SHOWTIME! Bowser's UThrow Setups and Combos

[Big-Cat]

@LordMix and I were discussing this last night; going over the properties of this monumental change to UThrow. While I focused on its positioning applications, he's provided invaluable combo potential as seen here.

One thing that is extremely important to note is that the move has a hitstun modifier. The higher the percentage, the longer the hitstun. As such, you optimal followup depends on the weight, gravity, and percentage of the character. For example, you can do UThrow > UAir as a kill if you grab Sheik at 85%, but Fox must be at 90% to be killed with the same combo. A general rule of thumb is the following.

0-20%: UTilt or for floatier characters USmash
20-40%: UTilt, USmash, or NAir
40-85%: NAir, FAir, or BAir
85%: UAir, FAir, or BAir

Which one you choose to followup with on these percentages will vary, especially with rage taken into consideration. Lord Mix's video only goes over the followups WITHOUT rage. With rage, the followups ovbiously change. The rage may turn the followup into an oki/DI read; hence why I call it Showtime. It's not always a combo, but sometimes a stage control tool.

If you get to a point where your rage is too high to followup immediately, that's a good time to corner them and use Bowser Bomb, Klaw, or FThrow/BThrow. Additionally, if you predict your opponent to air dodge a followup, respond to that with a drop kick to the face for when they land.

EDIT: Upon further research, there is a hitstun modifier in the game already for all attacks. It's not exclusive to Bowser's UThrow. However, the high KBG does give the impression there is a special one for him.

 

[Xandercosm]

Nice work. This is a pretty good reference video. It's amazing that the U-throw to U-air combo still works at 130%...

 

[S_B]

Thankfully, it takes a decent amount of rage on Bowser and/or percentage on the opponent before they'll fly high enough to not get hit. Uair remains a guaranteed killing followup for a LONG time...

I feel like the Showtime/Shellshock is better than the ding-dong in some ways because it's generally harder to overshoot the desired percentage.

 

[Big-Cat]

Nice work. This is a pretty good reference video. It's amazing that the U-throw to U-air combo still works at 130%...

Yep, but at that point, the more efficient kill is simply Klaw. I find that if you get to a point where the followup becomes more read based, shift to that and use your other throws and BAir for early kills.

 

[Smog Frog]

i've been able to do uthrow->aerial upb from 30->45% on fastfallers, doing about 35~%.

 

[King_of_Hearts]

I may be crazy but i feel like upthrow to d-air could work. If it does then you could spike at early percents

 

[Big-Cat]

Wouldn't be worth it even if you can. Any competent player can just tech the spike which just leads Bowser to a serious disadvantage.

If you're talking off stage spike, you better have a stock lead.

 

[Xandercosm]

Wouldn't be worth it even if you can. Any competent player can just tech the spike which just leads Bowser to a serious disadvantage.

If you're talking off stage spike, you better have a stock lead.

Actually, if you do U-throw to D-air at the ledge, you can get a nice spike without having to lose a stock or anything. But, you have to be right at the ledge, so it's kind of situational. It's not a true combo but it's quite close.

 

[Big-Cat]

That, and you really have to wonder when would a player DI away from the stage. At that point, I'd say just go for FAir, or BAir. Far less risky.

 

[Xandercosm]

That, and you really have to wonder when would a player DI away from the stage. At that point, I'd say just go for FAir, or BAir. Far less risky.

The DI part tho

 

[Big-Cat]

Personally, it's just not my style to go for spikes with DAir.

 

[Xandercosm]

Personally, it's just not my style to go for spikes with DAir.

It does have a pretty large spike hitbox, though.

 

[pitfall356]

Nah man, he actually has a point. At the ledge, if you can seriously grab them that way, uthrow to dair is just a few frames short of being a true combo from roughly 40 to 70%. It keeps you on stage and it actually spikes them off. It's insane.

 

[Big-Cat]

Then I"ll have to seriously consider it

 

[Xandercosm]

I think it just gives Bowser another nice option to use out of U-throw. I mean, the more, the better. Right?

 

[Big-Cat]

I suppose, but I did some thinking. This sort of thing is a gimmick. It will only work once, assuming they don't know about it prior to the match.

 

[Xandercosm]

I suppose, but I did some thinking. This sort of thing is a gimmick. It will only work once, assuming they don't know about it prior to the match.

I guess. I think it's at least a useful mixup when you happen to get that opportune grab right by the ledge.