Editing Roy (SSBM)

From SmashWiki, the Super Smash Bros. wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
Warning You aren't logged in. While it's not a requirement to create an account, doing so makes it a lot easier to keep track of your edits and a lot harder to confuse you with someone else. If you edit without being logged in, your IP address will be recorded in the page's edit history.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then publish the changes below to finish undoing the edit.

Latest revision Your text
Line 13: Line 13:
|rankingPAL = 22
|rankingPAL = 22
}}
}}
'''Roy''' ({{ja|ロイ|Roi}}, ''Roy'') is an [[unlockable character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. He is a [[clone]] of {{SSBM|Marth}}, differentiated primarily by his [[sweetspot]]s being located near the center of his blade rather than the tip. Although ''Fire Emblem'' games were Japan-exclusive at the time, this did not stop Roy from being added to ''Melee''{{'}}s non-Japanese versions, since Nintendo of America found him fun to play as.<ref>[http://www.sourcegaming.info/2015/12/13/sakurai-fe25/ Sakurai Interview: Fire Emblem 25th Anniversary - Source Gaming]</ref> His design in ''Melee'' comes the version of ''Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade'' shown at Nintendo Space World 2001, though it has minor changes. Additionally, he is one of two ''Melee'' characters that only speak Japanese in all its versions (the other being Marth), and he is voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Jun Fukuyama}}.
'''Roy''' ({{ja|ロイ|Roi}}, ''Roy'') is a [[unlockable character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. He is a [[clone]] of {{SSBM|Marth}}, differentiated primarily by his [[sweetspot]]s being located near the center of his blade rather than the tip. He is voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Jun Fukuyama}}.


Roy currently ranks 21st on the ''Melee'' [[tier list]], in the D tier, which is his worst placement in the series. Roy's advantages include an above average approach due to having one of the best [[SHFFL]]s in the game, as well as a good grab game, and among the best [[reach|reaches]] in the game thanks to his sword. However, Roy's flaws are significant, which include having poor flexibility in his combo game, attacks that are difficult to properly land, generally possessing significantly [[lag]]gy attacks, having few moves that can KO reliably and only one of which (forward smash) that is an adequate finisher. He also possesses one of the worst recoveries in the game as [[Blazer]] travels a very short distance vertically, and being a light character that is heavily susceptible to combos; as a result, Roy has significant KOing problems while being easy to KO himself. These flaws overpower Roy's strengths, leading to him struggle against the vast majority of the cast, especially against those who are higher ranked than him on the tier list.
Roy currently ranks 21st on the ''Melee'' [[tier list]], in the D tier. Roy's advantages include an above average approach due to having one of the best [[SHFFL]]s in the game, as well as a good grab game, and among the best [[reach]]es in the game thanks to his sword. However, Roy's flaws are significant, which include having poor flexibility in his combo game, attacks that are difficult to properly land, generally possessing significantly [[lag]]gy attacks, having few moves that can KO reliably and only one of which (forward smash) that is an adequate finisher, and one of the worst recoveries in the game while being a light character that is heavily susceptible to combos; as a result, Roy has significant KOing problems while being easy to KO himself. These flaws overpower Roy's strengths, leading to numerous matchups hard countering him, especially against those who are higher ranked than him on the tier list.


==How to unlock==
==How to unlock==
Roy must be defeated in battle before he can be unlocked. There are two ways the player can encounter Roy:
To unlock Roy, the player must complete either Classic or Adventure Mode as Marth without using a continue, or play 900 VS. matches.  
*One way is to complete Classic Mode, Adventure Mode, or All-Star Mode as Marth without using any continues. If the player fails to defeat Roy, they can re-fight him by doing this same method again.
 
*Another way is to play 900 VS. matches to completion. If the player fails to defeat Roy, they can re-fight him by playing another VS. match to completion. If this method is used, fighters with lower VS. match quotas must be unlocked before Roy can be fought. This prevents Roy from being unlocked before Marth.
Roy is fought on the [[Temple]] stage, with the track "Fire Emblem" playing.
Roy is fought on the [[Temple]] stage, with the track "Fire Emblem" playing.


==Attributes==
==Attributes==
[[File:Roy's Melee Dash Attack.gif|thumb|Roy's [[dash attack]] infamously [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kht7deE4Zyw doesn't work properly] because the hitboxes are active for the same amount of frames as Marth while being much slower.]]
[[File:Roy's Melee Dash Attack.gif|thumb|Roy's [[dash attack]] infamously [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kht7deE4Zyw doesn’t work properly] because the hitboxes are active for the same amount of frames as Marth while being much slower.]]


Overall, Roy does not fall into any specific fighter archetype; while having a slew of powerful attacks, Roy himself is rather nimble, boasting a relatively fast dash and a long [[dash dance]], combined with very high falling speed. However, Roy has a relatively below-average air speed, similar to {{SSBM|Marth}}. A combination of a fast falling speed and low traction gives Roy a somewhat long wavedash (sixth longest in the game).
Overall, Roy does not fall into any specific fighter archetype; while having a slew of powerful attacks, Roy himself is rather nimble, with a relatively fast dash, a good dash-dance and a very high falling speed. However, Roy has a relatively below average air speed, similarly to {{SSBM|Marth}}. A combination of a fast falling speed and a low traction gives Roy a somewhat long wavedash (sixth longest in the game).


Being a clone of Marth in ''Melee'', Roy inherits some positive properties emblematic of Marth's game plan. Due to his movement properties and long wavedash, Roy has excellent ground-based movement. His down tilt also serves as a respectable poke and combo starter, as it will send opponents straight up when hit, allowing for potential follow-ups. Combined with an effective grab game, with the second-largest non-disjointed grab range (behind only Marth), Roy can somewhat emulate one portion of Marth's effective [[neutral game]] play: threatening grabs and down tilt out of his dash dance. With his ability to [[chaingrab]] some fastfallers such as {{SSBM|Fox}} and {{SSBM|Falco}} with his up throw, [[tech chase]] opponents and set up [[edgeguard]]s with his down and forward throws, as well as perform a handful of other combo setups that stem from his grab, Roy can force his opponents to respect him in the neutral while creating tangible threats as well. Roy also has a very fast [[SHFFL]] due to his fast falling speed and low-startup aerials, allowing him to further protect his space as needed.
Among Roy's primary strengths is the overall power in most of his ground-based attacks. Roy's forward smash is a fast attack and is his primary KO move. Additionally, Roy has a powerful but laggy down smash and an up smash with multi-hit properties, decent knockback, and, when struck at the tip, spike properties, though the lattermost property is rather situational. Roy's specials are also powerful; his Flare Blade is a deadly edgeguard tactic, almost guaranteeing a [[one-hit KO]] if fully or almost fully charged. His [[Double-Edge Dance]] naturally combos into itself and can act as a reliable finisher, and his [[Counter]] scales in power against other attacks. Against smash attacks, Roy's Counter can quickly become his most powerful move; its pseudo-semi-spike properties also makes it useful when the opponent's back is to the ledge.


Roy also boasts high power in most of his ground-based attacks. Roy's forward smash, like Marth's, has quick startup and covers a large range; this is his primary KO move, and most of Roy's combos will end with a sweetspotted forward smash to send opponents off-stage. Its greater power up close can also punish overzealous opponents who carelessly step into Roy's threat zone, allowing for reversal situations. His other two smash attacks are more situational, but both his down and up smashes are strong when landed; the latter even has multi-hit properties and can [[spike]] when struck at the tip, although this is very situational. Roy's specials are also quite strong as well; [[Flare Blade]] is a decent edgeguarding tactic and has huge knockback nearing [[one-hit KO]] thresholds when fully charged, [[Double-Edge Dance]] can serve as a backup neutral poke with strong third and fourth hits, and [[Counter]] can be used as a devastating surprise option, turning the tables against single, strong hits when the opponent least expects it. Counter can also intercept linear recoveries, and because it scales based on move power, it will almost assuredly KO most recovering opponents if landed, unlike Marth's Counter, which often simply resets the situation.
Roy also has a decent ground-based approach. Roy has a disjointed hitbox with his [[List of swords#Binding Blade|Binding Blade]], as well as a fast dashing speed. Additionally, a combination of low-lag, fast aerials and a very high falling speed gives Roy a useful SHFFL. Roy's SHFFL is among the best in the game due to its extreme speed, and it is faster and stronger than Marth's. Roy's down tilt also sends opponents directly upward, with decent hitstun, giving Roy a very good method to start combos. Additionally, while Roy's wavedash is not as long as Marth's, it is still one of Roy's most reliable approach options, aided by his disjointed hitbox (giving him good wavesmashing abilities) and long grab range. As a result of his approach, Roy's reach is one of the best in ''Melee'', with only Marth having a superior reach.


However, Roy's primary flaw is the [[sweetspot]] placement of his moves. While it may seem that Roy has great reach on paper due to his disjointed hitbox offered by the [[Binding Blade]], this is all merely an illusion in practice. Unlike Marth, who can safely attack opponents from a distance, Roy must still go into close proximity with the opponent to deliver strong damage and knockback, as the sweetspot on his sword is closer to the hilt rather than at the tip. While attacks can become incredibly powerful at this close of a range, this causes Roy to become very vulnerable, especially against characters with powerful close-range threats. This would not be as much of a problem if Roy's sourspots had utility in setting up KOs or extending combos, but many of them do not, greatly exacerbating this weakness. While Marth's weakest sourspots actually complement his game plan, using his weaker hitboxes to precisely set up for his stronger ones, Roy's sourspots fail to threaten the opponent in terms of knockback or damage.
Roy's grab game is also effective. Roy has the second highest grab range among characters who do not have disjointed grabs, behind only Marth in this regard. His throws can easily chain into each other, as their low knockback and Roy's high grab range allow him to decently tech-chase and chain grab. His up throw is also the second strongest in the game and can chain grab other fastfallers. Roy's grab game comprises a good deal of his edgeguard game. A common tactic is to force opponents off the stage with a down or forward throw and immediately intercept their recovery with a forward smash or Flare Blade.


As a result of this very close sweetspot, Roy himself lacks a particularly reliable KO move. With the exception of his forward smash, his down smash, and the later hits of his Double Edge Dance, Roy has few options to quickly KO, and even these attacks need to connect in close ranges in order for them to have any reasonable KOing power. Further compounding Roy's problems with KOing are his aerials; even when sweetspotted, none of these aerials can reliably KO under 200%, they require good setups in order to properly connect, and none of them can easily inflict damage in the first place. While he may have two meteor smashes (the third hit of his upward Double-Edge Dance and his down air) and one spike (tippered up smash), all three are highly situational, requiring particularly lucky or skilled setups in order to properly connect. When combined with poor offstage options from having high-lag aerials that are risky offstage and a poor recovery, Roy is almost completely dependent racking up damage with brief combo strings, culminating in a reliance on hard reads and unforced errors by the opponent to garner KOs.
However, Roy's primary flaw is the [[sweetspot]] placement of his disjointed hitboxes. Unlike Marth, who can safely attack opponents from a distance, Roy must go into close proximity with the opponent to deliver strong damage and knockback, as the sweetspot on his sword is closer to the hilt than the tip. While attacks can become incredibly powerful at this close of a range, this causes Roy to become very vulnerable, especially against characters with powerful close range attacks or grabs, such as {{SSBM|Fox}} or {{SSBM|Falco}}. While [[Counter]] can potentially mitigate against physical attacks, it requires particularly good reads from the player to avoid punishment, and the attack is completely ineffective against grabs. Roy's sourspot is also weaker compared to Marth's; while Marth still has some KOing potential in his sourspotted attacks, Roy's sourspotted attacks have very poor knockback and damage in comparison.
As a result of this very close sweetspot, Roy himself lacks a particularly reliable KO move. With the exception of his forward smash and potentially his down smash, Roy has few options to quickly KO, and even these two attacks need to connect in close ranges in order for them to have any reasonable KOing power. Further compounding Roy's problems with KOing are his aerials; even when sweetspotted, none of these aerials can reliably KO under 200%, they require good setups in order to properly connect, and none of them can easily inflict damage in the first place. Roy also lacks any quick KO options. While he may have two meteor smashes (the third hit of his upward Double-Edge Dance and his down air) and one spike (tippered up smash), all three are highly situational, requiring particularly lucky or skilled setups in order to properly connect. Coupled with poor offstage options as a result of high-lag aerials that are all of high risk off the edge and a poor recovery, Roy is almost completely dependent on attempting to rack up damage with brief combo strings, culminating in a reliance on wave-smashing and edgeguarding to garner KOs.


Because of his poor sweetspot hatboxes, Roy also has limited combo ability, in stark contrast with Marth. Roy has slightly below-average air speed like Marth, though Roy cannot move fast enough in the air to compensate hitting with the hilt of his blade, frequently causing sourspotted attacks, resulting in low hitstun and hitlag attacks, impairing Roy's combo and aerial games, and even giving him a poor edgeguarding game, unlike Marth. Roy's moveset is only suitable for aggravating fastfallers, since he at least has chaingrabs and tech chases against them, and can juggle them on stages with few or no platforms such as [[Pokémon Stadium]] or {{SSBM|Final Destination}}. However, that is the extent of Roy's high-level punish game against the cast, and he has no reliable method of achieving any combos or KO setups on [[floaty]] characters such as {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} or {{SSBM|Peach}}. Roy's combo potential is thus below-average at best, being both stage- and character-dependent unlike Marth, and has led to completely losing matchups against the aforementioned floaty characters.
Roy also has limited combo ability, in stark contrast with Marth. Roy has slightly below average air speed like Marth, but Roy's sweetspot once again hurts him. Roy cannot move fast enough in the air to hit with the hilt of his blade, causing primarily sourspotted attacks, resulting in low hitstun and hitlag attacks, impairing Roy's combo and aerial games, and giving him a poor edgeguarding game, unlike Marth. Roy himself, however, is easy to combo; like other fastfalling characters, his high falling speed harms him by making him extremely vulnerable to chain grabs and potentially the [[space animal slayer]] combo. Even with fast falling speed, Roy's vertical survivability from the upper blast line is average due to a combination of his lighter weight than characters such as {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} and much slower falling speed than characters like {{SSBM|Falco}}, despite him being slightly lighter than Roy.


Roy himself is easy to combo and edgeguard; like other fastfalling characters, his high falling speed harms him by making him extremely vulnerable to juggling. Even with fast falling speed, Roy's vertical survivability from the upper blast line is merely average due to a combination of his lighter weight than characters such as {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} and much slower falling speed than characters like {{SSBM|Falco}}. Like Marth, Roy also has a non-stellar recovery, though his faster falling speed and higher gravity only exacerbate it to make it far worse than Marth's and among the worst in the game; adding to this, his high falling speed makes him extremely vulnerable to edgeguarding, as well as being easy to [[gimp]]. While Roy's [[Blazer]] is slightly more effective than Marth's [[Dolphin Slash]], due to its greater horizontal distance, multi-hit properties that can aggravate edgeguarders, and its ability to be controlled to an extent, it still has high ending lag, leaving him open to punishes as he lands. Additionally, while Roy can still use Double-Edge Dance to recover horizontally, it is not as effective as Marth's Dancing Blade due to his higher falling speed.
Like Marth, Roy also has a non-stellar recovery, though his faster falling speed and higher gravity only exacerbate it to make it far worse than Marth's and among the worst in the game; adding to this, his high falling speed makes him extremely vulnerable to edgeguarding, as well as being easy to [[gimp]]. While Roy's [[Blazer]] is slightly more effective than Marth's [[Dolphin Slash]], due to its greater horizontal distance, multi-hit properties that can aggravate edgeguarders, and its ability to be controlled to an extent, it still has high ending lag, leaving him open to punishes as he lands. Additionally, while Roy can still use Double-Edge Dance to recover horizontally, it is not as effective as Marth's Dancing Blade due to his higher falling speed.
 
While Roy may appear like he has enough tools as a character to function, in reality, he struggles with nearly every aspect of ''Melee''. His excellent movement is not only outclassed by Marth, but simply does not compensate for his many weaknesses in both the advantage and disadvantage states. Roy's moveset is full of low-impact hitboxes that struggle to push any sort of advantage against non-fastfalling opponents, while he himself is almost trivial to combo, edgeguard, and KO himself. While Roy's raw power up close can punish careless opponents, hoping that opponents make unforced errors is not a reliable strategy. As such, unlike Marth, Roy is a poor character at higher levels of play with sparse representation.


==Version history==
==Version history==
Line 74: Line 72:
**{{nerf|Neutral attack only has a single hit, as such it can't be [[buffer]]ed into a second hit.}}
**{{nerf|Neutral attack only has a single hit, as such it can't be [[buffer]]ed into a second hit.}}
**{{change|Sourspot damage was changed and mids do different damage, sourspot (4% → 3%), mid (4% → 5%).}}
**{{change|Sourspot damage was changed and mids do different damage, sourspot (4% → 3%), mid (4% → 5%).}}
***{{change|Due to the fact that mid has priority on both characters, the overall damage output is generally higher per hit however since it is only one hit the rate of attack is slower.}}
***{{change|Due to the fact that mid has priority on both characters, the overall damage output is generally higher per hit however since t is only one hit the rate of attack is slower.}}
**{{change|The sourspot has much less base knockback with slightly more growth (20 base/50 growth → 5/60), the mid and sweetspot however, have a higher base knockback (20 → 30).}}
**{{change|The sourspot has much less base knockback with slightly more growth (20 base/50 growth → 5/60), the mid and sweetspot however, have a higher base knockback (20 → 30)}}
**{{nerf|The move's animation is slower, although the hitbox timings are unchanged. This makes it take a frame longer for Roy's arm to be outstretched, and also reduces the vertical range of the slash, due to the unchanged hitbox timing.}}
**{{change|Although the animation is slower it still becomes interruptible on frame 26}}
**{{nerf|The hitboxes are smaller.}}
*[[Forward tilt]]:
*[[Forward tilt]]:
**{{buff|Forward tilt has a longer duration (4 frames → 5).}}
**{{buff|Forward tilt has a longer duration (4 frames → 5).}}
Line 91: Line 88:
*[[Down tilt]]:
*[[Down tilt]]:
**{{change|Instead of having horizontal knockback, Roy's down tilt has vertical knockback (30° → 80°), which allows it to leads into many combo setups, especially on fast fallers. In exchange, this makes Roy's down tilt much less useful for neutral resets and edgeguards against the rest of the cast.}}
**{{change|Instead of having horizontal knockback, Roy's down tilt has vertical knockback (30° → 80°), which allows it to leads into many combo setups, especially on fast fallers. In exchange, this makes Roy's down tilt much less useful for neutral resets and edgeguards against the rest of the cast.}}
**{{buff|The sweetspot deals more damage (10% → 12%) and has more base knockback (50 → 90), while the mid also deals more damage (9% → 10%) and has more base knockback (40 → 90)}}
**{{buff|The sweetspots and deals more damage (10% → 12%) and has more base knockback (50 → 90), the mid also deals more damage (9% → 10%) and has more base knockback (40 → 90)}}
***{{buff|Hitbox priority is on the hilt and mids on both characters since Roy has sweetspot on hilt and stronger mids his does more damage and knockback on average however as this move has a different launch angle/utility these changes aren't felt as strongly as they would be otherwise}}
***{{buff|Hitbox priority is on the hilt and mids on both characters since Roy has sweetspot on hilt and stronger mids his does more damage and knockback on average however as this move has a different launch angle/utility these changes aren't felt as strongly as they would be otherwise}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 7 → 8).}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 7 → 8).}}
Line 97: Line 94:
**{{nerf|The tipper hitbox is smaller and has lowest priority reducing range slightly with no benefit.}}
**{{nerf|The tipper hitbox is smaller and has lowest priority reducing range slightly with no benefit.}}
*[[Dash attack]]:
*[[Dash attack]]:
**{{change|The sourspot of Roy's dash attack deals less damage (9% → 6%), the mids however deal more damage (11% → 12%)}}
**{{change|The sourspot of Roy's dash attack deals less damage (9% → 6%), the mids however deal more damage (11% → 12%)}}
**{{nerf|The move's animation is much slower, but with no change in hitbox timings, leading to an infamously terrible hitbox placement.}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kht7deE4Zyw]
**{{nerf|The move's animation is much slower, but with no change in hitbox timings, leading to an infamously terrible hitbox placement.}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kht7deE4Zyw]
*[[Forward smash]]:
*[[Forward smash]]:
Line 112: Line 109:
**{{change|It deals more damage than Marth's sourspots, but less than his sweetspots (8%/15%/18% → 16.56%).}}
**{{change|It deals more damage than Marth's sourspots, but less than his sweetspots (8%/15%/18% → 16.56%).}}
***{{buff|Overall, it does more damage consistently.}}
***{{buff|Overall, it does more damage consistently.}}
**{{buff|It deals more knockback without sourspots (196 set knockback/30/80 base/100/80 growth → 73 base/90 growth).}}
**{{buff|It deals more knockback without sourspots (196 set knockback/30/80 base/100/80 growth → 73 base/90 growth).}}  
**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 13 → 15).}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 13 → 15).}}
**{{nerf|As it is a multi-hit move, it has the possibility of being [[SDI]]ed before connecting with the final hit.}}
**{{nerf|As it is a multi-hit move, it has the possibility of being [[SDI]]ed before connecting with the final hit.}}
Line 126: Line 123:
*{{nerf|Except for back aerial and down aerial, all aerials have more landing lag (15 frames → 20 (neutral aerial), 15 frames → 20 (forward aerial), 15 frames → 18 (up aerial)).}}
*{{nerf|Except for back aerial and down aerial, all aerials have more landing lag (15 frames → 20 (neutral aerial), 15 frames → 20 (forward aerial), 15 frames → 18 (up aerial)).}}
*[[Neutral aerial]]:
*[[Neutral aerial]]:
**{{nerf|It has more startup on both hits (6-7 (hit 1) 15-21 (hit 2) → 7-8 (hit 1) 17-20 (hit 2) and slightly more ending lag (frame 49 → 50).}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup on both hits (6-7 (hit 1) 15-21 (hit 2) → 7-8 (hit 1) 17-20 (hit 2) and slightly more ending lag (frame 49 → 50).}}
**{{nerf|The second hit also deals less damage (10% → 8%/6%).}}
**{{nerf|The second hit also deals less damage (10% → 8%/6%).}}
*[[Forward aerial]]:
*[[Forward aerial]]:
**{{change|It consistently sends opponents at a [[Sakurai angle]] unlike Marth (67°/361° → 361°).}}
**{{change|It consistently sends opponents at a [[Sakurai angle]] unlike Marth (67°/361° → 361°).}}
**{{nerf|It has more start-up with a shorter duration (frame 4-7 → 5-7) and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).}}
**{{nerf|It has more start-up with a shorter duration (frame 4-7 → 5-7) and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).}}
**{{nerf|It deals considerably less damage (13%/10%9% → 8%/5%), and has significantly less base knockback (42/30/20 → 30/10).}}
**{{nerf|It deals considerably less damage (13%/10%9% → 8%/5%), and has significantly less base knockback (42/30/20 → 30/10).}}  
*[[Back aerial]]:
*[[Back aerial]]:
**{{nerf|It has more startup with a shorter duration (frame 7-11 → 8-10) and much more ending lag (frame 32 → 43) with no difference in animation, leading to an unfortunate hitbox placement.}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup with a shorter duration (frame 7-11 → 8-10) and much more ending lag (frame 32 → 43) with no difference in animation, leading to an unfortunate hitbox placement.}}
Line 142: Line 139:
*[[Down aerial]]:
*[[Down aerial]]:
**{{buff|The sourspots have more base knockback (40/30 → 40).}}
**{{buff|The sourspots have more base knockback (40/30 → 40).}}
**{{nerf|It is considerably more difficult to sweetspot with (the sweetspot is located around Roy's hand, rather than the tip of his sword as with Marth).}}
**{{nerf|It is considerably more difficult to sweetspot with (the sweetspot is located around Roy's hand, rather than the tip of his sword as with Marth).}}  
**{{nerf|It has more start-up (frame 6 → 7), and much more ending lag.}}
**{{nerf|It has more start-up (frame 6 → 7), and much more ending lag.}}
**{{nerf|It deals less damage (13%/10%/9% → 9%/6%), and its sweetspot is a [[meteor smash]] instead of a [[spike]] (NTSC 290° → 270°), meaning it can be meteor canceled.}}
**{{nerf|It deals less damage (13%/10%/9% → 9%/6%), and its sweetspot is a [[meteor smash]] instead of a [[spike]] (NTSC 290° → 270°), meaning it can be meteor canceled.}}
Line 158: Line 155:
**{{change|Flare Blade has a [[flame]] effect, and near the end of charging it, Roy glows white and the screen shakes violently.}}
**{{change|Flare Blade has a [[flame]] effect, and near the end of charging it, Roy glows white and the screen shakes violently.}}
**{{change|A fully charged Flare Blade has to be charged for a longer period.}}
**{{change|A fully charged Flare Blade has to be charged for a longer period.}}
**{{buff|It deals considerably more knockback than Marth's [[Shield Breaker]] (30/34/40 base/100 growth → 40/110 (uncharged)/50/83 (fully charged).}}
**{{buff|It deals considerably more knockback than Marth's [[Shield Breaker]] (30/34/40 base/100 growth → 40/110 (uncharged)/50/83 (fully charged).}}  
**{{buff|When fully charged, Flare Blade also deals drastically more damage than Shield Breaker (28% → 50%), resulting in a [[OHKO]] on hit.}}
**{{buff|When fully charged, Flare Blade also deals drastically more damage than Shield Breaker (28% → 50%), resulting in a [[OHKO]] on hit.}}
**{{nerf|Flare Blade deals 10% [[recoil damage]] to Roy when fully charged.}}
**{{nerf|Flare Blade deals 10% [[recoil damage]] to Roy when fully charged.}}  
**{{nerf|An uncharged Flare Blade also deals less damage than an uncharged Shield Breaker (7% → 6%).}}
**{{nerf|An uncharged Flare Blade also deals less damage than an uncharged Shield Breaker (7% → 6%).}}
**{{nerf|The move deals drastically less [[shield damage]] (uncharged:30/38 → 1, fully charged: 60 → 30).}}
**{{nerf|The move deals drastically less [[shield damage]] (uncharged:30/38 → 1, fully charged: 60 → 30).}}
Line 171: Line 168:
**{{change|It uses the flame effect.}}
**{{change|It uses the flame effect.}}
**{{buff|[[Blazer]] deals slightly more damage (13%/10%/7%/6% → 13.18%).}}
**{{buff|[[Blazer]] deals slightly more damage (13%/10%/7%/6% → 13.18%).}}
**{{buff|It can be angled forward for better horizontal recovery.}}
**{{buff|It can be angled forward for better horizontal recovery.}}  
**{{buff|It has a longer duration (6 frames → 13).}}
**{{buff|It has a longer duration (6 frames → 13).}}
**{{buff|It has slightly less landing lag than [[Dolphin Slash]] (34 frames → 30).}}
**{{buff|It has slightly less landing lag than [[Dolphin Slash]] (34 frames → 30).}}  
**{{buff|Its first hit has very strong set knockback (200 set knockback), allowing it to KO floaty characters like {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} at 0% on certain stages.}}
**{{buff|Its first hit has very strong set knockback (200 set knockback), allowing it to KO floaty characters like {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} at 0% on certain stages.}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 5 → 9).}}
**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 5 → 9).}}
**{{nerf|It deals drastically less knockback (80/60/20 base/70/90 growth → 0/10 base/100 set knockback/100 growth).}}
**{{nerf|It deals drastically less knockback (80/60/20 base/70/90 growth → 0/10 base/100 set knockback/100 growth).}}  
**{{nerf|It covers less vertical distance.}}
**{{nerf|It covers less vertical distance.}}
**{{nerf|It can be SDIed out of due to its multihit nature.}}
**{{nerf|It can be SDIed out of due to its multihit nature.}}
Line 195: Line 192:
|game=SSBM
|game=SSBM
|neutralcount=1
|neutralcount=1
|neutralname=Slash ({{ja|スラッシュ|Surasshu}})
|neutralname=Slash
|neutral1dmg=5% (blade), 3% (tip), 6% (body)
|neutral1dmg=5% (blade), 3% (tip), 6% (body)
|neutraldesc=Identical to Marth's; he slashes in front of himself. However, Roy only slashes once, and at a slower rate than Marth. Additionally, Roy's version is devoid of [[buffer]], meaning the player has to press the attack button one at a time instead of mashing it.
|neutraldesc=Identical to Marth's; he slashes in front of himself. However, Roy only slashes once, and at a slower rate than Marth. Additionally, Roy's version is devoid of [[buffer]], meaning the player has to press the attack button one at a time instead of mashing it.
|ftiltname=Sharp Edge ({{ja|ハードエッジ|Hādo Ejji}}, ''Hard Edge'')
|ftiltname=&nbsp;
|ftiltdmg=10% (blade), 7% (tip), 12% (body)
|ftiltdmg=10% (blade), 7% (tip), 12% (body)
|ftiltdesc=A fast upward swipe with the Binding Blade while leaning forward. Deals more damage if the opponent is closer to Roy. Can KO at high percentages or when the [[blast line]] is close by.
|ftiltdesc=A fast upward swipe with the Binding Blade while leaning forward. Deals more damage if the opponent is closer to Roy. Can KO at high percentages or when the [[blast line]] is close by.
|utiltname=Anti-Air Slash ({{ja|アンチエアスラッシュ|Anchi Ea Surasshu}})
|utiltname=&nbsp;
|utiltdmg=Clean: 8% (blade & arm), 6% (tip), 10% (body)<br/>Late: 8% (blade & arm), 6% (tip), 10% (body)
|utiltdmg=Clean: 8% (blade & arm), 6% (tip), 10% (body)<br/>Late: 8% (blade & arm), 6% (tip), 10% (body)
|utiltdesc=Swings his sword in a large arc above his head. Despite generally covering Roy's hurtboxes, it is less powerful and has less combo potential than Marth's.
|utiltdesc=Swings his sword in a large arc above his head. Despite generally covering Roy's hurtboxes, it is less powerful and has less combo potential than Marth's.
|dtiltname=Low Stab ({{ja|ロースラスト|Rō Surasuto}}), ''Low Thrust'')
|dtiltname=Low Stab
|dtiltdmg=10% (blade), 6% (tip), 12% (body)
|dtiltdmg=10% (blade), 6% (tip), 12% (body)
|dtiltdesc=A sword poke to the ground. Has longer hitstun than most of Roy's other attacks, and also sends opponents upward, making it a good combo starter overall. Its range and speed makes it a very favorable move to use in the neutral game and spacing, as well as [[edgeguarding]].
|dtiltdesc=A sword poke to the ground. Has longer hitstun than most of Roy's other attacks, and also sends opponents upward, making it a good combo starter overall. Its range and speed makes it a very favorable move to use in the neutral game and spacing, as well as [[edgeguarding]].
|dashname=Raid Chop ({{ja|レイドチョップ|Reido Choppu}})
|dashname=Raid Chop
|dashdmg=12% (blade), 6% (tip)
|dashdmg=12% (blade), 6% (tip)
|dashdesc=A quick upward sweeping diagonal slash. Like Marth's, can either send opponents in front of him, behind him, or above him. Because this move has a slower animation overall than Marth's but the hitboxes are active for the same frames, the move starts before he even swings the sword and ends before it reaches halfway through his swing in front of him.
|dashdesc=A quick upward sweeping diagonal slash. Like Marth's, can either send opponents in front of him, behind him, or above him. Because this move has a slower animation overall than Marth's but the hitboxes are active for the same frames, the move starts before he even swings the sword and ends before it reaches halfway through his swing in front of him.
|fsmashname=Dragon Killer ({{ja|ドラゴンキラー|Doragon Kirā}})
|fsmashname=&nbsp;
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|20}} (blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|12}} (tip)
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|20}} (blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|12}} (tip)
|fsmashdesc=Rotates body counter-clockwise with a strong arc-like swing from his head to the ground, similar to the animation of his neutral special. It is rather fast, and is Roy's primary KO move.
|fsmashdesc=Rotates body counter-clockwise with a strong arc-like swing from his head to the ground, similar to the animation of his neutral special. It is rather fast, and is Roy's primary KO move.
|usmashname=Flame Sword ({{ja|フレイムソード|Fureimu Sōdo}})
|usmashname=Flame Sword
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|2}} (hits 1-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|10}} (hit 5)
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|2}} (hits 1-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|10}} (hit 5)
|usmashdesc=A relatively quick sword thrust upwards with fire effects. Can act as an unorthodox spike if the enemy is hit on the sword's tip during the start of the attack, though this is highly situational. This attack is a multi-hit attack and the last hit has decent vertical knockback, if enemy is hit at the base. All hits can approximately deal up to {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16.56}} damage due to [[stale move negation]].
|usmashdesc=A relatively quick sword thrust upwards with fire effects. Can act as an unorthodox spike if the enemy is hit on the sword's tip during the start of the attack, though this is highly situational. This attack is a multi-hit attack and the last hit has decent vertical knockback, if enemy is hit at the base. All hits can approximately deal up to {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16.56}} damage due to [[stale move negation]].
|dsmashname=Whirlwind Blade ({{ja|ワールウィンド|Wāruwindo}}, ''Whirlwind'')
|dsmashname=&nbsp;
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|21}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14}} (front), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|8}} (back)
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|21}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14}} (front), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|8}} (back)
|dsmashdesc=Sweeps his sword on the ground towards the front, then towards the back. A decent finisher, useful for vertical KOs, though there is rather high ending lag. Deals less damage if the opponent hits the tip of Roy's sword.
|dsmashdesc=Sweeps his sword on the ground towards the front, then towards the back. A decent finisher, useful for vertical KOs, though there is rather high ending lag. Deals less damage if the opponent hits the tip of Roy's sword.
|nairname=Double Slash ({{ja|ダブルスラッシュ|Daburu Surasshu}})
|nairname=&nbsp;
|nairdmg=4% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2 base), 5% (hit 2 tip)
|nairdmg=4% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2 base), 5% (hit 2 tip)
|nairdesc=Two swipes around him via an inward slash then a full outward spin, with decent knockback and damage if sweetspotted.
|nairdesc=Two swipes around him via an inward slash then a full outward spin, with decent knockback and damage if sweetspotted.  
|fairname=Aerial Swipe ({{ja|フラッグカット|Furaggu Katto}}, ''Flag Cut'')
|fairname=&nbsp;
|fairdmg=8% (base), 5% (tip)
|fairdmg=8% (base), 5% (tip)
|fairdesc=Swipes sword in front of him with surprising range and tends to be a primary combo tool due to its speed and recovery.
|fairdesc=Swipes sword in front of him with surprising range and tends to be a primary combo tool due to its speed and recovery.
|bairname=About Face ({{ja|アッパースイング|Appā Suingu}}, ''Upper Swing'')
|bairname=&nbsp;
|bairdmg=9% (base), 6% (tip)
|bairdmg=9% (base), 6% (tip)
|bairdesc=Turns around and swipes inward with his sword, similar to his forward aerial in terms of usage and knockback. Like Marth's back aerial, this move turns Roy around.
|bairdesc=Turns around and swipes inward with his sword, similar to his forward aerial in terms of usage and knockback. Like Marth's back aerial, this move turns Roy around.
|uairname=Luna Slash ({{ja|ルナスラッシュ|Runa Surasshu}})
|uairname=&nbsp;
|uairdmg=9% (base), 6% (tip)
|uairdmg=9% (base), 6% (tip)
|uairdesc=Swipes above outward while doing a delayed backflip. Meant to be a [[juggle]] tool, but is often subpar due to its low early knockback.
|uairdesc=Swipes above outward while doing a delayed backflip. Meant to be a [[juggle]] tool, but is often subpar due to its low early knockback.  
|dairname=Half Moon ({{ja|ハーフムーン|Hāfumūn}})
|dairname=&nbsp;
|dairdmg=9% (base), 6% (tip)
|dairdmg=9% (base), 6% (tip)
|dairdesc=Swipes below via an outward wide slash. [[Meteor smash]]es opponents who come in contact with Roy's body, but is rather weak and has nearly unrecoverable ending lag. The move's sweetspot is extremely tiny; which is located at Roy's right arm and left shoulder (meaning that Roy has to overlap the opponent significantly), making it more difficult to hit with than {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}'s [[Rest]].
|dairdesc=Swipes below via an outward wide slash. [[Meteor smash]]es opponents who come in contact with Roy's body, but is rather weak and has nearly unrecoverable ending lag. The move's sweetspot is extremely tiny; which is located at Roy's right arm and left shoulder (meaning that Roy has to overlap the opponent significantly), making it more difficult to hit with than {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}'s [[Rest]].
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabname=&nbsp;
|grabdesc=Roy reaches out with his free hand. Due to Roy being shorter than Marth, his grab range is slightly shorter, making it the 5th longest grab range overall and the second longest non-tether grab.
|grabdesc=Roy reaches out with his free hand. Due to Roy being shorter than Marth, his grab range is slightly shorter, making it the 5th longest grab range overall and the second longest non-tether grab.
|pummelname=Knee ({{ja|つかみニーバット|Tsukami Nībatto}}, ''Grab Kneebutt'')
|pummelname=&nbsp;
|pummeldmg=3%
|pummeldmg=3%
|pummeldesc=Knees the opponent.
|pummeldesc=Knees the opponent.
|fthrowname=Bounce ({{ja|ロールオーバー|Rōru Ōbā}}, ''Roll Over'')
|fthrowname=&nbsp;
|fthrowdmg=5%
|fthrowdmg=5%
|fthrowdesc=Grabs and pushes forward, tripping them with his leg.
|fthrowdesc=Grabs and pushes forward, tripping them with his leg.
|bthrowname=Throw Away ({{ja|レッグフッカー|Reggu Fukkā}}, ''Leg Hooker'')
|bthrowname=&nbsp;
|bthrowdmg=5%
|bthrowdmg=5%
|bthrowdesc=Pulls the opponent behind him and extends his leg simultaneously.
|bthrowdesc=Pulls the opponent behind him and extends his leg simultaneously.
|uthrowname=Emblem Toss ({{ja|キャスティング|Kyasutingu}}, ''Casting'')
|uthrowname=&nbsp;
|uthrowdmg=5%
|uthrowdmg=5%
|uthrowdesc=Thrusts opponent upwards. Can chain grab [[fast-faller]]s at lower percentages. It is the second strongest up throw in the game.
|uthrowdesc=Thrusts opponent upwards. Can chain grab [[fast-faller]]s at lower percentages. It is the second strongest up throw in the game.
|dthrowname=Slam ({{ja|グラブドロップ|Gurabu Doroppu}}, ''Grab Drop'')
|dthrowname=&nbsp;
|dthrowdmg=6%
|dthrowdmg=6%
|dthrowdesc=Tosses the foe to the ground. Has chain grab and frame-trap potential.
|dthrowdesc=Tosses the foe to the ground. Has chain grab and frame-trap potential.
Line 301: Line 298:
| Fourth Hit (Down) || 3% (hit 1-4), 5% (hit 5) || Does a flurry of lower stabs, each stab dealing [[flame]] damage.
| Fourth Hit (Down) || 3% (hit 1-4), 5% (hit 5) || Does a flurry of lower stabs, each stab dealing [[flame]] damage.
|}
|}
===Stats===
'''NTSC'''
{{Attributes
|cast = 26
|weight = 85
|rweight = 17-19
|dash = 1.4
|rdash = 14-18
|run = 1.61
|rrun = 7
|walk = 1.2
|rwalk = 6-10
|trac = 0.06
|rtrac = 15-23
|airfric = 0.005
|rairfric = 21-26
|air = 0.9
|rair = 12-14
|baseaccel = 0.02
|rbaseaccel = 2-23
|addaccel = 0.03
|raddaccel = 13-19
|gravity = 0.114
|rgravity = 7
|fall = 2.4
|rfall = 4-5
|ff = 2.9
|rff = 8
|jumpsquat = 5
|rjumpsquat = 16-22
|jumpheight = 30.958
|rjumpheight = 19
|shorthop = 10.626
|rshorthop = 24
|djump = 21.82
|rdjump = 18
}}
'''PAL'''
{{Attributes
|cast = 26
|weight = 85
|rweight = 16-19
|dash = 1.4
|rdash = 14-18
|run = 1.61
|rrun = 7
|walk = 1.2
|rwalk = 6-10
|trac = 0.06
|rtrac = 15-23
|airfric = 0.005
|rairfric = 21-26
|air = 0.9
|rair = 11-13
|baseaccel = 0.02
|rbaseaccel = 2-23
|addaccel = 0.03
|raddaccel = 13-19
|gravity = 0.114
|rgravity = 7
|fall = 2.4
|rfall = 4-5
|ff = 2.9
|rff = 8
|jumpsquat = 5
|rjumpsquat = 16-22
|jumpheight = 30.958
|rjumpheight = 19
|shorthop = 10.626
|rshorthop = 24
|djump = 21.82
|rdjump = 18
}}


===[[Announcer]] call===
===[[Announcer]] call===
Line 407: Line 329:
===Most historically significant players===
===Most historically significant players===
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->
:''See also: [[:Category:Roy players (SSBM)]]''
:''See also: [[:Category:Roy professionals (SSBM)]]''
*{{Sm|LAG|Mexico}} - Currently considered one of the best active Roy players in the world. Mainly places in online tournaments, although has been ranked in offline rankings, such 50th on the [[Mexican Power Rankings]].
<!--Please do not add Zain, as online tournaments are not important to the same degree as offline.-->
*{{Sm|Leon|France}} - Although better known for his {{SSBB|Marth}} in ''[[Brawl]]'', he placed well in many French tournaments with Roy. He won a smaller French tournament in {{Trn|Bushido Nibaï Impact II}} and still used the character at some of the more populated regionals in the country, placing 13th at {{Trn|Avalon I}}.
*{{Sm|LAG|Mexico}} - Currently considered the best active Roy player in the world. Ranked 50th on the [[Mexican Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|NEO|USA}} - Considered to be the best Roy player of all time with many results other Roy players still have yet to match. He was the closest a Roy player has gotten to winning a North American regional with his 2nd place at {{Trn|Pound}} and made other peaks with Roy such as 4th at {{Trn|MLG DC 2005}}.
*{{Sm|Leon|France}} - Although better known for his {{SSBB|Marth}} in ''[[Brawl]]'', he placed well in many French tournaments with Roy.
*{{Sm|Sethlon|USA}} - Was considered to be the current best Roy player in the world after NEO's retirement, due to his popularity and widely acclaimed combo video ''Ashes to Ashes.'' While his results were not at the same caliber as NEO, he made some respectable placements such as 49th at {{Trn|GENESIS}}.
*{{Sm|Lunchables|USA}} - A solid Roy player, although more known for his Roy in ''[[Project M]]''.
*{{Sm|Zain|USA}} - Uses Roy under the moniker "DontTestMe"; started using Roy in the Slippi era to moderate success, defeating {{Sm|2saint}}, {{Sm|Ginger}}, and {{Sm|bobby big ballz}} in online tournaments. His 7th place finish at {{Trn|Wavedash 2023}} marked Roy's most notable offline tournament placing since NEO's results in the Golden Age. Has wins over {{Sm|Nickemwit}} and {{Sm|Kürv}} offline.
*{{Sm|Masashi|Japan}} - The strongest player in Japan in the early days; has a competent Roy secondary.
*{{Sm|NEO|USA}} - Considered to be the best Roy player of all time with many results other Roy players still have yet to match. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Pound}}.
*{{Sm|Sethlon|USA}} - Was considered to be the current best Roy player in the world after NEO’s retirement, due to his popularity and widely acclaimed combo video ''Ashes to Ashes.''


===Tier placement and history===
===Tier placement and history===
On the current tier list, Roy ranks 21st, in the D tier. Roy has consistently ranked very low on most revisions of the [[tier list]], with his highest being only 15th on two separate occasions. His severe weaknesses, such as his poor effective threat range, fast-falling physics coupled with very poor recovery, and nearly nonexistent combo game on floaty characters, have resulted in terrible matchups against many top- and high-tiered characters (particularly non-fastfallers) that completely stop his mains from progressing far into tournaments. His numerous flaws hold him back far too much in competitive play to place consistently in high-level tournaments without the use of a secondary character.
On the current tier list, Roy ranks 21st, in the D tier. Roy has consistently ranked very low on most revisions of the [[tier list]], with his highest being only 15th on two separate occasions. His severe weaknesses, such as his poor effective threat range, fast-falling physics coupled with a very poor recovery, and nearly nonexistent combo game on floaty characters, have resulted in terrible matchups against many top- and high-tiered characters (particularly the non-fastfallers) that completely stop his mains from progressing far into tournaments. This holds him back far too much in competitive play to place consistently in high-level tournaments without the use of a secondary character.


Roy's moveset also does not boast the potential creativity of other characters, especially Marth, owing to his over-reliance on his very few good combo extenders and KO moves. This has resulted in much less nuance and optimization possible in Roy's [[metagame]], making the Roy matchup very easy to learn and catch up with. Additionally, because he is very similar to Marth, a top-tiered character that any competitive player knows how to fight against, Roy players cannot rely on matchup inexperience to win sets, unlike mains of other uncommon characters. While {{Sm|NEO}}, arguably the greatest Roy player of all time, managed to place top 8 consistently in the early ''Melee'' metagame, even he had to use Marth and Sheik secondaries to succeed at higher-stakes tournaments such as MLG. NEO, and many of Roy's best representatives, have either become inactive in the tournament scene or have dropped him for other characters (or other ''Smash'' games altogether), further hurting Roy's results in tournaments.
Roy's moveset also did not boast the potential creativity of other characters, especially Marth, owing to his over-reliance on his very few good combo extenders and KO moves. This has resulted in much less nuance and optimization possible in Roy's [[metagame]], making the Roy matchup very easy to learn and catch up with. Additionally, because he is very similar to Marth, a top-tiered character that any competitive player knows how to fight against, Roy players cannot rely on matchup inexperience to win sets, unlike mains of other uncommon characters. While {{Sm|NEO}}, arguably the greatest Roy player of all time, managed to place top 8 consistently in the early ''Melee'' metagame, even he had to use Marth and Sheik secondaries to succeed at higher-stakes tournaments such as MLG. NEO, alongside many of Roy's best representatives, have either become inactive in the tournament scene or have dropped him for other characters (or other ''Smash'' games altogether), further hurting Roy's results in tournaments.


Roy's only notable results in the current ''Melee'' metagame have been through Marth players, such as {{Sm|Zain}} and {{Sm|Mew2King}}, [[sandbagging]] with him in lower-stakes tournaments or matches. Zain has seen a notable amount of success with Roy in online tournaments and at the regional level; notably, he placed 7th at {{Trn|Wavedash 2023}}, the character's best performance since NEO's placements in the Golden Age. However, the majority of Zain's best wins have been against fastfallers, outside of a handful of fringe sets where he barely scraped out wins against {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} players, some of them not even ranked in the top 100. Thus, his tournament runs with Roy only reinforce what has been known about him for years already, both in terms of strengths and limitations, and it is clear that Zain's success with Roy is entirely due to his phenomenal abilities as a player rather than Roy offering any unique positive qualities as a character to fuel that success. Despite Zain's attempts to push the character, Roy's current metagame prospects still remains rather stagnant, with players' opinions of him only marginally improving overall compared to the early metagame.
Roy's only notable results in the current ''Melee'' metagame have been through Marth players, such as {{Sm|Zain}} and {{Sm|Mew2King}}, [[sandbagging]] with him in lower-stakes tournaments or matches. Zain has seen a small amount of success with Roy at the local level, but his tournament runs with Roy only reinforce what has been known about him for years already: Roy can only fight back against fastfallers at the top level. Zain's most significant run saw him play in a bracket where he only had to play against Fox and Falco in the top 12, outside of one narrow win against {{Sm|2saint}}'s {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}. Furthermore, after this event, he has seldom been able to defeat other top 100 players again with his Roy, especially [[floaty]] mains such as {{Sm|lloD}} and the aforementioned 2saint, who defeated him 3-0 in a later encounter. Thus, Roy’s representation in modern ''Melee''  is still largely barren outside of sandbagging or online tournaments, and also further highlights his limitations rather than showing legitimate character development. His metagame remains as stagnant as it was before, with players' opinions on Roy only marginally improving.


===The "Tier Wars" and comparison to Marth===
===The "Tier Wars" and comparison to Marth===
{{SSBM|Marth}}'s and Roy's differences became the center of controversy and discussion on [[GameFAQs]]' [[tier list]] debates, specifically in 2003 and 2004, when the competitive scene was still new. Marth players who generally supported the tier list claimed Marth had overall better attributes, in terms of speed, weight, and recovery capabilities. They also cited tournament results as proof of his superiority, with a multitude of professional Marth users such as {{Sm|Ken}} placing extremely high in major tournaments, while Roy lacked any such representation to back up the anti-tiers' arguments. Roy players who generally opposed the tier list, however, claimed that Roy's different attributes, such as his larger sweetspot in the center of his blade and general "superiority" in power, were enough to allow him to be as efficient of a character as Marth was; they also argued that professionals needed to learn how to use Roy as a different character from Marth in an attempt to disprove the tournament results.
{{SSBM|Marth}} and Roy's differences became the center of controversy and discussion on [[GameFAQs]]' [[tier list]] debates, specifically in 2003 and 2004, when the competitive scene was still new. Marth players who generally supported the tier list claimed Marth had overall better attributes, in terms of speed, weight, and recovery capabilities. They also cited tournament results as proof for his superiority, with a multitude of professional Marth users such as {{Sm|Ken}} placing extremely high in major tournaments, while Roy lacked any such representation to back up the anti-tiers' arguments. Roy players who generally opposed the tier list, however, claimed that Roy's different attributes, such as his larger sweetspot in the center of his blade and general "superiority" in power, were enough to allow him to be as efficient of a character as Marth was; they also argued that professionals needed to learn how to use Roy as a different character from Marth in an attempt to disprove the tournament results.


Owing to the fact that these debates took place before extensive testing of ''Melee's'' engine, the debates were plagued by numerous inaccuracies that have since been disproven with time. The point about Marth's extra weight, for instance, is now considered moot; his extra weight is decidedly negligible, and can even be interpreted as a disadvantage, considering his extra weight makes him susceptible to {{SSBM|Fox}}'s [[shine]] combos, while Roy's lighter weight makes him immune to such combos. More importantly, pro-tiers made a common assumption that Marth is faster than Roy. While Marth indeed has a faster dashing speed, this claim is questionable, considering that Roy's [[SHFFL]] is faster than Marth's due to his falling speed and lower short hop. Similarly, some points brought up about Roy's viability are also now considered inaccurate. For instance, Roy's "superiority" in power has been disproven, as many of Marth's attacks, tippered and non-tippered, deal more knockback and damage than Roy's respective centered and non-sweetspotted strikes. The sweetspot in the hilt of the blade is now considered a disadvantage and one of the main reasons for Roy's poor tier placement; while Marth can attack from afar and still deal respectable damage, Roy cannot do so, lest his attacks hit with extremely low knockback; Roy's sourspot on the entire length of the Binding Blade, besides the hilt, is also much weaker than Marth's sourspot on the hilt of the Falchion.
Owing to the fact that these debates took place before extensive testing of ''Melee's'' engine, the debates were plagued by numerous inaccuracies that have since been disproven with time. The point about Marth's extra weight, for instance, is now considered moot; his extra weight is decidedly negligible, and can even be interpreted as a disadvantage, considering his extra weight makes him susceptible to {{SSBM|Fox}}'s [[shine]] combos, while Roy's lighter weight makes him immune to such combos. More importantly, pro-tiers made a common assumption that Marth is faster than Roy. While Marth indeed has a faster dashing speed, this claim is questionable, considering that Roy's [[SHFFL]] is faster than Marth's due to his falling speed and lower short hop. Similarly, some points brought up about Roy's viability are also now considered inaccurate. For instance, Roy's "superiority" in power has been disproven, as many of Marth's attacks, tippered and non-tippered, deal more knockback and damage than Roy's respective centered and non-sweetspotted strikes. The sweetspot in the hilt of the blade is now considered a disadvantage and one of the main reasons for Roy's poor tier placement; while Marth can attack from afar and still deal respectable damage, Roy cannot do so, lest his attacks hit with extremely low knockback; Roy's sourspot on the entire length of the Binding Blade, besides the hilt, is also much weaker than Marth's sourspot on the hilt of the Falchion.


Overall, the primary reason for Roy's named inferiority is precisely the one that anti-tiers attempted to refute: Roy has too much trouble trying to KO his opponents. Marth has far more creative and flexible ways to string together moves, deal damage, KO, and edgeguard (especially due to his {{mvsub|Marth|SSBM|down aerial}} [[spike]]). Roy, however, lacks the same flexibility in his comboing and KOing games, and is instead heavily reliant on predictable and repetitive chain grab and down tilt setups, with almost all of his viable combos ending in a forward smash. Roy's edgeguarding game is also considerably worse than Marth's; while Roy's down tilt is more useful for combos, it is not at all useful for intercepting the majority of recoveries (unlike Marth's). Additionally, Roy has a notoriously poor offstage game due to his falling speed and terrible aerials, that are both incredibly weak even when sweetspotted and have a high amount of ending lag, which severely hinders his ability to effectively edge-guard offstage without self-destructing. The current metagame for ''Melee'' reflects these differences and conclusions: Marth ranks in the S tier at 2nd place and features numerous dedicated mains, while Roy ranks in the D tier at 21st, and has very few dedicated mains of his own.
Overall, the primary reason for Roy's named inferiority is precisely the one that anti-tiers attempted to refute: Roy has too much trouble trying to KO his opponents. Marth has far more creative and flexible ways to string together moves, deal damage, KO, and edgeguard (especially due to his {{mvsub|Marth|SSBM|down aerial}} [[spike]]). Roy, however, lacks the same flexibility in his comboing and KOing games, and is instead heavily reliant on predictable and repetitive chain grab and down tilt setups, with almost all of his viable combos ending in a forward smash. Roy's edgeguarding game is also considerably worse than Marth's; while Roy's down tilt is more useful for combos, it is not at all useful for intercepting the majority of recoveries (unlike Marth's). Additionally, Roy has a notoriously poor off-stage game due to his falling speed and ineffective aerials, which hinders his ability to perform gimps without self-destructing. The current metagame for ''Melee'' reflects these differences and conclusions: Marth ranks in the S tier at 2nd place and features numerous dedicated mains, while Roy ranks in the D tier at 21st, and has very few dedicated mains of his own.


==In 1-P Mode==
==In single-player modes==
===In {{SSBM|Classic Mode}}===
===In {{SSBM|Classic Mode}}===
[[File:BetaAllStarIntro.png|thumb|Roy's unused intro image.]]
[[File:BetaAllStarIntro.png|thumb|right|Roy's unused intro image.]]
Unusually, Roy does not appear in Classic Mode when unlocked, neither as an ally, nor as an opponent, making him the only fighter who never appears at all; the reason for this is unknown. Despite this, Roy does have an introduction image for the "Now Loading..." screen between matches in the game files.
Like {{SSBM|Ganondorf}} and {{SSBM|Sheik}}, Roy does not appear as an opponent in the game's Classic Mode, though he can appear as an ally in Team and Giant battles.


===In [[Adventure Mode]]===
===In [[Adventure Mode]]===
Line 445: Line 369:
*'''[[Event 49: All-Star Match Deluxe]]''': Roy is the fifth opponent fought in this series of staged battles. The selected character battles him on Temple with a stock of 2 while Roy has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other five characters one-by-one with the overall time and damage: {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}}, {{SSBM|Falco}}, {{SSBM|Pichu}}, {{SSBM|Young Link}} and {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}.
*'''[[Event 49: All-Star Match Deluxe]]''': Roy is the fifth opponent fought in this series of staged battles. The selected character battles him on Temple with a stock of 2 while Roy has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other five characters one-by-one with the overall time and damage: {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}}, {{SSBM|Falco}}, {{SSBM|Pichu}}, {{SSBM|Young Link}} and {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}.


===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===
===Ending images===
<center><gallery>
<center><gallery>
RoyClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode
RoyClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode.
RoyAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode
RoyAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode.
RoyAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode
RoyAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode.
</gallery></center>
</gallery></center>


==[[Trophies]]==
==[[Trophies]]==
In addition to the normal trophy about Roy as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing the [[Adventure]] and [[All-Star]] modes respectively with Roy on any difficulty:
In addition to the normal trophy about Roy as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing the Adventure and All-Star modes respectively with Roy on any difficulty:


{{Trophy/Fighter
:'''Roy'''
|name=Roy
:''The son of the lord of Pharae Principality, Roy was studying in Ostia when the Kingdom of Bern invaded League of Lycia. His father fell ill at this time, so Roy assumed leadership of Pharae's armies. After his fateful meeting with the Princess Guinevere, his destiny became inextricably linked with the fate of the entire continent.''
|image=Roy Trophy Melee.png
:*Fire Emblem
|mode=Classic
:*Japan Only
|desc=The son of the lord of Pharae Principality, Roy was studying in Ostia when the Kingdom of Bern invaded League of Lycia. [[fireemblemwiki:Eliwood|His father]] fell ill at this time, so Roy assumed leadership of Pharae's armies. After his fateful meeting with the Princess Guinevere, his destiny became inextricably linked with the fate of the entire continent.
:'''Roy''' [<span style="color:#FF0000">Smash</span>]
|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|game1=Fire Emblem|release1=Japan Only}}
:''While Roy's moves are well balanced, he's a little on the slow side, and doesn't excel at midair combat. His blade, the [[List of swords#Binding Blade|Sword of Seals]], gives him excellent reach, and makes his Double-Edge Dance slightly different than Marth's Dancing Blade. When it's fully charged, Roy's destructive Flare Blade delivers an instant KO.''
|gamelist-pal=:Future Release
:*B: Flare Blade
|game=Melee
:*Smash B: Double-Edge Dance
}}
{{clrl}}


{{Trophy/Fighter
:'''Roy''' [<span style="color:#0000FF">Smash</span>]
|name=Roy
:''Roy's blade is different than Marth's; he does the most damage hitting with the center of his sword. So, a fearless advance into the arms of his foe is Roy's best bet. Blazer is a bit slower than Marth's Dolphin Slash, but it's still a mighty attack that sets anyone it strikes aflame. Roy's attack after using Counter differs slightly from Marth's.''
|image=Roy Trophy (Smash).png
:*Up & B: Blazer
|mode=Adventure
:*Down & B: Counter
|desc=While Roy's moves are well balanced, he's a little on the slow side, and doesn't excel at midair combat. His blade, the Sword of Seals, gives him excellent reach, and makes his Double-Edge Dance slightly different than Marth's Dancing Blade. When it's fully charged, Roy's destructive Flare Blade delivers an instant KO.
|gamelist=:B: Flare Blade
:Smash B: Double-Edge Dance
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}


{{Trophy/Fighter
<center>
|name=Roy
<gallery>
|image=Roy Trophy (Smash 2).png
Roy Trophy Melee.png|Classic
|mode=All Star
Roy Trophy (Smash).png|Adventure
|desc=Roy's blade is different than Marth's; he does the most damage hitting with the center of his sword. So, a fearless advance into the arms of his foe is Roy's best bet. Blazer is a bit slower than Marth's Dolphin Slash, but it's still a mighty attack that sets anyone it strikes aflame. Roy's attack after using Counter differs slightly from Marth's.
Roy Trophy (Smash 2).png|All-Star
|gamelist=:Up & B: Blazer
</gallery>
:Down & B: Counter
</center>
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}


==[[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Roy|Alternate costumes]]==
==[[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Roy|Alternate costumes]]==
Line 504: Line 417:
<gallery>
<gallery>
Roy SSBM Artwork.png|Official artwork of Roy.
Roy SSBM Artwork.png|Official artwork of Roy.
SSBMWebsiteRoy1.jpg|[[Idle|Idling]] on [[Fourside]].
SSBMWebsiteRoy2.jpg|Using his [[forward smash]] on {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} on [[Mute City]].
Blazer.jpg|Using [[Blazer]] on {{SSBM|Bowser}} on [[Brinstar]].
Roy's Counter Move.jpg|[[Counter]]ing {{SSBM|Marth}}'s [[neutral aerial]] on [[Temple]].
Roy's B move.jpg|Using his fully-[[charge]]d [[Flare Blade]] on Bowser and {{SSBM|Donkey Kong}} on Fourside.
Roy's Double Edge Dance Move.jpg|Using [[Double-Edge Dance]]'s 4th slash inputted forward on [[Yoshi's Story]].
</gallery>
</gallery>
</center>
</center>
Line 516: Line 423:
[[File:Royhal.png|thumb|Closeup of Roy's sword, showing the text "©HAL LABRATORY.INC"]]
[[File:Royhal.png|thumb|Closeup of Roy's sword, showing the text "©HAL LABRATORY.INC"]]
*Close examination of textures for the Binding Blade shows the incorrectly spelt text "©HAL LABRATORY.INC" included in the file. It is not known why the signature is there.
*Close examination of textures for the Binding Blade shows the incorrectly spelt text "©HAL LABRATORY.INC" included in the file. It is not known why the signature is there.
*Roy is the only character in ''Melee'':
*Roy's files and debug menu listings do not reference him specifically: he is instead referred to internally as "EMBLEM", most prominently in the [[debug menu]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tcrf.net/Super_Smash_Bros._Melee/Master_Debug_Menu#CHAR_SELECT|title=Super Smash Bros. Melee/Master Debug Menu|site=The Cutting Room Floor|published=2015-03-09|retrieved=2015-03-16}}</ref> and his texture files refer to him with the codename "Fe", an abbreviation of "Fire Emblem".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://smashboards.com/threads/melee-hacks-and-you-updated-1-7-11.247119/page-2#post-8291198|author=Steelia|title=Guide - Melee, Hacks, and You -- *UPDATED 1/7/11*|site=Smashboards|published=September 3, 2009|retrieved=March 16, 2015}}</ref>  
**That is a clone of a [[newcomer]], as well as the only clone of an unlockable character.
**This suggests that Roy was chosen as the Marth clone relatively late in development.
**Whose icon on the [[character selection screen]] has a different background color on his name (the background color is almost pure black on his name while other characters have a red and black color mix for their background color for their names).
*Roy does not feature a sheath during gameplay and his "Challenger Approaching" screen like Marth does; this is considered unusual, as Roy has a sheath in his victory poses, official art, character select portrait and all three of his trophies, as well as his unused Classic Mode introduction.  
**Who makes no appearance as a CPU whatsoever in {{b|Classic Mode|SSBM}}.
**This also happens in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', but the sheath appears when he uses his [[Critical Hit|Final Smash]].
*Roy's files and debug menu listings do not reference him specifically: he is instead referred to internally as "EMBLEM", most prominently in the [[debug menu]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tcrf.net/Super_Smash_Bros._Melee/Master_Debug_Menu#CHAR_SELECT|title=Super Smash Bros. Melee/Master Debug Menu|site=The Cutting Room Floor|published=2015-03-09|retrieved=2015-03-16}}</ref> and his texture files refer to him with the codename "Fe", an abbreviation of "Fire Emblem".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://smashboards.com/threads/melee-hacks-and-you-updated-1-7-11.247119/page-2#post-8291198|author=Steelia|title=Guide - Melee, Hacks, and You -- *UPDATED 1/7/11*|site=Smashboards|published=September 3, 2009|retrieved=March 16, 2015}}</ref> This suggests that Roy was chosen as the Marth clone relatively late in development.
*Roy and {{SSBM|Marth}} are the only two characters in ''Melee'' that speak Japanese even in the international release.
*Roy does not feature a sheath during gameplay and his "Challenger Approaching" screen like Marth does; this is considered unusual, as Roy has a sheath in his victory poses, official art, character select portrait and all three of his trophies, as well as his unused Classic Mode introduction. This also happens in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', but the sheath appears when he uses his [[Critical Hit|Final Smash]].
*Roy and Marth are the only playable characters in ''Melee'' that do not have a stage representing their universe, though hacked data shows that [[AKANEIA|one was indeed planned]].
**In ''Melee''{{'}}s [[All-Star Mode]], Roy is fought on {{SSBM|Final Destination}}. In his two Event Match appearances and his unlock battle, he appears on [[Temple]].
*Roy and {{SSBM|Young Link}} are the only fighters to use their KO cry for other uses. Roy's is used when fully charging [[Flare Blade]] and Young Link's is used during his Star KO animation.
*Roy with his Flare Blade, {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}} with his [[Judge]], and {{SSBM|Pichu}} with most of its electric attacks are the only characters in ''Melee'' to have attacks that directly inflict recoil damage. {{SSBM|Kirby}} can also harm himself if he copies either Roy or Pichu.
*Along with Marth, Roy was originally going to be a character exclusive to the Japanese version of ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', but was kept in all versions on request of an employee at Nintendo of America. Because of their inclusion, Western players took an interest in the ''Fire Emblem'' franchise, which sold in countries where the games in the series had not been released. <ref>https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/flash/1204/index.html</ref>
*Roy's appearance in ''Melee'' was the first time he appeared in any game, as [[fireemblemwiki:Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade|his game]] was released after ''Melee''.
**This technically makes Roy the first ever playable Nintendo character to debut through the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.
*All of Roy's sourspotted attacks make a punch/kick sound effect instead of a slashing sound effect.
*Ironically, Roy's sword trails indicate that the sweetspot is at the tip of the sword.  
*Possibly as a result for his somewhat high learning curve and being a popular low-tier substitute for high-level smashers such as {{Sm|Mew2King}} and {{Sm|Ken}}, the term "skilled Roy" is a common gag inside the ''Melee'' community for being an unbeatable character, with the phrase "A skilled Roy can beat any {{SSBM|Fox}}. This is why I main Roy." being a good example of it.
*Possibly as a result for his somewhat high learning curve and being a popular low-tier substitute for high-level smashers such as {{Sm|Mew2King}} and {{Sm|Ken}}, the term "skilled Roy" is a common gag inside the ''Melee'' community for being an unbeatable character, with the phrase "A skilled Roy can beat any {{SSBM|Fox}}. This is why I main Roy." being a good example of it.
*Roy and Marth are the only playable characters in ''Melee'' that do not have a stage representing their universe, though hacked data shows that [[AKANEIA|one was planned]].
*Roy is one of the characters other than {{SSBM|Marth}} that can perform the [[Whispy blink glitch]].
**In ''Melee''{{'}}s [[All-Star Mode]], Roy is fought on {{SSBM|Final Destination}}. In his two Event Match appearances and his unlock battle, he appears on [[Temple]].
Roy is the only character in the game's [[character selection screen]] to have different background color on his name compared to other characters.
*Roy and {{SSBM|Young Link}} are the only fighters to use their KO cry for other uses. Roy's is used when fully charging [[Flare Blade]] and Young Link's is used during his Star KO animation. {{SSBM|Kirby}} also mimics this unique property when he copies Roy and releases a fully-charged Flare Blade.
*Roy with his Flare Blade, {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}} with his [[Judge]], and {{SSBM|Pichu}} with most of its electric attacks are the only characters in ''Melee'' to have attacks that directly inflict recoil damage. {{SSBM|Kirby}} can also harm himself if he copies either Roy or Pichu.
*Ironically, Roy's sword trails indicate that the sweetspot is at the tip of the sword.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/flash/0115/index.html Roy's page at Smabura-Ken] ([[smashwiki:26TP/Roy|Translation]])
{{SSBMCharacters}}
{{SSBMCharacters}}
{{Fire Emblem universe}}
{{Fire Emblem universe}}

Please note that all contributions to SmashWiki are considered to be released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license (see SmashWiki:Copyrights for details). Your changes will be visible immediately. Please enter a summary of your changes above.

Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

Cancel Editing help (opens in new window)

Templates used on this page: