The true purpose of Mega Man's leaf shield

[Anomalous Adam]

It increases the amount of damage that Mega Man does while grabbing an opponent. It's possible to inflict 22 damage in a single grab!

 

[roymustang1990-]

Interesting find

 

[Anomalous Adam]

Just pummel twice and use forward throw after using leaf shield

 

[Demon-oni]

Little sad that it makes it obvious what you're planning to do, but still at least we found a use for the move. So busy mourning the fact you can't use attacks during leaf shield only to forget the possibility of grabbing. I forget, do the leaves give any stun? Even diminutive amounts?

 

[Mr. Pants]

Little sad that it makes it obvious what you're planning to do, but still at least we found a use for the move. So busy mourning the fact you can't use attacks during leaf shield only to forget the possibility of grabbing. I forget, do the leaves give any stun? Even diminutive amounts?

From what I've seen, if you shoot the leaf shield at your opponent it has some knock back. If the leaf shield is still circling you and hits an opponent, it doesn't seem to have any knock back. It might stun the tiniest amount when it's still circling you, but I feel like it doesn't stop the opponent from attacking me. So far, it has been the least used move in Mega Man's move set for me.

 

[Crescendo]

The thing that bothers me with Leaf Shield is that you're forced to give up on every of your other tools. Because of that, people will see you coming from miles away.
I understand they wanted to be as close as possible to the original games, but it stops the special from gaining a lot of versatility all around, especially since a lot of other moves in the game have as much use with no drawback at all.

 

[BestTeaMaker]

I feel like Plant Barrier is a really good custom move to use instead. The reason is that, from reading the description of it from Mega Man games, what it does is simply rotate around you. You cannot throw it.

This leads me to believe that you can use it, then use other attacks. It'll be similar to Rose's Soul Satellite, allowing you to add the damage on top of what you're doing already.

 

[ItsRainingGravy]

-> Leaf Shield
-> Incredibly slow
-> Removes ability to attack
-> Removes ability to use Rush and therefore you can't recover

lol noep

 

[Mechageo]

Throw metal blade to the ground, pick it up, leaf shield, approach opponent and throw metal blade. Opponent will perform a defensive maneuver, predict and punish with a 22% grab.

 

[TheReflexWonder]

Footstools can only work on an opponent who is not using an attack or shield. Normally if someone sees you coming, they'll do a move so that a footstool cannot affect them. Leaf Shield causing slight hitstun fixes this: Offstage Leaf Shield tap combos into footstool.

With Mega Man's high horizontal aerial mobility, you can dance around an opponent's aerial and then footstool them in a way unique to the character. Metal Blade item use allows you to encourage your opponent to come at a certain angle for it. It's situational since it requires opponents to recover low-ish but totally useful.

You're welcome.

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

From playing CPUs, I notice that it is possible to break free of a grab incredibly fast, especially at low percents. In past smash games, I tend to pummel once for every 30% damage my opponent has sustained so far. In this game, it seems like that needs to be increased to 50%. Because pummeling almost always results in a release before that point. You would need roughly three pummels for all your leaves to catch up. It's especially bad since I'm used to waiting just a moment to make sure I see that I've grabbed my opponent successfully before throwing, and that moment is long enough for a 0% opponent to break free.

As for its use as a shield, I've blocked a whopping one projectile during extensive use in fights. And the leaf that hits an enemy or gets hit by a projectile will disappear. Overall, the hindrances enacted by the shield are far too large for its minuscule utility. The Metal blade combination use is interesting, but requires so many seconds of uninterrupted time, that I'd only see people do it after getting a kill. And the footstool barrier sounds nice, but if you miss your footstool entirely, it will likely result in an SD. Not to mention you really need to manage time well when your opponent is off stage. By the time your leaf shield is ready, they're probably in position to grab the ledge.

 

[Thinkaman]

Leaf Shield trumps other projectiles; this is its main functionality.

 

[WizKick]

I'd rather rack up 22% with my buster and lemons that actually have hit stun, don't require me to stand still and allow me to other things as needed.

 

[TheReflexWonder]

The larger blast zones in this game mean that you have more time to prepare for an edgeguard than in previous games. Also, if you use Leaf Shield onstage and then jump off for an edgeguard, even if you miss the opponent, Leaf Shield will disappear well before recovery ever becomes an issue. It's not difficult to get into position because of Mega Man's great horizontal aerial mobility and because the opponent has to keep moving forward in most cases in order to recover.

Leaf Shield shouldn't be causing any self-destructs unless you start it when you're already falling offstage, which is just a poor decision.

 

[BestTeaMaker]

Leaf Shield trumps other projectiles; this is its main functionality.

This is really the only good thing I can think of concerning Leaf Shield. Its path does not get affected by oncoming projectiles, so it can be used to rack up the pressure.

Frankly, though, the startup time to activate the leaf shield means I'll only be using it if I know that I'm safe enough to pop it.

 

[TheReflexWonder]

Fullhop -> drift makes it pretty safe. Hell, you can B-Reverse it in mid-air to mix up your landing and make it active when you hit the ground.

 

[YAYCONFORMITY]

I've been playing around in the demo with it. It probably does suck, but we probably shouldn't write it off right now.

An interesting property of the move is that it has a sort of built in wave bounce effect. It allows Mega Man to turn in the air more quickly and bail out of an approach. I think this may be the most interesting aspect of the move. Maybe it will have some utility like bucket breaking.

I tried Reflex's footstool idea. I've been able to pull it off a couple of times. Hard but doable, but then I'm not good at footstool spikes to begin with. Of course the leaves on their own are disruptive.

If someone tries a REALLY telegraphed jump in, then you can use it to augment your natural shield. Shield the attack, get some bonus leaf damage, and get a grab in with the hitstun.

It eats through every projectile in the demo. And it takes up space so it limits air options for your opponent.

It can be used to approach. If you get used to timing it right, and know when it will end and you can do other moves, you may be able to bait your opponent into spotdodging or rolling away from what they think will be a grab, and then hit them with something else.

These are just ideas to bounce around. They may all be useless, but it's better to try to think of some use then just never using it.

 

[TheReflexWonder]

You must mix up normal fall, fastfall, and double jump use with it in order to remain unpredictable enough to be a real threat. Double-jump and negligible hitstun from Leaf Shield allow you to come in from the side or even from below in certain cases.

Mega Man has a very large speed disparity between normal fall and fastfall, and his horizontal aerial mobility allows you to lean back if they want to stick an attack out. Since they're recovering, they don't have too much space to stop holding forward, so their ability to defend via horizontal drifting is pretty limited.

 

[Opana]

Some possible uses for leaf shield I've tried include edge guarding, comboing, and even recovering.

The thing about it is, never shoot it off, let it end on its own. Going by this method, I activate it, and use it for the above.

For reference, when the leaves start spinning the shield stays for almost three seconds, so including the start up animation I'd say about three seconds.

Edge Guarding: Activate the shield, then jump off towards them. Four leaves means four hits, and it leaves you more than enough time to recover. Maybe using this strategy with the Crash Bomb would work somehow?
I can't think of anything, but I just feel like these two things may work together.

Comboing: Run towards them; if they attack it's pretty much a counter as there's still three leaves, meaning you lose one leaf when it's hit. If they do that though, and they're hit with the leaves, you can follow up with another move as soon as the shield ends. If they shield, you can grab for free damage with the leaves, and pull off a throw. Down throw to fsmash seems to work well, on the CPU anyway, as they always use an air dodge, meaning they frame trap themselves into the fsmash.

Recovery:Only to be used from high above, activate the shield and just di towards the stage. It'll absorb hits for you, and if anyone attempts to make contact they'll either hit the leaves, collide with the leaves, or if they time their attack right hit you. It's not the best option, but it is an option, which again leaves more than enough time to recover.

Another Crash bomb idea I just had:

As you recover, stick it to the stage. Normally, there's no point, but if they're chasing you off stage then you may be able to coil into it, then coil again. I just thought of this, no testing what so ever.

Hope I contributed at least a little.


I had made this post previously, and seeing this topic made me want to again.

 

[Jhaman]

I would be horrified to jump off the stage with leaf shield, since you can't Up-Special when its active.

 

[Opana]

I would be horrified to jump off the stage with leaf shield, since you can't Up-Special when its active.

There's enough time to recover.

 

[Overswarm]

When someone is on the ledge, stand next to said ledge in leaf shield. If they run out of invincibility, it taps them off the ledge.

'sbout it.

 

[Hitzel]

I was hoping that leafshield somehow protected you from a sticky bomb on your opponent, but that doesn't seem to be the case =(

 

[Overswarm]

The only time I"ve found leaf shield useful is if someone is off stage and is going to up+b helplessly, I can down+b and grab to gain a whopping 4% extra. Occasionally I'll find an opportunity to pick it up and throw it at a pikachu spamming B and every once in a while it blocks a projectile.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

I found two other uses. Using it to nullify opponents attacks while they're in respawn invincibility. And in fights with other projectile characters it can act as a barrier to block their projectiles when thrown, ideally followed up with one of Meg's more traditionally useful projectiles.

 

[Abortion Doc]

Skull Barrier and Petal Shield will replace Leaf Shield completely imo.

 

[turtle roll]

I've been using leaf shield to run at my opponent like a maniac. It's pretty fun.

Actually, I think putting the shield up and dodging around the other guy is a pepper-tastic use of the move. And mixing in a little bit of grab game gives it a pretty fresh flavor, used sparingly.

 

[Ramzy]

You can activate Leaf Shield with Metal Blade in hand, so you can at least have a quick projectile for use on hand with the protection of the Leaf Shield.

 

[shinhed-echi]

Another good use for Leaf Shield, is to use it instead of taunt when your opponent is launched off the edge. :D

*dodges brick* It beats taunting at least, right?

 

[Blue Warrior]

I only have the demo still, but I can already tell the leaf shield is garbage for anything other than approaching for a grab. Lag start-up time is too much for close quarters, and the mechanics are fatal to Megaman if he needs to recover. Projectile blocking is sketchy at best.

 

[ChopperDave]

One thing I've been trying with some limited success when recovering is to Rush -> Leaf Shield -> air dodge -> jump toward the ledge. People sometimes forget that you can jump AFTER using Rush.

This is actually a not terrible approach I find. The leaves + air dodging stop/avoid a lot of projectiles and discourage people from trying to hit you with aerials. And if you grab the ledge the leaves will hit people who are too close to the edge, which can set up well into a fair punish if you time it right.

And of course if they do manage to hit you with something, you can Rush again as soon as the leaves go away. Makes you harder to gimp.

The downside is that your jump is more predictable than Rush, which can be a problem with good edge guarders. And it can be weird getting used to hitting UpB BEFORE jumping. Still, it's a decent option.

 

[Yink]

Forgive me for not looking through every post, but tonight I was playing @NinjaLink and we made a cool discovery with Leaf Shield (LS) as an edgeguarding tool. Of course we didn't explore it too in depth, but we did figure out you can LS, grab the ledge, and potentially use it to footstool (as it looks like the leaves have a spiking hitbox on their underside).

 

[Tino]

I actually knew that one already when I first played him in the demo.

 

[Cyberguy64]

Forgive me for not looking through every post, but tonight I was playing @NinjaLink and we made a cool discovery with Leaf Shield (LS) as an edgeguarding tool. Of course we didn't explore it too in depth, but we did figure out you can LS, grab the ledge, and potentially use it to footstool (as it looks like the leaves have a spiking hitbox on their underside).

That sounds like a neat trick. I'm gonna have to try that now.

 

[Teshie U]

I've been using that on little macs in for glory, but I don't feel like footstooling is so great for gimping most other characters.

Do you guys think Leaf shield is the best? Skull barrier is such a slow reflector, I'm not sure what do do with plant barrier, its so short.

 

[ADAPT Chance]

Leaf Shield I'm currently using for gimmick gimps, safe approach (grab) and a get off me (I use it similar to Rose's U2 in SF4).

 

[Knight Dude]

Yeah, I tend to use the Leaf Shield to grab opponents a lot too. It's sort of the main way I use it. Either that or to just get in an extra hit or two. I would be wise to set up a Metal Blade or Hyper Bomb in hand first so you can have something to pressure your enemy with.

I kind of like using the Plant Barrier more though. It doesn't break up and it deals a little more damage. I'm not a pro, but I like finding out some of these things with Mega Man. He's a pretty interesting character.

 

[Yink]

Leaf Shield also stops some smashes if spaced correctly (use at your own risk though.)

 

[Oniric Spriter]

Does this really work?

 

[Kiyosuki]

It's extremely situational but I really don't think people should consider it a "useless" move because it's not. Like said, as a projectile it cancels out other projectiles which is invaluable, and leaving it on it can buffer into an easy grab. Although it's entirely possible for the opponent to assume you're going to go for a grab with it, that's just one of its uses and you can easily take advantage of that guess game. That short hop trick that was just discovered makes it more viable too.

You just have to be careful not to activate it when you're off stage, but it's definitely a move with uses and I don't think this character can afford to write off any of his moves since a lot of his kit is situational I feel.