Editing Ice Climbers (SSBB)

{{ArticleIcons|ssbb=y|featured=y}}

{{disambig2|the Ice Climbers' appearance in ''Brawl''|the characters in general, see [[Ice Climbers]]. For other uses of "Ice Climber"|Ice Climber}}

|name         = Ice Climbers

|image       = [[File:Ice Climbers SSBB.jpg|250px|Ice Climbers]]

|game         = Brawl

|ssbgame1     = SSBM

|firstgame    = ''[[Ice Climber (game)|Ice Climber]]'' (1985)

|tier         = S

|ranking     = 2

{{cquote|''A pair that hits one after the other. Popo is in blue and Nana is in pink.''|cite=''Brawl'' instruction manual}}

The '''Ice Climbers''' ({{ja|アイス クライマー|Aisu Kuraimā}}, ''Ice Climber'') return as playable charatcers from ''[[Melee]]''. They were confirmed on the [[Smash Bros. DOJO!!]] website on September 14, 2007.

 

They rank 2nd on the current tier list, making them the highest-ranking veteran in the game. This is primarily due to their extensive and intricate grab game that can completely shut down opponents once it begins. Professional Ice Climbers players are known to chain grab opponents from [[Zero-to-death combo|0% to a KO inescapably]]. The partner mechanism of the character also allows opponents to have to rethink their approach, as one target can easily break combos and chain grabs. The duo also have two decent projectiles, and they are armed with a relatively powerful meteor smash along with one of the largest disjointed up aerials in the game. However, if the partner is KO'd, the leader cannot use [[special move]]s correctly and is somewhat helpless during recovery; a lone Ice Climber also has drastically lowered damage output and KO potential, especially due to its inability to perform a meteor smash, and is considerably more open to chain grabs and combos. Regardless, the Ice Climbers have very strong matchups (losing to only four characters, with {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} being the only top tier they lose to), and very strong tournament results.

The Ice Climbers are [[weight|lightweight]] characters that have the unique property of being a "two in one" character, wherein the game considers each Climber to be a unique character in its own right. The follower is always slightly weaker than the leader, but only the follower can meteor smash with his/her forward aerial. The Ice Climbers are able to grab two different items and are even able to grab two separate characters. In addition, their unique property also makes them much harder to grab and throw effectively (when one Ice Climber gets grabbed, the partner can simply counterattack, making them immune to chain-grabs), and conversely allows them to have a superior grab game entirely unique to them (see "chain-grabbing and desynching" below). However, they can easily be separated by strong enough attacks. In this scenario, it is advisable to stick to and protect the partner, even if it puts the player in additional danger.  Should the CPU Climber get KO'd during the stock, the remaining Climber will have drastically reduced damage output, KO ability, and recovery, with [[Belay]] becoming practically useless and [[Squall Hammer]] loses a good deal of distance (whereas with both Climbers they are excellent recovery moves).

The Ice Climbers are great at dealing damage when together, have decent attack speed, and possess a few interesting attacks in their arsenal.  Their [[neutral special move]], [[Ice Shot]], is a projectile fired by each Ice Climber which slides along the ground, making it impossible to avoid by crouching/crawling.  [[Blizzard]], the [[down special move]], can freeze opponents and even cover both sides if the partner is present, or alternatively can be made to cover one side if performed while jumping with the partner, giving the attack more power. [[Squall Hammer]] is a pretty decent [[approach attack]] with good damage and speed, spinning the Ice Climbers around each other in a forward-moving hammer attack. If a player is feeling adventurous, the Belay special is a powerful KO move should the second Climber connect with the opponent, but it is generally an ill-advised use of the move given that it separates the Climbers and puts them into a helpless animation. A unique addition to their character is that the Ice Climbers are not affected by the conditions of [[slippery]] surfaces such as ice, and they won't slide on it. This is due to the fact that they are wearing cleats. Oddly, their cleats do not affect their [[traction]] on normal surfaces, as it's second-lowest in the game ({{SSBB|Luigi}} has the lowest).

The Ice Climbers aren't very good at using their standard arsenal of attacks for continuous hits, normally speaking. With weak throws, small hammers, and slow movement in general (slow falling, air, and dash speed), the Ice Climbers can usually only manage one or two good hits in close before they need to resort to Ice Shots or Blizzard again. With both Climbers present, KOing generally isn't too much of a problem, although their smashes are generally better at racking up the damage than at KOing.

[[File:ICsCG.gif|200px|thumb|right|Japanese Smasher {{Sm|9B}} using a combination of the IC's down throw and back throw to perform a 0 to death infinite chain grab on {{Sm|Selcia}}'s {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}. The throw is setup using a combination of [[Blizzard]] and the Climbers' forward aerial and is finished using the Ice Climbers' up smash. ]]

Many players consider the Ice Climbers to be "the King and Queen of all [[chain grab]]s" due to the fact that their two-in-one property allows a variety of chain-grab options. For example, the lead Ice Climber can grab onto one opponent and use the [[forward throw]]. In the middle of the throw animation, the player can gain control of the CPU Climber, commanding him/her into performing a [[forward aerial]] spike, or grabbing again with the CPU Climber. while once again bringing the original, player-controlled Climber in for a new grab. Such strings create long and extremely damaging chain grabs capable of being performed at nearly any percent, on nearly any stage. A down side is that the Ice Climbers don't have a very good grab range and because of how much they slide (due to their low traction), it's almost impossible to grab an opponent when they hit the player's shield unless they powershield his or her attack.

The Ice Climbers' most effective chain throw is arguably their down throw. It is by far the hardest chain throw to escape from as it possesses the largest time window for Nana to grab the opponent mid throw. Performing the down throw chain grab is simple and easier relative to Ice Climbers's other chain grabs and becomes drastically easier when the throw is stale, but it is still nevertheless difficult to time. While performing the 1st down throw, the player should input the command for the subsequent down throw when the opponent hits the ground(when the colored shockwave appears). The down throw can also be used in conjunction with the footstool hop and ice shots for another infinite: the hobble, which is more useful on heavyweights. The down throw sends opponents into the air. Right before the opponent is released, the second ice climber should jump and footstool the opponent back on to the ground. As the opponent bounces, the 1st Ice Climber can trap them with multiple ice shots or move forward for another grab. Their next infinite chain throw is the forward throw. This throw is most likely the hardest chain throw to maintain, and thus the least reliable. The command for the second throw should be imputed the moment the 1st climber is about to swing his hammer. It should be noted that these chain grabs are not true infinites as they are limited by the stage length and the fact the opponents can tech after the footstool jump.  The Ice Climbers' back throw is their only true infinite, as it is not limited by the stage length. The input for the second throw should be imputed as soon as the opponent is directly above the 1st climber's head. The back throw can also be used to start the hobble, but it is much harder. It should be noted that the timing for all of the infinite throws vary depending on the opponent's percentage and how heavy the opponent is.

For further two-in-one tricks, it is even possible to "desync" the CPU partner by confusing it with erratic movement (such as [[dash-dancing]]), putting the player in control of both Climbers for as long as they are capable of maintaining it. Once the partner is desynced, the player can have it perform any move while the main Climber is in the middle of one, providing for all sorts of possible attack strategies that can be exceedingly difficult for opponents to escape from (alternating Blizzard, alternating Ice Shot). While desynced, the partner Climber has restrained movement within an invisible box around the main Climber; should he/she be separated or removed from this box, the CPU will take over again. This invisible box makes it so that if the player desyncs themelf from the AI so that it charges a smash attack and they start walking or running away, the AI will slide in the player's direction while charging the smash. A unique thing that the player can do when desynced is that if they desync the AI to charge a smash attack, their Belay will cancel the AI's charging sequence and teleport it into the belaying sequence.

It should be obvious that such techniques are extremely difficult to perform in combat, even for advanced players, due to the constant string of precise commands required for the Climbers to move/attack as intended. This level of extreme difficulty is what has prevented any seemingly-unfair IC techniques (outside of [[wobbling]] in ''Melee'') from seeing competitive bans, especially given that very few professional players maintain or even use them at tournaments. This lack of appearance has made their tier ranking, and whether or not it should be higher, questionable for the time being. Indeed, their recent rise on the tier list, and the fact that they are ranked 2nd in Japan suggest that they have greater potential. Nevertheless, these techniques are the backbone of playing a good pair of Ice Climber; without them, they aren't particularly great, so it's essential for players who plan on using the Ice Climbers to master them.

When a chain grab has raised an opponent's damage enough, the most typically used move to KO the opponent is their [[up smash]], if a forward air meteor smash is inapplicable. All of these chain throws can be considered [[Zero-to-death combo|0-KO combos]].

*{{change|As with all characters, the Ice Climbers have recieved a drastic boost in quality, with their Parkas having higer quality textures.}}

*{{buff|The Ice Climbers' [[air speed]] is faster (0.7 → 0.7708) though it is still the lowest in the game.}}

*{{nerf|As the with returning veterans, The Ice Climbers' [[falling speed]] was reduced (1.6 → 1.2). Compared to the returning veterans, however, The Ice Climbers fall faster. While this improves their endurance, it worsens their recovery and makes them more vulnerable to combos and chain grabs.}}

*{{buff|The Ice Climbers' traction has been unchanged (0.035). Comparing with the returning veterans, however, The Climbers' traction is higher, making it easier for them to punish out of shield.}}  

*{{buff|The Ice Climbers are heavier (88 → 92).}}

*{{nerf|The removal of [[wavedashing]] has hindered the Ice Climbers' mobility and approach, though not enough to stop them from being viable.}}

*{{buff|[[Neutral attack]] deals more damage (8% → 11%: assuming both climbers are present).}}

*{{nerf|[[Dash attack]] and [[up tilt]] deal less damage.}}

*{{nerf|[[Forward smash]] and [[down smash]] have less knockback, weakening their KO potential.}}

*{{buff|Both [[up smash]] and down smash deal more damage.}}

*{{buff|[[Down aerial]] no longer has set knockback. This gives the attack KO potential at percentages above 170%.}}

*{{nerf|Down aerial now acts as a [[stall-then-fall]] attack, making it risky to use offstage.}}

*{{buff|The partner is now controlled by the player rather than the AI when grabbing a foe, enabling the player to effectively control the direction in which to throw the foe, significantly extending chaingrabs.}}

*{{nerf|[[Wobbling]] can no longer be performed.}}

*{{nerf|[[Forward throw]] has less KO power.}}

*{{buff|[[Back throw]] is now a true infinite chaingrab. It can also be used in conjunction with footstool jumping and Ice Shot to [[lock]] the opponent.}}

*{{buff|[[Down throw]]'s angle and knockback were tweaked, making the attack more reliable for chain-grabbing.}}

*{{buff|Down throw no longer requires the aid of [[Blizzard]] or down aerial to string chaingrabs.}}

*{{buff|[[Ice Shot]] is no longer [[absorb]]able.}}

*{{buff|[[Belay]] now acts as a [[tether recovery]] when used close to a ledge; the partner will first shoot to the ledge, then the leader will immediately reach up to it.}}

*{{buff|Lone Ice Climber's Belay covers slightly more distance.}}

*{{buff|[[Blizzard]] does slightly more damage.}}  

*{{change|[[Squall Hammer]] now sends off flakes of ice if both Ice Climbers are present.}}

|game=SSBBB

|dashdesc=Leaps forward and swings their hammers in front of themselves.  

|edgefdesc=Quickly gets up and slams his/her hammer on the ground.

|edgesdesc=Slowly gets up and swipes his/her hammer forwards.

|nsdesc=Each Ice Climbers fire a block of ice that travel along the ground, bouncing off walls. When used in midair, the Ice Climbers will gain a slight boost in the air, but it will only work once before landing on the ground.

|dsdesc=Each Ice Climbers blows icy wind from their hands, damaging nearby opponents. When the move is used on the ground, the partner will shoot in the direction opposite of the leader.

|fsdesc=The Ice Climbers summon a huge Iceberg into the middle of the field. Touching the iceberg results in freeze damage, and possibly becoming frozen. Being frozen when pushed off the edge can lead to a fatal death, as the frozen player falls with full speed.

|desc-jp=Ice-cli-mer!  

|desc-1=Both nod and high five one another.

|desc-2=Both jump up and down (their victory pose from ''[[Ice Climber (game)|Ice Climber]]'').

|desc-3=Nana hides behind Popo, only showing her face as Popo shifts from left to right.

|char=Ice Climbers}}

:''See also: [[:Category:Ice Climbers professionals (SSBB)]]''

*{{Sm|9B|Japan}}

*{{Sm|DeLux|USA}}

*{{Sm|ESAM|USA}}

*{{Sm|Hylian|USA}}

*{{Sm|lain|USA}}

*{{Sm|Meepxzero|USA}}

*{{Sm|Nakat|USA}}

*{{Sm|Swordgard|Canada}}

*{{Sm|Vinnie|USA}}

In the first few years of ''Brawl''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s metagame, the Ice Climbers were only ranked in mid-high tier, given their poor fighting abilities and vulnerability when the partner Climber dies, and their powerful grab tactics were unrecognized at the time. However, Ice Climber players soon began to utilize their infinite [[chaingrab]]s, giving them an extremely powerful zero-to-death option against any other character. Players soon found the technique difficult to handle, as it completely changed the way players fought the Ice Climbers. The Ice Climbers matchup now involved avoiding getting grabbed into a death, which can be difficult to avoid, and the Ice Climbers were able to completely shut down characters who lacked effective tactics to deal with the zero-death chaingrabs. Because of this, the Ice Climbers quickly shot up the ranks, rising to #5 in [[List of SSBB tier lists (NTSC)#Fourth tier list (February 26, 2010)|the fourth tier list]] (February 2010), and remaining in top tier; the Ice Climbers then rose to 2nd place on the current tier list, placed right underneath {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} in their own tier above the rest of the characters. Some players even argue that since the Ice Climbers have access to a zero-death on every character that works at any percent, they could be tied for first place with Meta Knight, or could even be first place themselves. The Ice Climbers are among the most disliked characters in ''Brawl'' by both casual and competitive players, since they possess a zero-death option against any character, something no other character has access to, and they have been considered [[cheap]] and [[broken]], with many players supporting the ban of the infinite chaingrabs in tournaments; however, with the definition of what construes an "infinite chaingrab" usually being rigid, players of the Ice Climbers have found many loopholes to avoid using it while still nearly securing stocks with each grab, making opponents' predicaments effectively the same.

[[File:Subspace iceclimbers.PNG|frame|Ice Climbers in ''SSE'']] The Ice Climbers were first seen climbing up a mountain together, possibly in pursuit of the [[Halberd]] or they were just climbing. When {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} passed them going up the mountain, the Ice Climbers took it as a challenge and jumped up the mountain with Meta Knight. Once they reached the top, the Ice Climbers celebrated with their "victory" for getting up the mountain first, until they and Meta Knight found {{SSBB|Lucario}}, who was looking for a fight with Meta Knight, so the Ice Climbers watch from the side nervously. After the fight, the [[Halberd]] crashes the [[Great Fox]] into the mountain.  Although Meta Knight and Lucario managed to board the Halberd, the Ice Climbers (ironically) are thrown back to the ground towards {{SSBB|Marth}}, {{SSBB|Lucas}}, the {{SSBB|Pokémon Trainer}}, and {{SSBB|Ike}}. After facing some more [[Subspace Army]] troopers, the Ice Climbers teamed up with the other heroes as they journeyed into [[Subspace]] and helped them battle [[Tabuu]].

These stickers can only be used by the Ice Climbers, or a select few including them:

==In [[Event Matches]]==

 

*'''[[Co-Op Event 21: The True All-Star Battle]]''': Both players select a character and take on the entire roster on {{SSBB|Battlefield}}.

 

==Trophies==

===Trophy descriptions===

:'''Ice Climbers'''

::''The one in blue is Popo, and the one in pink is Nana. They use their incredible jumping powers and hammers to break blocks and climb to the summit. They grab veggies, and if they can catch the condor at the end, they conquer the mountain. Other than breaking blocks, their hammers are good for sending foes flying, climbing down from blocks, and destroying icicles.''

 

{{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=[[Ice Climber (game)|Ice Climber]]}}

:'''Iceberg'''

::''The Ice Climbers' Final Smash. This giant ice mountain appears in the middle of a stage—it's incredibly slippery, so it's hard to control yourself when traversing it. In addition to being slick, this ice is also COLD, so opponents will take damage just from touching it. Attack the ice, and it will take damage and slowly shrink. Is it actually useful? That's a mystery.''

{{Trophy games|console1=Wii|game1=Super Smash Bros. Brawl}}

Ice Climbers - Brawl Trophy.png|Classic

Iceberg - Brawl Trophy.png|[[Iceberg]]

*If the partner is caught in a trapping [[Final Smash]] and the leader is KO'd, the partner will disappear, leaving the opponent attacking nothing. Some examples are {{SSBB|Ike}}'s, {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}'s, {{SSBB|Link}}'s, and {{SSBB|Toon Link}}'s, and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZBtchSyaUc as seen here.]

*Certain Final Smashes, especially trapping ones, can cause the trailing Ice Climber's special effects to be slowed down under the effect of a [[Timer]] (Nana's stays even after the Timer is done). The effects end when one or both of the Ice Climbers are KO'd.  

[[Category:Ice Climber universe]]

[[Category:Ice Climbers (SSBB)]]