Stats
Both Officer Howards stand at
5 feet 7 inches in their base game, though the male Legionis stands slightly taller at
171 cm compared to the female’s
169 cm. This will make them as tall as other 5’7” characters Robin and Shulk. They will have a shared weight stat of
103, making them the same weight as Ryu and Ken. This will mean that they are middle-heavyweights. Officer Howard will have a
speed value of 0.884, putting them between Wario and Snake’s speeds and making them a slower character. Their
air speed value will be 1.134, same as Ike, R.O.B. and Bowser Jr. to represent their more grounded gameplay in Astral Chain.
Gimmick: Legion
One of the key gameplay elements of Astral Chain is the focus on controlling two characters at once for combat. This is achieved via Officer Howard’s Legion, of which there are 5 types. When the Legion is deployed, it will move to where the player directs it to, so long as it is within the limits of the Astral Chain. It will then attack any enemies nearby. The 5 types of Legion are Sword, Arrow, Arm, Beast, and Axe. Each type has specific purposes, of which the skilled use of is necessary to make it pass through hordes of enemies. The Sword Legion focuses on balanced attack, the Arrow Legion long distance damage, Arm trapping, Beast evasiveness, and Axe defense. However, though useful the Legion is, it will automatically go away if the Limiter Gauge is decreased. The player can call the Legion back any time to prevent the Limiter Gauge from dropping too quickly, however. Aside from being used as the player’s other attack option, the Legion also powers up attacks, known as Sync Attacks, which are indicated with a flash of blue light. These trigger after calling in the Legion at the right moment, combos, and key story moments. Similarly to Joker, Officer Howard’s appearance will change when the Legion is out for any attack. Their hair will turn blue and marks will appear on their face. Thus, the Legion is a powerful tool that sets Officer Howard apart from many other characters within the same genre.
In Smash, Legions will have the same purpose - attacking from a distance and serving to control the crowd. Officer Howard will be able to summon, call back, and move their Legion freely so long as their Limiter Gauge is filled enough. This Limiter Gauge will be on the side of Officer Howard’s damage display, and will change color as it depletes. When it is full, the Limiter Gauge will appear blue. Once it reaches ⅔, it will turn yellow, and then red at ⅓. The player can summon the Legion at any point during the yellow and blue phases. This Limiter Gauge will deplete automatically as long as the Legion is out (save for any special circumstances, which will be noted) and if the Legion is attacked.
The Limiter Gauge will deplete in 8 seconds, for balance purposes. If it is completely emptied, it will take around 12 seconds to fill back up to its maximum. The Legion can move at the player’s leisure, as long as it is within the limits of the Astral Chain. By holding down the special button, the player can move the Legion to a distance of about a third of Final Destination.
Any normal attacks that involve the Legion will recall the Legion towards Officer Howard.
Playstyle: Controlling the Crowd
As a police officer, especially one tasked with dealing with extradimensional threats, Officer Howard must be able to effectively maintain control over their surroundings. This holds true in both the gameplay of Astral Chain and Smash. As such, much of their moveset will focus on making use of their Legion and the X-Baton weapon in order to create situations that force the opponent into a controllable state, such as zoning and trapping.
Normal Attacks
Attack | Name | Description | % |
---|
Neutral Attack | Baton Strike | Based on the default attack animation, Officer Howard swings the X-Baton to strike the opponent. A quick attack. | 3 |
Rapid Jab | Baton Combo | Holding or rapidly tapping the attack button will cause Officer Howard to rapidly swing at the opponent with their X-Baton in Baton mode based on the Chain Bind to Sync Attack combo with the Sword Legion. | 0.4 per hit |
Forward Tilt | Assault Attack (Baton) | Officer Howard will jump a small distance forward while kicking and swing the baton at the same time. Based on the ↓↑ command input for the Baton. | 6.8 |
Down Tilt | Blaster | Officer Howard aims their X-Baton in a downward direction and shoots 3 blasts. Does good damage against shields. | 2 per hit |
Up Tilt | Somersault | Does a somersault that launches upwards. Based on the somersault attack performed next to stunned enemies. | 8% |
Dash Attack | Assault Attack (Gladius) | Officer Howard will run forward, brandishing the Gladius. Does a decent amount of knockback. Based on the ↓↑ command input for the Gladius. | 12% |
Forward Smash | Gladius | Officer Howard uses the Gladius mode of the X-Baton to deal a powerful strike. They make a quick leap and then slash downwards. Based on the final strike of the Gladius combo. | 17.3 |
Up Smash | Beast Tornado | Officer Howard will call the Beast Legion, which spins around in place above the officer. This will deal light damage initially, however, a large Tornado a bit smaller than Palutena’s Up Smash will then engulf the pair, dealing heavy knockback. Does not decrease the Legion Limiter Gauge. | 2 (Beast)
18 (Tornado) |
Down Smash | Axe Sweep | Officer Howard will call the Axe Legion, which spins its Axe across the ground. Based on the 360 command input for the Axe Legion. Does not decrease the Legion Limiter Gauge. | 21 |
Neutral Aerial | Spin Attack (Blaster) | Officer Howard will do a flip and use their X-Baton in Blaster mode. They will shoot a round of energy shots, similar to Joker’s spinning gunshots. | 1.2 per hit |
Forward Aerial | Midair Combo (Baton) | A downward slash with the Baton. If the player continues to mash the attack button, the attack will chain into 4 more strikes (one per button press), finishing with a swing of the Baton. Difficult to land the final 4 hits, as the combo is not true. | 9 (initial hit) 4 (subsequent hits) |
Back Aerial | Delay Attack (Baton) | A quick strike of the Baton. Does considerable knockback. Based on the Delay input of ZR (delay) ZR | 8.4 |
Up Aerial | Charge Attack (Blaster) | Officer Howard fires a charged energy shot upwards. Based on the Charge input for the Blaster. | 7.2 |
Down Aerial | Gladius Swing | Officer Howard swings the Gladius in an arc downwards. If the sweetspot is hit (near the beginning of the swing, at the hilt), it will cause a meteor spike) | 11.1
(14.3 sweetspot) |
Grabs, Throws, and Get-Up Attacks
Attack | Name | Description | % |
---|
Grab | Chain Bind | Officer Howard sends the Sword Legion outwards, where it will loop around the enemy. If successful, the enemy is trapped in a chain bind. The Legion will disappear. Does not decrease the Legion Limiter Gauge. | - |
Pummel | Baton | Officer Howard hits the opponent with the end of the baton. | 1.2 |
Forward Throw | Charge Attack (Baton) | Officer Howard swipes once with the Baton, throws it, catches it, and then does a more powerful strike with the Baton. | 9.5 |
Back Throw | Perfect Call Sync Attack (Arrow Legion) | Officer Howard throws the opponent backwards a short distance, then calls the Arrow Legion at the right moment to fire a powerful charged shot backwards. A kill throw. Based on a Sync Attack after calling the Arrow Legion right before an enemy’s attack. | 13.6 |
Up Throw | Sword Assault | Officer Howard summons the Sword Legion, which does an uppercut with both of its arms. Based on the ↓↑ input for the Sword Legion. | 7.9 |
Down Throw | Perfect Call Sync Attack (Arm Legion) | Officer Howard calls the Arm Legion at the right moment, where it slams a fist into the opponent, driving them into the ground. Buries. Based on a Sync Attack after calling the Arm Legion right before an enemy’s attack. | 5 |
Ledge Attack | - | Officer Howard swipes the X-Baton at the opponent’s feet at the ledge. | 6 |
Floor Attack | - | Officer Howard fires a few short blasts in both directions from the Blaster. | 6 |
Special Attacks
Attack | Name | Description | % |
---|
Neutral Special | Summon Legion / Send Legion / Dismiss Legion | Lightly tapping the special button will call the Legion. The Limiter Gauge will begin to decrease. If the Legion is called in the air, it will fall along with Officer Howard. It can be moved as it is falling.
Holding the button while moving the move button will move the Legion. The Legion is free to move on the ground while holding the button, though it cannot exceed the distance of the Astral Chain.
Lightly tapping the special button again will dismiss the Legion. The Limiter Gauge will stop decreasing and begin to recharge. | - |
Side Special | Legion Action | The current active Legion will perform its Legion Action. Every action will call it towards Officer Howard. Using this move without a Legion active will summon it to use the action and dismiss it right after. See the Legion section for actions. | varies |
Up Special | Chain Jump | Officer Howard will send the Sword Legion out (regardless of which Legion is active or selected) and throw it a set distance. After it is thrown, it will pull Officer Howard towards it, Officer Howard dealing light damage as they fly towards their Legion. If used offstage, it will become a Tether Recovery. | 8.4 |
Down Special | Legion Skill | The current active Legion will perform a set skill. Each action will decrease the Limiter Gauge by one bar, unless stated otherwise. Using this move without a Legion active will summon it to use the skill and dismiss it right after. See the Legion section for specific skills. | varies |
Shield Special | Legion Switch | Officer Howard will switch Legions. Legions can be switched while active. Functions similarly to Monado Arts, where the player can either continuously tap the button for the Legion they want, or hold to choose Legion. The order will be Sword -> Arrow -> Arm -> Beast -> Axe. The selection menu will have that order clockwise. The currently selected Legion will have its icon displayed in the damage display. This selected Legion will be the one to be sent out if no Legion is currently active. | - |
The Legion
When the Legion is summoned with the special button, it will begin attacking enemies. It will do this automatically without input from the player. The Legion will stay in one place until it is moved with the special button or until it is dismissed either automatically or with the special button. As mentioned before, the Legion can be attacked, which will decrease the time it is allowed to stay out.
The Legion will not be able to jump and if it is called in midair, it will descend a little slower than Officer Howard will. The Legion will not be able to attack as it is being moved.
Attack | Name | Description | % |
---|
Idle Attack | Sword Legion | The Sword Legion will do a series of three slashes. First with the right arm, then the left, then the right again. | 2 per hit |
Idle Attack | Arrow Legion | The Arrow Legion will fire shots at the enemy. These shots do light damage and no knockback. | .7 per hit |
Idle Attack | Arm Legion | The Arm Legion will punch the enemy twice, then slam both fists into the ground. | 3 (first two), 4.2 (third hit) |
Idle Attack | Beast Legion | Swipes forward with its front claw. | 6.1 |
Idle Attack | Axe Legion | The Axe Legion will swing its axe downwards. | 7.5 |
Legion Action | Slash | The Sword Legion will slash upwards very quickly. The Legion will be dismissed after this move. | 9.7 |
Legion Action | Precise Shooting | The Arrow Legion will fire a shot that can be aimed. The player can shoot as many as they like until the Limiter Gauge runs out. Increases the rate at which the Limiter Gauge decreases. | 4.3 per shot |
Legion Action | Fight as One | Officer Howard will wear the Arm Legion as armor, and be able to attack using it. Inputting side special again or dismissing the Legion will cancel the move. Officer Howard will only be able to do slow punches with a tap of the attack button or a fast barrage with mashing. Increases the rate at which the Limiter Gauge decreases. | 8.7 (tap)
10.2 (held) |
Legion Action | Riding the Beast Legion | Officer Howard will ride the Beast Legion, which will quickly dash in the direction the player is facing. It will not dash off platforms, unless it is midair. Can be used for horizontal recovery. The Legion will be dismissed after this move. | between 0.3% and 7.3 % |
Legion Action | Energy Field | The Axe Legion will put up an energy field that surrounds both Legion and player. The field will negate all damage done to both, though it can be broken quite easily. This increases the rate at which the Limiter Gauge decreases. | - |
Legion Skill | Round Sword |
The Sword Legion will summon three small blades around itself that deal minor damage. Lasts about 3 seconds or until the Legion is dismissed, whichever comes first. | 0.6 per hit |
Legion Skill | Air Shot |
The Arrow Legion will fire a rain of shots down along the Astral Chain. | 4.2 per arrow |
Legion Skill | Gravity Storm | The Arm Legion fires a gravity bomb that travels a short distance. Functions similar to the black hole bomb item. The gravity bomb will last a little less long than the item. | - |
Legion Skill | Howl | The Beast Legion will roar, stunning any enemies in a short radius for a short amount of time. The stun can be mashed out of. | - |
Legion Skill | Crash Bomb |
The Axe Legion places down a large pillar, which will explode if it is touched, similar to Snake’s C4 though much more visible. | 22.1 (explosion) |
(gifs from MELOO on youtube)
Final Smash
Attack | Name | Description | % |
---|
Final Smash | Legion Sync Attack Finish |
A cutscene final smash.
Officer Howard begins by riding the Beast Legion a short distance with the Gladius equipped. Anyone hit by this hitbox will be sent into the cutscene, based on the final combo against the true final boss of the game, though sped up to decrease time taken.
It begins with Officer Howard dragging the opponent on the ground with the Gladius while the Beast Legion dashes forward, then the opponent is launched into the air, where Officer Howard summons and wears the Arm Legion to do a rapid flurry of punches. As the opponent is suspended in the air, the Arrow Legion fires a charged shot at the opponent. Officer Howard calls the Axe Legion to jump up and bring the enemy downwards with a slash. As the opponent is on the ground, Officer Howard and the Sword Legion perform a Chain Bind. This part will deviate from the cutscene and FILE 10 SPOILER Officer Howard will tear out the Legatus core and implant it into their heart, fusing officer and Legion and performing a final attack which ends the cutscene and launches the enemy. | 49.8 |
Summary
Overall, Officer Howard will be a character with variable range and high mobility. Although not too fast of a character, it is made up for with various movement options from the Legions, such as through Chain Jumps and Legion Skills. By mimicking the gameplay of Astral Chain, we are able to create a character who built upon the puppeteer archetype as well as expand upon zoning and trapping. This represents Officer Howard's playstyle in their base game as well as their occupation. The freedom of use for Legions allows the player to have vary strong stage control that is limited only by the length of the Astral Chain (which is already quite long.) However, despite their strengths, Officer Howard suffers a few weakness, namely their weight making them easy to combo as well as some attacks being difficult to land. As such, Officer Howard must have effective control over their Legion, movement options, and attacks to overcome their weaknesses.
Thanks for reading! (fun fact, my switch died as i was referencing the moves to write descriptions for)