Ice Climbers (SSBU): Difference between revisions

The removal of [[chain grab]]s (and by extension, [[wobbling]]) means that the duo's [[grab]] game has become more situational and in-line with the rest of the roster, limiting it's effectiveness. However, while it is not as potent as it once was, the Ice Climber's grab game is still respectable. The Ice Climber's grab itself has been vastly changed. For starters, only the leader grabs opponents, while the partner cheers. This means that the duo can no longer grab more than one opponent at a time. Additionally, the Ice Climber's grab is the shortest ranged grab in the game, making it risky to attempt to grab in the first place. [[Forward throw]] is a basic throw that has moderately strong base knockback and causes [[tumble]] from 0%, which allows it to open options for a tech chase. Back throw has very strong base knockback, while it's knockback scaling has been decreased, making it difficult to use in either combos or as a KO option, but useful in desyncs. [[Up throw]] is similar, in which it has very limited uses, but notably allows quick access to juggling with up aerial. [[Down throw]] is by far the duo's best throw. It's main use is to initiate aerial combos, desync combos, and juggles, all of which can be devastating. The Ice Climbers' neutral, forward, back, and up aerials can all be used for combos out of down throw and the opponent's placement in air can make it difficult for them to escape from a combo once it has been started, especially if desynced.

Barring their situational projectile from Ice Shot, the Ice Climbers have no reliable projectile and can be easily camped out or their projectiles turned against them. The range of their moves is not great—despite being disjointed, their hammers' range can still come up short and can make for some bad matchups, specifically against the likes of {{SSBU|Marth}} or {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}, while Blizzard's range has been nerfed significantly and is dangerous to use liberally. Arguably, the changes that hurt the Ice Climbers most are the changes to grab mechanics in ''Ultimate''. The added period of grab intangibility between grabs and the partner's lack of a grab makes the Ice Climbers' previously most potent tool, chain grabbing, nearly impossible. This significantly impedes their cheesing ability compared to ''Brawl'' or ''Melee'' and makes getting a stock off of a single grab much harder. Desyncing in itself can also have it's own drawbacks. An accidental desync off of up tilt or down throw may make it more difficult to follow-up with the duo's combos, or can even cause the partner's attack to miss entirely, hindering the duo's damage-racking capabilities. Desyncing can also leave the partner Ice Climber vulnerable because of the increase in reaction time between the leader and the partner; in particular, abilities such as [[dodging]], and jumping are significantly delayed, giving the opponent ample time to counterattack if properly read. They also retain most of the flaws that plagued them in ''Brawl'' and ''Melee'', such as the difficulty in keeping the partner alive, severe handicaps when the partner is gone, sluggish aerial mobility, and susceptibility to camping, with the former issue being further pronounced as well.

|ftiltdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers horizontally. Has high knockback growth, being able to KO at around 80%-90% at the ledge on most characters.

|dashdesc=The Ice Climbers leap forward, swinging their hammers in front of themselves. It deals mostly vertical knockback that can start combos, but has weak knockback and is ineffective for KOing.

|bairdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers horizontally behind themselves. Both hits are extremely safe on shield, with the secondary climber's hit being one of the few moves that is positive on shield.

|uairdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers above themselves in an arc. An excellent juggle tool that can quickly rack up damage both desynced and synced, and can even function as a KO confirm from down throw at around 70% on most characters.

|dairdesc=The Ice Climbers hold their hammers below themselves and fall downward. A [[stall-then-fall]], though with a slower traveling speed than similar attacks of its kind; additionally, it is unable to [[meteor smash]] at all, unlike most attacks of its kind. The hitbox covers most of the Ice Climber's body, making it good for punishing opponents who attempt to juggle. As a result, it is usually used as a niche landing option.

|grabdesc=The leader reaches in front of themselves with their free hand. The leader's grab range is the shortest in the game.

|dthrowdesc=The leader lifts the opponent over their head with both hands and slams them on the ground. The Ice Climbers' only throw with KO potential, it can KO middleweights at around 214% on Final Destination. It is also effective for starting combos, especially when desynced.

|nsdesc=Each Ice Climber summons a small stalagmite of ice and hits it with their hammer, causing it to slide along the ground, gradually shrinking as it travels. It bounces off walls and shields. If attacked by an opponent, the ice rebound and will hurt the Ice Climbers if they touch it. The ice can freeze opponents at high percents. The first midair use will pop the Ice Climbers up slightly.

|ssdesc=The Ice Climbers stand back-to-back while spinning around an axis with their hammers outstretched, hitting opponents multiple times. The attack is concluded with them swinging their hammers upward, which launches opponents away. By repeatedly tapping the special move button, the Ice Climbers will rise in the air, allowing them to recover. This, however, also renders them [[helpless]]. If only one Climber is present, the move deals less damage and reduced knockback, and gains less height. Squall Hammer is usually used as a method to begin desyncs, and can trap opponents between each Ice Climber once a desync is achieved.

|usdesc=The leading Ice Climber throws the partner the air with a rope. The partner then pulls the leader upwards. If there is a nearby edge, the partner will target it, and then proceed to pull the leader to the ledge as well. While rising, the partner is invincible, allowing for a safe recovery for both Ice Climbers; additionally, the partner Ice Climber possesses a hitbox that deals powerful vertical knockback, though it is rather difficult to use as a combo finisher due to the difficulty of aiming the partner. Without a partner, the move will grant essentially no distance. Each Ice Climber becomes [[helpless]] after the move is used.

Upon ''Ultimate''{{'}}s release, the Ice Climbers' competitive perception, which was estimated to be poor, has dwindled even further and, in turn for worse, became more significant than most would think. Several of the cast have immediately acknowledged their retained weakness (which have also been more pronounced): the infamous difficulty of maintaining both climbers in a single stock, the partner's vulnerability, their steep learning curve, poor endurance, slow aerial mobility, their vulnerability to [[camping]] and the severe handicaps brought to the leader if the partner dies during the stock, as well as the removal of several quirky combos and zero-to-deaths involving the partner from previous installments. As such, the Ice Climbers’ representation was minuscule, and all the players who mained the duo in ''Brawl'' have completely dropped them in favour of other characters. As a result, the general consensus have widely perceived them to be either low or bottom-tier.