Right, to start of things, the animation Robotnik does when he creates a badnik is that he turns away from the screen, and we see his arms moving extremely quickly, with some mechanical pieces flying out as well. This only takes 0.2 seconds (12 frames), so the animation happens extremely quickly. Flickies will break out of the grab after 0.7 seconds, so make your decision quickly. Obviously, as I told you before, you have to grab the Flickies to make your badniks, and they try to run away from you, but you can catch them up very easily. Each badnik has constant super armour frames. Robotnik will also say at the same time “The more the merrior” when he does this. Well, the main reason this space is used is to make the badnik list easy to look at, so without further a do, here they are:
Neutral Special - Motobug
Health: 24%
This Badnik, as soon as it is made, just runs around on the platform non-stop, attacking anyone who is in front of it. Motobug travels at a below average pace, slightly slower than Peaches walk. This does 7% and low-high diagonally upward knockback which has quite a bit of hit-stun. The Badnik is also slightly smaller than Kirby.
One Motobug on its own is pretty useless, it’s best in a pack (so it’s like a big long hit-box), or use them for patrolling different areas on the stage (for example, on the main platform of Battlefield, have one motobug going back and forth one half, and another Motobug patrolling the other side). Also, you should only use “Patrol” and “Attack”. Since all it has is a direct attack, he can’t really make an obstacle or wall of projectiles for the opponent, and what would be the point in running away? I humbly think you should use more worth while Badnik, unless you can think of an Original tactic for the badnik.
[7%]
Side Special - Coconuts
Health: 20%
Coconuts moves away at the speed of Diddys run, and without any guidance it tries to stay at the furthest point away and attack the opponent, but with the weaker projectile. Coconut is also about the size of the Naner Mad Monkey as well. Coconuts has 2 different weapons for different purposes. If you are sticking to “Run Away” and “Attack”, he will throw a Bomb (about the size of Dededes head) in an upwards arc that goes as far as half of Smashville at the speed of Luigis fireball, and exploding as soon as it hits an obstacle. This has quite a bit of start-up and ending lag. The bomb does 10% and mid-low knockback that does the Sakurai angle (going more vertical the higher the opponents’ percent is).
If you assign the robotic monkey “patrol” and “(send and) Stop”, he’ll throw coconuts slightly smaller than the bomb at 1.3 times the speed (in terms of lag and the projectile speed), but travels a stage builder block shorter than the above weapon. These coconuts do 6% and a slight bit of hit-stun similar to Links arrows.
This monkey will be a pain for the opponent since of its quick movement, but if it’s trapped against the edge of the stage, then it’ll get hurt quite a bit, most likely blowing up. I’d say mix it up with coconuts, cause his bomb might make for a great edge guarder (since it’ll try and attack from the furthest point), but when patrolling, making Coconuts throw coconuts (not himself) instead, making up for a quite irritating projectile, but quite punishable, so be wary.
[10/6%]
Upward Special – Buzz Bomber
Health: 15%
Buzz Bomber is about half of a stage builder block tall and about a stage builder block horizontally. Buzz Bombers moves INSANELY quick in horizontal directions, going about the same speed as Sonics dash, but going vertically, he goes upwards about the speed of Dragmires’ run. Buzz Bomber shoots out 2 yellow balls of energy the size of a Bom-omb going diagonally downwards in between the diagonally downwards/ downwards position. This ball of energy goes down at the speed of Marios fireball as if it was in the air, and reaches the range of Foxes Blaster, doing 4% and a slight stun. Also, when the flying Badnik dashes at full speed, it does 10% and mid horizontal knockback.
The best way to use this is to use “Patrol”, You can have this going upwards, and have it shoot opponents when they enter the range, and/or have it going horizontally, patrolling a great area above the stage. The projectiles themselves aren’t really “zOMG, Robotnik should orgasm over this Badnik”, but used as a slight annoyance above the stage where Buzz Bomber is not likely to be hit from, and make the little balls an obstacle the opponent will dodge. Making them stop is useless, and Run-away and Attack do the exact same thing for Buzz Bomber.
[4% each projectile/10% from dashing Badnik]
Down Special – Chopper
Health: 16%
While the commands don’t work the same way on this Badnik, if you press B on the portal or the Badnik, you can make it so the badnik just keeps going back up and down constantly.
Robotnik will leave a small portal on the ground (1.5 times wide as Snakes Mine), and whenever the opponent reaches an invisible box (which is directly upwards from the door on the ground) which makes the badnik shoot upwards to its peak range, and then back down. The Badnik is the same width as the portal on the ground, and about the size of Mario tall. Chopper shoots upwards about the same speed as Metaknights run, and the peak range is the same as King Dededes up-b vertical range. When the opponent gets bitten by Chopper, it does 11% and mid vertical knockback which delivers quite a bit of hit-stun. This can be a great baiter, and you could grab the opponent over the portal so he gets hit by this. This can also be used as an Obstacle for the opponent to get around with the trick I stated above this paragraph. Talk about stage control (the portal disappears as soon as the badnik is destroyed).
[11%]
Neutral A – Ball Hog
Health: 25%
Ball Hog doesn’t move, but he can turn around. Instead of the 5 commands, he has 3 commands: Normal (Tap B), Defence type (Hold B and Down for 0.5 seconds), and attack type (Hold B for 0.5 seconds). Normal is the paragraph below, defence is that he sends the balls more quickly and frequently, but at the cost of power (1.3 times faster, 1.3 times weaker), and attack is roughly the opposite (1.3 times slower, 1.3 times stronger).
Ball Hog is about the same size as Mario. Ball Hogs ability is that he kicks pink balls the size of a soccer ball along the floor, and disappears after 8 seconds. The ball travels at the speed of Fox’s dash. This has very low start-up lag, but has quite a pause between each ball throw. The ball has low priority and does 5% and extremely low diagonally upward knockback that won’t KO until 380% odd. Since this Badnik is stuck in one spot, I’d pit him in defence mode, or just leave it as its normal stance. That way, he can damage the opponent a little before destroying it by performing a wall of sorts.
[6% (normal), 4% (Defence), 8% (Attack)]
Forward Tilt - Orbinaut
Health: 17%
This Badnik is about the size of a Bom-omb, with Bom-omb sized spike balls as well. Orbinaut floats in mid-air as well. This badnik is also affected by all commands. When Orbinaut moves, it travels at the speed of Ganondorfs run, and the Spikes spin around. If he is in Run away or Attack mode, when the opponent gets close enough, they throw the screw balls forward, going at the speed of Samus’s super missile and the same range in a straight line, doing 6% and low-low Sakurai angle knockback with great hit-stun. The spike balls get thrown with a little pause in between, and they have great priority. If they are in the Patrol or Stop command, they simple move around with the spikes going forward, never throwing them. A spike disappears if it hits the opponent. If the spikes hit the opponent in this way, it does 8% and low Sakurai angle knockback. Since this is in the air, you could put this off the stage, and force the opponent to dodge. A formal opponent can lead to some nice edge guarding.
[6 – 8%]
Upward tilt - Crawlton
Health: 20%
With the animal one, this has 20% health, instead of 1 hit destroying it. Also, the balls don’t disappear after one hits the opponent, so it is a long hit-box. This is affected by the commands, but the best one for this is attack (just keep on following the opponent) or patrol. Stopping something without a projectile or is well protected (like an orbinaut) in general is such a ******** idea. This one doesn’t have a time limit at all, unlike the chaos drive version. It also turns around 2.5 times quicker than the other one at corners (or when attacking, whenever the opponent is behind it)
for details on what the badnik does, look at the up tilt on the main moveset.
Downward Tilt – Turbo Spiker
Health: 23%
Turbo Spiker is about the same size as Metaknight. TS moves around slightly faster than Ganondorfs run. Turbo Spiker can shoot his spike from about 80 degrees to 20 degrees upwards, and it travels in an arc. This projectile gets charged slightly when it is in a stop position, improving in damage and knockback (charging takes just a nice little 0.5 seconds). This has great range, but it is unreliable as it strikes for the position the opponent WAS in, often missing the opponent on the ground unless they go air-borne. The commands do the same as the descriptions with no changes to it. The projectile gets fired at the speed of Wolfs blaster, but it has a whole 2.5 second pause before sending another projectile. This does 7% (10% charged) and low-low (low knockback charged) diagonally upward knockback with below average priority. This might be Robotniks best projectile user, since of the projectile angle (thus, having great range), and actually causes knockback (low, but knockback none-of-the-less). The downfall of this move is that since it travels in an arc, it’s hard to actually hit with, and the pause is quite long as well. On its own, its useless, but bagged with a bunch of other projectile badniks, the mix-ups would devastate approaches and recovery attempts.
[7 – 10%]
Forward Smash - Slicer
Health: 28%
The inclusion of a flicky makes it so the Badnik can turn around, unlike with the Chaos Drive, and it has more energy than a Chaos Drive one. Similar with the Ball Hog, he has 3 commands: Normal (Tap B), Defence type (Hold B and Down for 0.5 seconds), and attack type (Hold B for 0.5 seconds). Defence makes the badnik send his boomerang more quickly and frequently, but at the cost of power (1.3 times faster, 1.3 times weaker), and attack is roughly the opposite (1.3 times slower, 1.3 times stronger).
for details on what the badnik does, look at the forward smash on the main moveset. With animals, they always do max damage
Upward Smash - Batbot
Health: 15%
Batbot is about the same size as a crouching King Dedede and flies in mid-air, but he has the greatest movement, having the speed of Jigglypuffs air speed. The Batbot is affected by all the commands, but this one of the more versatile badniks. The only command that is pointless is run away (you’ll guess why soon). The ability of Batbot is dropping the light bulb downwards at the same range as Falcos blaster, and at the speed of the Mortar on its descent. The bulb is also about double the size of a Samus Super Missile. The bulb gets sent down every 5 seconds with great priority. The falling bulb does 9% and mid-low diagonally upward knockback. The only true downfall is that the pause in between each projectile is quite long, and the ridiculously low health. Using this as a patrol/stop off the stage, it can be used as an EVIL ledge guarder. And also imagine how annoying it would be for the opponent to keep avoiding the bulbs from above while the Batbot is constantly above you (EPIC on levels such as Final Destination and Smashville {as that only has one platform, and that moves}, but is terrible for anything but edge guarding on stages such as Lylat Cruise).
[9%]
Downward Smash - Spikers
Health: 25%
There is no commands for this one, just a major buff compared to the Chaos drive version
The improvement with having an Animal is that this doesn’t disappear when you do it the normal Down smash way, and springs up 2 times quicker when the opponent jumps on it. Also, after every 6 seconds, it shoots out 2 orange projectile the size of Marios fireball in an arc that reaches 2 bowsers outwards on both sides of the spiker at the speed of Wolfs blaster. This does 5% and a slight stun. The Spiker is also only vulnerable when it springs up, and its hurt-box only gets hit by Down-tilt or very low down hit-box. To use this, you could use it as a small wall, and grab the opponent next to it, and make the opponent bounce high into the sky by the badnik. More details of this badnik is in the main set
[5%]
