armage can actually move from frame one of this state, meaning he can recover very quickly. This is a set speed not affected by the Planetium buffs, meaning he can't zoom around like Super Sonic. The speed makes him a bit slippery at least.

If you can't guess, this is the Don's primary recovery move. He's working on a fairly standard 3 second time limit before he transforms back into his physical form and enters freefall. When he hits the ground, he’ll enter some fairly bad landing lag. In his energy form, Armage is fairly large, around the size of his usual model, but circular and more cloud-like, obviously. Despite being a big target, Armage is completely invincible during this time, due to being, you know, a cloud. That doesn't mean he can infinitely stall, however. After landing, you'll have to wait 3 more seconds to use the attack again, as shown by a burst of dark energy pulsing out of his body.

Even though there's not a whole lot of reason for opponents to attack, they'll probably want to stay as far away as possible from Armage while he is in this form. If they run into him (Or, more likely, he runs into them), Armage will stun the opponent and then proceed to carry them inside him for a short while, all while dealing damage. He can't carry them far, but he can at least mess up whatever they were doing, or even fling them offstage if timed right. He’s also unable to pick them up while they’re shielding.

For the damage, Armage cloud will perform 3 hits, each with a tiny amount of lag between them. Each hit deals 2% and totals up to 6%. The hits will be dealth rapidly, over the course of half a second. On the final hit, the opponent will be flung off, but will regain jumps in case Armage managed to pull then quite a ways off. If the special ends before then, this knockback will kick in automatically. This isn't an amazingly powerful technique by itself, but it gains more importance with the use of a Planetium stack.

If the special button is pressed while the opponent is touching Armage's cloud form, he will use the stack. The Planetium inside of him will be corrupted into Dark Planetium, and then injected into the opponent. This is shown to happen by those shining red eyes appearing again once its used. Once the opponent is freed, they will now have a dark aura hanging over them. This, at first, mainly just acts as a poison status effect, and deal 1% damage to the opponent, with no knockback, for the next 15 seconds. This is all it does... for now, at least. There's far more to this move than just all this.


Side Special - The Shogun's Army


Don Armage pulls his arm towards his chest, now without a sword in his hand, a cloud of purple energy clouding it. He will continue to hold it for as long as the button is held, functioning as a charge. Armage can hold this charge for one full second, with the cloud getting slightly larger the longer its held. He is unable to hold the charge like other characters but will not automatically use the move once it has reached full charge. Once the Don decides to use the move, he will thrust his hand forward, firing the energy out in the form of a cloud.


From the cloud appears 1-3 Indavers, depending on the charge. No charge results in one, and a full second results in three. Indavers are the main foot soldiers of Jark Matter, bred in labs and armed with weapons that double as both swords and guns. Armage is powerful enough to simply summon his minions whenever he wishes, as demonstrated in this move. They also come in an assortment of white, blue, and green, as seen in the above image. The colors don’t mean anything in the show or in Smash, but they are randomized. Armage can only have 3 Indavers on stage at a time, of course.

The cloud of energy actually acts as a weak hitbox as well, and changes size depending on the charge as well. The size is relative to the amount of Indavers summoned, and can cover up to around 2 Battlefield platforms, and is roughly around 2/3rds the height of Armage himself. This isn’t that big of a deal, since the cloud dissipates very quickly, and the actual hitbox is weak, dealing only 4% damage, with knockback that’s only really good enough to knock opponents back slightly. This basically only exists to prevent opponents from instantly attacking the Indavers.

While the cloud vanishes quickly, the start-up lag on the move is definitely not. Excluding the charge, which already tallies on a full second, the entire thing takes around a Falcon Punch to perform. However, as soon as the cloud is out, Armage is allowed to move again, making it not AS painful. However, the Indavers will perform short animations before they get to work. The cloud will cover them during this, and acts as a hitbox until they are ready to move.

When the Indavers are fully summoned, as mentioned above, they will go through a brief animation where they stand up straight and give a quick salute to their leader. This reveals that they’re around as tall as Marth, but once they start moving around they will hunch down, reducing their size to being around a head shorter than Marth’s idle, and well below Don Armage in terms of stature. Stat wise, they’re very average, as you would expect of low ranking fodder. They have middling weight and speed, can only jump once, and have a pretty decent 30% stamina. They can take decent hits, but they aren’t particularly anything special.

As for what they do… well, they aren’t that special there, either. Indavers are rather standard rushdown-type minions, going after opponents as they see fit, and using a few different attacks for a few different purposes. First, they have a standard sword swing combo, which consists of three average ranged sword swing attacks with their main weapon. This is relatively quick, and deals a total of 9% damage, but has lackluster knockback. Indavers will use this attack when they get in close to an opponent and can be a bit of a problem if surrounded.

The second attack is using their weapon as a blaster. For this, they will hold their weapon forwards, and then fire an energy projectile, roughly the size of a medium charged Super Scope shot. It flies around as fast but deals 6% damage with low knockback. Indavers mostly use this when allies, or Armage, are in trouble and they’re too far away. Their final attack is an aerial attack where they swing the sword downwards, dealing 11% damage, with downwards knockback. They use this attack while in the air. Kind of self explanatory. It can be useful if Armage predicts when that will happen, and then follow up with one of his upwards attacks.

Other than the obvious benefits of having minions (Stalling, set-up, extra damage), Don Armage can make use of Indavers in a few other ways. The most obvious way is that he can absorb them into his own body for free Planetium buffs. A single Indaver gives the Don 2 stacks. This is the main way for Armage to keep his Planetium up, specifically when fighting against opponents that lack minions. six free Planetium stacks is pretty considerable and can contribute a lot to Armage’s early plan. But again, those six Planetium stacks still count as the Indavers being on stage, so you’ll be unable to summon any more unless you use the stacks on other moves.

Oh yeah, and remember the Up Special’s Planetium buff effect? You can actually use this on Indavers as well, but with significantly… different results. First, catching an Indaver in the cloud form works exactly the same, complete with Armage doing damage to them, but that’s not the important part. Second, this will only work if Don Armage has 5 Planetium stacks. When Don Armage injects the Dark Planetium into the Indaver, instead of becoming poisoned, they will be freed from the cloud, and TRANSFORM…


Into ANOTHER Don Armage! Or rather, a copy of Don Armage in his “fake” final form, resembling the image above, which is armed with a large scythe. This isn’t just an appearance change, the Indaver has now transformed entirely into an aspect of Armage and is functionally an extension of him… but is still controlled by an AI. The Indaver will transform with a radial explosion of dark energy, dealing 1% damage and weak knockback that’s mostly there to keep opponents away for a short while. Oh yeah, and once the Indaver has been freed from Armage’s cloud form, the Don will continue on with the rest of the attack.

The Copy Armage is as large as normal Don Armage, at least when just comparing head to toe and not factoring in Don Armage’s ring, and about as heavy. In fact, they’re almost functionally the same stat-wise, with the exception of Copy Armage having better air speed and a better jump due to his large wings. These wings also grant him a double jump, putting him above most minions as well. Copy Armage has a rather staggering 50% stamina, which is rather nightmarish, but his speed and weight can definitely put a dampener on that threat if the opponent is more maneuverable.

Copy Armage’s main attack is to swing his scythe forward in a large arc. This has stupidly long reach, just about slightly farther than a full Battlefield platform. This deals heavy knockback capable of KOing at 150%, alongside 9% damage. The major drawback of this attack is that its insanely laggy on both ends, and leaves Copy Armage very open if he whiffs it. If it does manage to hit, it can be devastating.

Copy Armage’s second attack, his ranged one, has him thrust his hand out, and fire out a flurry of yellow lightning. This creates a hitbox half Copy Armage’s height that stretches out 1.5 Battlefield platforms forward, meaning it has A LOT of range to it. Opponents that are caught in it will take 10% damage, alongside heavy hitstun, but won’t take any knockback. The actual attack’s animation, and its hitbox, are very quick, meaning that opponents won’t be trapped for too long… but potentially enough for the actual Don Armage to get a hit off if he wishes.

The final attack is an aerial attack. This is simple, as Copy Armage will just swing his scythe downwards in a large reaching arc. This is similar to the grounded attack, dealing 14% damage and downwards knockback. This also has considerable lag, though it has slightly less than the grounded scythe attack due to being an aerial, and can easily leave Copy Armage open if he whiffs it as well. Also, like the grounded attack, it has considerable range to it, though its slightly shorter.

Overall, the Copy Armage is a considerably powerful minion, though summoning it can come at a great price. As a final note, the copy is completely incapable of being absorbed, as it is immune to the hitbox. Thankfully, Don Armage can only have one of these clones on stage at a time, and aside from it just being so strong… there’s an even more dangerous reason why.

If Don Armage is KOed while a Copy Armage is still on stage, and if Armage himself has 5 or more Planetium stacks on him, it will suddenly explode into a cloud of dark energy, and reform into the true Don Armage! This process is instantaneous, as in literally as soon as Armage has been KOed, with only a short hitbox, the dark energy, to knock nearby opponents away with (Which deals 5% damage), and functionally allows Armage to get right back into the fight, without having to wait to be respawned, though he will still have invincibility frames. This works because Don Armage is still technically on stage, or at least a part of him is, and his essence will reform from the clone’s body when killed.

This is one of Armage's most dangerous abilities, mostly notable for the fact that it doesn't even take a stock off when it activates. That's right, this acts as a way for Armage to fully bypass death itself, fitting his immortal nature. The main problem is, most obviously, that this will take off 10 Planetium stacks off, automatically. Considering Armage will lose his stacks when he dies anyway, this isn't a major price to pay, but can make suicides very painful.


Down Special – Hear Their Pain


From his crouching position (Which looks even more awkward than his run), Armage lets out another roar as a pulse of dark energy is expelled from his body, shooting out in a circular area similar to his NSpec, but considerably smaller. This only reaches out around half a Battlefield Platform away from Armage and has a fairly quick hitbox that traverses the total distance in only a handful of frames. It has very little starting or ending lag as well.

That’s mostly because this doesn’t actually deal any damage, instead simply acting as a quick push that knocks the opponent out of the Don’s path. This still gives hitstun, but has no damage factor (This isn’t changed by any buffs, 0 times 100 is still 0), and has set knockback of the attack’s distance, which gives it plenty of purpose in terms of punishing opponents that come near... But Armage WANTS opponents to be near him in a lot of cases, so it's something to really only use at the right moments.


But, of course, this isn’t the only use of the move. Like with other attacks, Armage requires a Planetium stack in order to get the real use out of this move. With the use of a Planetium stack, Armage will let out a roar as he unleashes a field of darkness from his body, represented by the area graying out and black energy pressing downwards. Screams of pain and pleas for help can also be heard while inside the field. This animation actually takes a fairly long time, around a Falcon Punch worth of time, though the actual field will be created and active before the animation finishes. The end lag is much more manageable, consisting of only a few frames.

The size of the field changes depending on how many Planetium stacks you decide to use, which can be measured by holding the button (Standard input for one, 1 seconds for five, and this can be activated during the starting animation). This changes the amount of field, from being the Down Special’s normal range, to the same size as his NSpec’s range with five stacks used. This is almost, if not basically the exact same, size as his NSpec’s range, which makes it fairly dangerous, considering what it can do.

This is a field of absolute despair and pain, created from the souls Armage has absorbed into his body. This is a hideous attack that can cause some incredible damage if used right. The entire field acts as a hitbox, but only the first time an opponent enters it. This can activate while Armage is summoning it, or once it has become idle afterwards. When an opponent enters, they will instantly enter a special stun state where they’re pushed towards the ground (Even in the air they will practically instantly be pushed down) and remain there for the state of a trip. This deals 20% to the opponent, but obviously no knockback.

After that, the opponent will return to their normal stance, but will quickly find out that the field has an incredible gravitational force pushing down on it. This basically means that the gravity, while someone is inside the field, is doubled, practically making jumping and the like impossible. Obviously, this does not affect Don Armage. This even affects knockback… but only specifically OTHER player’s knockback, not the knockback Armage himself takes, or the amount of knockback Armage's attacks deal. This means that other players are more likely to use the low gravity to some advantage rather than Armage (In team matches, Armage’s immunity extends to his partner’s).

The field of despair can last indefinitely… but only while Armage is inside the field. Once he leaves, the field will remain on stage for 1.5 seconds before vanishing. Don Armage, being the only one not affected by the gravity, also takes normal knockback, making knocking him out of the field a priority if he manages to get off a maximum sized one. Also, Indavers aren’t immune to the effect, but Copy Armage’s are. On smaller sizes, it’s much more limiting, but they aren’t useless. The most obvious use of this is to keep opponents within your grasp, at least for a short time, so you can suck up their Planetium. There’s also general set-up uses.

Finally, as an easter egg, if you use this while having absorbed a minion, instead of generic screams and cries, you will get unique ones. For instance, the Pikmin death sound for Pikmin, terrified gibberish screaming from Indavers, etc. This can range from generic sounds if the minions are generic minions, to full quotes if the minions end up being actual characters.


Jark Grab Game
Grab & Pummel

Don Armage juts hit hand forward, now not carrying one of his swords, as a quick flash of purple energy appears in front of him. The flash has a rather large hitbox but lasts for only a few frames. If the opponent is hit, then Armage will shoot out a burst of dark smoke, which will envelop the opponent and leave them hanging in the air in their usual grabbed animation. Unlike the start of the move, this takes longer than most grabs to pull off. This acts like a “disjointed” grab, like Mewtwo’s, though obviously the animation itself is very different.

The pummel is also fairly standard. Armage will shoot a pulse through the dark energy, causing the opponent to take 3% damage. This is a fairly slow animation, meaning you won’t be able to get it off more than a few times before the opponent manages to escape. The Don’s grab game isn’t meant to be built around delivering consistent damage, however odd that might sound. No, Don Armage likes to make his opponents suffer.


Forward Throw – Never-ending Despair

Armage lets out a laugh as he thrusts his other hand (Now not carrying a sword either) towards the opponent. A sudden grey image of a crow appears around the opponent, covering them in a circular grey field. Both then disappear as the opponent becomes greyscale. Armage then thrusts his arm forwards again, causing the opponent to fly off, dealing a surprisingly low 5% damage, though with fairly decent knockback to compensate for it.


With this attack, Don Armage, picking up a trick from his former host Kuervo, has used the power of the Corvus Kyutama to inflict a never-ending despair onto his victim. What this means, aside from the greyscale visual effect, is that they will now be slower, by around a one-fourth on the ground, and by one-eighth in the air, and all their damage output will be halved. Knockback, however, will remain the same, which will be important in a second. Also, whenever idling, the character will enter a unique “depressed” animation.

On Don Armage’s side, this is a very obviously good status effect to have on hand at any time. It lets him nab their Planetium easier, and combined with a despair field, practically destroys movement options. It’s a rather devastating effect, and one that lasts a shockingly long 15 seconds. Armage can make excellent use of this, especially in the late game.

However, there are some rather easy ways for the opponent to get over this hump. Despite long timer, the opponent can manage to overcome this despair far earlier than intended. The way to do this is via attacking, and not just attacking Don Armage either, but attacking anything with a hurtbox will help. Hitting things that aren’t Armage will cause the timer to lower by 1 seconds, while attacking the Don himself will result in a full 3 seconds being taken off the timer. And yes, individual hits of a move count as multiple hits in this case. By playing an aggressive game, the opponent can dwindle the timer down to nothing in no time. KOing Don Armage will undo the entire thing in general. If the opponent manages to do this before the timer expires naturally, then the image of the crow will appear around them again, and then shatter, showing them to be free.

In addition to that, once they’ve broken from this despair, the opponent’s next smash attack on Armage will deal 1.5x knockback and damage, which is definitely a problem. This is shown by the opponent gaining a white light around them, and will stick around until Armage is actually hit by one. If Armage wants to make the best of this, he’ll need to hit equally fast as well, which is why mixing it with a despair field works well. There is another downside with this as well, in that this only works once per stock… at least, it only works for free.

If Don Armage tries to use the throw again on an opponent, the crow image will appear, and then shatter. Armage will let out a frustrated grunt before finishing the throw as normal. However, if Armage is willing to pay up another Planetium stack, then he can use it on the opponent again, though with 5 seconds reduced every time. This is reset once the opponent moves on to their next stock, however.

Overall, this throw has some considerable strength to it, mostly due to the status effect being so powerful, but Armage will want to use it sparingly still in order to avoid his plan backfiring and getting him killed. If Armage manages to take advantage of it well, this can be devastating for the opponent, but devastating for him if he doesn’t.


Down Throw – Become Part of Me!


Armage lets out another growl as he spreads his arms out, creating another suction effect in front of him. The opponent is then sucked directly into Armage’s body, much like how minions are when they are hit by the NSpec. With the opponent fully absorbed into his body, Armage is free to move around and attack as he pleases – At least until the opponent he trapped breaks free. Instead of being a terrifying attack like it is on minor characters, this instead acts as a DK style cargo grab. The main difference is that Armage is fully capable of doing other things but has no other throws to use on the opponent.

Being a cargo grab, the opponent can obviously escape… but it’s a bit harder to break free from an almighty being of pure darkness than it is with a gorilla. This requires 1.5x the amount of struggling that a normal grab would have, which makes this especially painful at higher percents. This does in fact mean you can Armagecide, and in tandem with the recovery use with the Copy Armage, it can prove to be a pretty dangerous maneuver.

When the opponent breaks out of this, Armage will take 2% damage, along with some hitstun, similar in length to the stun DK takes, except more painful because somebody is bursting out of his chest. While this is all there is to the throw by itself, there are some fun combos you can pull off by using other attacks.

The first is the NSpec. By using it while the opponent is inside Armage, they will still technically be within the attack’s range, and thus be able to get an easy Planetium stack from them. Of course, this can only be done once at a time, which is the cost of convenience. When this is used, the opponent inside Armage will be stunned and unable to perform any struggling until Armage finishes the animation, but to prevent Armage from being able to infinitely stall, the amount of struggling needed is halved once it has been used, making it easier for opponents to escape. The throw in general gets weaker as its used on a single opponent as well.

The other main attack to use is the DSpec, but only when a Planetium stack is available. When this is used while a player is inside Armage, they will be forcibly ejected from Armage’s body, dealing a ridiculous 25% damage, with knockback that can KO at 160-80% depending on the amount of Planetium used up. This is arguably one of the Don’s best KO attacks but unlike with the NSpec, this is something the opponent is able to break out of easily thanks to the horrible start-up lag, especially if Armage goes for a full charge. If the opponent breaks out during this time, the entire attack will be cancelled.

This is the first move we’ve covered that Armage can use, on his own, to truly KO his opponents. It has one of his strongest attacks, barring one other we’ll get to, but it comes at the cost of potential punishment on Don Armage’s end.


Up Throw – Die in the Void


Armage once again pulls the opponent towards him, though this time he grasps them in his open hand rather than absorbing them. From this point, Armage will let out a laugh, and then transform into his dark energy cloud form, which dashes upwards, dragging the opponent along with it. The cloud retains its look from the Up Special, but in this case is incapable of hitting any other opponents that might get in the way.

This is entirely focused on the grabbed opponent, being a throw and all. The hitbox of the attack consists of several different hits over a short distance upwards. Don Armage will dash upwards around 2 Ganondorf’s high, before the opponent is flung off. This deals 5 hits of 2% to the opponent over the course of the travel, with the final hit being the one that deals knockback. The knockback is directly upwards, but is fairly weak, only KOing past 200%... from the main Battlefield platform, obviously it changes depending on the altitude. Once the attack ends, Armage will return to normal and enter freefall.

Like with the USpec, the Don is able to infect the opponent with the poison effect by using up a Planetium stack. It behaves exactly the same, so there’s not much else worth noting on that front. The other interesting part of the attack is that this throw behaves slightly like Fox’s USpec, in that Armage is capable of changing the direction of the launch based on a directional input during the starting lag. However, in this case, Armage is limited to either diagonally upwards directions instead of the full eight. The attack remains the same despite the direction,but this does have some significant uses to it.


Back Throw – Begone, Insect!

Armage lets out a scoff as he looks at the opponent. In a quick movement, he spins around, lifting the opponent up into the air and then slamming them into the ground behind him. This slam launches the opponent. This is, if you can’t tell, Armage’s most normal throw, and is mainly used for spacing purposes, something it actually excels at thanks to there already being some considerable space between Armage and the opponent just from the grab alone.

This is also arguably the Don’s “kill throw”, though it’s less powerful than the DThrow’s effect with the DSpec. It will deal 8% damage, while bouncing the opponent off the ground, the knockback being able to KO at around 150%. Overall, this is a fairly standard throw, but one that Armage will probably use often in order to get opponents off his tail.

To note, the knockback will act the same if the throw ends up going over an edge. Slamming the opponent down really hard on thin air might not make sense, but he’s Don Armage, he can do what he wants.


Jark Standards
Jab – Jark Combo

Armage performs a fairly standard combo, first slashing his downwards-pointing sword up, then slashing his upwards-pointing sword down, then slashing the downwards-pointing one to the side, and finally finishing off by jutting his upwards sword forwards. The slashes are slow, but not too slow, on the level of Link, and flow into each other fairly quickly. Each hit will deal 3% damage, totaling up at 12%. The final hit will deal knockback, which is capable of KOing at fairly late percentages. This isn’t really meant to be one of Armage’s kill moves.

The reach of the jab is fairly standard, though Armage’s sword have less reach than they would seem to, thanks to them being short swords. Overall, this is just a standard jab, doing what a jab needs to have in order to be viable… but there is a tiny bit more to it than that. If the special button is rapidly pressed during any time the move is active, the Don will shift into a much more different attack, specifically one more resembling an infinite jab rather than a standard combo. As one might expect, this costs a Planetium Stack in order to actually use it.

This version of the jab has Armage rapidly slashing his swords in front of himself, each slash leaving behind a trail of dark energy that resembles a black hole. This is a rather large, circular hitbox directly in front of Armage, which has a suction effect that can draw opponents in if they get too close. Like most infinite jabs, this can go on for however long the button is rapidly pressed, but in this case, it must be the special attack button instead of the standard attack button. Each slash deals 2% damage and is capable of locking opponents slightly longer than most other infinite jabs.

The finishing blow of the jab is far more powerful, as Armage will cause the energy he has created to explode, dealing 10% damage and knockback that can KO at 150%. This is remarkably powerful, but you need to also consider that this uses up a Planetium stack. This is a great kill move, but if somethings goes wrong, then that stack has been used up. The best course of action is to use it when you know it will work, rather than just using it whenever.


Forward Tilt – Feathers of Destruction


Don Armage just his downwards-pointing sword forwards as the hilt begins to glow. As Armage sticks his arm out all the way, the hilt will fire out a flurry of blue energy projectiles that are vaguely shaped like feathers. The projectiles will spray out in a cone shaped area in front of him, which acts as the hitbox. But before we cover that in more detail, we have to cover the first part of the hitbox, which is actually the sword itself.

This is a very small hitbox, and is only active as the Don is jutting his sword out. The animation itself is one of Armage's faster attack animations. However, there is a tiny bit of start-up lag as he pulls back to punch the blade forward, but it isn't that much. This is a very weak attack nonetheless, dealing weak flinching knockback, and 2% damage. However, this means that it perfectly combos into the second hitbox of the move, the aforementioned feather projectiles. This is another trick he picked up from Kuervo. This hitbox is, obviously, a bit larger than the small sword one, reaching out to around 2/3rds the length of a Battlefield Platform.

The feathers have a very compact height, however. They’re fairly well spread out, but not enough to hit shorter characters who are right in front of Armage, or jumping characters. Basically, you’ll reliably hit standard sized characters and short characters who are a bit farther away, but the starting lag to the attack makes it unfortunately telegraphed, though the feathers come out practically instantaneously. Anyway, the actual behavior of the hitbox. When the feathers hit, they will lock the opponent in it, dealing rapid flinching damage, each dealing 1%. The maximum amount that the attack can hit for is 10%. This actually doesn’t deal that much knockback, only being able to KO at the late 200%s but has enough hitstun to make it safe on hit. This can also help it follow into combos.

The final thing to note is that, like some other FTilts, Armage can aim this up and down. The interesting thing to note is that the starting animation of the attack will always remain the same, no matter which direction is inputted. This can be a good way to trick advancing opponents into a jump, or shorter ones into a duck, and then hitting them with the projectile burst.


Up Tilt – Grovel at my Feet


Armage quickly thrusts his upwards-pointing sword up into the air at a diagonal angle. This has some considerable reach to it and is fairly quick as well. Though, it also has some ending lag that makes it hang for a brief moment. The hang doesn’t act as a hitbox, so it’s mostly just ending lag… kind of. If the attack manages to hit, it will deal 7% damage, and knockback that can KO past 230%. And it is an IF this hits, since its angle makes it very, very awkward.

Basically, the diagonal angle is high enough that it will only really hit the tallest characters and will fly right over the heads of middle to small sized characters. About its best application is as an anti-air attack. This is, of course, not exactly that great, but that isn’t all there is to this attack. By quickly pressing the attack button again during the end lag, Don Armage will quickly swing his blade downwards. This acts as a different hitbox, dealing 4% damage, and weak downwards knockback. In most cases this will mostly make the opponent slam into the ground, but it has uses in edge guarding as well.

This part of the attack is much faster, and has less ending lag to it, making it fairly safe to use. Its main use, as you might be able to tell, is to keep opponents grounded. If the first part of the attack actually manages to hit an opponent while jumping, the second part can be activated to drag the opponent down to the ground. The hitstun on this part of the attack, combined with its short ending lag, lets it easily combo into other attacks, punishing the opponent even more. Of course, if it doesn’t hit, that will leave Armage open for punishment himself.

This is only activated if Armage doesn't input another direction, however. If he inputs back and the attack button during the end lag, he will then sweep his blade over his head, in a quick animation that acts far more like a normal UTilt. This only deals 3% damage, but like the downwards slash, can combo directly from the first hit. This actually has decent knockback, KOing at 180% with backwards knockback. Also of note is that Armage will automatically turn around after the animation, which can be useful considering the quick animation.


Down Tilt – Spiraling Madness

From his, admittedly wonky looking, crouching position, Armage sweeps both of his swords on the ground, one going behind him and the other swinging in front of him. A burst of dark energy will fly up from the swords as he does so, forming a circle of dark energy around the Don. This acts as the hitbox of the move, stretching out to the side around 1/3rd of a Battlefield Platform away from Armage. This swirl of darkness is fairly powerful, dealing 9% damage, and knockback capable of KOing at 180%.

The main downside with this attack is that its very slow, as the animation itself looks slightly awkward for Don Armage to pull off. The other problem is that the hitbox doesn’t last for an incredibly long time either, and with bad lag on both ends of the attack, this can be a problem when actually trying to use it. This still isn't the slowest set in Armage's set, however, though it borders on Smash Attack levels of slowness. To make up for this, a bit, the attack also has a suction effect that can pull in nearby opponents, but they need to be very close in order for it to affect them, and it’s very weak besides that.

That isn’t all for this, as, at the cost of two Planetium stacks, Armage can activate a special effect. By pressing the special attack button during the attack, Armage will spin around much faster, with both swords sticking out and leaving a trail of darkness behind him. This will pull Armage out of his ending lag instantly, though this is still obviously slightly laggy… but it also completely cancels out the hitbox of the attack as well.

In exchange for that, Armage has now created a swirling void of dark energy on the stage, taking up Armage’s total width, plus the standard range of the move mentioned above. This will remain on the stage for 10 seconds, and while it’s completely incapable of dealing damage, it still retains its suction effect. Only now, it’s far more powerful, and is capable of dragging lighter characters in from nearly 2 Battlefield Platforms away. This is an effect that can obviously be used for a lot of practical purposes, such as bringing them into a despair field, or into Armage’s range so he can eat their Planetium. However, the expense of some Planetium can be a detriment as well, so it should be used wisely.


Dash Attack – Darkness’ Reach


From his dashing animation, Armage quickly transforms into his darkness cloud form, and gains a burst of speed as he flies forwards. The speed here isn’t scaled to the buffs, and remains the same at all points, which means that this speed burst might actually make Armage slower by some point. The attack itself is fairly standard, with his cloud form having a similar, though smaller, size compared to the USpec and UThrow.

The speed burst itself is considerable at Armage’s base speed, pushing him to at most Bowser’s run speed as he flies forwards 1.5 Battlefield Platforms. It has very little starting lag, though once the attack ends Armage will be put into bad ending lag. As the actual hitbox, it behaves like Armage’s other energy cloud-based attacks, dragging the opponent along for several hits. In this case, he will deal a maximum of 12% damage, with 6 hits each dealing 2% damage. The final hit deals knockback capable of KOing at 190%.

Like with the USpec, this is less effective on shields, though this is less of a detriment than on the USpec since Armage probably isn’t in the middle of recovering. And like the other ones based around this form, Armage can cough up some Planetium in order to inflict the poison status effect, though he has much less time to do this than on others. And as this is the last of Armage's cloud based attacks, its time to bring up one last feature.

Being as he is already in an amorphous cloud shape, the Don is perfectly capable of segueing into another one of his cloud based moves directly from another. More specifically, he can instantly go from either UThrow or Dash Attack directly into his USpecial by simply using the input, though there are a few catches. For one, his time in the form will be cut down by half, and second, he'll automatically let go of any opponents he currently had trapped in his body. The timing for this is tight, but it can allow for some excellent escape OR chase opportunities from Armage.


Jark Aerials
Neutral Air – Cycle of Despair


While in the air, Armage turns towards the screen and spreads his limbs out, before the large ring on his back suddenly starts to glow. It quickly detaches from his body and then grows as it starts to spin around rapidly. The ring will encompass the entirety of Don Armage’s body once it reaches its maximum radius but will quickly retract back to its normal position on his back once it has remained there for a few frames. This is a relatively fast attack, though it is laggy for an aerial, which means it can’t be used out of short hop.

The hitbox is a simple radial circle, acting like most other attacks similar to this, like Kirby’s Nair, except with some ludicrous reach to it thanks to Armage’s size. This makes it easy to hit with when it comes out, but its starting lag impedes making it incredible. The ring will deal 13% damage with knockback shooting the opponent in the opposite direction they were hit. The knockback can KO at around 160%, making it fairly powerful. This is a good “get away” attack, as most move of this type generally are.

There's another additional feature, one which, surprisingly, doesn't include Planetium stacks. By pressing the attack button again right before the attack ends, Armage will shoot out a ring of light from his ring. This functionally just increases the range of an attack with incredibly good range, and even deals the same damage as the base attack. It cannot hit someone who has already been hit by the initial hit, though. The second use of this is that will completely halt Armage's momentum while in the air, as well as push him up slightly when used. This can be used for a number of reasons, especially considering Armage's lackluster air game.


Down Air – Rain of Darkness

Armage turns to face the screen again, though this time he juts both of his swords downwards (This time both of them being held upside down), with a brief pause beforehand, so that the hilts are the ones pointing towards the ground. Like with the FTilt, they will start to glow as this happens, and spray out a flurry of feather-shaped projectiles. The starting lag is faster than on the NAir, but still too slow to use out of short hop. Not that using it out of short hop would be advised, due to this having a hitbox similar to the FTilt as well.

The main difference between this and the FTilt is that the feather shots are sprayed downwards, both at diagonal angles, and are slightly wider. This allows them to cover more ground, though they’re still in a cone shaped trajectory. The actual speed of the attack takes a while to fully finish, and Armage is more likely to actually land before the attack finishes from a normal double jump. The attack itself behaves similarly to the FTilt damage wise as well, though the damage is a bit different. The projectiles don't reach down that far, only around half a Ganondorf away from Armage.

While it still deals multiple hits of 1%, it now deals 12% maximum, rather than 10%. The final hit still deals knockback, this one being downwards, and capable of KOing at 180% off the ground. It is obviously better at KOing while off-stage. This is a good ambush attack, though it is fairly telegraphed, and as stated in the last sentence, is pretty good for off-stage attacks. Like the FTilt, these feather projectiels can also be aimed in certain directions, though it is only one direction, rather than two other ones.

During the brief pause at the start of the attack, the control stick can be inputted to either the right or left in order to make Armage jut both of his swords to the sides, rather than downwards. This functions exactly the same as it would normally, but the feather projectiles now reach out as far as they do on FTilt. This is a good fakeout tactic, as you can very easily convince opponents to jump directly into your stream of fire.


Forward Air – Sharp Pain

While in the air, Armage swings both of his swords, this time with both of them in their original positions. He will swing the upwards sword down, and the downwards sword upwards, creating a hitbox directly in front of him. This is actually one of Armage’s quicker moves, more comparable to a standard swordsman character speed-wise, rather than a heavyweight. It’s fast enough that it can be used out of short hop effectively, even.

The hitbox of the attack is, overall, very simple, forming a large arc shape in front of the Don thanks to the sweep from both of the swords. This has mediocre range for a sword-based move, like most of Armage’s other sword-based attacks, due to them being shorter than normal swords by a bit. Hitting with the swords will deal 12% damage, with knockback that can KO at 210%, making it fairly weak for Armage.

This is the Don’s go-to attack for when he’s in the air, alongside the NAir. With it being faster, though, this allows it to be used far more often, and far more recklessly than the previous two aerials. There isn’t much else to it, but it’s useful nonetheless.


Upward Air – Meteoric Impact

Armage pulls his sword back, and then swings it in an arc over his head. This sounds like a very standard swordsman animation, but it has an added bit of oddness to it, thanks to it being VERY slow. While it isn’t even the slowest of Armage’s aerials, it is slower than the animation would suggest. It can be used out of short hop, but will be cancelled out by the midway point. The swing is very deliberate, and actually stretches out a bit farther than usual via a purple blade of energy extending from the sword itself. This puts it more on the level of one of Marth’s sword swings, rather than Armage’s shorter ones.

With this heavier swing, that means that the Don is putting a lot more effort into making this one hurt. This is shown by the attack dealing 14% damage, and upwards knockback that can kill at 160%. This swing also has an added effect, but it only comes during the last few frames of it. If Armage manages to hit an airborne opponent during the period where the sword is just about to finish its arc, ending with it directly in front of Armage, a sweet spot will activate.

This sweet spot instead deals 18% damage, and incredibly heavy downwards knockback, rather than upwards knockback. This is great during air game, but obviously has the downside of being hard to hit with. This is mostly just another good aerial attack for Armage to use whenever he actually needs to be in the air, with an added kick to help KO airborne opponents more effectively as well.


Back Air – Strike from the End

Armage spins his body around and jabs both of his swords behind himself, with a very direct, sharp hitbox. This attack is very fast, comparable, or even faster than, a standard sword attack. The endlag is also very short, but more on the level of Mario’s NAir. The swords retain their short range, but the swords are held out for a while, and the hitbox remains active as well, giving it some added time to hit the opponent.

While this may seem like one of Armage's simplest attacks, and it kind of is, there is a bit of a layer here. The attack functions as a sex kick, dealing 13% damage and knockback that can KO at 170% as it comes out. As mentioned above, it can be held out for a bit longer, and like most sex kicks, will become slightly weaker as it continues. This equals to around 10% damage and KOing past 210%. However, this attack is very fast, and has at all decent range to it, which makes it definitely worth using, especially for the initial hit.


Jark Smashes
Down Smash – Unleashing Evil

Armage turns to face the screen, and then raises both of his swords, both pointing down. He then jabs them into the ground, causing bursts of dark energy to rise up on both sides of him. This is fairly laggy on its own, even when uncharged, as Armage simply jabbing the swords down takes a bit of effort. The ending lag, comparatively, is much faster, though still fairly slow, fitting for a heavyweight character like Armage. The speed, overall, is still more on the level of a standard heavyweight. While the two explosions are the main hitbox, Armage’s swords are hitboxes as well, and are far apart that he can easily hit with them, though the opponent has to be right next to him for them to actually hit.

The sword hitboxes are simple, dealing a consistent 5% damage, no matter the charge, and knockback that isn’t really that powerful. This is mostly because this combos directly into the explosion hitboxes. The explosions resemble standard, circular explosion clouds, except colored purple. They’re fairly large, all things considering, reaching out a decent ways out from Armage. Both of them are a slight distance away from Armage as well, and both cover around half a Battlefield Platform in individual length. Height wise, they are around the size of Armage as well.

These are very strong on their own, dealing 13-21% damage depending on the charge, with heavy knockback that can KO at 180-165%. This is a very powerful Smash but isn’t actually the strongest of them. But that’s for a bit later. Anyway, there’s not much else to this, it’s just a very good killing move, and a standard heavyweight one at that. Well, that’s still not all there is to the move!


If the special button is pressed during the start-up lag (Or any part, including the charge), then Armage will use some of his Planetium stacks, specifically 3 of them, to send dark energy coursing through the two blades. He will then stab them into the ground like normal, but instead of causing two explosions, two cracks will form in the ground. These cracks will start to slither across the ground, purple light emitting from them as they continue along the ground.

These cracks can continue across the ground for as long as they want, up until they reach the edge of the platform the attack was used on. Once they do reach their maximum distance, Armage will remove his swords from the ground, before all of the ground that the cracks covered explodes into large, purple explosions. These act as fully charged versions of the normal explosion hitboxes, dealing 21% damage and such. The other big thing to note about this is that this has even worse lag to it than the normal move, mainly on the end lag, as Armage will take a moment to pull his blades back. And as you might be able to tell, the initial animation is slow as well, and can easily take up more time than a Warlock Punch on some stages. The cracks do move fairly fast, but they have to cover the entire stage, which is a massive range.

Thankfully, Armage can cancel out of this at any time by pressing the special attack button again. Well, it will still put him into the ending lag, but will also prematurely explode the cracks. This can be used for tricking or trapping opponents in the blasts, rather than just cancelling out of the move entirely. Again, like other Planetium effects, its all about knowing the right time to use them, as a wrong use can simply waste Planetium rather than help the Don out in any way.


Up Smash – Wings of Destruction

Contrary to the title, instead of anything involving wings, Armage will pull his blades down to his sides for the charge animation, before slashing them upwards. The animation is similar to a few other sword-based USmashes, like Link’s, but with two swords. This part of the move is rather basic, acting similarly to others of its kind, being fast and having some extra range due to some added effects, in this case Armage’s swords will extend slightly thanks to dark energies, as mentioned in the UAir.

This is a fast attack and is probably the most similar to a standard sword attack in Armage’s arsenal. Just because its fast doesn’t mean its weak, however, as this will deal 14-22% damage depending on the charge and is capable of KOing at 180%. The hitbox starts off around Armage’s waist, and then continues upwards in an arc until both swords meet right above the Don. The ending lag is this attack’s main downside, as its fairly heavy, with Armage scraping his swords together as he brings them back down.


Of course, this isn’t all there is to the move. By pressing the special attack button during the charge, Armage can use up 2 Planetium stacks in order to activate a new move. For this, he’ll rise up into the air a slight bit, all while glowing a holy light, and then create a burst of darkness around him, dark crow wings appearing behind him for a moment. This is another radius-based attack, with the hitbox being completely circular. This is a very large radius as well, nearly comparable to a fully sized Smart Bomb explosion, which is terrifying.

This isn’t a charged move and will instantly happen once the button is pressed and the Planetium is used. Opponents caught in the blast will receive 25% damage instantly and be forced into a stunned state that lasts for 2 seconds. This leaves them open for Armage or his minions to attack, or for the Don to get some extra Planetium. The main drawback is that the starting lag is tremendously terrible, potentially the worst in his set, and he can be knocked out of it. However, pressing the special attack button again at any point before the end will cause Armage to cancel directly into the attack, though in these cases it will only deal 18% damage. Like with other moves, this will use up the Planetium.

The main way to use this is to mix it with the despair fields, or a slowed opponent. This will leave them far more vulnerable to the attack, and lead to lots of damage in a best-case scenario. 3 Planetium is still a lot to give up for a potentially missed attack, so it’s best to use it wisely. The wings in the animation don’t do anything and are purely aesthetic.


Forward Smash – Ultimate Despair
For the charging animation, Armage will cross his swords in front of himself as dark energy starts to gather into them. Once the charge is let go, he’ll lift the swords up, still coursing with dark energy, and then slam them into the ground. This has a very slow start-up, and the animation is slow as well, definitely comparable to most heavyweight smashes. The swords don’t get any increased range, instead the hitbox being directly in front of the Don. Like how the attack is slow, the ending lag is as well, making a whiff very punishable.

The endlag actually changes depending on the charge, with it only reaching absolutely terrible at full charge. The attack has some good damage values, as you might expect, 18-32% damage depending on the charge, with knockback that can KO at around 80%. Hitting with a fully charged FSmash is something nearly impossible to do, but its one of the most satisfying things to pull off. It has the risk-reward factor of a reverse Warlock Punch, and can be just as fun. The same can be said about what happens when Armage decides to put some Planetium into the attack.


Like before, this is activated by pressing the special attack button at any point during the starting animation. This will completely change the animation, as Armage’s blades will vanish, being replaced with dark energy, which he starts to charge up in between his hands. This doesn’t have a standard charge period, instead it takes one second, plus the time it took for you to press the special button. The ball of Dark Planetium will grow, before he fires it out as a massive laser beam.

This works almost exactly like the Zero Laser, with the beam having infinite range and dealing rapid hits to whoever gets caught in it. In this, case it will deal many hits of 2%, ultimately totaling at 44% damage. The last hit deals knockback, KOing at around 50%. The beam itself isn’t as wide as the Zero Laser, covering only around Armage’s neck to his ankles, meaning less than a Ganondorf in height. Armage can also angle it up and down slightly as well.

You might be thinking that this is absolutely insane, and yeah, it is, but there’s one major downside to it. Using this attack requires 10 Planetium stacks. This is already a remarkably difficult thing to do by itself, but, like with others, you need to consider whether sacrificing enhanced movement is the right choice at the moment. There are obvious more advantageous situations, like near the end of a match, or when you’re at an advantage and the opponent is down to one stock, but if it misses, you’re down by 10 buffs.

Gathering Planetium stacks, being as difficult as it is, means you won’t be likely to see this in a standard match. This requires some incredible playing in order to do. But we aren’t done yet, as this has something even more special to it if you manage to get all 20 stacks. Using all 20 stacks will happen automatically if you press the special button, meaning you won’t be able to get two of these off… but that isn’t much of a downside.

With all 20 stacks, the beam will be fully upgraded to Zero Beam levels, with slightly better movement speed. This is practically a one-hit kill if you manage to get it off, as it will deal 444% damage, and will KO at… well, you can probably tell when this KOs. This is entirely a bonus, however, because the chance of actually getting 20 stacks is a near impossibility, especially with most of the in-Smash characters. The easiest way to get it is to fight three Olimars at once, and that isn’t going to happen.

The base version of the Smash is what it is, a heavy hitting, slow Smash for a heavyweight character. It works perfectly fine as usual. It’s boosted effects, while rare to ever actually see, are monstrous in nature and will terrify opponents if you manage to get them off. As a universal dictator and being of pure despair, Don Armage is perfectly willing to use his full strength to deal with the insects that bother him.


Final Smash
End of the Universe


Armage has the Smash Ball! Using its unlimited power, he will fly up into the sky and off screen, entering a cinematic style Final Smash. Armage will appear in space, hovering above a planet that looks like Earth (Though it likely isn’t considering Smash’s stages, but let’s be simple here). He then holds out his hands as Dark Planetium starts to course through him. He will then fire the Dark Planetium at the planet, covering it in the dark energy.

The planet will then start to crack, purple aura shining through the cracks. Finally, it will explode in a massive burst of dark energy. This blast of Dark Planetium is strong enough to wipe out the entirety of the universe right then and there, reducing it to a simple black slate… from which Armage’s red shining eyes appear. He lets out a laugh… and then the match returns to normal.

Despite this incredibly over the top animation, this acts as functionally a guaranteed kill against every opponent on stage, similar to Final Smashes like Shulk or Captain Falcon’s, except there’s no hitbox to avoid and basically no way to escape it. Unlike other nonsensical full screen wipe moves, this actually doesn’t technically affect everyone, only active players. So yes, while a Giant Metal Giga Bowser WOULD be killed, a Giant Metal Giga Bowser on a respawn platform would NOT be killed.

Also of note is that this actually affects everything else on stage as well. Items, minions, anything that was on the stage beforehand will be killed, and the stage will be wiped completely clean. This, unfortunately, also applies to Armage’s own minions. Finally, if this is used to end a match, then the “GAME!” splash will appear before the cinematic ends, though it will follow up directly to the standard results screen afterwards.
 
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ForwardArrow

Smash Ace
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
503
Don Armage
I'll admit as a fan of Genis I was excited but cautiously optimistic about this set, and if nothing else it does overlap with Genis some in terms of mechanics, relying on a minion absorbing ammo mechanic. There is a decent idea of balancing between having your summons out and letting Don Armage have Planetium, though it might be worth changing that rule a bit so he doesn't screw over Olimar that hard so the limit thing exclusively applies to Don Armage's minions. I know some characters have brutal losing matchups but I think that might be a bit excessive. It'd also be worth putting a cap on minions over a certain stamina amount not gettting absorbed but rather giving a Planetium stack, as while its a corner case Don Armage does seem like he's meant to be in the same game as characters with HP that goes even higher than that of his copy Armage, and being able to instantly delete those which the opponent worked hard to make in most cases is kind of dumb.

I'll be honest though, this set really failed to deliver in the same way Genis did, for a pretty small but key reason. Don Armage is comically laggy, with every move taking an absurd amount of time to come out with damage and knockback values usually not worth the lag time put in. Yes, they get better with Planetium buffs, but that's not the problem. In Smash 4, every character including Ganondorf has a decent few combos available, and Don Armage has at most maybe a combo with the later hits of his jab or some aerials, though even his jab comes out slow and ends slow so Don Armage is going to be punished all over the place and never land anything even by a character with speed like Ganondorf or Bowser's, let alone a fast character. You list like 3-4 instances of Falcon Punch to Warlock Punch lag, and those moves are considered absurdly impractical for a reason. One of the moves, large range or no, relying on such massive lag, is the ability to gather Planetium, which already exists in absurdly limited quantities(in a 2 stock match, the standard for Smash 4, Don Armage can gather a maximum of 5 from the stage + 4 from the opponent + 3 from minions for 12 stacks over the course of an entire match, not even just a stock).

While Planetium can improve his attacks, it frequently doesn't help the "hilariously impractical lag" problem, with the Down Tilt and Jab being the only moves that actually gain practicality from using up these extremely limited stacks, and even then they won't set up much. Despair fields and the FThrow limit movement which isn't lacking in value, but the fact that dodges and shields still exist is enough that I don't think Don Armage's hilariously telegraphed attacks are going to be landing anyway, let alone opponents just punishing him with fast attacks. Don Armage desperately needs something to actually let him land all his slow moves, whether it be some kind of lag cut from Planetium, some delayed hitboxes to set up his extremely slow attacks(and the minions don't count considering they need a Warlock Punch of lag to get out and die in like 2 hits), or some way to abuse the gravity boost and down tilt suction in more complex ways to actually lead into something.

As an aside, this set has two moves that straight up hurt Don Armage to use. First of all is Copy Armage, who upon Don Armage being KO'd dies, using up all 5 Planetium stacks you invested in him, and respawns Don Armage in his place. Don Armage presumably has no respawn invincibility here and given how slow his moveset is and how it leaves him in a position right where the foe can prepare a Smash attack or another combo, this is actually worse than just going back to the respawn platform by far and can frequently end in Don Armage getting 2 stocked in hilariously comical fashion as a character with so much lag really, really wants that respawn invincibility to get literally any setup going. When its basically just far worse than reappearing on the respawn platform, I'd hope he would get something if he respawns this way, like not losing a stock but keeping his damage percent(its 5 Planetium stacks you have to sacrifice to force a foe to land a KO move again, I'm not even sure THAT trade is worth it let alone the one now), or getting not just respawn invincibility when he respawns in that spot but also a short term buff.

Forward Throw is also a whole can of worms, the effect isn't terribly interesting due to honestly not flowing into his playstyle all that well(movement slow is not going to make those laggier attacks easy to hit, nor is cutting damage unless he has super armor that only works on moves below a certain percent). But the big problem I have with it, honestly, is the absolutely preposterous downside that is slapped on the move of the opponent's next hit to Don Armage dealing double damage and knockback. In chat we had a discussion on moves that deal KO at like 60% managing to kill near 0% on Bowser with a 1.5x damage and knockback multiplier in effect. A 2x damage and knockback multiplier means almost any smash attack in the game will instantly kill Don Armage, and relieving the effect is as simple as landing a few jabs, which is pathetically easy on a comically slow and clunky character like Don Armage. I'm pretty sure the damage nerf lets the hits combo better, even. I think this move might need a complete rework of how it acts, as I think you had the right idea of applying some kind of debilitation effect with a downside as a core of Armage's playstyle to let him deal with his slowness, but handled as it is it serves no practical purpose for that and honestly isn't fun to play with or against.

I complain about this set but honestly, I do see where this could've been an interesting moveset. The respawn mechanic with Don Armage, the crippling throw which can eventually backfire, the prospect of turning the smashes into incredibly flashy hitboxes that require a bit of setup to land but at least cover big areas, its fun stuff. Unfortunately the set's not consistent with the fun ideas it has, a lot of the time delving into random sword moves that honestly don't add anything to the playstyle except occasionally practicality as the most flow they give occasionally being "you can use Planetium on these". The process of getting Planetium is easy, you could really afford to make ways for him to have more of it available or to make it easier to access among other things. Instead the set often just goes for generic hitboxes that would honestly be more interesting in those swordsman sets you hate so much because then they could at least connect into combos or something. Barring Down Throw, his one genuinely powerful move, Armage really just needs to have speed and occasional power buffs across the board, as well as reworks to Copy Armage/FThrow and some more ways to access Planetium. If the set manages that, it won't flow that well immediately unless you're willing to delve into further reworks, but it would at least achieve the playstyle I think you were originally going for.

Mr. SSB Luigi
If you couldn't tell from the comment title, I dislike this set quite a bit, but for very different reasons than Armage up there. This set was designed as a semi-clone of Luigi, and in all honesty it is not impossible for me to be on board with a semi-clone. If the set has a strong core concept to redefine how all the moves are used, or puts a lot of effort into truly redefining the properties of the old moves like Pigma did with Fox's specials(though it totally abandoned the semi-clone thing after that), I could enjoy it. Mr. L does not provide any of that. The core concept of this set is a... slight magnetism effect. And a hitstun buff, which is applied by Mario's fireballs or a new lightning combo move on Neutral Special. I'm not saying this doesn't open up new combo opportunities or what have you, but this is the kind of thing someone picking up Mr. L for the first time would not even notice, period, and would not exactly blow some competitive player's mind either as it really doesn't distinguish him very well from Luigi most of the time.

I'm aware you swapped some inputs around, and made functionalities slightly different, but the set really does rip a lot from Luigi and Mario's existing sets and when the core mechanical change is so minor it comes across as dangerously close to a clone. An exact clone or close enough, fine, its not, but for the casual audiences it provides a far less substantial difference than Wolf, who I'm pretty sure was cut because of people thinking he was a clone and making him less popular. Competitive players aren't going to get nearly as much out of this change to Luigi's set than a full new moveset. Its not an awful competitive set, its actually balanced pretty well, but it doesn't provide as much variety or depth as a more seriously varied set from Luigi. But when it contributes, IMO, fairly little at a competitive level, its ridiculous similarity to Luigi for the casuals is enough to make it come across as a really boring moveset overall, and I mean that more objectively than when I say that usually.

As an aside, the set doesn't really make use of the fact that the character is Mr. L at all. I understand that you might find including Brobot stuff awkward, but the only thing you do add is thunder moves taken from the Mario and Luigi games and make him come across as slightly more confident in some moves. It comes across more as an interpretation of M&L Luigi than the actual Mr. L, but with the personality of Mr. L, and on the whole I can't say I approve of that as a means of characterizing him. I think what Mr. L brings to the table should've been used at all, it certainly could've given him something more to play on beyond a weak magnetism effect. I don't expect you to agree with me on this, but it really doesn't feel much like Mr. L and more like Luigi with additional confidence for different reasons.

I will say I didn't hate everything about this set, I at least think it gets the personality change Luigi undergoes as Mr. L and the Bown Throw is a rare move where I think you actually added the kind of substance I was hoping for out of a semi-clone set. The flutterkick and fear factor of the Up Special were also honestly not used all that badly, even if I think the kind of flow you went for is too indirect for my taste. But the worst thing for a semi-clone to be, at the end of the day, is boring as they have the most to lose because of that, and Mr. L is sadly very, very boring.

By the way I really have to ask why you decided to make a borderline clone of Luigi's moveset and submit it to MYM twice. You'd think that would be a one-time mistake but you've done it twice now, not sure what the thought process behind that is.

Edit: In hindsight I did not notice that the flutterjump was not a thing in the original Luigi set, which does hurt my argument here a bit. I'm still going to need some convincing that this set is not pretty damn close to Luigi in how it plays out.

Djimmi
Let me get a couple nitpicks out of the way to start with, I do think this set gets a bit odd with its choice of interactions on inputs. Nair and Fair create constructs with some very cool effects that I think contribute nicely to the set, but they suffer a bit from just feeling kind of odd on aerials. I can almost completely excuse it on Fair because its not usually a very long lasting thing but on Nair it is weird how a move that basically creates a new option for placing the Neutral Special treasure chest is on an aerial. It just feels like a bit too close to a special for something on an aerial input, but I don't exactly want you to axe the move(and also definently not Fair) because what it does is great. I also think the whole "weak projectiles" thing that a few moves interact with is, honestly, a little bit of an obscure thing that while at least consistent would probably take people a bit to figure out, and while its not important to playing Djimmi casually the fact that some interactions would just happen without the player really understanding what caused them before they realize the specific properties of the projectile that are necessary is awkward. Its hardly unplayable at lower levels but its just something that would probably throw less educated players and opponents off more than I'd like. Like the Nair, I do not want you to cut these effects as a lot of them are very cool.

Getting into what I like, this is probably your best projectile manipulation set which is impressive as you've made a lot and they delve into a lot of different approaches to it, from O'Neill to Baku. I'm a huge fan of how the super projectiles are constructed and utilized, with them leading into some very cool payoffs with how Djimmi can play off the powerful setups a super projectile creates with moves like Uair and the various projectile manipulation moves later which become awesome on a super projectile. I think my favorite payoff is Up Smash though, seeing what a good Djimmi player could do with those pyramids would truly be something to behold. There's plenty more where that came from with the cool cargo throw, Down Smash, and the Up Aerial to pull off an insanely rewarding attack if you get a particular kind of setup going. The projectiles also feel like they're designed with a hand of care that will prevent Djimmi from getting too campy with them, serving a slight camping purpose but he's only really going to get places if he gets in there and pushes those projectiles to the fullest of their potential.

Honestly this character was bursting potential with his five phase boss fight, and it was really something to see you instead of picking and choosing what you want and going for simpler stuff on top of it just go crazy and use everything. It might stretch into almost too much at points, but it lends to a kind of extremely exciting projectile play that I actually think is designed to be fun to watch and play against as well as just for the analytical minds of its players. You don't make it so Djimmi accidentally destroys his whole setup due to trying to do something practical in self-defense or ever make it so overbearing the opponent can't rebound, and it makes the ambitious execution all that much more satisfying in how it plays out. I can't help but prefer this approach heavily to something like Doomfist, it might be a bit more daunting to approach as a casual player but there's so much more for someone who wants to seriously invest in your moveset to sink their teeth into. The fact that its a bit much in places prevents me from liking it quite as much as Ribby and Croaks, but it says a lot I'm not sure what I'd take out.
 
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Professor Lexicovermis

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Oct 27, 2015
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Anaxa, the Aspect of Space

Anaxa is an anthropomorphic black rabbit clad in a vaguely realistic space helmet. Her visor is constantly tinted purple with an eerie light, and her face is not visible in any camera angle. Keen eyes will notice an unfortunate crack running through this glass visor. Anaxa's time spent drifting aimlessly in space has... changed her. She wields unusual powers thanks to her status as the Aspect of Space; they include things like creating black holes, manipulating stars, and even creating new galaxies. Despite having this amazing ability to create new worlds, Anaxa seems to be indifferent to them at best and flat out destructive towards them at her worst. Some of her animations suggest that she may or may not be in full control of her situation. Her limp, ragdoll-like movements also suggest this.

Anaxa was the leader of a race of rabbitfolk living on a Moon. Not necessarily THE moon, just one of many in the cosmos. She studied Earth/PNF-404/Whatever planet Smash Bros takes place on from afar for quite some time, and got the urge to visit it. With the aid of her subjects, she designed a helmet that would allow her to travel through the void of space safely (more or less). Unfortunately for her, she underestimated the time it'd take to arrive at her destination. Anaxa floated through space, alone with her thoughts, for an unknown length of time. Apparently SOMETHING happened to her en route, as her eventual arrival revealed. She now has unusual, vaguely Eldritch powers over space itself, a warped mentality, and apparently some physical changes as well.

Anaxa is one of several characters from Aspect Ratio, an original universe of mine that is heavily inspired by Rivals of Aether.


Spacey Stats:

Height: Almost Rosalina
Weight: Just above Jigglypuff
Ground Speed: Villager
Air Speed: Jigglypuff

Anaxa is rather sluggish on the ground, floating along as though still in space. Interestingly, she puts in no apparent effort to moving forward; instead her animations suggest she merely bobs in place as some invisible force pulls her along. In the air, however, she has much more impressive mobility, easily amongst the best in the game. Her jumps are both fairly high and "floaty" like the PSI users'. Her grounded jump animation actually has her kick off the floor, but her double jump has her simply go more limp than usual as SOMETHING pulls her upwards... Anaxa also boasts a very slow fall speed; as if gravity doesn't work particularly well for her. Despite this, her fastfall is nearly on par with that of Fox. Her fastfall actually has a visual effect, with her seeming to enter terminal velocity, complete with faint purple fire on her feet. This doesn't actually do anything, however. Anaxa is tall and lanky, nearly rivaling fellow space-enthusiast Rosalina. Her ears actually make her a bit taller, but they are not considered part of her hurtbox. Her time in space has apparently reduced her down to nigh weightlessness, and so she is very light; only slightly heavier than Jigglypuff.


Major Mechanic: Galaxies

Anaxa's unusual abilities allow her to create up to two galaxies using her Tilts. These galaxies, codenamed 10-5-6-6 and 7-5-15-6-6, are large, purple swirls of stars and planets that are roughly Kirby's size. Despite having two separate codenames, they behave identically and look identical. All of Anaxa's tilts will create a galaxy, with the oldest vanishing if two are out already. When a galaxy is created, it will glow brilliantly and swirl rapidly for a half second. During this time, the galaxy acts much like a Bumper, dealing 8% and moderate radial knockback to anyone besides Anaxa. Once this half second ends, the galaxy ceases to act as a hitbox, and merely floats in the "background." These galaxies are fairly important to Anaxa's fighting style, but we'll get to that in a bit. For now, just know that anything with a purple aura will travel between two galaxies if two are available. Certain objects can remain in limbo "between" galaxies if only one exists; these objects will point that out in their description if applicable. Know that this state of limbo always lasts for 3 seconds or until a new galaxy is created.



Stellar Specials

Neutral Special: Fatal Attraction

With startup not unlike that of Palutena's Heavenly Light, Anaxa's body goes limp as she raises a hand above her head. Suddenly, a small black hole forms in the palm of this hand! By default, this black hole will remain open for a quarter second, but holding B can keep it open for a full second, no longer. Limitations such as these are irksome, but they are also what drives us to push ever further in our endeavors. The black hole closes very quickly, but Anaxa suffers a notable amount of endlag as she picks herself up.

While it's open, the black hole attracts enemies and galaxies alike. It does not, however, affect projectiles, at least, not the foe's. Anaxa's own projectiles will be pulled in as well. In a way, this is a poetic illustration of the common Zoner's intimate fear of approaching confrontations. Fascinating. Enemies are pulled towards the black hole at Bowser's dash speed, and can resist the pull by simply dashing away from it. Should a fighter find themselves pulled into the black hole, they will suffer 13% damage. Anaxa will then clench her fist, forcibly collapsing the black hole to launch the victim straight upwards with moderate knockback. A different upwards angle can be chosen using the analog stick, if you so desire, but doing so implies a lack of trust in the will of the cosmos.

Anaxa's galaxies are pulled in at a much more expedient rate, traveling at Pikachu's dash speed. This is because, as is well documented, galaxies are in fact less dense than the average human. Should a galaxy be pulled in, Anaxa performs the same animation. However, the sheer force of the collapsing black hole will detonate the galaxy into a blast of cosmic power. This blast is nearly Bowser sized, and deals a staggering 25% and high knockback. However, this requires Anaxa to sacrifice a galaxy, have one out in the first place, and grab it instead of an opponent. It also requires the foe to be relatively close to her. If she has a galaxy nearby, it may well be in the foe's best interest to hop into the black hole themselves. This blast can also occur if her two galaxies collide while traveling, but this will completely nullify her setup. Is it worth it? In a cosmic sense, it's debatable.

"Black holes are often reviled as dangerous phenomena. However, this is little more than sensationalism. My people have inhabited holes for centuries; why should we fear them now? Now. Ow. Ow? Something... feels off. ...must be my imagination."

Side Special: Directing the Stars

Anaxa's visor glows with a piercing violet light for a startup equal to Duck Hunt's Clay Toss. Once this startup ends, she places her hands to the sides of her visor before performing a gesture that will be very familiar to fans of Nintendo Directs. This gesture will launch a Turnip-sized purple star from her visor, after which she'll suffer a moment of endlag as she vacantly waves goodbye to the star. Shooting stars accelerate as they fly, starting at around Mario's dash speed and capping at nearly Sonic's dash speed when they've traveled a Final Destination. What a misleading name for an area. As long as one keeps their mind open, there is no such thing as a final destination...

Shooting stars deal the same damage and knockback regardless of their speed: 12% and moderate knockback. This unusual consistency is one of many mysteries relating to the cosmos...

Normally it'd appear that these stars have no hope of reaching their full speed. However, launching them through a galaxy will cause them to instantly fly out of the other galaxy. If only one galaxy exists, the shooting star will vanish into the ether. After 3 seconds or upon the creation of a new galaxy, the star will be launched out from the galaxy it entered or the new galaxy, respectively. This way Anaxa can more easily direct the stars. More interestingly, traveling between galaxies will cause the stars to speed up as if they had traveled half of Final Destination. Because of this, it may be wise to make use of galaxies simply to expedite the travel of stars. Doing so, however, requires you to be willing to meddle in the affairs of stars. Are you willing to do that...?

As mentioned above, Anaxa's projectiles can be pulled in by Fatal Attraction. Shooting Stars are no exception. Should a star be fully pulled into the black hole, it will be compressed greatly, forming it into a rapidly spinning, purple pulsar. This pulsar is slightly larger than a Turnip, because, as is widely known and accepted, objects compressed by a black hole actively increase in size. Pulsars remain hovering where they were born for roughly 10 seconds. While active, they behave as a rather strange trap. Contact with one will cause a foe to take 12 rapid hits of 1% and cause them to be "pulled" into the center of the pulsar. Once these hits occur, the pulsar will release a small, localized blast of energy that deals no damage, but moderately high knockback. There is a very small delay between the end of the suction effect and the blast, barely notable. A pulsar can only be used once, after which it returns to the void.

Pulsars can be pulled with Fatal Attraction as well. This allows fine tuning of their placement. Should one be pulled into the black hole fully, it will be converted back into a shooting star, and launched forward at the speed it reached before becoming a pulsar. What a fascinating process.

"Scholars have attempted for ages to count and catalog the stars that bloom all across the universe. This is a fool's errand, as stars are constantly being born and dying. In an effort to aid in this futile cataloging, I have taken it upon myself to witness the birth of new stars personally. It is apparently ill-advised to observe such wonders with no eye protection, but I am confident that my helmet's visor will suffice."

Up Special: Voidwalker

With similar startup to Farore's Wind, a purple, starry aura surrounds Anaxa, who seems to desperately attempt to remove her helmet. She then vanishes altogether. After a very short delay, she reappears from one of her galaxies, apparently no worse for wear. This is an extremely straightforward teleport recovery, with the ability to input left or right to choose which of your two galaxies you want to teleport to if you indeed have two out. If no selection is input, this defaults to the nearest galaxy. This Up Special is a good way to escape pressure... which is a valuable asset, since air pressure is the main detriment standing in the way of a proper Voidwalking experience. Anaxa does not enter helpless the first time she uses this in air, but DOES on further uses; this refreshes when she lands. Though, arguably anyone with sufficient knowledge of proper Voidwalking protocol is never truly helpless.

If no galaxies exist, the startup of this is increased negligibly as Anaxa tosses a purple orb of energy skyward, creating a galaxy roughly two Ganons above her. This particular galaxy doesn't have the lingering hitbox the others have, being purely for recovery purposes. This "emergency galaxy" WILL put Anaxa in helpless, but will then act as a normal galaxy after the initial usage. It may seem arbitrary to label this identical galaxy as something different than its brethren, but rest assured that it's better this way.

There's one final trick up the cosmonaut's nonexistent sleeves, however: press Special again during this move's startup, and Anaxa will instead warp a dying star to the chosen galaxy. This star will pop out of the galaxy very briefly before exploding into a starry burst the size of a fully charged PK Flash. This sneaky blast hits rather hard (20% and moderately high knockback), but destroys the galaxy used, setting Anaxa back a bit in her setup. Is it truly a setup, though? Surely "star system" would be a more appropriate term for what is being created here?

"More traditional Voidwalkers frown upon them, but I highly advocate the usage of galaxies as makeshift shortcuts when traveling. Shortcuts... I suppose that's a misnomer considering that using a galaxy as a jump point merely fires one's body across an unfathomable distance in a matter of moments. This has no apparent adverse effects, though I have noted some occasional difficulties with breathing mid-jump. I find that simply removing all breathing apparatuses before making a jump will make the process much more pleasant."

Down Special: Cometose

Anaxa, from her normal limp stance, arches her back to painful levels, effectively reversing her usual pose. In the meantime, a lavender comet appears directly above her, roughly as high as Pikachu's Thunder cloud. Holding B will cause the comet to hang there, gathering purple energy. Once B is released, the comet plummets downward at a 45 degree angle as Anaxa violently snaps back into her normal stance with a loud POP. Depending on the charge time, the comet will fall at Kirby's dash speed or as fast as DK's dash. As it travels, it slowly accelerates, eventually capping at just above Sonic's dash after falling 7 Ganon heights. One may wonder why the comet cannot be charged to its full potential to begin with. That is a mystery for the ages. The comet's strength increases accordingly, going from 7% and light-moderate knockback all the way up to 20% and high knockback. Up to two comets can exist at once, and they last indefinitely.

As with Anaxa's shooting stars and other projectiles, comets can enter galaxies. They'll pop out of the destination galaxy, still falling, and will be treated as if they had fallen a Ganon in the meantime. Seems like a short distance to travel, all things considered, doesn't it? Comets can also be pulled in with Fatal Attraction; pulling one into the black hole will have Anaxa perform the usual animation, and launch the comet towards the nearest foe at its current speed. It'll now fly at this new angle until it hits something, exits the screen, or is pulled in again.

"Comets are cool. Literally, in the temperature sense, that is. They ARE made up of ice, after all. They tend to follow one path forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and- Until something, or someONE knocks them off this path. I rather enjoy doing this; it's like a massive game of billiards! One time, a comet I interrupted hit a rather small planet. I wonder if anyone lived there...?"

Starlit Standards

Jab: Passive Aggressive

In what seems to be a rather straightforward Jab combo, Anaxa punches twice, then winds back for a third swing. As she does so, a burst of cosmic energy occurs in front of her, knocking enemies away as she swings at nothing with some apparent confusion. Though it can very easily be argued that she doesn't swing at "nothing," as air is something.

The first two hits of this combo deal 2% and 3% respectively, and practically no knockback. The cosmic blast deals 6% and decent knockback for a Jab. Despite it usually whiffing, Anaxa's final punch can land against foes who dodge the cosmic blast; it deals 5% and light knockback. Since this is not a Tilt, it does not create a galaxy. In some sense, this is a good thing, as it gives Anaxa a means of getting opponents away from her without jeopardizing her setup.

"I've found that occasionally my efforts will produce results earlier than expected. A lesser mind might attribute this to some supernatural force, but I am above that superstitious thinking. It is patently obvious to me that there is a logical explanation to this, and that explanation is... is... is.........."

Forward Tilt: A Crack in Space

Anaxa starts to wind back for a punch, then stops as her helmet's visor flickers violently. She tilts her head in confusion as a blast of cosmic energy (similar in size and shape to ROB's F-Smash) is fired from said visor. This is a rather straightforward Tilt in terms of speed, with the benefits of range and being able to angle the beam. The blast deals 9% and light-moderate knockback. Once the blast ends, Anaxa has a short bit of endlag as she reaches up and manually "untilts" her head. A very faint, but chilling CRACK can be heard as she does so. This is of course, nothing to be concerned about.

This move creates a galaxy in front of Anaxa, with it forming at the very tip of the blast. Visually, the blast seems to "swirl" into the form of a galaxy. This is Anaxa's main method of creating galaxies, and is a fairly simple and reliable move. Though perhaps the creation of a galaxy shouldn't be called "simple."

"I've heard that awful CRACK again. That sound seems to follow me wherever I go. I haven't yet worked out what produces it, but it almost puts me in mind of... a bone breaking. Breaking... new ground in Voidwalking techniques, the generation of new galaxies is sure to put a pep in your step and a CRACK in your neck."

Up Tilt: Arc Angel

In a move comparable to Villager's U-Tilt in speed, Anaxa waves a hand limply over her head. One finger is extended, and glows with purple energy. This motion creates an arc of purple stars over Anaxa's head, which lingers for a negligible amount of time before rapidly spiraling into a new galaxy. This tilt deals 7% and light upwards knockback, and it's rather good at protecting Anaxa from airborne threats. Though, one so in tune with with the cosmos shouldn't fear anything airborne anyway.

Obviously, this move creates a galaxy above Anaxa. Though, that's not all it's good for. There is also a sweetspot, on Anaxa's actual hand. This hitbox is very small, and requires nigh-perfect timing to land. Should it successfully connect, however, the tilt will deal a vastly increased 20% and moderately high upwards knockback, becoming a deadly kill move at the cost of not generating a galaxy above Anaxa. Tradeoffs like these are unfortunate, but a necessary evil in life.

"Curiously, the arc seems to be an important shape on a cosmic level. Close observation of the shape of the universe reveals countless arcs, surprisingly. In an attempt to better understand this, I decided to attempt to trace one of these arcs myself. The results were... unexpected, but not entirely negative. One thing I've noted is that these small localized galaxies always seem to be on the move; I wonder if they're following me...?"

Down Tilt: Disc Whirled

From her awkward, ragdoll-like crouch, Anaxa performs a gesture not unlike tossing a frisbee. This has about as much lag as Villager's D-Tilt, and in fact actually DOES launch a short ranged projectile, in the form of a disc of energy. This Clay Shoot-sized disc flies forwards just above the ground for about 1.5 Battlefield platforms, then bursts into a new galaxy. Should it contact a foe, it'll deal 6% light knockback, creating a galaxy wherever it collided. This allows for a bit more fine-tuning in your galaxy placement, but requires the cooperation of your foe. Surely they'll be willing to aid your noble cause?

Should this disc of energy enter a galaxy, it obviously won't create one upon emerging. Instead, the destination galaxy will fire off a short-ranged omnidirectional spread of stars. This spread covers slightly more than a Kirby, and deals 10% and light-moderate knockback. If this enters a galaxy, and there is no second galaxy available, the solitary galaxy will fire off the spread after a delay of 3 seconds. Alternatively, the creation of a new galaxy will immediately fire the spread from that new galaxy. Strange how a newly formed galaxy immediately links to an old one, isn't it...?

Being a projectile, this is affected by Fatal Attraction. Of course, its limited range means that this isn't very useful. Though, it can be used to make galaxies a decent ways off the ground. How strange, to think of galaxies being close to ground... Should a disc be fully pulled in to the black hole, it'll explode into an exaggerated version of the star spread, dealing 13% and moderate knockback, while covering 1.5 Kirbys. Normally, this will only occur if Anaxa immediately uses Fatal Attraction after D-Tilt.

"Interestingly, practically all galaxies are disc-like in shape. This to me suggests that all disc-shaped objects must be galaxies in their own right. That would make sense; how else do CDs contain their own worlds of sound? Following this flawless logic, it stands to reason that the usage of a disc can facilitate the creation of a new galaxy. If my hypothesis is correct, then all I need to do is..."

Dash Attack: Redoubled Efforts

With a very brief pause in momentum, Anaxa glows purple before suddenly being thrust forwards at nearly double her usual dash speed. She'll travel about 1 Battlefield platform at this speed, then will suffer endlag comparable to Luigi's Dash Attack. While she's glowing, Anaxa's person deals 9% and light-moderate knockback. This does not create a galaxy. Unfortunate, but not all attacks can be so productive. Interestingly, Anaxa has no apparent animation, apparently not making any effort during this move...

Should Anaxa have two galaxies out, she can use this attack to dash between them. Simply contact a galaxy while glowing, and Anaxa will enter it before instantly popping out of the other one, still in this move, even in air. This can be a sneaky way to traverse the stage or slam into aerial foes. It can also be a good escape tool if you're being pursued. None of the other Smash combatants are capable of following her, it seems; perhaps they're afraid of proper Voidwalking? Note that this only works with two galaxies out, and Anaxa will always pop out of the other galaxy. Thus, it's simple to deduce where she'll appear.

"Sometimes, it seems that my travel simply speeds up. I assume this is all in my imagination, as I have made no conscious effort to expedite my travels. I wonder if perhaps it isn't me that's speeding up, rather, the celestial bodies around me...? What a bizarre term, celestial bodies. They certainly don't resemble bodies."

Celestial Smashes

Forward Smash: Remnants of Ill Fated Journeys

During charging, Anaxa waves her hands around mystically as her visor glows with purple light. As she does so, a ball of space junk begins forming in front of her. Though, seeing as all planets are in space, technically ALL junk is space junk. This Smash behaves similarly to Corrin's, dealing rapid hits of 1% to anyone who walks into the junk while it's being charged. Once the charge is released, Anaxa simply stops her gesturing, pausing for a moment before letting her arms fall limply back to her sides. In the meantime, the space junk sets off, flying forwards at Ganon's dash speed. The junk ball varies in size depending on charge, ranging from a Turnip to a Kirby. However, as it travels, it will slowly grow larger and larger, capping at two Bowsers. Its damage and knockback also increase as it grows, capping at 25% and high knockback. However, to reach this potential, it will have to travel nearly double Final Destination's length. Space junk lasts indefinitely, and Anaxa can only have one out at a time. Using this Smash with one out will instead create a small burst of cosmic energy, which deals 7-12% and light-moderate knockback.

The obvious use of this is to launch a ball of junk into a galaxy. This will allow Anaxa to keep it in play, increasing its power and allowing her to direct it towards her foes. There is also the matter of using Fatal Attraction to draw this junk in. Doing so can make it considerably harder for a foe to dodge. But, as with all things in life, it is never impossible to dodge. Should a ball of junk be pulled into a black hole, it will explode, sending shrapnel out in the 8 Cardinal directions. This shrapnel deals 10% and moderate knockback, with the exact size of each piece varying depending on the size of the junk ball. This is an excellent way to get extra mileage from junk, but it requires you to be willing to sacrifice it. My, isn't it odd to imagine having difficulty parting with trash?

"Junk. There's... quite a lot of it out there in the Void. Apparently some fear that colliding with any of it could cause major bodily harm or even death. What superstitious nonsense. A particularly small piece of it struck my helmet recently, and nothing happened. I'm perfectly fi$3$;);$3&!4ne."

Up Smash: The Pursuit of Happiness

During the charge animation, a purple mote of energy roughly Kirby's size appears next to Anaxa. She proceeds to absentmindedly rub her hand on it as though it were a dog, before suddenly snapping her fingers when the charge is released. Once this happens, the mote suddenly jolts upwards, making an initial hitbox that covers a varying amount of height depending on the charge; it ranges from about a Pikachu above Anaxa's head to double that. This initial attack is comparable to Snake's U-Smash minus the projectile falling back down, and deals 9-15% and moderate to high upwards knockback.

Once the mote reaches its peak, it will metamorphosize into a purple, ringed planet. This planet will then begin homing in on the nearest opponent at Luigi's dash speed. This speed is constant, regardless of charge, but the planet will deal 14% and moderate knockback regardless of charge. What a good boy. If a planet already exists, the mote of energy merely dissipates, with Anaxa reaching out to it in distress. This adds no endlag.

The planet can travel through galaxies just like any of Anaxa's other projectiles. In fact, if an opponent is far enough away, it will alter its path to make use of available galaxies as shortcuts. What a smart little planet! It can also be pulled in with Fatal Attraction; pulling it in successfully will cause the rings to "explode" outward into an infinite range, horizontal hitbox situated directly above Anaxa. This ring explosion deals 10% and moderate knockback, but is only as thick as a crouching Kirby.

"Recently, I have taken on a pet in my travels. He is very loyal, and intelligent to boot. His coat... is a bit craggy and unpleasant. He's a bit round, too; I shall have to put him on a diet when I get h$:?me. But, nonetheless, I love him. He's so... adorable, as unscientific an analysis as that is. I hope he'll stick with me for the long run."

Down Smash: Echoes, Heard Round the Universe

In the charge animation, Anaxa goes even more limp than usual, practically melting into a heap on the ground. This actually shrinks her hitbox by a considerable margin, so C-Sticking this can actually help her avoid some attacks. Once the charge is released, she will tentatively knock on the floor with a fist. Depending on charge, she'll knock 1-3 times, with each one creating a purple shockwave that travels forward across the ground. The first one will be as thick as a crouched Kirby, the second double that, and the third double THAT. They all travel at Mario's dash speed and cover infinite ground. Anaxa suffers some endlag as she picks herself up, so this isn't all that spammable. The shockwaves deal 7%-12% each depending on charge and moderate knockback regardless of it.

Rather than the shockwaves entering and warping between galaxies, this move is a bit more straightforward. If any galaxies are out, they will pulse with purple energy each time Anaxa knocks, creating hitboxes around them that deal 7-12% and moderate knockback. Simple, effective, and potentially a great boon to her offense. The shockwaves are unaffected by Fatal Attraction. Rather unfortunate, wouldn't you agree?

"Knocking? Where could that be coming from...? I hear it all the time, lately. Knock. Knock. Knock. I'm tempted, just once, to call out 'who's there?', but I know good and well who's responsible for the sound. It's me."

Anaxagoran Aerials

Neutral Aerial: A Sudden Burst of Enlightenment

Unusually for an N-Air, this is one of Anaxa's laggier moves. When it is input, she clutches her head as a purple circle of energy surrounds her and quickly contracts. Then, after a fairly long startup, a blast of energy surrounds her body as she goes limp. This blast deals 14% and high knockback, being one of Anaxa's most direct kill moves. This move has notable lag on both ends, as well as high landing lag, so don't get too enthusiastic about spamming it. Moderation is important.

Using this while overlapping a galaxy will destroy said galaxy in exchange for increasing the size of the hitbox considerably. The power does not change, nor the lag. As long as any part of Anaxa is overlapping the galaxy, this effect will take place.

"The cosmos are very volatile. Explosive, even, at times. These occasional blasts of cosmic energy are among the least dangerous events I've witnessed, as they are entirely harmless, it seems. Very beautiful to witness, however. It seems that, by merely sacrificing a handful of stars and planets, one can greatly increase the spectacle of these blasts. I fully endorse this, as a cosmic blast is a sight everyone should see."

Forward Aerial: A Delightfully Ghastly Visitor

Anaxa places a hand on her visor as if shading her eyes, then a small purple portal appears exactly a Battlefield platform in front of her. From it, something... inexplicable emerges, slapping the air between Anaxa and the portal. This... horror covers roughly as much distance as Megaman's F-Air, and launches foes back towards Anaxa. Albeit, upwards a bit as well. This awful THING deals 8% in the process, and it typically won't kill.

Should Anaxa summon the portal so that it overlaps a galaxy, the abomination will instead manifest from said galaxy. It will now be cloaked in purple energy, and launch foes directly into Anaxa with 9%. The timing and angle of this boosted attack means that it reliably leads into her N-Air, so it may be wise to master the spacing. Ha, spacing in a space-themed set. How fitting!

"IT LIVES."

Up Aerial: A Rather Loud Outburst

In an Aerial on par with Villager's U-Air in speed and reach, Anaxa suddenly jerks into a rigid, upright stance as her ears straighten up and out. Then, a small blast of cosmic energy erupts between her outstretched ears. She then returns to her limp airborne stance for a bit of endlag. This is a very simple Aerial, hitting above Anaxa for 7% and juggling knockback. It's not at all complex, but sometimes simplicity is necessary in this world.

This move has one interesting property, and that lies in using it while touching a galaxy. In this case, the cosmic blast becomes more violent, widening the hitbox considerably and bumping the power to 14% and moderate knockback. Other than that, this move mainly exists to act as a simple U-Air. One good thing, however, is that the hitbox is placed perfectly to catch foes hit by the non-boosted F-Air, making the two moves a handy combo.

"In my research, very few things have surprised me. However... one thing that still strikes me is just how LOOOOOUD the void is. They say no one can hear you scream in space, but I should have known that was nonsense, as all planets are in space, and one can definitely hear screams whilst on a planet. I can hear them now, actually."

Back Aerial: A Minor Setback

In a frankly bizarre animation, Anaxa panics and flails her arms as some invisible force yanks her backwards. During this time, a purple aura surrounds her person; this aura is the hitbox of the attack and deals 9% and light-moderate knockback. Say, if there's a purple aura, it's not really an invisible force, is it? Anaxa's arms are also a hitbox, dealing 4% and light knockback. This move is comparable to Corrin's B-Air in terms of speed, and is similarly useful for mobility. This move propels Anaxa at just above her maximum air speed, and the distance can be influenced using the analog stick much like the aforementioned Corrin move.

This move is interesting in that the momentum will continue if Anaxa lands during it. The farther she has traveled in this move, the farther she will slide across the stage when landing. Thanks to this, she can shorthop B-Air to mix up her mobility options somewhat. To further facilitate this, this move can warp between galaxies much like Dash Attack; simply B-Air into a galaxy and Anaxa will emerge from the other one, still attacking.

"At times it seems that the universe itself is actively working against my progress. It feels as if I am yanked backwards away from my goals. This is, of course, merely a minor setback, and in fact may simply be a psychosomatic effect. I severely doubt the latter, however. I am in impeccable mental condition. ...right?"

Down Aerial: A Rare Display of Force

In a motion slightly laggier than Villager's D-Air, Anaxa reels one of her legs back before performing a nasty downward stomp. This stomp doesn't affect her aerial momentum, and has surprisingly good range thanks to her long legs (nearly equal to Ganon's D-Air). It also deals a remarkable 13% and a decent spike. What an unusually brutal attack for a peaceful stargazer... This move has fairly low startup, but some endlag and especially poor landing lag.

Should Anaxa's stomp hit a galaxy, she'll "Parry" off of it. Her entire body will be surrounded by a purple aura as she pops roughly a Ganon into the air; the aura will then persist for roughly half a second. During this time, she can enter galaxies by simply falling through them. As with her other moves with this property, Anaxa will instantly appear at the paired galaxy, and this only works if she indeed has two galaxies out. Master the use of this stomp and its properties and Anaxa can remain airborne for greatly extended periods of time.

"Oddly enough, galaxies are very much physical objects. They can take the force of a blow, and often retaliate with a harmless burst of energy. I've found that strategically striking galaxies can greatly expedite travel. One must wonder if the inhabitants of these galaxies can feel my attacks... Let it never be said that I never left my mark on the world. Or at least... A world."

Galactic Grab Game

For her grab, Anaxa suddenly snaps her head upwards as a cloud of cosmic energy appears in front of her. This is identical in speed and reach to Greninja's grab. Considering the sheer scale of the universe, some similarities between two distinct entities are inevitable. Should a foe find themselves captured in this cloud, it will quickly take the form of a large purple hand not unlike Anaxa's own in shape. For her pummel, Anaxa simply... prods the foe as if examining them. When she does so, their body flashes purple as they take 6%. This is a very slow pummel, as proper examination takes time.

"Sometimes the beauty of the cosmos just... grabs you. I've seen quite a few individuals in such a state, and it's rather fascinating to witness. Sometimes I can't help but... touch them, just to see if they react. They usually do; I'll never get the screams out of my head."

Forward Throw: Shortcuts

Anaxa feebly swings at the foe, missing and spinning around from the momentum. Once she whiffs, the cosmic hand holding the foe tosses them up slightly before swatting them forwards. This throw deals 6% and light-moderate knockback, far from being a kill throw. Considering that she missed, one can only wonder if this throw would be more potent should she connect with her punch...

This throw has a nasty secret. If a galaxy is in front of Anaxa, and roughly around the same vertical level as her, the throw changes considerably. Anaxa performs the same animation, but spins more rapidly as she gains a purple aura. The hand will fold into itself, making a portal and dragging the foe through it. After a very momentary delay, the foe is launched out of the galaxy with 9% and moderate knockback. This can be extremely potent with good galaxy placement, but there are caveats. For one, this destroys the used galaxy. This also requires said galaxy to be in a specific location: level with Anaxa and as far from her as possible while being in front of her. This may seem difficult to deal with, but foes will undoubtedly be aware of this tactic. One could easily argue that the resultant hesitance to approach Anaxa is another boon in her toolkit.

"It seems that more inexperienced voidwalkers aren't aware that they can utilize galaxies as shortcuts. I pity these people, as this method of travel shaves quite some time off of even the lengthiest journey. Perhaps I should... demonstrate? Though, the last time I did that my pupil never reemerged..."

Up Throw: Liftoffs

As Anaxa watches with no apparent reaction, the cosmic hand suddenly transforms into a sort of rocket, with the foe inside. She then waves vacantly as the rocket takes off, carrying the foe upwards about a Ganon. Once there, it detonates, launching them farther upwards with a purple aura, 7% damage, and light-moderate knockback. This is a fairly useful throw, especially near the top blastzone. It's rather interesting that this throw utilizes the shape of such primitive tech. Surely there exists a better form to use...?

This throw interacts with galaxies, should two of them be out. If the foe is taken through a galaxy at any point in the throw, they will instantly warp to the paired galaxy. If they are suffering the end knockback, they will continue to suffer it in the same angle. However, should they still be inside the rocket, its flight path will refresh, carrying them up another Ganon before bursting. With good positioning, it's possible to keep foes airborne and inside their rocket for a decent amount of time. Though it should be noted that this warp only works once per rocket to prevent infinite stalling. Anaxa can act again as soon as the rocket bursts or enters a galaxy, so it may be a good idea to stick close to your galaxies and pursue rocketeering foes. After all, what better way to illustrate that their method of travel is outdated?

"Rockets. Space shuttles. Spaceships. All of these share one thing in common: they are outdated, dangerous, useless frivolities. I hope that some day I can show the masses that only a helmet and a desire to learn are required to travel the void. After all, just look at meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I'm f̴̻̝̗̞̙̗̀͠i̧̬̖̭ǹ̲͙͖̥͉̤̭̟̭̕͢e̸̛̼͍͈̳͓̜."

Back Throw: Darts

Anaxa floats gently to the floor as the cosmic hand roughly squeezes her captive, dealing 7%. Once the damage is dealt, the hand throws them backwards much the way one might throw a dart. This will of course cause them to sail back with moderate knockback, as some things are simply as simple as they seem.

When the foe is launched, they are enveloped in a purple aura for the duration of their knockback. What this means is that, much like Anaxa herself, they can be launched through galaxies, should two of them be out. Simply throw an opponent into a galaxy and they'll instantly pop out of the other, still suffering knockback. Proper placement of your galaxies can make Anaxa's grab far more intimidating, so it's wise to master the art of positioning them.

"I've noticed that many cultures seem to build very dart-like craft for traveling the void. This is of course ridiculous and backwards. Everyone knows the most aerodynamic shape is the tesseract. Perhaps they should allow me to design a proper ship."

Down Throw: Exits

Anaxa crouches down and taps the floor, then the cosmic hand dives downward into a portal. After a brief delay, the foe is popped up out of the floor 2 Battlefield platforms away. This deals 6% and coats the foe in that familiar purple aura. Sometimes it's nice to find something consistent and familiar. Should there not be enough floor level with Anaxa, the portal will attempt to appear on a platform below her and at the required distance. If no such platform exists, it will instead pop the foe out at the ledge of the platform Anaxa is standing(?) on.

Should Anaxa have even a single galaxy out, this throw can send a foe through it. Simply hold down during the animation, and the cosmic hand will pop the foe up and out of the nearest galaxy with the requisite purple aura. If Anaxa has two galaxies out, holding up during the animation will instead send the victim to the farthest galaxy. Wise usage of this can turn a spacing throw into a very potent way to get a bothersome enemy away from you. The life of a voidwalker is a lonesome one by choice.

"I've found that the concept of using galaxies as travel aids is simply beyond most people. How bothersome. Luckily, I've also found that by exploiting weaknesses in the fabric of space, I can send them along their way merrily, even if they don't understand the fundamentals of void travel. Judging by their shouts of delight upon arriving, I can only assume that they appreciate the gesture."

Final Smash: A Theoretical Knowledge of Proper Voidwalking Techniques

With the ill-defined and vague powers of the Smash Ball, Anaxa finally gets her heart's desire: the ability to properly educate her opponents on traveling through the void. Once this attack is used, the camera zooms in on Anaxa, whose helmet glows a brilliant violet color. When it returns to the normal camera angle, the entire screen is shrouded in a faint purple haze. What this means is that Anaxa has used her powers as the Aspect of Space to convert the stage to something more closely resembling the void. This means that her foes will suddenly find that there is absolutely no gravity to be found, while she continues to move around as normal. Foes can very easily destroy themselves simply by jumping or using a recovery move, but Anaxa can also take advantage of the situation to land some early kills. Once 15 seconds passes or all opponents are killed, the stage returns to normal.

"4̸̨̪͎2̧̝̬́ͅͅ ͏̻̯̲4̵̴̜̗̕f̦̮̘̟̲̖ ͇͚5̗͙̕͘4̶̣̜̯͉̻͔́ ̷̧̨̥͇̻̳̺̖̮͎5҉̢҉̥͎̦4̝͈̻̳͢ ̨͕͇̳͙̀4̛͕̹f̶҉̦̞͓͓̖̜̙̗͘ͅ ̯̘͎̱͟4̸̧͏̩̰̪̳̫͕̗ͅd̸̖̪̰͓̟͉̰̣ ̦̫̭̤͞2̰͙͓̥0҉̰̞̭̭͉̼͓ ̨̗̟̱̰̬͠5̲͞4̷̧͇̹̬̺̖̯̼ ͏̵̻4͔͞5̶̗̟̩ ̸̣͚̮̙͓͜ͅ5̠̳̬̣̼͜ͅ8̵̵̜͓͖͎͓̳͇ ̧̯̗͙̗̹̮ͅ5͈͚͓͕̗ͅ4̡̛̮͓̲ ̛̼̹̭̙͎̀"
 
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D

Deleted member

Guest


IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Due to unforeseen circumstances (including a blizzard putting out a guy's power), we're going to be ending the contest on the 11th, rather than today. This will be at 12:01AM PST on the 12th to give the most time for everyone to finish their movesets. Enjoy your reprieve for now, as the end grows near!
 

GameGod2973

Smash Cadet
Joined
Mar 5, 2018
Messages
56
Hello Everyone! I'm new here and I wanted to show off this moveset I thought up a while ago. Tell me what you think

Kommo-o makes some noise.

Character: Kommo-o
Universe: pokemon
Company: game freak
First Appearance: Pokemon sun and moon

Character type: Mighty Glacier

Neutral Special: Clanging scales - Kommo-o's signature move. This move will cause Kommo-o to rub the scales on its whole body before releasing a sonar blast all around it knocking them back. This can be repeated constantly by mashing the special button like DK's Hand Slap.

Side Special: Focus Blast - Kommo-o throws a large ball of mental focus energy foward. You must wait a while before you can fire its full power.

Up Special: Sky uppercut - This will throw an upwards punch like Ryu's shoyukan, but much farther and more powerful.

Down Special: Reversal - Kommo-o will perform a reverse turn around punch that will cause more damage and knock back the more percentage it has. The downside is that it has alot of start-up lag.

Final Smash: Clangorous Soulblaze - Kommo-o signature z-move. When activated, all foes will be slowed down slightly as Kommo-o becomes surrounded with z-power. The move will activate just like the animation in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Costume:
dragonite dandelion
salamance light blue
tyranitar green
goodra purple
garchomp navy blue
shiny gold
hydriegon black

Boxing ring name: The Pseudo-Legendary

Stage: Alter of the Sunne/Moon (ultra worm whole will swap between them)

Stage Themes:
Alter of the sunne/moon
Ultra necrozma fight (pokemon ultra sun/moon)
Ultra beast encounter
Pokemon Xd theme

Bio: This fighting and dragon type pokemon evolves from jangmo-o and then from hakomo-o. When threatened, it rubs its tail on its body to try to scare enemies off. It will then start shaking its scales and perform a variety of poses before jumping and releasing a giant sound wave all around the stage hitting all the foes in the way.
 

Katapultar

Smash Lord
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
1,283
Location
Australia
MYM need more slasher sets!




"Hello?"



"Who is this?"




"Don't hang up."




"You hang up on me again and I'll
cut you like a fish, understand!?"


GHOSTFACE



"Do you like scary movies?"

A horror icon on par with Freddy and Jason, the Ghostface is the killer of the self-aware Scream franchise and a fan of scary movies - tormenting his victims over the phone and testing them with horror trivia before giving them a gruesome death like the ones in the flicks. Not an individual, he is persona adopted by various psychopaths for various reasons, typically revenge or the fame of being associated with Ghostface. So popular in his universe that the events behind his killings in the first film inspired a series of in-fiction "Stab" films.

Though human, slasher logic dictates that the Ghostfaces must be superhuman (to a degree) lest their killing sprees end too early; able to disappear when their assailants turn away and get back up once just when it seems like they're dead. They often act in pairs, which combined with the anonymous nature of the killer strikes fear and doubt in those stalked by them. While no Ghostface ever comes back from the dead like their favourite icons, the character is still immortal as any deranged person can take up the mantle to go on a murdering spree, time and time again in an endless chain of sequels.


"I wanna play a game."



STATS




Size: 7
Weight: 7.5
Ground Speed: 8
Jump: 7
Air Speed: 8
Air Control: 3
Fall Speed: 3
Traction: 2

Typically donned by teenage boys, Ghostface is a tad taller than Robin and packing some surprising stats for an anonymous person. He's much faster than your average slasher, always great for outrunning those victims who flee from him, and is surprisingly heavy too as no killer would be caught dead dying in one hit. He's got a lot going for him, but he lacks finesse as going from untrained person to killer does have its consequences. This makes him difficult to control in the air and stop from a dash as he stumbles clumsily if he tries, forcing him to commit to that and making his options from a dash more predictable for how decently fast he is. On the other hand, these traits make him a very good escape artist. His low traction in particular can help stave off shield pressure as he takes more shield push than most characters . . . or just sends him tumbling over the edge more easily than most. You're supposed to be the one doing the cornering, Ghostface, not being cornered!

Scream Ghostface Quotes
Scream 2 Ghostface Quotes
Scream 3 Ghostface Quotes
Scream 4 Ghostface Quotes

Scream Theme
Scream - Chasing Sidney

Terrordrome - Ghostface Story Mode
Terrordrome Ghostface Voice Clips


"It's showtime."


SPECIALS

Neutral Special ~ Halloween
"Hello?"
The killer makes a call, but not to his victims. He's dialling his accomplice, a call that costs him 40 frames and summons another Ghostface if successful - spawning next to him or where he was last standing if he was airborne. The accomplice then fades out to become completely invisible over 25 frames. He'll remain stationary by default, but you can tap forwards during the call to have him walk, run or dash towards the nearest opponent to stalk and stick close to them in his unseen form. You can also tap backwards to have him move towards the closest ledge and stick to it instead. Though invisible, the accomplice performs his chosen movement immediately when summoned so foes have time to note this during the fade, but he can still be difficult to keep track of - especially if a potential target was close to the ledge the accomplice was closest to, in which both the stalking and camping options will have him act identically.

You can hold B while the accomplice is active to change his behaviour, taking 8 frames from Ghostface as he gestures to command his partner; pointing downwards for stationary; pointing forwards - at an intended target - to chase and stalk; and thumbing behind him to camp towards the ledge. The accomplice remains unseen the whole time, but Ghostface will point/thumb with a certain degree of intensity to indicate the chosen speed, though it can be very hard to tell in the midst of combat. You can also double-tap B to call the accomplice back to his summoned position on the double with a beckoning motion, or shield to call him off with a shout and a swipe so you can preserve and use him later. While the command is decently fast, Ghostface grunts and his eyes flash all the while so foes can note a change in his behaviour, even if they don't pick up on the specific gesture.

The invisible accomplice can be damaged, but he is immune to grabs, projectiles, traps and moves that don't deal knockback or hitstun, meaning a decent melee attack is required to catch him out. He has his own invisible percentage and starts out with 50%, on top of suffering 1.4x more damage and 1.15x more knockback from any attack that strikes him while he's invisible - a hefty blow to the off-guard killer. Survived, the accomplice will vanish upon exiting hitstun and can be called again after 3 seconds, but otherwise he can very much be KO'ed like a regular character. Losing the accomplice makes this move useless and will only register a BEEP from the other side, as well as wasted time. This can encourage foes to use their strongest attacks on the accomplice to get him out of the picture, but if they do this at the wrong time they may leave themselves open to Ghostface. There's also the possibility of them not knowing where the accomplice is because of the aforementioned ledge mindgame or that the foe wasn't paying attention to his movements when he was summoned, in which case they may end up attacking blindly in hopes that they'll catch him out. Spammable attacks like a Jab are a foe's best bet to not be punished by Ghostface, but this is unlikely to actually KO the accomplice even with the knockback multiplier.

"Wrong guy, dead boy."

The real fun begins only when you tap B, as Ghostfaces dials up and mutters "Now." or "Do it." to command his accomplice to act in earnest. This takes 20 frames, after which the accomplice will immediately re-appear and, if he was stalking a foe, chase them down at with his knife raised for the kill, sprinting at top speed regardless of how quickly he was moving beforehand. Upon reaching his target, the accomplice will swiftly plunge his knife into their chest/nape, needing to be right up-close to do this and stumbling forth clumsily if he misses or is blocked from the front. A strike to chest deals 8% and freeze-frames followed by low Sakurai knockback that KOs at 225%, but is ineffective against shields. Hit from behind however, and the victim will suffer a bloody 15% and high knockback that KOs at 135%, complete with impact stall and being decently effective against shields. What's especially deadly about both variants is the pre-knockback stun that Ghostface can capitalise on for a free hit if he was close-up, but this can be easier said than done when he has to go through the lag of calling up his accomplice first. The closer-up to the target Ghostface was able to finish the call, the better he can capitalise on his accomplice - best used in a situation where a target is landing close to you or vice-versa.

The accomplice is more likely to get a frontal stab on foes, but it's just as easy for him to backstab them if moved past him (perhaps unknowingly) or had their back to him in the first place. As far as approaching foes while invisible, it's much quicker for the accomplice to just dash to them compared to walking or running, but he happens to suffer from Ghostface's horrible traction that will take effect when he (invisibly) stops in front of his target. Not only does this make the accomplice easier for foes to catch out, it keeps him from attacking until he's recovered from his skid if he would be commanded to attack at the time. This delay does not occur when the accomplice is visible and chasing after a foe as he attacks immediately upon closing in on them, however.

It is actually quite rare for the accomplice to be close to his target when he's told to strike, as the target is prone to moving and moreover it's very easy for him to be caught out from such a range - but not so much from behind, ironically. This is where the accomplice is at his deadliest however, as the stab comes out frighteningly fast and still gives Ghostface an advantage over the victim even if they shield it. This can make foes paranoid if they've lost track of the accomplice, to the point where they may act irrationally like attacking blindly, staying next to the ledge where they can't be struck from behind or even taking to the air as the accomplice will never leave the ground. Jump around too carelessly though and Ghostface might be able to read a landing to have his accomplice strike at that moment, providing the target didn't move too far away horizontally to have enough time to strike him in his pursuit. The accomplice disappears a moment after finishing his attack/recovering from it or after 6 seconds of running/standing around, making it possible for foes to outlast him and meaning it's disadvantageous to reveal him right after knocking a foe away or a similar situation where the accomplice can't reach a target.

Should Ghostface die while his accomplice is active/hidden, the player will take control of the accomplice instead of losing a stock. The accomplice uses its own percentage and loses access to the Neutral Special along with some other that make use of both the Ghostfaces on later moves, but that's a fair price for cheating death. He gets 5 frames of invincibility at the start and his knockback output increases by 1.072x too, because everyone knows that the killers come back stronger in the sequels! This is somewhat necessary as Ghostface's damage output drops when he doesn't have an accomplice/the fear factor on top of the knockback boost disrupting his combos somewhat, instead encouraging him to score KOs on his last legs.

This gives foes further incentive to weed out the hidden accomplice, because if they forget about them Ghostface effectively gets a free stock. The accomplice risks being attacked and potentially killed when hidden however, as there is only so much space on the stage for it to hide within. The other option is to have Ghostface dial up his accomplice after being launched, of which will give him plenty of time to pull it off and he doesn't have to worry about falling to his death beforehand given he's decently floaty. This should be timed so that the summon takes place just before Ghostface plunges into the abyss so that foes have almost not time to attack the accomplice before you gain control of him, because if you summon him too early he can be struck and in worst case scenario dispelled or outright KO'ed to make Ghostface lose a stock. It's for this reason that Ghostface prefers to be KO'ed offstage rather than be star KO'ed, as it allows him to die on his own terms and the time spent in the star KO animation can give foes time to seek out and attack the accomplice if they act quickly enough and know what they're doing. The threat of making a call offstage can force foes to either one-shot or combo/gimp Ghostface to deny him the chance of a call; the latter being the more realistic option given Ghostface's durability, but if he gets the call in the onstage accomplice can easily edgeguard the attacker while they're offstage and recovering from their assault on the deceased Ghostface.

Side Special ~ Maniac Cop
Ghostface slowly draws a handgun from his cloak and fires it with his free hand, exacting revenge for all those times he's been shot! This can be angled and lets off up to 4 shots that zip the length of 1.5 platforms, dealing 1.25% apiece or 2.5% up-close as each bullet pushes the victim a set 0.25 platforms along the stream. If Ghostface shoots his victim in the crotch however, they'll take 1.5x as much damage and are instead knocked towards him! The crotchspot will register if the victim is hit from the front and low to their hurtbox, requiring the shots to be angled downwards precisely to hit grounded opponents but triggering on airborne opponents just from them landing in the stream.

This move's starting lag is painfully high at 52 frames, but it has very little end lag as Ghostface drops the gun afterwards and this gives him a decent frame advantage over his victims. As such, it's perfect for opening up opponents and trapping and positioning them depending on where you hit them. The firing duration isn't even a problem either, as Ghostface can choose to stop shooting anytime to immediately capitalise on the victim's position. This is scary for the mix-up potential as it allows Ghostface to catch out opponents who dodge through the bullet stream or get close to him, forcing them to stay back or use up their second jump. With good positioning, you can force foes to stay at the edge of the bullet stream and this can play into Ghostface's game of cornering his victim for the kill.

The downside to cancelling early is that the gun will remain as a throwing item, which prevents Ghostface from using this move when it's out and not on his person - not unlike Jason Voorhees with his machete, but only robbing Ghostface of one move instead of half a set. He can pick up and throw the gun which will bounce off enemies it hits, but it only deals a useless non-flinching 1.5% and actually gets in his way of using some of his Standards (Jab, F-tilt, D-tilt) as he picks up the stupid firearm instead, slightly limiting his options for capitalising on a foe up-close. Any character holding the gun can fire it like a firearm to have it function similarly to Ghostface's Side Special, only it can't be angled and has moderate lag on both ends to deprive the shooter of frame advantages. For better or worse, the gun is easily dropped by characters, including if Ghostface was struck during the starting lag of this move or when firing the gun. The pistol sticks around for a tediously long 5-15 seconds depending on how many bullets it had remaining, shorter sessions forcing Ghostface to go out of his way to dispose of the weapon if he wants to use the move again. If Ghostface uses this move while holding a gun, he will throw it away and draw a new one regardless of how many bullets the old one still had left.

If the control stick was held forwards when ordering the accomplice to attack, Ghostface will immediately follow-up with this move as he only takes 34 frames to draw it in his haste. This is telegraphed, but if the accomplice was in Ghostface's line of fire at the time he will delay his re-appearance until he is safe from the bullets. If the bullets hit a foe, they will keep the accomplice from approaching them from the front (assuming they didn't still have their back to you because of shielding/super armour) as they instead go for their back - guaranteeing a backstab should they get there, which is pretty much all the time as the accomplice will always dash towards his target during the delay and without suffering from the bad traction unless he was dashing before being ordered. Absolutely lethal if you pull it off, and even if you don't the accomplice will still be there to pressure retreating foes.

Ghostface can most definitely shoot his accomplice, and if he does they'll spasm briefly like in the movies before collapsing like a Stamina character, seemingly dead. Except they're not, because that blood was actually ketchup! Why would Ghostface want to kill off such a loyal partner when he needs all the assistance he can get to take on monsters like Jason and Aku? The fallen accomplice is totally vulnerable and be knocked around by opponents freely to rack up damage and eventually be KO'ed, not disappearing when struck unlike when invisible. Also, he is completely visible, and you cannot command him to move as otherwise that would ruin the elaborate ruse. You can still command him to attack and this only takes 8 frames however, but requiring the accomplice another 8 frames to get up and you obviously cannot do the invisible shooting trick from this. What's more, if a grounded foe keeps their back close to the accomplice for more than 2 seconds, he will automatically get up himself an attempt a backstab. The accomplice mysteriously disappears if he was ignored for 5 seconds or if you held B.

Up Special ~ Paranormal Activity
The killer disappears without a trace, shedding his iconic costume in a quick and effective escape manoeuvre. He then re-appears 1.2 Ganons above and 2 platforms behind his previous location with a new costume on and 1 frame of invincibility, leaping quickly to descend where he vanished from in less than one second. Ghostface can act just before he would land and will get a slight momentum boost forwards if he transitions into a midair jump, or can use an aerial right away but doing so above the ground will quickly put him into landing lag. The teleport can be aimed up to 2 platforms horizontally, as leaping to where you vanished from obviously does nothing for recovery. The result is a poor recovery that only goes 2 platforms forwards and offers no vertical recovery unless used close to the ledge where the peak can be cancelled into a ledge grab, hence the importance of having the accomplice for back-up. On the other hand, the nature of the recovery means that Ghostface can cover a lot of space if he recovers backwards and positions himself so he immediately cancels into a ledge grab the instant he would appear at his apex, allowing to chase foes very far offstage and still make it back.

If B was held and there was a foe ahead of Ghostface's chosen recovery direction (forwards/backwards) in a slight cone area reaching out 2 platforms ahead of him, the killer will re-appear 0.8 platforms behind and 0.3 platforms above them as he proceeds to assail them. Indicated by a scare chord, he raises his knife and descends on his target at alarming speeds to strike at their nape. This deals 11% and sharp knockback that KOs at 168%, mostly horizontal against grounded opponents and mostly upwards knockback against airborne targets. This is fairly safe against shields as most foes can't react from behind easily, but if it misses Ghostface will be left open for a while as he has to pull his knife out of the ground.

Like the NSpec, the strike can come from nowhere and quite fast too, serving as a risky but scary and effective approach. Ghostface is a hitbox during his brief descent too and will drag opponents along for up to 4 extra hits of 1%, good for catching aerial retreats or even those approaching by B-airs in which case the teleport factor can turn the move into a sort of counter. Also, if the target had their back to the ledge Ghostface will cancel into a ledge grab as he descends past them and won't suffer his hefty end lag at all, giving him another means to play off cornering them and punishing his victim for positioning themselves such to keep the accomplice from getting their back. Unfortunately, the mostly-horizontal knockback here ends up being inconvenient as opponents are knocked towards the stage and will require even longer to be KO'ed, but that's only fair given this variant is the least riskiest.

Descending in midair, Ghostface will fall 3.2 Ganons and drag his victims along for numerous extra hits accumulating up to 7% before they receive their knockback. This can be used to kamikaze if you were close enough to the abyss, as Ghostface needs to work harder for his suicide KO given he effectively has 2 stock. The mostly upwards knockback afterwards can prove inconvenient however as it can potentially save foes from death and will botch the suicide KO if Ghostface starts it from too high up, knocking victims back towards the stage if they were facing it so it's not the best idea gimp with it . . . unless the target was close enough to the stage that you could stagespike them, which is effectively the same as a suicide KO given Ghostface will inevitably die afterwards from having used up his recovery.

While not a great gimping move, the airborne attack will target foes an extra platform away from Ghostface in a cone area that is 2 Ganons tall from the edge. This means that Ghostface's recovery actually improves if his opponent was occupying the edge in an attempt to edgeguard (perhaps avoid gimping in fear of the accomplice's wrath?), forcing them to back off or meet Ghostface offstage to botch the enhancement - both of which he enjoys and can take advantage of with his accomplice. Another quirk of this aerial variant is that Ghostface will appear closer to his target if they were occupying the top of his cone sight, appearing 0.4 platforms behind them if they were as far away as possible, while occupying the bottom has him appear farther away and up to twice as far. This changes the timing of Ghostface's assault to have him strike a target more quickly or delays it, making it so he can hit an opponent almost instantly if he was below them but casually using it against a grounded foe for airborne approaches is a weak tactic.

Down Special ~ Scary Movie
"Forget watching Stab. You get to live it."
Ghostface holds up a 90s television and drops it with striking resemblance to Villager's F-Smash, emulating the uncanny method first used to kill one of his kind. This deals a shocking 16% that KOs at 143%, not as strong as the bowling ball but it compensates with 45 frames of electric impact stall as the victim is shocked by the television. The impact stall is particularly deadly when an accomplice is on the loose, as it holds the victim in place for their strike that can in turn hold them for a strike/grab from Ghostface! That's some potentially absurd damage if you can time the accomplice's attack correctly and land this laggy move.

Like the bowling ball, the television can be dropped over the edge and is a bigger hitbox, but it only deals 14% that KOs at 157% this way on top of the knockback being on an inconvenient mostly upward angle, and without the impact stall. Nonetheless, it adds to Ghostface's terrifying edge-guarding game.

Used in midair, the TV is brought out a little quicker and is held out as a hitbox for as long as Link's D-air, on top of increasing Ghostface's fall speed all the while due to its weight - acting like a pseudo stall-then-fall in a sense. This deals 12% that KOs at 165% when hitting at the start or an enhanced 20% that KOs at 118% if it hits right at the end, but either way both the end lag and landing lag are harsh - even more so than the grounded version - so Ghostface will get punished if he whiffs. On the other hand, if he connects against a grounded foe he'll get the shock impact stall, a potential option over the grounded version for its quicker start-up, but the added end lag prevents him from capitalising on the impact stall with an accomplice unless they struck from behind and did so very shortly into the end of the shock.

When the TV touches down, it'll magically plug itself into the stage and the screen will flicker eerily, like it's being possessed by a demon. It can withstand 15% before exploding harmlessly, after which Ghostface cannot pull out another TV for 5 seconds, though given how short 90s TVs are most projectiles can sail over it unless they stick close to the ground or are large or the character firing them is short. Ghostface enjoys this anti-projectile aspect as all his Specials benefit from it, his pistol missing the TV unless angled towards it, but having projectiles fly over it can prove beneficial too.

By using this move again while a TV exists, Ghostface will suddenly wanna play a game. He'll shout the name of a slasher and the TV will display and cycle through recognisable footage of various horror movie villains, including but not limited to:
The television starts up on frame 1 and displays the correct answer for 5 frames. Afterwards, it cycles between 3 incorrect slashers over 30 frames and then back to the correct one to linger for 9 frames before the TV switches off. If this sounds like a counter, that's because it is and is triggered by hitting the TV while the incorrect answer is displayed - not Ghostface himself, who is completely vulnerable during the whole thing. Once triggered, Ghostface will say, "Wrong answer." or, "I'm afraid that was the wrong answer." and what happens afterwards depends on whether he was close to the TV or not.

If Ghostface wasn't close to his TV, it will simply explode and deal nearby opponents 12% that KOs at 150% - harmless if triggered from a distance, but that's why Ghostface also appreciates projectiles flying over the TV. If Ghostface was close to the TV, it will instead short-circuit and shock any opponent who touches it during this time like they got hit by the laggy grounded hitbox, after which the TV fries out and vanishes. This lets Ghostface get a free hit on the foe with a quick move if he wants to keep them close, or turns the TV into something of a short-lived trap if the counter was triggered by a projectile. If foes get the correct answer however, the TV will explode to harm Ghostface for the 12% that KOs at 150% and he won't be able to pull out another one for 8 seconds, bad given the main attack is a pretty nice move.

The active frames vs the inactive frames are frighteningly advantageous to Ghostface though, but it's limited by the hitbox being on the tiny TV. It's good for stage control and can be used to protect the accomplice by placing the TV near him, punishing opponents for attacking him or misleading them into thinking you're using it to protect the accomplice if he was invisible (not downed).

The TV can be carried and thrown like a heavy item, necessary given its width, but as it's not as heavy as something like a barrel it doesn't hamper the carrier's mobility apart from making them unable to dash. This completely bypasses the trivia counter. The TV travels a bit slower than other heavy items and hits foes for 12% that KOs at 150%, exploding on contact with surfaces for a 1.2x Bowser-sized hitbox that can catch out victims even if they weren't hit directly.

Connecting the TV to the stage is a platform-long plug that is disconnected when the TV is moved a platform past where it was initially grounded, preventing it from being turned on for trivia for the remainder of its life. This is relevant, because Ghostface can still do the trivia even after throwing it if it wouldn't go far enough to disconnect. The only real way to do this practically is to strong-throw the TV upwards - it'll barely go a platform's length this way - so Ghostface can start the trivia immediately into its descent. He doesn't have too long to exploit this before the TV lands and explodes, but said blast won't him on top of cancelling the counter early and being able to damage opponents close to him. Ghostface can also catch the TV as it lands towards him, and if he throws it downwards into the stage it'll resume being a construct.

The plug at the end of the cord trails behind the TV as it flies and deals 3% in electric hitstun if it connects with a foe. This makes the TV projectile more dangerous as that plug can catch out foes who shielded or dodged the TV and keep them open long enough for Ghostface to rush in and attack. The plug will also spark when it gets disconnected from the ground and will damage opponents touching it, punishing them for throwing the TV from where it was connected if they decided to use it and forcing them to move away from where they lifted it if they don't want to be zapped.

By pressing B while holding the TV and while the accomplice was out, he'll help his buddy with the load as he goes to hold it from the other side. This does nothing to help Ghostface's mobility, but that helping hand sees the TV thrown twice as far and deal 1.045x more damage and knockback on contact with a foe. Throwing the TV upwards is also marginally quicker than with just one man this way, and when it's thrown sideways the Ghostface will rotate so they're in the foreground and background respectively - giving them brief invincibility for the later half of the starting lag. Once the throwing is complete, the accomplice will return to his original position - becoming invisible if necessary - or, if he was downed, hilariously go to lie down in front of Ghostface to get used by him. Ghostface can also call for the accomplice's help while he's pursuing a foe or after he's gotten his attack in, the latter case causing him to disappear after the throw.



"Have you ever felt a knife cut through human flesh and scrap the bone beneath?"



STANDARDS


Jab ~ Child's Play
Ghostface performs his basic combo from Terrordrome, a punch and a kick followed by a hasty downward swing of the knife. The punch deals 1.2% and pushes foes to the fist if they weren't already there, serving the basic purpose of Jab lock comboing and usefully moving Ghostface forwards a bit. The kick deals 2.3% and knocks foes up very slightly, popping them into the air if you don't follow the stab but never high enough that it would miss. That stab then deals 5% and moderately high base knockback with disappointingly low scaling, not KO'ing til past 200% and overall unreliable unless you want some space at lower percentages. If the slash hits from behind, its output will spike to deal 12% that KOs at 140%, but this is difficult to hit when you can't hit with the other 2 hits beforehand, even if each attack moves Ghostface forwards a bit. Other than that, you're mostly in it for the first 2 hits and they can be pretty good for locking opponents in for the accomplice.

The kick can interact with a downed accomplice depending on which part of the limb hit. If the foot struck, the accomplice will be spun around and so will opponents standing over it as they're pulled in range of the stab that follows, unless they were shielding. This exposes the victim's back for the stab and turns the Jab into a powerful finisher, only requiring a rather specific set-up and leaves the accomplice in the open for attack. The mix-up potential is pretty good too, because if Ghostface anticipates a shield from the foe to keep them from being turned, he can just cancel the first hit and rush in for a grab - complete with the accomplice still lying there to join in.

If the leg struck the accomplice, they'll go sliding a platform across the stage but will never be sent offstage this way. Foes standing over or hit by the accomplice are strangely pushed back with it, potentially tumbling off the ledge if they got that far. If that didn't happen, you'll be happy with the Jab finisher as Ghostface will throw his knife forwards instead of swinging it down, dealing the same damage but from a slight distance to better space. Ghostface then suffers his usual end lag as he takes out a new knife from his coat.

Dash Attack ~ Leprechaun
Eager for the kill, Ghostface swings his knife down fast and hard for 11% and mostly-upwards knockback, one of his more effective kill methods at 150%. Too bad the swing doesn't reach far, and has a sourspot at the tip that only deals 5%. Ghostface also stumbles forwards after the swing, not for too long but still vulnerable if he whiffed the tipper or mis-spaced. Backstabbing an opponent nets the killer 12.5% and mostly-horizontal knockback that KOs at 145%.

This move is designed to capitalise on openings using Ghostface's high dashing speed, as its lack of range makes it very predictable. It's good for starting combos at lower percents and has ample scaling, the tipper allowing Ghostface to keep victims closer at mid/high percents if he doesn't want his victim high up and/or doesn't think the sweetspot will kill. Ghostface also enjoys the cross-up opportunities on shields when striking one, as his stumbling allows him to get behind victims with ease.

F-tilt ~ Jack Frost
Ghostface swings his knife sideways like he's trying to slit somebody's throat, except this can be angled. It it has average reach for a F-tilt given the animation and comes out reasonably fast for 4.5% (11.5% from behind) and mild knockback. Angled forwards, the knockback scales decently and KOs at 181%. Angled upwards, you get purely upwards knockback and angled downwards you get low angled knockback that can force techs past 100%. The upwards version can combo into itself, but not that effectively given the hitbox isn't wide. This move is completely unsafe on shields.

U-tilt ~ Urban Legend
Ghostface thrusts his knife upwards with both hands and keeps it raised slight in front of him for a moment, staring at it like it's some sort of holy object. The thrust deals 5% and solid base upwards knockback, but low scaling. There's also a very thin hitbox directly in front of hit Ghostface and over his person that deals 1% and knocks victims towards the knife for the sourspot that follows. This deals 2% and slight upwards knockback, lingering and potentially catching them again as they fall back into it. If the victim was knocked into this lingering hitbox from the front of Ghostface when he thrust, they'll instead be knocked into the side of the knife and rebound off it for decent base diagonal knockback that deals 4%. The knife hitbox is thin and has poor coverage, as is the case with many of Ghostface's attacks, but on top of lingering the end lag is low - enough so that if you caught a foe just as it would end you'll get a true combo into something like another U-tilt or U-air - not the U-Smash though, which we'll get into a little later. This same lingering is good for catching out air dodges, and works as a decent anti-air against opponents try to avoid your accomplice or get around your TV to avoid being countered. As far as catching out foes above you, they could potentially get behind Ghostface as the lingering hitbox is absent from that direction, but that can be a bad idea as they might end up exposing their back to him.

D-tilt ~ Get Out
Ghostface jabs his foot out in a relatively fast poking attack that deals purely horizontal knockback. This deals 5% and decent base knockback at the leg or 2% with low base knockback at the foot, but either way it's not really a killing move as the scaling is very poor. It's more for two frame punishing as it keeps opponents low where Ghostface likes them, and onstage it pushes them along the stage to still be left victim to the accomplice. In fact, if a victim hits the accomplice with their back their momentum will be stopped and, with a bit of a pause from the accomplice having to catch the breath knocked out of him, he'll go to do his normal stabby thing. This delay is notable and gives foes more than enough time to move away, in which case the accomplice will resume its pursuit. Foes can also turn around to attack the accomplice - or use a move that hits behind them like a D-Smash or B-air - but Ghostface can of course capitalise on this.

Ghostface can shunt his downed accomplice or television forwards by booting them, the former going 0.75-1.5 platforms across the stage while the latter goes 0.5-1.15 platforms. Neither construct can be knocked offstage this way. The television doesn't have a hitbox at all, actually, but if you're clever the generic re-position can be used to catch out enemy attacks and counter them - say they're attacking thin air to catch out your accomplice. An accomplice that hits a foe this way will have his momentum cancelled and that target will take 3-1% and trip, setting up for a tech-chase or ordering the accomplice to attack. This can be useful if the accomplice is booted towards a foe from a decent distance, because if they try to roll towards Ghostface he can easily punish them and they're put in an easy position for an ordered accomplice to stab them from behind. The best option is to roll back, but a lack of stage behind them can hinder this. Though powerful, it's not difficult for foes to intercept an accomplice being kicked towards them so it's also a bit risky.

If you held A when in front of a downed accomplice or television, Ghostface will instead "pull the rug" as he shunts them behind him, with a bit more starting lag than the kick.


"Scary night, isn't it? With all the murders and all, it's like right out of a horror movie or something."

SMASHES

F-Smash ~ Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Ghostface does a swift lunging stab reminiscent to Wolf's F-Smash, with similar reach and starting lag but having intangibility on the arm and knife. This deals 4.5% with freeze-frames, followed by a second hit dealing 6.5% as Ghostface pulls the knife out of his victim viciously. The result is solid base knockback on a very low angle, great for starting tech situations and forcing low recoveries, but it will not KO til past 198-166%. The first hit deals decent shield damage and strangely more than the second, but a wealth of end lag leaves Ghostface very punishable anyway. You'll want to use this move's great start-up and reach to catch opponents off-guard, along with the freeze-frames that can trick an opponent into dropping their shield to get struck by the second hit. It can also lock opponents in for the accomplice for what it's worth.

Charging this move doesn't increase the power, but rather makes Ghostface lunge up to 1.6 platforms forwards. This might not sound huge, but the lunging animation gives it more reach than you'd expect. When Ghostface hits an opponent, he'll stop moving and go for his stab. This combined with the high start-up can scare a foe into putting their guard up - the transcendent arm can "beat out" short-ranged attacks - and given the nature of the rush you'll hit the edge of a foe's shield and may get a shield poke if their shield was relatively weakened before. It can also be used to catch out landing opponents. If Ghostface hits relatively close-up however, he'll actually suffer less end lag and if he hits from max reach out of this it will be safe on hit. Nonetheless, Ghostface appreciates having a movement-based attack to support his accomplice.

Hitting an opponent from behind nets you an extra 2% and will keep their back to you as they're knocked away, which can be pretty scary for them.

When fully charging a Smash attack, Ghostface will shout "I'll cut through your neck until I feel bone!"

U-Smash ~ Candyman
Ghostface does a rising slash that takes him approximately 1.15-2.2 Bowsers up into the air, comparable to the Shoryuken because even murderous teenagers like playing Street Fighter. Where do you think they learned to fight? This deals 7-10% and knocks foes into the apex of the slash, which hits for 5-8% and purely low-high horizontal knockback because Ghostface isn't too interested in launching his victims upwards. The knockback scales very notably with charge to KO between 200-140%, but the semi-spiking angle of the final hit can make an uncharged variant just as dangerous as a full charge in the right situation. There's also a hitbox during the rise which deals a stronger 9.3-13% and average 57* knockback (KOs at 185-155%), but obviously won't chain into the other hitboxes.

This move comes out very quickly and gives Ghostface invincibility during the first half of his rise, making for a great anti-air or means of approaching a foe on a platform above you with the right timing, as well as a mix-up to the more lingering U-tilt. Sadly, it leaves him massively vulnerable afterwards as he falls ALA Mega Man's U-tilt that is also a Shoryuken, meaning he can't easily capitalise on the convenient knockback and the move can actually be unsafe on hit at lower percentages. The good news is the end lag can be alleviated by landing on a platform Ghostface passed through during his rise, his height gain such that he will land on the lower platforms of Battlefield immediately with no charge or the higher one with a full charge, suffering almost no end lag in the process. Killers are pretty good at utilising the environment like that. While Ghostface won't get this benefit on stages like Final Destination, that's only fair given those types of stages give his opponents nowhere to hide from his accomplice other than the air, and said accomplice can help cover your lag if he was set-up beforehand. Yet not all stages are Battlefield and thus Ghostface might not always make it to the platform above him with just the uncharged rise - thus it pays for him to know the terrain beforehand, as a killer should when trying to take down their targets effectively.

If Ghostface hits an enemy from behind, his slash will hit so much harder as he slices the victim's back right open. The strike at the start is most fatal at 18-25% and can KO at a frighteningly low 95-70% for Ghostface standards - or even lower if you controlling the accomplice - easily his best KO move at point-blank. It's not nearly as strong during the rise or apex at 12-18% KO'ing at 130-100%, but still good and one of his stronger moves on top of being able to exploit the invincibility against airborne targets. The sourspot is easier to land too against airborne foes who can't turn as liberally as when on the ground, especially if they were trying to recover and manoeuvre past Ghostface. The grounded hit requires more of a hard read and in general intercepting a helpless opponent, especially when going for the full charge, or if you're really cunning a good way to intercept a rolling opponent who suddenly had their back to you. Being an U-Smash though, you could potentially dash towards a foe and jump cancel right into this move to deadly effect should an opportunity present itself.

D-Smash ~ American Psycho
Ghostface raises his knife with the blade pointed downwards, then stabs it into the floor as though to finish a downed victim. This deals 10-14% and straight-up spikes airborne opponents for what can KO very early offstage or be used on a platform to knock foes down into an accomplice, dealing 14-18% and even more knockback if you somehow connect from behind. It comes out moderately fast and ends very quickly too if used over the ledge or on a platform, but it doesn't reach far given Ghostface is using a knife and the horizontal reach is practically non-existent. It does, however, hit slightly above him. You'll need very good timing if you want to two-frame opponents with this whereas the D-tilt is easier to hit with, but it's more usable and safe on platforms as it comes with a surprising amount of shield damage and stun. If Ghostface manages a shield break this way, he can actually combo foes as they're shot up above him, but it's obviously far more effective to let them land and take their stun. It's dead frightening when Ghostface gets a shot at landing the full charge of his lethal backstabbed U-Smash, and even using that time to play around with his accomplice/television beforehand if the foe was at a reasonable percentage where the full charge wasn't necessary for the kill.

If Ghostface stabs a grounded opponent, they'll be knocked into prone and this is all the move does if you hit from above on a platform as the knife will fail to reach any farther. This sets up an unusual tech situation where Ghostface can't be hurt by the get-up attack and can follow-up in unique ways, like running off the the platform to intercept with an aerial or even dropping the television from above. As well as using this move again on a foe if they get in place if you want to torment them.

Ghostface and his victim grounded, the downing stab is followed immediately by another hit that deals 5-8% or 7-10% from behind, with very solid diagonal knockback behind the killer that KOs at 140-115% or 15% earlier from behind. This is Ghostface's best killer that doesn't rely on his victim's back and deals great shield damage with the addition of that second hit, but by God is that horizontal reach horrendous. So bad you'll need use it out of a combo or try to hit with that tiny hitbox above him, the former good if foes try to shield a follow-up. Too bad the end lag is much worse on this variant as Ghostface needs to remove his knife from the ground from all that force he exerted in the stab. This force strangely creates a small shockwave around Ghostface during the impact for the sake of creating a hitbox, dealing 5% and reaching out a short distance in front of him while only hitting from behind if foes are right next to him. Even if you do hit with the main course, it's ironically not something you'd want to use on a cornered foe despite the offstage spiking hitbox, but good if you're being cornered or you intercept a recovering foe with your back to the ledge. It's a horrible move in hindsight, but then again Ghostface is a killer, not a trained fighter - his Smashes are all about seizing opportunities and can very, very effective if used in the right situation.


"This is the last person you're ever gonna see alive."

AERIALS


N-air ~ Phantasm
Ghostface does a horizontal slash in front of himself, followed by another slash that sees him spin and hit behind him as well before turning back round. The first 2 slashes combo into each other for 2 hits of 3.5% (5% from behind), followed by surprisingly high base knockback but relatively low scaling that keeps it from KO'ing til 195% - but kills at 155% with a backstab if you somehow time for only the second hit to connect as the first will automatically turn the victim to face Ghostface, something your air speed or jumps could help with. While the range and area covered by the slashes is pitiful, Ghostface suffers virtually no landing lag if he lands into these first slash not unlike Roy with his own N-air. Landing on the first hit opens up foes for a combo, not quite a true combo but it's an effective way to land the difficult D-Smash and you may even get a shield reaction out of it. The second hit gives Ghostface good space for his set-ups, but it does have slight landing lag and is slightly punishable if shielded, bad when the timing of the landing and duration Ghostface had to go through give foes more time to see it coming compared to the first hit.

The spinning slash behind Ghostface deals 9-11% and average scaling knockback to KO at 170-150%, usable as a telegraphed and low-ranged pseudo B-air. Traits that make it a poor pseudo B-air without a good read. The end lag is notable too as Ghostface has to spin back round, making the frontal hits more ideal as a finisher to push foes closer to the blast zone where they can't recover rather than something you can combo out of practically. If Ghostface lands when this slash comes out or actually hits with it however, he won't spin back round and will remain turned around for lessened end lag. It's actually great in a cross-up with Ghostface's air speed, where he can time it so he moves past his target when the first slash connects and behind them so the spinner will hit them in the back for some nice results at just about any percentage. Furthermore, he can do this to a shielding opponent so that they have their back to him by the end of it all, a way to sneak around them in the neutral game. Unfortunately, this leaves Ghostface at a frame disadvantage with his opponent and he can still be punished if they have the means to punish back attacks like an U-tilt or D-Smash or what not. Otherwise, it's a ripe opportunity to get that U-Smash going. Ghostface can mix up this approach to by just going for the landing on the first hit, or just spacing himself from the foe as he gets behind them though this is generally impractical as he then has to suffer the painful end lag.

F-air ~ Cherry Falls
Ghostface performs a quick diagonal slash that only hits a chest-height and deceptively reaches just a bit farther than the N-air. This straight-up deals 5-10% and knockback that's natural-born for spamming and gimping and pushing and overall just comboing into itself at lower percentages. It knocks grounded foes up on a higher angle, which isn't always favourable but leads into combos at lower percentages, and at higher percentages hits softly enough to keep foes relatively close so you can read their landing quick enough for a back attack if they try to fall past you. Like N-air, lack of coverage is its weakness and this can make it rather redundant and makes Ghostface pretty predictable given he's just a serial killer.

B-air ~ Friday the 13th
Ghostface lays on his back as he thrusts his knife behind him, dealing 6% and relatively low inwards Sakurai knockback that won't KO til around 255%. While not very powerful, this has a ton of horizontal reach given the animation and is quick enough that it can be performed out of a short-hop without triggering landing lag. It also keeps victims with their backs to Ghostface as they're knocked to the front of him, and the knockback is low enough so that at lower percentages he can very easily get a back attack combo with another aerial or a grounded attack if this was short-hopped. The awkward nature of the knockback makes its uses limited and prevents it from properly gimping on top of being a weak KO move, but we've already established that Ghostface prefers to gimp with his back to the stage between his F-air and Up Special. Rather, the move is best used to catch out opponents trying to get past Ghostface in just about any situation, be it in a gimp or to escape from being cornered.

U-air ~ Drag Me To Hell
Ghostface reaches overhead with the intent of grasping his target's ankles. Unlike most moves of this sort from past ages, this is not a grab hitbox and simply drags opponents for 6 very quick hits of 0.2% as Ghostface's fall speed increases somewhat all the while. The killer then finishes with an upwards slash of his knife to deal 8% and decent downwards knockback, as he'd much rather send his victim to hell rather than heaven. The knockback won't KO level to most stages until around 175%, but it can certainly kill closer to the abyss at the cost of Ghostface having little chance of recovering from such. Low end lag makes this very a good combo move at lower percentages as foes fall past Ghostface, and if he was close enough to the ground he can knock them into prone. Foes of course have the opportunity to tech this, but if Ghostface was close enough he might be able to hit them out of this with a quick N-air or F-air or B-air if he DI'ed, whereas just going into prone allows foes the chance to roll away. This is a fairly quick and safe move on all accounts, as Ghostface won't perform the slash if the grab doesn't connect, but his reach isn't great and is poor for trading against other aerials.

If the Ghostface lands before getting the slash on a dragged victim, he will instead slam them into ground and stab them in the back for 10%. This leaves the victim in prone and facing away from Ghostface; if they roll forwards, they back will be exposed to Ghostface, and if they roll backwards his back will be exposed to them. This is a move best exploited near the edge where opponents won't have much space to roll away from one side, intercepting them as they jump over you to recover in a situation you could use your U-Smash for an create a bit of a mix-up. If you were facing the ledge, the prone opponent and their back will stay close to you and you can get a shot to get in some extra damage if they didn't roll back, which you can intercept with your Up Special with good timing to knock them back offstage upon success. If you had your back to the ledge, the opponent will be forced to either expose their back to you or roll towards the edge with their back to it, a position that Ghostface oh so enjoys. You can also use the move to attack and drag victims through drop-through platforms, in case they're hanging out on those where the accomplice can't catch them.

D-air ~ The Descent
Ghostface turns to face the screen, knife held against his chest as it plummets from his grasp. The knife drops 2.2 Ganons, treated as a disjointed hitbox (it falls through platforms), and deals damage based on when it hit. Up-close, it's 9% and low base downwards knockback that's good for comboing at lower percentages, but scales quickly to KO at 145%. Mid-range deals 5% and sharp 52* knockback that KOs at 210%, while hitting at the end deals 3% and very minor downwards knockback that, unlike the up-close variant, scales to combo decently starting at around 120% and can score surprising KOs offstage, but you need good timing to land this specific hitbox. This can be easier to land from the proning D-Smash atop a platform as Ghostface starts out above his foe.

The starting lag is understandably high given the move's disjointed reach, making it hard to use in close combat but great when you've got some distance. It can be used to deter juggling, which Ghostface hates, another edgeguarding option or to block off opponents trying to move past him with good timing - knocking them back should you connect with the most common mid-range hitbox. What's more, if the foe was facing the opposite direction you were when struck it will count as hitting them from behind and they'll suffer extra damage and knockback. Even if they block, the knife is good for opening them up from a distance of which foes have to be wary about, something Ghostface might be able to exploit as he benefits from using the NSpec attack command near opponents.


"To see what your insides look like."

GRAB

"I'm gonna
slit your eyelids in half so you don't blink when I stab you in the face."

Ghostface has a fairly average grab as he reaches for the collar and holds up his knife to his captive. But we all know that worse is yet to come. Much worse.

By pressing B while the accomplice is active, he'll invisibly rush to Ghostface's aid and put the captive in a full nelson. This enhances Ghostface's pummels and throws as his hands are freed up to have some fun, on top of keeping the victim captive for an extra 30 frames plus longer based on the accomplice's percentage. The more damaged the accomplice, the longer he can hold his captive, though it's unlikely that he'll ever reach particularly high percentages unless the foe was being merciful to him because they didn't want to leave themselves open to Ghostface. Once the grab ends, the accomplice will disappear after one second and can be exploited until then, like shooting them with your Side Special.

Getting the accomplice's assistance isn't too situational, but even the slightest delay from such will lessen the time you have for fun or in worse case scenario let the foe break out of the grab. That includes having the accomplice get behind the foe if they were in front of them but Ghostface grabbed them from that direction. If you perform the grab out of the Down Special after the accomplice stabbed the target in the back however, they will not disappear and will straight-up stay around to do the full nelson - further cementing how ridiculously powerful that combo is.

Pummel ~ The Dentist
"I'll have some fun with you before you die."
Ghostface stabs his victim in the crotch and asks them "Yeah, you feel that?" once per pummel session. This deals 3.5% in a relatively slow pummel, but it gets faster when spammed as Ghostface really gets into it, a strong damage-racker and painfully fun animation to watch when you've got an accomplice backing you up. Just be prepared for your victim to

By just tapping A rather than mashing it like a madman, Ghostface will instead stab or slash the victim in a certain part of their body for a relatively average 1.5%. The body part is chosen at random for a single session and ranges from the hand, arm, ear, eyes, mouth, nose, face, neck or breasts, stabbed or slashed or slit, but if the foe has an exaggerated or very noticeable body part Ghostface will target that most of the time. Each pummel is backed by a random abridged version of one of his edgy moveset quotes ("Die", "Stab you", "Feel that?", "Slit", "Cut you").

By mashing B, Ghostface will drop his knife and take out his pistol to shoot his victim in the crotch for a quick 3%. This can rack up damage real fast, but like the Side Special you only get 4 shots before mashes of B become futile. Each shot adds to the stale que, which is good for Ghostface's other moves, but this counts as using the Side Special and will only rack up 10% at most in one session. Finally, using this pummel at all adds some end lag to Ghostface's throws as he drops the gun and draws a new knife from his coat.

By holding B while the TV was close-by, Ghostface will yank the cord from its socket and tie it around his victim's neck tightly, strangling them for 3%. This takes considerably longer without an accomplice, so much so that opponents are guaranteed to escape your grab afterwards below 100%. The TV cord then remains tied to the victim's neck as a platform-long tether, but mysteriously expands infinitely if they move or are knocked away from it. It can be destroyed by destroying the TV or throwing it offstage.

The TV tether cord only comes into play when Ghostface throws the TV. When he does, and the TV flies 1 platform past its victim, they will be dragged up to 1.5 platforms along and be"strangled" for 10 hits of 0.25%, but only taking minimal hitstun at the start that can serve to refresh their recovery. If the TV was thrown upwards however, the victim will be dragged along all the way and can go some considerable distance if both Ghostface threw the TV together. Throwing the TV upwards, victims can potentially be aligned with it vertically and be forced to avoid its falling hitbox that can potentially KO them.


"Do you want to die?"



"If you want to be in the hospital, I'd be happy to put you there . . . in the morgue!"

F-throw ~ A Nightmare on Elm Street
Ghostface stabs his victim through the gut, twisting the knife about and pulling it out along with their entrails. Not a pretty sight, especially when this fails to kill his superhuman captive. The wrenching causes the foe to get launched, but no farther half a platform's length as Ghostface holds onto their taut and very unrealistically stretched-out entrails to keep them close for more suffering. The throw deals an impressive Friday the 13th% given the horrible nature of the wound, on top of keeping the victim close. Ghostface suffers unsightly end lag however as he drops the entrails and flicks bits of blood and guts off his knife (gotta keep a clean image there, Ghostface!), leaving him at a frame disadvantage with his victim and potentially giving them a free attack if they had very high air speed, ranged aerials or a Special projectile with low starting lag. But it's still one of Ghostface's more damaging moves, and the punishment might not be so bad for him when he can cheat death once.

The entrails are left trailing out of the victim's gut and will flow back into them as they're passed over on the ground, healing up that nasty wound when they're all back inside. In the event where Ghostface could exploit the entrails, he'll find that they're a separate hurtbox on his victim that receive 2/5ths of an attack's backstab damage but no more than 5% per hit and not causing them to flinch. Some of Ghostface's attacks can even make further use of the entrails.

The D-Smash is a notably good move for hitting the entrails due to hitting low, and won't put him into the extra end lag on solid ground due to the knife being cushioned by the soft entrails. This also pins the entrails to the floor and keeps the victim from moving away a certain length during the attack, but this is pretty useless without outside interference and the close-up foe can punish Ghostface anyway if they weren't struck. If the foe's entrails were pinned and they were suffering knockback, most likely because of a very well-timed accomplice, that knockback will be cut short as the victim is jerked in place and they suffer 3-5% based on the knockback's strength. The D-air knife can also be used to pin grounded entrails this way, staying around for 20 frames this way and able to work out of the attack itself.

Entrail'd foes are even more vulnerable in the air, as they can only collect them while grounded and the entrails are left dangling beneath them. If entrails are left dangling beneath an attacking accomplice, he'll yank on them to quickly pull the victim down to his height - becoming visible if he wasn't already - but the victim can still move all the while and defend themselves if their reflexes were good enough. Ghostface can also use his U-air to drag and yank a victim by their entrails, a guaranteed downer stab if he lands this way but they can dodge or attack him out of this. It's particularly nasty when shorthopped so the victim has little time to react.

The knockback of this move isn't actually set and scales in a strange way. At 50% or so, Ghostface will get pulled along with his victim as they travel anywhere between 0.2-1 platform based on their percentage, always positioned the same way at the end and Ghostface never going offstage. Past 110%, the victim's knockback will be too great for Ghostface to handle as the entrails are yanked from his grasp and the knockback begins to scale properly from here, starting at over a platform's length. It will never KO til past 200% even at the ledge, but at this point the foe's percentage should be sufficient to have them killed off with a gimp. Ghostface is no longer open to punishment when the victim finally takes knockback, which is ironic given the high damage output is less useful compared to lower percentages.

If Ghostface had an accomplice, the two will gut the victim at the same time to deal them a chilling 16%. A big difference here is that only the accomplice pulls out and holds onto the entrails, and the base knockback starts out high enough that they'll be pulled 1 platform forwards as the victim goes flying. Their grip starts to loosen at around 80%, and the knockback now scales enough to KO at 160% from the centre of the stage. The end lag is still the same as both Ghostface wipe their knives clean of gory mess, but this time only the accomplice is susceptible to punishment, actually worse off as he suffers twice as much end lag from having to wipe off more blood. That's definitely going to get the accomplice smacked at lower percentages, but as the usual fare Ghostface can potentially take advantage of this, even using the accomplice as a brief meat shield against projectiles. It's also a good position to fire off the gun as you can down the accomplice and shoot the foe with the subsequent bullets.

B-throw ~ Evil Dead
Ghostface slits his captive's throat for 5% and tosses them behind him carelessly, like he's trying to throw a corpse off a balcony. This deals moderately low knockback on a very low angle, but is by no means a kill throw (very ironic given the animation) as the knockback scales too poorly for that. It is however good for reversals close to the edge of the stage and forces low recoveries, and Ghostface doesn't suffer much end lag unlike his F-throw. Onstage, it can force tech situations at mid-percents as the foe's gravity makes them hit the ground and enter prone.

If the foe was knocked into a TV, it'll explode to deal an extra spicy 16% that KOs at 135% as the victim rebounds back towards Ghostface on a 60* angle. It's kind of situational given the foe needs to be at the percentage for the tech to work and be specifically spaced so they're knocked into the tiny TV, but if it works you'll have yourself a reliable KO move. And even if it doesn't, you can still get some nice pressure off the TV.

Having an accomplice doesn't raise the damage output, but it does raise the knockback as they both heave the foe away for higher knockback. The base knockback is high enough for the tech to work at 0%, and the knockback now scales to KO at a reliable 150% or maybe earlier given the low angle.

U-throw ~ Hellraiser
Ghostface uppercuts his captive for 6% and surprisingly high base knockback. This can be angled to have the knockback be purely vertical or up to 30* to either side of Ghostface. It's got low end lag and fairly low scaling that keeps it from being a proper killer. Just a shame that Ghostface doesn't care for juggling and doesn't have many ways to exploit a foe high above him.

"You will die when I want you to."
By holding down any button during the throw, Ghostface will make a call and moments later a stage light will drop on the victim. This can be dodged, but it comes out very suddenly and if it hits it'll deal 8% and very high spiking knockback that scales enough to KO offstage at 130% even considering the prior upwards knockback taken by the victim. It always results in a victim being brought back down to Ghostface, but the end lag keeps this from being a true combo and more of a tech/tech chase situation. This is a powerful kill throw near the edge of the stage via 30* angling and a nice reward for grabbing the foe at the edge, but the fact that Ghostface doesn't have a huge number of ways to threaten a foe from above makes his intentions of dropping the lights very predictable. That being said, Ghostface can potentially bait out dodges and even midair jumps if he chooses not to go through with the call, as he still can jump after the foe with his U-air with all being said.

If the stage lights fall onto the stage and didn't hit a foe on the way down, they'll stay around as a construct that can soak up hits like a TV but disappears after 3 seconds. It cannot be picked up or thrown. If the stage lights hit a TV, the electricity within the lights will short-circuit the TV or some stupid logic and it'll act as a deadly electric trap like the foe got the trivia wrong, making that part of the stage a danger zone for foes to fall over.

Having an accomplice doesn't increase the power of the throw, but has it so he makes the call and this allows Ghostface to act independently as he goes through the usual low end lag of the uppercut.

D-throw ~ Dead Silence
"You are going to suffer."
Ghostface pins his captive to the floor face-down and stabs them numerous times in a defining part of their upper-body, usually the face or the breasts. This deals 4 hits of 1.75% over a long duration and leaves the victim in prone, allowing for some basic tech-chasing situations that the killer enjoys - in a similar position to that from the U-air. Ghostface is also allowed to boot his victim a short distance in either direction after the stabbing, at the cost of some extra end lag and having less of a frame advantage. Rolling towards Ghostface is no good in such a situation, forcing foes to get up on the spot or roll away to give the killer some space. Kicking the opponents close to the ledge will cause them to go offstage.

An accomplice will pin the foe face-down before both killers go to town on them. This deals a total of 12.5% and denies Ghostface any extra end lag if he boots his victim, as the accomplice does the deed in his place.




"Welcome to the final act."


FINAL SMASH

Scream

"Now that we're all here, the party can begin."

The screen cuts to black with the word Stab etched onto the screen, followed by 2 bloody Xs being carved next to it before the whole thing melts off the screen - Stab XX, the 20th installment in the franchise! The screen fades back to the fight, where Ghostface has mysteriously vanished and the stage texture has changed to become a midnight forest, an abandoned building or a facility in outer space at random. Adding to the foreboding atmosphere is a change in music and the occasional splatter of dried blood.

When the Ghostface player makes an input, the killer will appear at his regular spawning location with no invincibility, but plenty of surprise to make up for it. He mysteriously has 0%, and even more mysterious are the two or so accomplices that will appear to attack when the NSpec is used! You get two for the price of one, a special movie deal if there was, and it doesn't matter if the accomplices are attacked or killed because more will invisibly appear to take their places. Are the killers around the world congregating, or are all the movie fans helping? The screen sure does look like something a projector is displaying.

Not creepy enough? When a foe reaches 200% by a Ghostface's hand in this bizarre world, they'll drop dead as though they lost all their Stamina, and they won't get back up or respawn. Hopefully you won't have killed them before then, because watching them scream their last breath and fall in a bloodied heap is much more fun than knocking them off the cinema screens. Oops, I just spoiled the plot twist of Stab XX.

That's right: this whole thing was just a movie, and it ran for 20 seconds (not 20 minutes!) before the screen zoomed out and cut to Ghostface viewing this movie in a cinema with a bunch of other dorky and edgy American teens. Get the kill, and Ghostface will get up and applaud sarcastically as he says "Ï like that movie." and walks towards the screen. Fail to get any slashes, which is something a slasher movie should absolutely never do (this is a real scary movie, darnit!) and he'll give you a thumbs down before extracting his knife and stabbing it into the screen, which starts to bleed for some freakishly bizarre reason.

After that little cinematic, the stage returns to normal and anyone who died in the movie will respawn per usual, assuming the producers were going to put them in the next sequel. Ghostface returns with his prior percentage in-tact, presumably because he was watching the movie the whole time, a movie so popular it earned him a new helper/accomplice to help him do some IRL killing. If Ghostface's original accomplice was still alive, he'll get a new accomplice when that one dies who has his or its current percentage, whichever one was higher.
 
D

Deleted member

Guest
Katapultar Katapultar Can't like this enough! I might go out of my way to make horror villains after this set. Thank you so much for this character choice. I was going to say it in my comment (and it'l likely be coming out fast, hopefully tomorrow) but I was making my own Ghostface set and I am so happy just skimming this that you did it instead. I'm legitimately more hyped for this than the Direct news.
 

Munomario777

Smash Master
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Messages
3,253
Location
Charleston, South Carolina
3DS FC
0387-9596-4480
Switch FC
SW-8229-3157-8114
oh shoot, better post my magnum opus before sakurai steals my thunder


INKLING
Stats

Inkling's stats are decent, movement-wise. Its notable ability is its hydroplaning technique: turn around during a dash to gain a boost of momentum, which you can cancel into a sliding Strong Attack or the like.
SPECIALS

Neutral Special: Splattershot

Inkling pulls out the Splattershot and shoots a glob of ink in a short-ranged arc. It leaves a puddle upon hitting the ground, which is a construct that lasts until it is consumed by an attack or replaced with another one (via Neutral Special). This move has a 1 second cooldown.

The ink shot pierces through opponents while dealing 6% and very small knockback. Since it pierces through foes, they must actively attack the puddle in order to stop it from creating a puddle. Parrying it also has this effect, as it reflects the projectile and keeps it from creating a puddle.

Only one puddle can exist at a time; using Neutral Special again overwrites the previous one. Using the puddle in any way will remove it from play.
Up Special: Ink Emerge

Inkling disintegrates into ink, then emerges from her puddle like when entering a match in Splatoon itself. It deals 12% and massive upward KO knockback initially, or 10% and weaker knockback for the late hit. This move is laggy and punishable if used predictably.

If used on the ground, Up Special also leaves a puddle at her previous location. If there is no puddle, Inkling disappears into the ground and then emerges, creating a new puddle at her feet.

If used in the air without a puddle, Up Special causes special fall. When recovering, this is not all doom and gloom as usual, especially since Inkling can use Up Special at the beginning of her midair jump for a huge vertical boost! Midair, no-puddle Up Special has no hitbox or invincibility, and just serves to slightly stall her fall / boost her jump.

There is an achievement for KOing an opponent with this move, called "The Inky Trap."

Forward Special: Ninja Squid

Inkling turns into squid form and then disappears, traveling forward inkvisibly a moment later. You can hold forward to go really far, or backward to barely go forward at all. Upon reappearing, there is a splash of ink which deals 8% and moderate knockback.

Forward Special causes helpless in midair, unless it hits an opponent. You can tap down repeatedly to move down during the move in tiny inkrements. Also, when used into a wall, it gains a little bit of height.

Stand on top of your puddle when using Forward Special, and you absorb the puddle, giving the splash at the end strong KO knockback and 14% instead of 8%.

Down Special: Ink Mine

Turns out, Inkling had a hidden Ink Mine planted in the puddle all along! Press Down Special, and it detonates, sending the ink flying upward in a ton of little bubbles which float upward to cover a column of space. Each of the 8 bubbles deals 2%, and they are effective at trapping foes; they can airdodge out, however, which is kind of tricky to punish in this game. When inkteracting with other projectiles, the bubbles will always lose.

You can hold left or right during Inkling's animation of Down Special to send the bubbles floating more left or right. Note, however, that parrying this move puts Inkling into parry lag – so don't get too predictable.

Without a puddle, Down Special is a downward shot of the Splattershot, acting like Neutral Special but straight downward. This downward shot puts Down Special as a whole onto a 1 second cooldown.
STANDARDS
Neutral Jab: Inkbrush Combo

Inkling brandishes the Inkbrush, swinging it three times with low reach despite the weapon's length. The damage is 4%, 4%, 6%, and the final hit launches at a very horizontal angle. This move is extremely quick, and Inkling lunges forward with the last hit.
Forward Tilt: Kraken Bite

Inkling turns into the massive Kraken (the ult from the first game) and bites forward, then returns to human form and steps back from the lunge. Forward Tilt deals 9% and has reach that can help punish whiffed moves, but is slower than moves like Neutral Jab or Up Tilt. Out of a wavedash (Inkling's is one of the best in the game!), Forward Tilt is an effective follow-up.

Up Tilt: Squid Hop

Inkling turns into a squid and hops up, dealing 5% at the sweetspot or 3% sour. This move is extremely quick, like Toon Link's up tilt, and can combo into itself two or three times. It also leads into Inkling's inkpressive aerial juggle game.

Down Tilt: Tentacle Sweep

Inkling turns inkto a squid and sweeps her tentacles across the ground in front, a quick move with extreme range which pops foes up for amazing combo potential. It deals 7%. In neutral, Inkling wants to use Down Tilt out of dash to start combos a lot, or to extend them.

Dash Attack: Squid Swim

Inkling turns into a squid and swims through ink briefly (separate from the ink puddle itself; merely visual). This move is extremely quick, covers a good amount of space, and deals 6%. Its semi-spike knockback means that Inkling can often follow up with Down Tilt, or another Dash Attack.
STRONGS

Forward Strong: Splatterscope

Inkling charges up with the Splatterscope, basically a Splatoon sniper rifle, and then lets out a short-ranged burst of ink. It deals 9-13% on hit, with good KO knockback. Its range is lacking, but by hydroplaning, you can extend its effective range and hit distanced opponents. Also, it's a little bit slow.

If you start a Strong Attack on top of a puddle, you'll absorb the puddle and supercharge the Strong Attack! This increases the range and power of the move, and Forward Strong is no exception. It now deals 14-21% and has ridiculous reach!

Up Strong: Splatling

Inkling grabs the Splatling, basically a Splatoon gatling gun, and shoots it upward like Snake's up strong. This is a single hit with similar range and speed to Forward Strong. It deals 10-15%, and is harder to hit with but rewards you with strong vertical KO power. Try wavelanding onto a platform and then using this move!

When charged, Up Strong turns into a ridiculously ranged anti-air, and deals 14-21%.

Down Strong: Burst Bombs

Inkling throws two Burst Bombs to either side, basically Splatoon water balloons, causing explosions to either side. Down Smash- er, Down Strong, sorry, deals 9-15% normally, and boosted damage and knockback with a puddle.

The normal version deals upward knockback which KOs at high percents, but that and its range are nothing compared to the boosted version, which basically covers a rectangle of space thanks to the two tall geysers it creates.
AERIALS

Neutral Air: Ink Burst

Inkling curls up into a ball while releasing a burst of ink, in a quick attack to cover all around her. In Abyss Mode, you can equip a rune which lets you hold the move and bounce around like a ball!

Normally, though, Neutral Air is a single-hit move which "feels" meaty to use. It deals 7% and pops foes diagonally upward. It's awesome for combos! Try gravity-canceling it to land immediately after hitting with the move. Gravity-canceling is a universal game mechanic where, during the hitlag of an aerial, you can tap down to cancel your upward rise into a fastfall, extending combos by landing quickly.

Forward Air: Bubble Blower

Inkling pulls out the Bubble Blower, which is like a giant bubble wand, and blows into it really hard. This creates bubbles in front of you, just like Down Special, except with only six bubbles. You can angle them up or down! Forward Air also halts your fall for its duration, and gives you a huge backward boost! Use it as a RAR out of a dash to go super far, or hold forward during it to stay put. Ram into foes with your back to deal 8% and knockback that can KO at a semi-spike!

Backward Air: Inkbrush Sweep

Inkling grips the Inkbrush and sweeps it in a bit of a downward arc behind her. At the start, it deals a hit of 5% and low knockback. With good spacing, you can combo that hit into the 8% sweetspot at the tip! This deals lots of damage and knockback if you pull it off. Since Backward Air is quick, you can use it to poke at foes repeatedly!

Up Air: Splat Charger to the Skies

Inkling grips the Splat Charger (rifle) and aims it skyward, then after some lag fires it for 11%. Up Air can KO foes near the top of the screen, or juggle effectively at low percents! It also sends Inkling straight downward on use as she belly dives onto opponents, dealing 6% and a weak meteor smash to gimp. Use Up Special to recover after going for a deep edgeguard! Unless you forgot to place a puddle.

Down Air: Squid Drill

Inkling turns into a squid, angles herself downward, and spins around for a multi-hit drilling attack. This move deals 4 hits of 3%, and a weak meteor smash at the end. In combination with Up Air, this move lets you gimp very effectively.
GRAB GAME

Grab

Just like any other character in the game, Inkling cannot grab. Why is this section here...?
MISCELLANEOUS

Playstyle

Strengths:

  • Inkling excels on the ground, where she can rush down his opponents with her speed or zone them from medium range with bubbles.
  • Down Tilt combos well and has amazing reach.
  • Bubbles allow for longer combos and stop attacks.
  • Up Special, Side Special, and Forward Air can all be used for recovery.
  • Up Special allows Inkling to edgeguard fiercely without self-destructing.
  • Down Special Bubbles force opponents to respect the puddle.
  • Puddle-Boosted strong attacks are powerful and large.
  • Small in size; hard to hit.
Weaknesses:
  • Has poor aerial options and lack of long-ranged attacks.
  • Side Special can be parried, making recovery difficult against good opponents.
  • Up Special is one of the easiest moves to punish if it is used too much.
  • Has virtually no vertical recovery if ink is used up.

Techniques

Double bubble: have a puddle on the stage, then use neutral special into 2 down specials. The old puddle gets activated while the water shot is still in midair then the new puddle gets activated right after.

Hydroplane: while running forward, very quickly jam the opposite direction and begin charging a strong attack. Orcane should turn around, but will still slide towards his initial direction, only much farther than normally. Can catch opponents by surprise and exploit puddles from very far.

Falling side special: do a side special in the air, and repeatedly input fastfalls before you reappear. Each fastfall should make Inkling move a small step downwards, allowing you to move downwards with this move that normally shouldn't.

Bubble Butt: Using Inkling's forward air to propel yourself in the opposite direction it was used, Orcane's back has a hitbox that can be used to safely recover.

Puddle Jump: Using an up special within frames of double jumping to gain an extreme jump boost, it puts you in free fall but without a puddle it may be your only option.
thanks dan fornace for modding inkling into smash bros for xbox one and pc so i could playtest it
 
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Katapultar

Smash Lord
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
1,283
Location
Australia
Haha, thanks for the response! Quite happy to hear some character love directly in the thread, just like in the old days before we all decided to keep it in the chat (though to be fair I haven't visited the chat since I announced that I technically quit). The set might not live up to all your expectations, as the last set of moves I worked on (F-tilt, Pummel, F-Smash, D-throw) weren't made in "the zone". Nonetheless, it'd be great if you had some fun with some of the set and you did get inspired to do a horror villain befitting of your entourage like Freddy or Pinhead or Matt Cordell.



Or you could do Uber Jason.
 
D

Deleted member

Guest
a smart guy a smart guy Nice work on adding to Dr. Lobe. The grab game is not bad actually, although I think dthrow doing 1% damage is a bit useless for a throw. It should probably do 5-10% and scale from being an easy combo throw to a KO throw, no need to be so overly cautious. The note that grab is a mix up with ftilt is cool, although to get beyond this point, you would have to think more about these sorts of decisions and the logical reason why. The grab game is the typical abstract stuff I expect from Dr. Lobe at this point, and I can see the appeal of the character and writing the set. It'd be a far better set if, while abstract, the weight changes had more of a direct effect on moves besides being used up or adding for no logical reason.

The specials were a good start on this and now with all the details, you could just peruse around to sets like Copen or Dante that aren't super complicated to see what I mean. Still, my first comment stands as far as how fun, educational and charming this set is, but I can't exactly repeat myself you know. I hope to see more such sets from you in the future!

Altais Altais Finally got around to reading your new versions of Copen and Dante. Sadly I think Jamie is having PC issues, but if he can I implore him to take a second look at Dante as it's well deserving of that.

First off, the new Copen. This is an impressive rework from the original set! You took to heart all the criticism about the way the mirrored inputs on the ftilt and nair needed to be different, you made an entirely new down smash that is really cool, you even improved the general writing and presentation to the point it's very slick. At this point the moves are detailed enough I honestly wanted the images earlier on, maybe at the start of the move, because they were getting buried under the text. Very good, necessary text to see your intentions in each move and construct a fun rushdown playstyle. I was especially impressed by how well you described the up special and smashes. The only section of inputs I'd say is still a little lacking, and this goes for Dante too, is the grab game. They're still pretty simplistic throws.

Looking at the set as a whole now, the improvement is nothing short of impressive. There's only a couple moves I thought were a bit weird, like the dash attack dealing 1%. I also thought the tagging in general was a little underwhelming as an effect. I guess it's just a small change in each move, but I'd find it more fun if tagging was a universal effect like making his many projectiles home, and then you could talk about how this might effect each move. The Bullits also feel a bit of an on/off switch where he doesn't really get a "punchy" effect when he has them active. If anything, moves buffed by Bullits should be a lot more powerful, pronounced and considered by the Copen player.

The smashes are definitely my favourite set work by you. It's great to see you talking about conditioning, using his dashes to force the foe into having "no choice" (a 50/50) and here you do make good use of the homing tags on fsmash. The up smash's tag effect might've been a little better if it didn't just home, maybe home in a slightly different way? For example a drill spear could have a slow turn as it goes to home in and then act as a lingering hitbox for a moment, becoming a trap, just the kind of thing to keep in mind IMO. The down smash is an amazing aesthetic but seems like a good opportunity for you to emphasize some form of either camping or rushdown to take advantage of the extra damage, like if the foe shields they ignore all this damage because it goes into their shield so you have to chase them down. Nonetheless the smashes are definitley the highlight and I actually like this set now! If you improved on the grab game and tighted up stuff like the dash attack this could be a very good moveset.

Secondly we have the new Dante. The main thing you did was improve the Devil Trigger so that it buffs certain moves. I do feel like you didn't go far enough here as it'd be very justified to increase Dante's stats during the Devil Trigger in a similar way to Shulk's Monado Arts or how Cloud gets slightly altered stats in Limit Break. That way you could then say something like "this dash attack acts differently because Dante has a faster dash attack" or "his dash/pivot grab is different because of his dashing speed" as one example. Still, just giving off straight buffs and differences on all these moves for Devil Trigger is by far the biggest improvement.

Just like Copen, Dante has a far cleaner, slicker presentation and is very reader friendly. The other immediate change besides the Devil Trigger change is that you removed all moves borrowed from other characters and to be honest this set is practically perfect for Dante as far as what moves go where now. I don't know if you strictly took advice from comments, but this set is simply very smart when it comes to what abilities it chooses to use on each move now. I do really like where Devil Trigger is used it's on directly buffed versions of attacks, with buffs to stats too this would all feel again fairly perfect for the character. There is one small error on the ftilt where it says the attack button can be held, obviously referencing when it was a jab. Despite being pretty simple the aerials have some of the coolest moves for simply making a lot of sense and being executed well, very important on a character like Dante who should feel natural to fight in the air.

There are some great input changes here, moving Dance Macabre from fsmash to fthrow is a great idea as that kind of overly flashy showboating animation belongs on a throw far more than a KO move Dante will use all the time. His new fsmash is also suitably flashy but very useful at the same time. The new down smash is also a huge improvement ditching the Gilgamesh weapon for a more fitting spinning animation. I also like some other small changes like making the down aerial a simple stall and fall style move, which feels a lot more sensible. I can see that Jamie directly suggested many of these ideas and you implemented them very well. My one big complaint that remains besides some further tinkering to Devil Trigger is that the grab game is a bit simplistic. Just going into some depths over potential combos, no matter how difficult they would be to perform, follow-ups or simply spacing to grab opportunistically for a throw set up would be a decent improvement. Overall though like Copen this was a pretty meticulous and impressive upgrade.

Don Armage has some fun ideas, I like the concept of a massive hitbox that sucks in Planetium from the foe, the stage, and the minions. The balance is however pretty off in this set. You have a very limited amount of Planetium you can get and as Armage is as slow as Ganondorf's pet snail he really needs a lot of it to get anywhere, having unnecessarily long Warlock Punch lag on many moves. If anything, Armage should passively get Planetium every few seconds or something to balance it out. I already thought Cronus' fsmash was laggy but this set is way too slow. The set in general just seems very UP with stuff like not even keeping his stock when summoning his fake. He really shouldn't lose a stock after investing all that Planetium + he should get respawn invincibility for a few frames, I just read Ghostface and he does this mechanic perfectly on the neutral special. I think you're a bit too cautious about your balance.

The down special was another cool idea, like the nspec and the uspec (all very cool animations BTW and this set has your best image work, great job on that) but it feels very underutilized. I don't get how you can have such creative moves as the dspec increasing gravity but it's not really referenced in obvious places like utilt where the foe falling back on top would be relevant. If anything the aesthetic of dspec could easily justify some sort of OHKO mechanic perhaps based off his Planetium usage in it and the foe being degraded by it over time passively. I mean, right now he is that slow and unwieldy it's not wrong to have it be very powerful to even make sense of his balance.

The fthrow is just crazy how it seesaws from OP to UP multiple times. Armage taking double damage and knockback is simply a horrible number and needs to be both far lower and specify if it's first used smash or first one that lands. If it's the first one that's more correct so the foe can miss and waste it, as right now it's far too OP. At the same time, halving the foe's damage and cutting their movement by a third is equally too much and should be more like IDK, 0.9x to their damage and movement, that's already a decent chunk, and then include knockback because it's a bit weird it's not included. The timer is also a bit weird, but I can let that slide. Feels like this move is a bit of a waste to not interact in some way with his dspec's aesthetic or his up special considering it's a status effect. And hello to Seth on the dthrow. This is a kind of odd Cargo Throw. You don't have to state them but it'd be better to just let him do generic throws in 4 directions rather than what you did here, I did a similar thing on Djimmi's fthrow.

I find it kind of weird he has feathers on a ftilt, and generally, it's a bit weird not to mention the obvious ways to use disjointed hitboxes everywhere in tandem with minions. I felt like if anything, the aerials were one of the best sections, and the smashes were again too weak. The fsmash is one of the most obvious way too slow moves and all the smashes need a lot flashier/more powerful effects when using up that previous Planetium. Overall this set just needs a lot of buffs that FA set out better than I have in this comment. That and I would appreciate just self-referencing at all to his specials/minions besides "this is buffed by x planetium." Even if every Planetium buff was as flashy as the Fake Armage, I'd be a lot more okay with that than this approach.

I can't tell you how happy I was to refresh the thread and see a new set for Ghostface by Kat. I know you'd been talking about it for a while, but I thought it wouldn't see the light of day and I am very very glad you got it out. Scream was in fact the very first horror franchise I watched, I found it pretty scary as a kid, and I rewatched all 4 films last year. I even tried to make my own Ghostface set last year too but I found it hard to get into the right mindset for it as there's a certain appeal to his power set and personality that I just couldn't get right. You did though, you just got it perfectly, from the move names to the amazing presentation and writing style. Got to love all those slasher references and self-awareness. It's rare in MYM I get a set like this that feels so personally satisfying to envision and for that, I thank you Kat.

I actually had a similar idea but you did the accomplice better than my set. I never thought about using invisibility, in fact I got very obsessive about trying to avoid being too unrealistic when Ghostface obviously has some inherent meta "superpowers," enough to hide his duplicate. I mean, my set had him summon a spotlight, so it's very justified. This is a very cool and simple way of doing this premise and even takes into account that Ghostface wants to be KO'd off the sides to give the foe less searching time, itself a smart way to reference the plots of the films where they're always searching for the real killer/afraid that Ghostface will as if by magic be at every corner. Some very awesome little touches like the "killer coming back stronger in the sequel" and encouraging foes to outright gimp Ghostface to make sure he's dead is equally very fitting on the character and good balance.

The side special was cool too, I like the fact the accomplice both avoids the gunshots and gets hit by fake bullets, again a direct reference (I should probably point them all out as I'm the only one who gets them and they're all great). This has some interesting balance by banning his side special periodically, I'm usually not for banning inputs like nspec/sspec but in this case, it definitely makes sense and I like the balance. Up special is surprisingly versatile for a very simple move and I really enjoy what you got out of it for suicides/gimps and the teleporting behind a foe is super fitting too. The down special is a thing of beauty too, I was wondering what you'd link for Jack Frost and Killer Klowns. This move is great in how it uses the television prop, not something I really considered, but is put to awesome use here as both a counter prop and a generic construct to throw around.

I didn't fully understand the real crux of the backstab mechanic until I got to the jab and yeah, that is definitely a pretty clever way to make something out of a mechanic done about 100 times in MYM already. The standards have some cool characterisation like the stumbling in dash attack and "looking at his knife as if it's a holy object" which are, especially the second one, some more cool references. After the specials, the standards and s