Shield: Difference between revisions

A '''shield''' (known as '''Guard''' internally) is a bubble of energy that encircles the user. A shield protects the user from all moves (with the exception of [[grab]]s and moves that are determined to be [[unblockable]] --including [[Final Smash]]es but not limited to them). The shield is raised by pressing a certain button, which is by default:

Shielding can only be done on the ground; pressing a shield button in midair produces an [[air dodge]] instead, or has no effect in the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' Shields cannot be held indefinitely. Because they shrink as time passes and attacks are blocked, and break when held for too long, [[Shield jump|popping the user up]] and knocking them down on the ground before [[stun]]ning them. Otherwise, they recharge when not in use.

Beginning in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', shields match the players' colors; they are red, blue, yellow and green respectively for players 1 to 4, while [[CPU]]s always have a gray shield. In team battles, non-CPU players' shield colors instead match their team colors, except if [[team attack]] is turned on in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' (''Brawl'' also incorrectly gives green team members a yellow shield). In ''Smash 64'', the shield colors are always red, green, blue and gray for players 1 to 4, including CPUs and even in team battles; incidentally, these were the colors used for the players in [[:File:Dragon-King--The-Fighting-Game.jpg|the game's prototype, ''Dragon King'']]. In {{forwiiu}}, with the introduction of [[8-Player Smash]], players 5 to 8 have orange, cyan, purple, and slate shields, respectively. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' changes players 7 and 8's shield colors to pink and purple, respectively.

In all games, [[grab]]bing and [[jump]]ing are other possible options out of shield. Since a grab input in the ''Smash'' series is coded as a simultaneous shield and attack input, grabbing can simply be done by pressing the attack button while shielding, and is generally the most basic way of punishing opponents out of shield, known as [[shield grab]]bing. Jumping out of shield, on the other hand, grants several more options, allowing characters to immediately use their [[aerial attack]]s (including [[SHFFL]]ing in ''Melee''), [[wavedash]], or [[jump cancel]] into their [[up smash]] or [[up special]]. All these options make shielding the centerpiece to a player's defensive game. Characters can also simply drop their shield and use any attack afterwards, though this causes a short inactionable period, usually known as '''shield drop lag''', while all other listed actions can be done instantly out of the shield. In ''Ultimate'', up smashes and up specials can be performed out of shield without the need of jump canceling, allowing players with tap jump turned off to use them more easily.

|{{GameIcon|ssb|20px}}||55 (55)||1×||0.0625 (3.75)||0.1 (6)||30||{{rollover|3 frames|Shield stays out for at least 8 frames|y}}||11 frames||'''Japanese''': <code>damage * 1.75 + 3</code><br>'''International''': <code>damage * 1.62 + 4</code>||?

|{{GameIcon|ssbm|20px}}||60 (85.71)||0.7×||0.28 (16.8)||0.07 (4.2)||30||8 frames||15 frames||<code>(damage * 0.45 + 2) * 200 / 201</code>||<code>(HP * 0.5 / 60) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>

|{{GameIcon|ssbb|20px}}||50 (71.43)||0.7×||0.28 (16.8)||0.07 (4.2)||30||7 frames||7 frames||<code>damage * 0.345</code>||<code>(HP / 50) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>

|{{GameIcon|ssb4|20px}}||50 (42.02)||1.19×||0.13 (7.8)||0.08 (4.8)||25||13 frames (prior to [[1.1.4]])<br>11 frames (1.1.4 onward)||7 frames||<code>INT(d * 1.3 + 2) * 0.3</code> (prior to [[1.1.1]])<br><code>damage * 0.58 * mult + 2</code> (1.1.1 onward)||<code>(HP / 50) * 0.85 * {{rollover|1.05|Not present prior to 1.1.1|y}} + 0.15</code>

|{{GameIcon|ssbu|20px}}||50 (42.02)||1.19×||0.15 (9)||0.08 (4.8)||37.5||3 frames||11 frames||<code>damage * 0.8 * mult + 2</code>||<code>(HP / 50) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>

Worth noting is that while the defender's shield pushback has a cap in all games, the attacker's does not. As a result, if an attack that deals extremely high damage is shielded, the attacker can be pushed back with enough strength to be forced off the stage and get KO'd; the [[Kamikaze glitch]] is an example of such a scenario. In ''Melee'', attacker shield pushback can also cause the [[ceiling glitch]].

Several shield properties in ''Melee'' are altered if the L or R buttons are not fully pressed. Put in simple terms, lighter shields are larger and take longer to deplete, but take more damage, and increase the defender's shieldstun and pushback, while reducing the attacker's pushback. As a result, they are safer to use preemptively and can prevent [[shield stab]]bing much more reliably, but are significantly less effective for subsequent retaliation.

*''Brawl'' shields are usually considered the most effective in the series, due to their low shieldstun and shield drop lag allowing them to punish attacks very easily (further compounded by attacks being overall less advantageous than in previous games), as well as still being highly durable with an effective 71.43 HP. However, they also have the fastest depletion rate in the series, and can still be subjected to [[edge slipping]], discouraging their reckless overuse.

Shields are larger the more health they have remaining, in addition to each character having their own shield size ratio. As the shield is raised and blocks attacks, it keeps diminishing until it breaks. This phenomenon is known as a '''shield break''', and results in the character being launched a distance upward, getting knocked down as they land, then being [[stun]]ned for some seconds after standing up.

The purpose of shields breaking and diminishing is, along with grabbing, to prevent players from protecting themselves indefinitely. Instead, as the shield gets smaller, a larger portion of the character's [[hurtbox]] is left vulnerable to attacks. Shield breaking is commonly done either by taking advantage of shieldstun to chain several attacks with little room for the opponent to escape, or by landing attacks that deal high enough shield damage, such as [[Marth]]'s [[Shield Breaker]] or throwing [[Mr. Saturn]].

Shield breaking is especially dangerous at the [[edge]] of a stage, as due to shield pushback from the move that broke the shield, the character can get pushed off and continue falling until they reach the bottom [[blast line]], leading to an inevitable KO. [[Jigglypuff]] is also affected more severely by shield breaking, as unlike other characters, it is launched several hundred times farther upward than normal, which is more than enough to KO Jigglypuff unless there is an overhead obstruction (in which case, it will helplessly keep trying to float up until several seconds have passed, the obstacle is removed, or Jigglypuff is smacked out of it).

*{{buff|The initial 3-frame animation where Yoshi curls up into the shield grants him [[invincibility]], effectively giving him a short window to block attacks without any hitlag, shield damage, shieldstun, or shield pushback, and preventing him from being grabbed out of the shield right away. This technique is known as [[parry]]ing, and allows Yoshi to punish attacks out of shield much more effectively, though it is also very precise.}}

While Jigglypuff uses the same bubble shield as other characters, its [[shield jump]] in all games is uniquely more punishing. The force Jigglypuff is sent upwards with if its shield breaks is equivalent to taking 300 units of vertical [[knockback]], which is more than enough to cause it to [[self-destruct]] on every stage if there is no overhead obstruction. However, this can also be useful for certain situations in single-player modes, such as the [[Brinstar Escape Shaft]] in ''Melee''{{'}}s [[Adventure Mode]] and [[The Glacial Peak]] in the [[Subspace Emissary]].

Inkling's method of refilling ink is based on ''Splatoon'' and ''Splatoon 2'', where the player's ink can be refilled by becoming a squid and diving into ink of the same color. In these games, becoming a squid is mapped to the ZL button; the ZL and ZR buttons shield by default in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.