Stride
Smash Ace
• The maximum amount of stored needles is 6.
• Some aerial needles will bounce once and then land again after contacting with the ground. This appears to be random (though it is possibly only semi-random, something like Mr Game & Watch's Judge). From rough observation, the chance of bouncing is approximately 50%.
• Each needle stays in the air for 29 frames before disappearing on frame 30.
• Starting on the frame a needle touches the ground, it will last for 119 frames before disappearing on frame 120. Whether the needle bounces or not is irrelevant; the timer starts once it touches the ground for the first time and continues regardless.
• All needles (including the first) have random variation in the height they will be thrown at. I don't know how much that variation is.
• Aerial needles spread out their hitboxes instead of stacking them like grounded needles do, which means they cover approximately 2-3x the area of grounded needles.
Initial needle animation (the first animation when you press the B button)
7 frames long (1-7); this animation starts at frame 1 while all the other animations here start at frame 0.
• This cannot be cancelled with shield (though it is possible to prevent it from transitioning into a needle throw or charge once it completes).
• On frame 7 (only frame 7 matters; you can input anything on the other frames and it won't have any effect):
Cancelling animation
8 frames long (0-7)
• Aerial version autocancels
Charging animation
18 frames long (0-17)
• New needle added on frame 17. It must be charged for the full 18 frames for the needle to be added (i.e. if you cancel the charge partway through then it won't contribute to the next needle).
• Sound effect (the needle "clink") plays on frame 1.
• If 6 needles have been charged, then the sound effect will still play (only once).
• Loops for as long as B is held down.
• Can be cancelled with shield at any point (shield input from during the initial animation doesn't count; it must have been started during the charging animation).
• In order to cancel, shield must be held down for at least 1 frame before releasing the B button; you can't release B and press shield on the same frame.
• Cancelling on the charge frame/frame 17 (inputting the cancel on frame 16) will not give you a needle; you have to cancel on frame >18 (input the cancel on frame >17; at least on the frame the needle is added).
• Enters throwing animation immediately after releasing the B button.
• Landing during the aerial version of this animation transitions to the grounded version of the animation.
Throwing animation
40 frames long (0-39)
• Sheik "huh" Sound effect plays on frame 0.
• A needle is thrown on frame 3 (along with the needle sound effect being played), and every subsequent 3 frames for each needle stored (i.e. needles/needle sounds are out on frames 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 if alll 6 needles are stored).
• Aerial version autocancels.
• Landing during the aerial version causes all held needles to be lost, regardless of whether they have been thrown or not.
• It takes 25 frames to add the first needle in a usage of the move, and 17 more for each subsequent needle added in the same use of the move. Therefore going from 0 needles to 6 needles takes 118 frames (including the cancel; 110 excluding it).
Charging needles from the ledge
Jumping from the ledge:
• Assuming frame-perfect drop/jump/charge, the latest possible frame you can charge cancel which still allows you to regrab the ledge with a double jump without using up-B is frame 44 (input frame 43).
• Assuming a frame-perfect drop->jump->cancel, the latest you can start charging in order to add 1 needle is frame 19. The needle is added on frame 26 and the cancel takes 8 frames. Therefore there are 9 frames of leniency with the cancel input.
• You must be frame-perfect in all respects to charge 2 needles (i.e. there are 0 frames of leniency).
Dropping from the ledge:
• Assuming no fastfall, you can regrab the ledge with a jump without using up-B on frame 26 at the latest. It is not possible to charge a needle from a ledge drop without using up-B to regrab the ledge (i.e. even if you are frame perfect, if you drop->charge 1 needle->cancel charge->jump, you will not be able to regrab the ledge without using your up-B).
• Latest possible regrab from drop->double jump->up-B (without teleporting) is frame 40 (input frame 39). If charging and cancelling needles frame-perfectly, the earliest possible jump is on frame 34 (input frame 33). Therefore there are 5 frames of leniency with the double jump->up-B assuming frame-perfect drop->charge->cancel.
• Some aerial needles will bounce once and then land again after contacting with the ground. This appears to be random (though it is possibly only semi-random, something like Mr Game & Watch's Judge). From rough observation, the chance of bouncing is approximately 50%.
• Each needle stays in the air for 29 frames before disappearing on frame 30.
• Starting on the frame a needle touches the ground, it will last for 119 frames before disappearing on frame 120. Whether the needle bounces or not is irrelevant; the timer starts once it touches the ground for the first time and continues regardless.
• All needles (including the first) have random variation in the height they will be thrown at. I don't know how much that variation is.
• Aerial needles spread out their hitboxes instead of stacking them like grounded needles do, which means they cover approximately 2-3x the area of grounded needles.
Initial needle animation (the first animation when you press the B button)
7 frames long (1-7); this animation starts at frame 1 while all the other animations here start at frame 0.
• This cannot be cancelled with shield (though it is possible to prevent it from transitioning into a needle throw or charge once it completes).
• On frame 7 (only frame 7 matters; you can input anything on the other frames and it won't have any effect):
◦ If shield is input (it has to be input on exactly this frame; holding it down from frame 6 or earlier has no effect and will not buffer a cancel during any of the other needle animations) while the B button is held down, then the cancelling animation will be entered.
◦ If the B button is held down and shield is not held down, then the charging animation is entered.
◦ If the B button is not held down (regardless of other inputs), then the throwing animation is entered.
• Landing during the aerial version of this animation transitions to the grounded version of the animation.◦ If the B button is held down and shield is not held down, then the charging animation is entered.
◦ If the B button is not held down (regardless of other inputs), then the throwing animation is entered.
Cancelling animation
8 frames long (0-7)
• Aerial version autocancels
Charging animation
18 frames long (0-17)
• New needle added on frame 17. It must be charged for the full 18 frames for the needle to be added (i.e. if you cancel the charge partway through then it won't contribute to the next needle).
• Sound effect (the needle "clink") plays on frame 1.
• If 6 needles have been charged, then the sound effect will still play (only once).
• Loops for as long as B is held down.
• Can be cancelled with shield at any point (shield input from during the initial animation doesn't count; it must have been started during the charging animation).
• In order to cancel, shield must be held down for at least 1 frame before releasing the B button; you can't release B and press shield on the same frame.
• Cancelling on the charge frame/frame 17 (inputting the cancel on frame 16) will not give you a needle; you have to cancel on frame >18 (input the cancel on frame >17; at least on the frame the needle is added).
• Enters throwing animation immediately after releasing the B button.
• Landing during the aerial version of this animation transitions to the grounded version of the animation.
Throwing animation
40 frames long (0-39)
• Sheik "huh" Sound effect plays on frame 0.
• A needle is thrown on frame 3 (along with the needle sound effect being played), and every subsequent 3 frames for each needle stored (i.e. needles/needle sounds are out on frames 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 if alll 6 needles are stored).
• Aerial version autocancels.
• Landing during the aerial version causes all held needles to be lost, regardless of whether they have been thrown or not.
• It takes 25 frames to add the first needle in a usage of the move, and 17 more for each subsequent needle added in the same use of the move. Therefore going from 0 needles to 6 needles takes 118 frames (including the cancel; 110 excluding it).
Charging needles from the ledge
Jumping from the ledge:
• Assuming frame-perfect drop/jump/charge, the latest possible frame you can charge cancel which still allows you to regrab the ledge with a double jump without using up-B is frame 44 (input frame 43).
• Assuming a frame-perfect drop->jump->cancel, the latest you can start charging in order to add 1 needle is frame 19. The needle is added on frame 26 and the cancel takes 8 frames. Therefore there are 9 frames of leniency with the cancel input.
• You must be frame-perfect in all respects to charge 2 needles (i.e. there are 0 frames of leniency).
Dropping from the ledge:
• Assuming no fastfall, you can regrab the ledge with a jump without using up-B on frame 26 at the latest. It is not possible to charge a needle from a ledge drop without using up-B to regrab the ledge (i.e. even if you are frame perfect, if you drop->charge 1 needle->cancel charge->jump, you will not be able to regrab the ledge without using your up-B).
• Latest possible regrab from drop->double jump->up-B (without teleporting) is frame 40 (input frame 39). If charging and cancelling needles frame-perfectly, the earliest possible jump is on frame 34 (input frame 33). Therefore there are 5 frames of leniency with the double jump->up-B assuming frame-perfect drop->charge->cancel.
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