Oli/Alph Advanced Technique - Desynced Smash Attacks (with Platforms)

[ScherzoGavotte]

TL;DR: Desyncing D-Smash, Up-Smash, and F-Smash on platforms . SEE GFYs!!!
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Today I'll talk a little about my own experience with desync smashes. This post expands on Myran's original posting on SmashBoards.

Briefly, Desyncing refers to Pikmin not necessarily doing what Olimar/Alph commands it to (be it attacking or just following). Desync Smashes refer generally to Pikmin performing Smash attacks in a location that is not immediately adjacent to Olimar/Alph. Here, I will only speak of Desync Smashes with regards to platforms.

Platform-based Desync Smashes abuse the laggy nature of Pikmin when changing elevations quickly so that the Pikmin perform the Smash attack on a platform even though Olimar is not there. We'll go through Platform Down, Up, and F-Smashes respectively through this post.
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__D-Smash

Desync D-Smash is by far the easiest of these to perform.

• Here's a quick example of what it usually looks like.

The inputs are Fall-through > Whistle > Down-Smash. Whistling is important here because it makes the pikmin "think" for just a hair. This means they remain on the platform for a few more frames, allowing Olimar to initiate the D-smash input before they can catch up. For this particular version, you usually can get one pikmin to remain on top (usually second in line), and can rarely get two.

In order to more reliably get both pikmin to stay on top, you need to move laterally some.

• Here's the double pikmin version while moving laterally

So as soon as you fall through, you need to move to the side some. For some reason, when you fall through and then move laterally, the pikmin want to follow your horizontal direction more than you vertical direction (or at least the distance threshold for jumping down is higher than the walking sideways threshold). This stalls them further, allowing you to get both involved in the attack.
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__F-Smash

The next two are harder to perform.

• Here's a Desync F-smash.

The success rate for performing this one is smaller, mostly because the window for performing it is smaller than D-Smash. In order to extend the window a bit more, you must move laterally, and you can/should whistle an additional time while on the platform before falling through. This will increase your ability to do this more consistently.

Now the version shown above doesn't have much use necessarily, since you end up so close to the edge of the platform, thereby reducing the distance your pikmin may travel. Instead, what you can do is pivot your F-smash right as you reach the ground.

• You can cover more of the platform with this version.

Caveat:

• Desync F-Smash will ONLY work if you are traveling/falling through in the direction that Oli is facing.
• You can perform this without the initial whistle on the top of the platform, but the success rate is smaller.

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__Up-Smash

Desyncing Up-Smash follows roughly the same rules as F-Smash - whistle once on top of the platform before falling through, and move laterally after falling through.

• Here it is in action
• Here's proof that the hitbox is really active.

Caveat:

• Desync F-Smash will ONLY work if you are traveling/falling through in the direction that Oli is facing.

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__STAGES

The ability to perform these platform desyncs is dependent highly upon the height of the platforms on the stage. I'll briefly touch on the stages on which these may or may not work.

• Battlefield - All my gfys are on BF, so all desyncs listed here can be performed here. Test them out here first! This stage has the 2nd lowest platforms in the current tournament legal set of stages. It just so happens that it's just the right height to make these desyncs work!
  
  
• Lylat Cruise - This stage has the shortest platforms with respect to the main stage (on the sides) of the legal set, so all 3 deyncs spoken of here can be performed there. It's especially easy when moving from the center of the side platforms towards the "humps" just underneath the stage.
  
  
• Duck Hunt - Desync D-Smash works on the right-side small tree (though you need the extra whistle and lateral movement). All three platform desync smashes will work on the big left-side tree, as long as you are moving between trees that are reasonably close to each other vertically (i.e not from the highest to the lowest).
  
  
• Smashville - Can perform Desync Down Smash but that's it. You'll need to use the extra whistle and move laterally for this one to work. Also, I've only been able to trap one pikmin of the D-smash on the moving platform. Interestingly, the pikmin who gets stuck there will remain in place in space so that if you charge your D-smash, the SV platform will just slide right underneath your pikmin.
  
  
• Dream Land - Surprisingly, only D-smash works on this stage. While its layout is similar to BF, the platforms are slightly higher and slightly shorter. It's possible, but difficult to perform this technique on these stage platforms.
  
  
• Town and City - Has platforms, but I can't get the desyncs to work on this stage. Vertical distance from the stage is too great. Q_Q

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That's all I have! While I figured out how to double pikmin D-smash, F-Smash, and Up-Smash desync on my own, I was inspired by Myran's original posting on SmashBoards, so he certainly gets credit for this.

Thanks for reading! And as always, keep on plucking!

 

[koken]

I can't do it yet but it's an amazing tool :D. Being consistent with it should be the most important part to take full advantage of it.
Thank you so much .

 

[Blue Banana]

For desync Fsmash, is it possible to do it near the edge of the platform such that the Pikmin launches off of it? (Like if Olimar were to stand at the edge of a platform normally, the Fsmashed pikmin could go off the platform.)

 

[ScherzoGavotte]

Yes, you can space it that way. It does shoot quite a bit further off the ledge.

 

[Dattoking]

Great research, very well presented! Nice work!

So I noticed that shorthopping on a platform, fastfalling through the platform to the ground, then smashing also lets you smash on the platform, at least downsmash. Might need more testing for consistency.