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| {{ArticleIcons|series=y}} | | {{ArticleIcons|allgames=y}} |
| {{for|other uses of "shield"|Shield (disambiguation)}}
| | :''For other uses of "shield", see [[Shield (disambiguation)]]'' |
| {{redirect|Shield break|Marth's and Lucina's neutral special move|Shield Breaker}} | | {{redirect|Shield break|Marth's and Lucina's neutral special move|Shield Breaker}} |
| [[File:BowserShieldSSB4.png|{{SSB4|Bowser}} shielding in {{forwiiu}}.|thumb|300px]] | | [[File:BowserShieldSSB4.png|Bowser shielding in {{forwiiu}}.|thumb|300px]] |
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| A '''shield''' (known as '''Guard''' internally) is a bubble of energy that encircles the user. A shield protects the user from a majority of attacks; more specifically, any that are not [[grab]]s or determined to be [[unblockable]] (including [[Final Smash]]es, but not limited to them). The shield is raised by pressing a certain button, which is by default: | | A '''shield''' (sometimes known as '''guard''' by certain technical processes) is a bubble of energy encircling the user that blocks all attacks with the exception for [[grab]]s and other [[unblockable attack]]s<!--DON'T add "Final Smashes" to this list or change this to "Final Smashes", because there are lots of attacks that aren't Final Smashes that are unblockable-->. One raises the shield by pressing a shield button ([[Z button|Z]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', [[L button|L]] or [[R button|R]] in ''[[Melee]]'', ''[[Brawl]]'', and ''[[SSB4]]'') while standing on the ground. Shields cannot be held forever; they shrink as time passes and attacks are blocked, and break when held for too long and will do a [[shield jump]] (popping the user into the air before [[stun]]ning them). Shields recharge when not in use. The colour of a shield is based on the team colour of the user; when not in a team battle, shields are red for player 1, blue for player 2, yellow for player 3, green for player 4, orange for player 5, cyan for player 6, purple for player 7, slate for player 8, and grey for [[computer player]]s. Player 4's shield is grey just as the computer players' shield in ''Super Smash Bros.''. In ''Brawl'', when an attack hits a shield, a bit of the shield shatters and pieces of the shield can be seen flying. If the control stick is tilted slightly, the shield can be shifted to help block attacks from specific directions. |
| *the [[Z button]] on the [[N64 controller]] and [[Wii Remote]] with the Nunchuk
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| *the [[L button|L]] or [[R button]] on the [[GameCube controller]], [[Classic Controller]], [[Wii U Pro Controller]], and [[Wii U GamePad]]
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| *the [[B button]] on the standalone Wii Remote
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| *the [[R button]] on the Nintendo 3DS, or, on New 3DS models only, the [[ZL button]]
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| *the [[ZL button|ZL]] or [[ZR button]] on the [[Switch Pro Controller]] and dual [[Joy-Con]]s
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| *the [[SR button]] on a standalone Joy-Con
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| ==General properties==
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| Shielding can only be done on the ground; pressing a shield button in midair produces an [[air dodge]] instead, or has no effect in the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' Shields cannot be held indefinitely; they shrink as time passes and break if held for too long, [[Shield jump|popping the user up]] and knocking them down on the ground before [[stun]]ning them. Blocking attacks accelerates shield depletion relative to the amount of shield damage the attack has. Shields automatically replenish when not in use.
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| [[File:SSBUWebsiteMiiFighter6.jpg|thumb|300px|{{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s shielding in ''Ultimate'', showing the different shield colors per player.]]
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| Beginning in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', shields match the players' colors; they are red, blue, yellow, and green respectively for players 1 to 4, while [[CPU]]s always have a gray shield. In team battles, human players' shield colors instead match their team colors, except if [[team attack]] is turned on in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' (''Brawl'' also incorrectly gives green team members a yellow shield). In ''Smash 64'', the shield colors are always red, green, blue, and gray for players 1 to 4, including CPUs and even in team battles; incidentally, these were the colors used for the players in [[Media:Dragon-King--The-Fighting-Game.jpg|the game's prototype, ''Dragon King'']]. In {{forwiiu}}, with the introduction of [[8-Player Smash]], players 5 to 8 have orange, cyan, purple, and slate shields, respectively. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' changes players 7 and 8's shield colors to pink and purple, respectively.
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| In all games to date, shields come out on the very first [[frame]] a shield input is recognized by the game. This makes them extremely fast and reliable for defense, as very few attacks come out as equally fast, and many attacks can be easily [[punish]]ed after being shielded. Due to this characteristic, simply [[approach]]ing an opponent in a rushed way with a move like a [[dash attack]] — a common mistake among new players to the series — is usually an unviable tactic; the player is instead encouraged to win the [[neutral game]] by getting in close more strategically, being aware of the different options their opponent has, then attack when they are unable to put up their shields, often by forcing them to commit mistakes or bypassing the shield with a move such as a grab. However, shields in all games are still subject to [[display lag]], meaning they will not be activated at the exact same moment the player presses the shield button; this often causes the impression that an attack was not shielded even though the button was pressed.
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| As aesthetic indicators, when a shield blocks an attack, it briefly glows and displays a circular graphic in the spot the attack was blocked, alongside a sound effect for blocking. In ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'', a bit of the shield can be seen visually shattering as well, with pieces flying away, whereas in ''Ultimate'', the shield acquires a checkered texture resembling static.
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| ==Options from the shield==
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| When holding their shield, characters' options are generally much more restricted to compensate for their ability to negate most attacks. If the [[control stick]] is tilted slightly, the shield can be shifted to help block attacks from specific directions. If it is tilted faster, the shield is instead canceled into a [[roll]] with a horizontal tilt, a [[jump]] with an upward tilt (if [[tap jump]] is turned on), and from ''Melee'' onward, a [[spot dodge]] with a downward tilt. In all games except ''Ultimate'', characters can also [[Shield platform drop|drop through soft platforms while shielding]]. These options allow characters to leave the shield quickly, reposition themselves while obtaining some [[intangibility]], or quickly retaliate against an attack, such as an opponent attempting to grab them out of the shield. In ''Ultimate'', if the player holds the special move button, more than one shield button, or (oddly enough) a [[side taunt]] input while shielding, these options are disabled, allowing players to shift their shield without accidentally becoming vulnerable.
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| In all games, [[grab]]bing and [[jump]]ing are other possible options out of shield. Since a grab input in the ''Smash'' series is coded as a simultaneous shield and attack input, grabbing can simply be done by pressing the attack button while shielding, and is generally the most basic way of punishing opponents out of shield, known as [[shield grab]]bing. Jumping out of shield, on the other hand, grants several more options, allowing characters to immediately use their [[aerial attack]]s (including [[SHFFL]]ing in ''Melee''), [[wavedash]], or [[jump cancel]] into their [[up smash]] or [[up special]]. All these options make shielding the centerpiece to a player's defensive game. Characters can also simply drop their shield and use any attack afterwards, though this causes a short inactionable period, usually known as [[shield drop lag]], while all other listed actions can be done instantly out of the shield. In ''Ultimate'', up smashes and up specials can be performed out of shield without the need of jump canceling, allowing players with tap jump turned off to use them more easily.
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| While in hitlag from shielding an attack, characters can perform a weaker variant of [[smash directional influence]] known as shield SDI, allowing them to adjust their distance from the opponent in order to mitigate shield pressure or facilitate a subsequent punish. Characters can also shield out of a [[run]] (but not their initial dash), with a short slide forward due to the remaining momentum, which is useful for faking approaches. In ''Smash 64'' and ''Brawl'', a technique known as [[dashing shield]] allows characters to conserve more forward momentum when shielding.
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| [[Greninja]]'s [[Shadow Sneak]] can be used while shielding, but the shield is turned off when doing so.
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| ==Technical details== | | ==Technical details== |
| [[File:MeleeLightShield.png|thumb|250px|The difference between {{SSBM|Mario}}'s fully dense shield and lightest shield in ''Melee''.]]
| | Though the shield blocks most attacks without fail and comes out instantly, their shrinking causes them to not always cover the character's entire damageable [[Hitbox#Collision Bubbles|collision bubble]] - thus, the user is still vulnerable to [[shield stab]]bing. |
| *Though shields block most attacks without fail and come out instantly, their shrinking causes them to not always cover the character's entire damageable [[hurtbox]]. As a result, the user can still be vulnerable to [[shield stab]]bing.
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| *For [[hitbox]] detection purposes, shields are considered both grounded and aerial, so they can be struck even by hitboxes that can only hit aerial opponents (which would otherwise be impossible to shield). If a move has two sets of ground-only and aerial-only hitboxes occupying the same space, such as [[Samus]]' [[up tilt]] from ''Melee'' onward (which deals 13% to grounded opponents and [[meteor smash]]es them, but deals 12% to aerial opponents and launches them diagonally), the hitboxes with the lowest ID hit the shield (in the aforementioned example, the ground-only ones).
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| *When the shield is hit by an attack, both the attacker and defender experience [[hitlag]] as usual, then the defender undergoes an inactionable period known as [[shieldstun]], analogously to [[hitstun]]. Shieldstun is generally determined by the shielded attack's damage output, though several other factors can alter it in later games. Hitting a shield also creates '''shield pushback''' for the defender and (to a lesser extent) the attacker, separating them to a larger degree the more damage the shielded attack deals; this can even push the shielder off an edge and cause [[edge slipping]], except in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate''.
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| *If a [[projectile]] just barely grazes the outside of a shield (similarly to [[glancing blow]]s), the projectile is deflected at an angle instead of blocked. Unlike [[reflection]], this does not change its ownership.
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| *Certain attacks have increased [[shield damage]], meaning that they deal more damage to shields than to other targets. An example is the [[Fan]], which can instantly break a shield with a [[forward smash]]. Conversely, some attacks have negative shield damage, and thus deal less damage to shields; this is used by certain strong attacks in ''Smash 64'', such as the [[Hammer]], and by most projectiles in ''Ultimate'' from version {{SSBU|3.0.0}} onward.
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| *From ''Melee'' onward, blocking an attack right as the shield is raised (with the window depending on the game) triggers a '''[[perfect shield]]''', causing the shield to take no damage, reduced pushback (except in ''Melee''), and allowing the character to bypass shield drop lag with any action. In ''Melee'', a portion of this window can also reflect projectiles at half their previous damage. In ''Ultimate'', perfect shielding is instead done by dropping the shield, with a window of 5 frames.
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| *In ''Melee'' only, the L or R button's depression amount can alter the density of the shield, which is known as '''light shielding'''. A light shield covers a wider area and shrinks more slowly than a dense shield, but causes more shieldstun and pushback to the user if hit. Holding the Z button to shield (after the character grabs, or if held after another action's ending lag) produces a shield close to the lightest possible amount. Variable shield density was removed in later games, presumably due to other controllers lacking analog buttons, and is the only mechanic in the entire ''Smash'' series to utilize analog triggers.
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| ==Shield statistics==
| | Shields are considered to be both aerial and grounded; therefore they can be struck by both aerial-only and by grounded-only hitboxes. |
| In all games from ''Melee'' onward, the amount of health a shield loses when hit by an attack is multiplied by a constant. This constant reduces incoming damage in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', and conversely increases it in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', effectively giving the shield more or less HP than its specified amount. Additional shield damage is also affected by this constant, but not shieldstun or shield pushback.
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| ===General===
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| *For maximum HP, the first value lists the raw amount, while the value in parenthesis lists the approximate effective amount with the damage multiplier accounted for.
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| *For shield depletion and regeneration, the first value lists the HP lost/regained per frame, while the value in parenthesis lists it per second (for example, 0.1 HP per frame equals 6 HP per second).
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| *For the shieldstun formula, the damage used is the base amount the attack would deal if not shielded, and the result is rounded down in all games except the Japanese version of ''Smash 64'', where it is rounded up.
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| *''Melee'' statistics only apply to a fully dense shield; analog shield data is listed in more detail in a separate section below.
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| {{technical data|Smash 64 size and pushback data}}
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| {|class="wikitable"
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| !Game!!Maximum HP!!Damage multiplier!!Depletion!!Regeneration!!HP after shield break!!Shield time before drop!!Shield drop lag!![[Shieldstun]]||Size multiplier
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| |{{GameIcon|ssb|20px}}||55 (55)||1×||0.0625 (3.75/s)||0.1 (6/s)||30||{{rollover|3 frames|Shield stays out for at least 8 frames|y}}||11 frames||'''Japanese''': <code>damage * 1.75 + 3</code><br>'''International''': <code>damage * 1.62 + 4</code>||?
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| |{{GameIcon|ssbm|20px}}||60 (85.71)||0.7×||0.28 (16.8/s)||0.07 (4.2/s)||30||8 frames||15 frames||<code>(damage * 0.45 + 2) * 200 / 201</code>||<code>(HP * 0.5 / 60) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>
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| |{{GameIcon|ssbb|20px}}||50 (71.43)||0.7×||0.28 (16.8/s)||0.07 (4.2/s)||30||7 frames||7 frames||<code>damage * 0.345</code>||<code>(HP / 50) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>
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| |{{GameIcon|ssb4|20px}}||50 (42.02)||1.19×||0.13 (7.8/s)||0.08 (4.8/s)||25||13 frames (prior to [[1.1.4]])<br>11 frames (1.1.4 onward)||7 frames||<code>INT(d * 1.3 + 2) * 0.3</code> (prior to [[1.1.1]])<br><code>damage * 0.58 * mult + 2</code> (1.1.1 onward)||<code>(HP / 50) * 0.85 * {{rollover|1.05|Not present prior to 1.1.1|y}} + 0.15</code>
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| |{{GameIcon|ssbu|20px}}||50 (42.02)||1.19×||0.15 (9/s)||0.08 (4.8/s)||37.5||3 frames||11 frames||<code>damage * 0.8 * mult + 2</code>||<code>(HP / 50) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>
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| |}
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| ===Shield pushback===
| | If a projectile hits a shield at just the right angle, it will be deflected, rather than blocked. The initial raising of the shield creates a small energy wave; if that wave hits a projectile, it will be reflected. |
| The formulas are used to calculate the initial amount of pushback, which is then decayed every frame by the character's [[traction]] value. From ''Brawl'' onward, attacker traction is multiplied by 1.1× until the pushback ends. | |
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| Worth noting is that while the defender's shield pushback has a cap in all games, the attacker's does not. As a result, if an attack that deals extremely high damage is shielded, the attacker can be pushed back with enough strength to be forced off the stage and get KO'd; the [[Kamikaze glitch]] is an example of such a scenario. In ''Ultimate'', presumably to protect against this, the damage increase applied by the use of [[Spirit]]s is not factored in to attacker pushback. In ''Melee'', attacker shield pushback can also cause the [[ceiling glitch]].
| | When shielding in ''[[Melee]]'', one can adjust the depression of the L or R button to alter the density of the shield. A light shield will cover a wider area and shrink more slowly than a dense shield, but the user will skid back a larger distance when hit. If one uses the Z button to shield, the shield will be maximum size, however this shield will take a bit longer to put up, as the character will try to grab first. Variable shield density was removed from ''[[Brawl]]'', presumably because it can only be used with a GameCube controller or the original Wii Classic Controller (no other controller has analog buttons). |
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| {|class="wikitable"
| | If a shield is fully raised and encircles an incoming attack (in ''Melee''), or a shield is raised 4 frames before an attack hits (in ''Brawl''), the attack will be [[powershield]]ed. |
| !Game!!Defender shield pushback!!Attacker shield pushback!!Notes
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| |{{GameIcon|ssbm|20px}}||<code>(damage * 0.09 + 0.4) * shield</code>; 2 maximum||<code>damage * 0.07 + 0.02</code>||Damage is rounded down; shield factor is 0.6 for a normal shield, and 1 for a perfect shield
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| |{{GameIcon|ssbb|20px}}||<code>(damage * 0.069 + 0.4) * shield</code>; 1.6 maximum||rowspan=3|<code>damage * 0.04 + 0.025</code>||Damage is rounded down; shield factor is 1 for a normal shield, and 0.15 for a perfect shield
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| |{{GameIcon|ssb4|20px}}||'''Prior to 1.1.1''': <code>(shieldstun + 2) * 0.18 * shield</code>; 1.8 maximum<br>'''1.1.1 onward''': <code>(shieldstun + 2) * 0.09 * shield</code>; 1.3 maximum||rowspan=2|Shieldstun is ''not'' rounded down; shield factor is 1 for a normal shield, and 0.15 for a perfect shield
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| |{{GameIcon|ssbu|20px}}||<code>(shieldstun + 1) * 0.09 * shield</code>; 1.3 maximum
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| |}
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| ===Analog shield data (''Melee'' only)===
| | It is possible to move while using a shield. This is called a dashing shield. |
| Several shield properties in ''Melee'' are altered if the L or R buttons are not fully pressed. Put in simple terms, lighter shields are larger and take longer to deplete, but take more damage, and increase the defender's shieldstun and pushback, while reducing the attacker's pushback. As a result, they are safer to use preemptively and can prevent [[shield stab]]bing much more reliably, but are significantly less effective for subsequent retaliation. This mechanic was dropped for ''Brawl'' due to Nintendo dropping support for analog buttons after the [[GameCube controller]] and has yet to return to the series.
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| In all formulas, '''s''' is an analog factor equal to <code>n / 140</code>, where '''n''' ranges between 43 and 140 depending on how much the L or R buttons are pressed. As a result, '''s''' can be as low as 0.30714 with the lightest possible shield, and caps at 1 with a full shield. Shielding with the Z button corresponds to <code>s = 0.35</code>, or <code>n = 49/140</code>.
| | Certain attacks have increased [[shield damage]], meaning that they deal more damage to shields than to other targets. The [[Fan]] is one example, whose smash attack can break a shield in one hit. On the other hand, some attacks deal reduced damage to shields; this is exclusive to certain strong attacks in ''Smash 64'' such as the Hammer. |
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| {|class="wikitable" | | {|class="wikitable" |
| !Attribute!!Formula!!Analog variable (a)!!Result with lightest possible shield
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| |- | | |- |
| |Damage multiplier||<code>a + 0.7</code>||<code>0.2 * (1 - (s - 0.3) / 0.7)</code>||0.89796× | | |+Shield Statistics |
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| |Size multiplier||<code>(HP * a / 60) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>||<code>1 - (0.5 * (s - 0.3) / 0.7)</code>||<code>(HP * 0.9949 / 60) * 0.85 + 0.15</code>
| | !!!Max HP!!Depletion per sec.!!Regeneration per sec.!!Reset when broken |
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| |Depletion per frame||<code>(a + 0.1) * 0.14</code>||<code>1.9 * (s - 0.3) / 0.7</code>||0.0167132 (1.002792 per second) | | |''[[SSB64]]''||55||3.75||6||30 |
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| |Shieldstun||<code>(damage * (a + 0.3) * 1.5 + 2) * 200 / 201</code>||<code>0.65 * (1 - (s - 0.3) / 0.7)</code>||<code>(damage * 1.415055 + 2) * 200 / 201</code> | | |''[[Melee]]''||60 *||8.4||4.2||30 |
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| |Defender shield pushback||<code>(damage * (a + 0.09) + 0.4) * shield</code>||<code>0.195 * (1 - (s - 0.3) / 0.7)</code>||<code>(damage * 0.283011 + 0.4) * shield</code> | | |''[[Brawl]]''||50 *||16.8||4.2||30 |
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| |Attacker shield pushback||<code>damage * a + 0.02</code>||<code>(s - 0.3) * 0.1</code>||<code>damage * 0.000714 + 0.02</code> | | |colspan="5"|'''<nowiki>*</nowiki>''' Takes 30% less damage from attacks. Additional [[shield damage]] is not reduced in this way. It is unknown if other shields have this behaviour. |
| |} | | |} |
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| ===Summary===
| | The comparatively strong shields in ''Smash 64'' may be tied into the reason as to why said game's [[throw]]s are rather powerful; having strong throws would discourage players from overusing their powerful shields. Furthermore, if an attack hits a shield in ''SSB64'', any throws done out of a subsequent shield grab will only do half damage, reducing viable out-of-shield options. |
| *Before breaking, a shield with full HP can be held for up to 14.67 seconds in ''Smash 64'', 3.58 seconds in ''Melee'' (if fully dense), 2.98 seconds in ''Brawl'', 6.42 seconds in ''Smash 4'', and 5.56 seconds in ''Ultimate''. In ''Melee'', the lightest possible shield with full HP can be held for nearly a full minute before it breaks.
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| *A shield close to breaking takes 9.15 seconds to fully regenerate in ''Smash 64'', 14.22 seconds in ''Melee'', 11.84 seconds in ''Brawl'', and 10.39 seconds in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate''.
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| *After a character's [[stun]] from a shield break ends, the shield is reset to 54.55% of its HP in ''Smash 64'', 50% in ''Melee'' and ''Smash 4'', 60% in ''Brawl'', and 75% in ''Ultimate''.
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| *''Smash 64'' shields are notoriously durable on their own, having the slowest depletion and fastest regeneration of all shields in the series. However, the game's extremely high shieldstun and quick grabs with exceptionally strong throws leaves them at a glaring disadvantage for direct retaliation, even allowing for [[shield break combo]]s from certain characters. Additionally, and only in this game, throws from a [[shield grab]] after shieldstun only deal half their usual damage, further reducing viable out of shield options.
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| *''Melee'' shields are the most durable in the series, with an effective 85.71 HP when fully dense (66.82 HP at their lightest). Alongside their significantly lower shieldstun than ''Smash 64'' shields, this gives characters more pronounced out of shield games, and makes shield breaks a rarity, with moves such as [[Shield Breaker]] necessitating a very high amount of shield damage to pull this off. However, due to their small size and fast depletion rate when fully dense, they are riskier to use and encourage different shield densities depending on the situation.
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| *''Brawl'' shields are usually considered the most effective in the series, due to their low shieldstun and shield drop lag allowing them to punish attacks very easily (further compounded by attacks being overall less advantageous than in previous games), as well as still being highly durable with a consistent and effective 71.43 HP, having less HP than a fully dense shield, but higher than the lightest shields. However, they also have the fastest depletion rate in the series, and can still be subjected to [[edge slipping]], discouraging their reckless overuse.
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| *''Smash 4'' shields have more favorable depletion and regeneration rates than ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''{{'}}s, alongside having less shield pushback and no longer being vulnerable to edge slipping. However, with an effective 42.02 HP (less than half of fully dense ''Melee'' shields), they are notoriously more fragile, making shield breaks from moves without additional shield damage fairly more common, to the point of even a few consecutive smash attacks being capable of breaking shields. As a result, their risk of use lies more in directly attempting to shield powerful attacks rather than simply holding them for too long.
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| *''Ultimate'' shields remain similar to ''Smash 4''{{'}}s, except they have a slightly faster depletion rate, longer shield drop lag, and increased startup on shield grabs after shieldstun, as well as generally taking more shieldstun from non-aerial physical attacks. This overall brings them to a more balanced state, being neither too disadvantaged against attacks like in ''Smash 64'', nor too safe of a punish option like in ''Brawl''.
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| ==Shield breaking== | | ==Shield breaking== |
| [[File:BrokenShield-3DS.jpg|thumb|Mario holds down his shield, which will eventually cause a shield break.|300px]] | | [[File:BrokenShield-3DS.jpg|thumb|Mario holds down his shield, which will eventually cause a shield break.|300px]] |
| Shields are larger the more health they have remaining, in addition to each character having their own shield size ratio. As the shield is raised and blocks attacks, it keeps diminishing until it breaks. This phenomenon is known as a '''shield break''', and results in the character being launched a distance upward (a [[shield jump]]), getting knocked down as they land, then being [[stun]]ned for some seconds after standing up. The stun duration is dependant on the victim's damage percent – the less damage they have, the longer it will last, with [[mashing]] accelerating this process to an extent. Any attack that causes a stunned fighter to [[flinch]] ends the stunned state.
| | Each [[character]] has a shield with a particular size and strength. With each hit inflicted within a period of time, the shield will diminish until it is broken. This results in the character being thrown into the air, and being stunned for a few moments after landing. Stun time is dependent on damage; characters with more damage will be stunned for less time. This phenomenon is known as a '''shield break'''. |
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| The purpose of shields breaking and diminishing is, along with grabbing, to prevent players from protecting themselves indefinitely. Instead, as the shield gets smaller, a larger portion of the character's [[hurtbox]] is left vulnerable to attacks. Shield breaking is commonly done either by taking advantage of shieldstun to chain several attacks with little room for the opponent to escape, or by landing attacks that deal high enough shield damage, such as [[Marth]]'s [[Shield Breaker]] or throwing [[Mr. Saturn]]. Shield breaking is especially dangerous at the [[edge]] of a stage, as due to shield pushback from the move that broke the shield, the character can get pushed off and continue falling until they reach the bottom [[blast line]], leading to an inevitable KO. | | The purpose of a shield breaking is, along with grabbing, to prevent a player from staying in his or her shield indefinitely. Instead, the shield will get smaller and smaller, exposing more of the character to attack until the entire shield is depleted. Shield breaking moves are either ones that can be comboed to prevent a character from rolling out or from dropping the shield without being hit or ones that deal enough shield damage to break the shield in one hit. Certain moves, like [[Marth]]'s fully charged [[Shield Breaker]], will break most shields in one hit. The items [[Fan]] and [[Mr. Saturn]] are also very effective shield breakers as well. |
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| [[Jigglypuff]] is affected more severely by shield breaking than any other character, as it is launched upward several hundred times farther than normal, which is more than enough to instantly KO Jigglypuff in any situation unless there is an overhead obstruction (in which case, it will helplessly keep trying to float up until several seconds have passed, the obstacle is removed, or Jigglypuff is smacked out of it). This has lead to some strategies involving shield breaking Jigglypuff to perform skips in [[speedrun]]s and some niche stalling strategies on certain stages by remaining in the air below a ceiling, essentially being unreachable for several seconds. | | If a character's shield breaks while at the very edge of a [[stage]], the possibility of the character being stunned until falling into a KO can occur. The knockback of some moves when breaking the shield transfers to the opponent, thus pushing the character with the broken shield off the edge. |
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| In ''Melee'', having one's shield broken by an opponent rewards the player with [[List of bonuses|Shattered Shield]] bonus, worth −1000 points, while breaking their own shield rewards them the Shield Stupidity bonus, worth −2000 points. Breaking another opponent's shield rewards the character the Shield Buster bonus, worth 2500 points. All three of the bonuses can stack, and performing the required tasks multiple times proportionally increases their value.
| | Players who use [[Jigglypuff]] should be especially careful about its shield breaking. Like other characters, if Jigglypuff's shield breaks, Jigglypuff will [[shield jump|fly upward]] and then be stunned for a short period of time. Unlike other characters, however, Jigglypuff flies several hundred times farther upward than normal. This is well enough to KO Jigglypuff, unless there is a ceiling or some other obstacle preventing it from flying straight up. |
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| Players who use [[Rosalina & Luma]] are still able to control Luma's attacks even if Rosalina is stunned from a shield break.
| | ==Options from the shield== |
| | When holding their shield, characters do not have all the same options as they do while standing, but they are still able to use many moves. A character can [[roll]] to reposition themselves while retaining [[invincibility frame|invincibility]]. If a player predicts that the enemy will grab to penetrate their shield, they can quickly [[sidestep]] to avoid the grab (''[[Melee]]'' and ''[[Brawl]]'' only). |
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| ===Shield stab===
| | Characters can also [[grab]] and [[jump]] out of their shield. Grabbing after blocking an attack is a prevalent technique known as [[shield grab]]bing - it allows one to quickly retaliate against an enemy attacker. Jumping from the shield allows characters to immediately [[short hop fast fall l-cancel|SHFFL]], [[wavedash]] or [[jump-canceling|jump-cancel]] into their [[up smash]] or [[up special move]]. All these offensive and defensive options make shielding the centerpiece to a player's defensive game. |
| {{main|Shield stab}}
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| When a shield is diminished enough, the character's hurtbox will become exposed, allowing them to be damaged without their shield being broken. This forces the character out of a shielding position and gives them the regular amount of knockback, though the shield will start replenishing when it drops. This mechanic further disincentives holding the shield for long periods of time, as the player is unable to move and is effectively allowing themselves to be hit for no conceivable benefit.
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| ==Characters with unique shields==
| | Similar to the [[dash-cancel]], characters can activate their shield while dashing, resulting in a short slide from the momentum. A character can also dash toward an opponent, feigning a rush, and then shield; the opponent may fall for the feint and try to retaliate, leaving him or her open to the rusher's real attack. |
| ===[[Yoshi]]===
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| [[File:Yoshi Shield.png|200px|thumb|{{SSBB|Yoshi}}'s shield in ''[[Brawl]]''.]] | |
| In all games, Yoshi possesses a unique shield unlike any other character. Instead of using the standard bubble, he curls up inside a Yoshi Egg that does not shrink. Instead, as the shield weakens, the egg gradually acquires a darker tint until becoming completely black, similarly to the effect used by players' [[damage meter]]s as their percentage increases. This is generally an upgrade over other characters' shields, as it effectively renders Yoshi immune to [[shield stab]]bing (except in ''Brawl'', where a small part of his feet's hurtboxes still poke out of the shield), and eliminates the necessity of shifting the shield; however, it also has the disadvantage of his shield being easier to break, leading to a potentially more severe punish than if he merely got shield stabbed.
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| Depending on the game, Yoshi's shield also has several different properties from other characters' shields, both positive and negative.
| | ==Character-specific== |
| | ===Yoshi's shield=== |
| | [[File:Yoshi Shield.png|200px|thumb|Yoshi's shield in ''[[Brawl]]''.]] |
| | [[Yoshi]] has a different shield from that of other characters'. Instead of using a bubble, he uses an egg for protection. This egg does not shrink, preventing any attempts at shield stabbing. Instead, as it weakens, the egg darkens from white to dark red (similar to the color of the percentage meters), or, in ''SSB4'', gradually gets darker (due to eggs coming in multiple colors, including red). The egg prevents Yoshi from jumping out of his shield in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' and [[glide toss]]ing in ''Brawl'', but when lightshielding, Yoshi will slide a huge distance when attacked (possibly across the entire stage). Also, Yoshi has been known to randomly [[perfect shield]] (not completely understood), and is also invincible during his shielding animation. Given the fact that Yoshi cannot jump out of his shield in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', in addition to his shieldgrab being slow, his out of shield game is much more limited than the rest of the cast, resulting in much more difficulty dealing with inclose pressure. |
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| ====In ''Smash 64''==== | | ===Jigglypuff's shield=== |
| *{{buff|The initial 3-frame animation where Yoshi curls up into the shield grants him [[invincibility]], effectively giving him a short window to block attacks without any hitlag, shield damage, shieldstun, or shield pushback, and preventing him from being grabbed out of the shield right away. This technique is known as [[Parry (Yoshi)|parry]]ing, and allows Yoshi to punish attacks out of shield much more effectively, though it is also very precise.}}
| | While having a very large shield compared to its size, Jigglypuff's shield can cause devastating effects for the user if broken. Its leap - the force it is sent upwards with if its shield breaks - is equivalent to taking 10,000 units of [[knockback]], which is four times the maximum knockback capable of being done by an attack. If nothing stops it, Jigglypuff will [[self-destruct]]. This phenomenon is known as the [[Shield Jump]] and it can be helpful in some areas such as the [[Brinstar Escape Shaft]] in ''Melee'''s [[Adventure Mode]] and [[The Glacial Peak]] in the [[Subspace Emissary]]. |
| *{{nerf|His shield drop lag is higher, with 15 frames instead of 11, hindering his ability to act out of shield if he fails to parry an attack.}}
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| ====In ''Melee''====
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| *{{buff|Yoshi is invincible during the first 6 shield frames, and can drop the shield after 7 frames, slightly faster than other characters' 8 frames. However, his shield still comes out immediately with an analog L/R press, or in 3 frames with a digital press, and takes priority over his hurtboxes, reducing the utility of parrying compared to ''Smash 64''.}}
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| *{{buff|Yoshi's shield takes no shieldstun, allowing him to act out immediately after hitlag.}}
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| *{{nerf|He cannot [[jump]] out of shield, except during the first 6 shield frames with a digital press, which alongside his slow grab severely limits his ability to punish attacks opportunely.}}
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| *{{change|He uses a different shield pushback formula, corresponding to <code>damage * a + 0.4</code>, with '''a''' being determined by <code>0.3 * (1 - (s - 0.3) / 0.7)</code>. As a result, he slides much farther away than other characters with a light shield, but only a small distance independent of damage taken with a full shield, giving him a different dynamic against shield pressure.}}
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| *{{change|Yoshi's [[powershield]] behaves unusually. Due to his shield not being immediately active with a digital L/R press, his initial window for powershielding physical attacks is shorter; however, he is capable of "storing" the powershield if he acts out of its 4-frame window, allowing him to powershield a physical attack (but not projectiles) during any portion of a subsequent shield, provided he doesn't reset the count with another digital L/R press.}}
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| ====In ''Brawl''====
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| *{{buff|Yoshi takes one frame less to drop his shield after putting it up, with 6 frames instead of 7.}}
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| *{{nerf|His shield drop lag is considerably higher, remaining at 15 frames instead of being reduced to 7 frames like every other veteran's.}}
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| *{{nerf|He cannot jump out of shield altogether (unlike in ''Melee'', where he still had a short window to do so), nor [[glide toss]]. Combined with his higher shield drop lag, and no longer being immune to shieldstun, Yoshi's shield in ''Brawl'' and his resulting defensive game is considerably worse than the rest of the cast's.}}
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| ====In ''Smash 4''====
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| *{{buff|Yoshi takes less time to drop his shield after putting it up, with 8 frames instead of 11.}}
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| *{{nerf|Unlike in previous games, Yoshi is unable to [[shield platform drop]], being the only character with this distinction.}}
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| In ''Ultimate'', due to the changes to shield time and the removal of shield platform dropping, Yoshi's shield no longer has practical differences from the rest other than its fixed size, making it generally more advantageous.
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| ===[[Jigglypuff]]===
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| [[File:Jigglypuff Shield Break.gif|thumb|200px|[[Jigglypuff]]'s shield break.]]
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| While Jigglypuff uses the same bubble shield as other characters, its [[shield jump]] in all games is uniquely more punishing. The force Jigglypuff is sent upwards with if its shield breaks is equivalent to taking 300 units of vertical [[knockback]], which is more than enough to cause it to [[self-destruct]] on every stage if there is no overhead obstacle. However, this can also be useful for certain situations in single-player modes, such as the [[Brinstar Escape Shaft]] in ''Melee''{{'}}s [[Adventure Mode]] and [[The Glacial Peak]] in the [[Subspace Emissary]].
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| ===Unique actions out of shield===
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| In ''Ultimate'', while {{SSBU|Inkling}} and {{SSBU|Steve}}'s shields are identical to other characters', they have access to unique actions by pressing the special move button while shielding. Inkling changes into squid form and refills her [[Ink Tank]] from the ground, then changes back to normal after completely refilling the Ink Tank or if the button is released. On the other hand, Steve summons his [[Craft]]ing Table to his current location, at the cost of some materials. This aids both characters with their respective [[Fighter ability|fighter abilities]], allowing Inkling to regain ink for attacks that utilize it, and Steve to use his Crafting mechanic more conveniently. However, these actions cause them to leave the shield and thus become vulnerable to attacks, although Inkling still has a reduced hurtbox size while recharging ink, while Steve can act 7 frames after summoning a crafting table, effectively giving him a faster shield drop than other characters at the cost of materials and the ability to parry.
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| Since these actions are performed with the special move button, Inkling and Steve players can only use the "shield shift lock" feature by holding multiple shield buttons or a side taunt input. Oddly enough, this also applies to {{SSBU|Snake}}, despite him having no unique shield actions.
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| ==Origin== | | ==Origin== |
| [[File:MirrorKirbyReflectGuard.gif|thumb|The shield of Kirby's Mirror ability.]] | | [[Image:MirrorKirbyReflectGuard.gif|thumb|The shield of Kirby's Mirror ability.]] |
| The concept of blocking attacks is a standard amongst the fighting game genre. In traditional fighting games, blocking involves characters bracing against attacks (such as by holding up their arms), which typically prevents the character from flinching or being affected by any of the attack's effects or gimmicks. Blocked attacks may still deal minimal damage referred to as "chip damage" depending on the game and/or type of attack blocked (normally applies to damaging special moves), and blocking too many attacks can break the character's guard and leave them vulnerable. Many fighting games require players to choose between blocking high or low attacks and do not allow players to block grabs or attacks from behind. | | The concept of blocking attacks is a standard amongst the fighting game genre. In traditional fighting games, blocking involves characters bracing against attacks (such as by holding up their arms), which typically prevents the character from flinching or being affected by any of the attack's effects or gimmicks. Blocked attacks still deal minimal damage, and blocking too many attacks can break the character's guard and leave them vulnerable. Many fighting games require players to choose between blocking high or low attacks and does not allow players to block grabs or attacks from behind. |
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| In ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'', [[Kirby]] is capable of blocking attacks in a way reminiscent of most traditional fighting games—protecting him from flinching or losing his ability while still dealing minor damage if the attack is strong enough—though he automatically guards from all directions. In addition, if Kirby has the Mirror ability, guarding produces a multi-colored bubble around his body that blocks all non-grab attacks without chip damage and is even capable of reflecting certain projectiles. It is this bubble that appears to be the inspiration for the shield bubble in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series. The ''Smash Bros.'' bubble would later make an appearance in Kirby's {{s|wikirby|Smash Bros}} ability in ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby: Planet Robobot}}'', functioning identically to that of the Mirror ability.
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| Yoshi's shield design, on the other hand, is possibly based on an occurrence in ''{{s|supermariowiki|Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island}}''. When {{s|supermariowiki|Baby Mario}} grabs a [[Super Star]] and starts running around, Yoshi follows by hiding in an egg and becoming part of his egg trail. The duo is invincible during this time. The shield may also be based on Yoshi becoming invincible once swallowing a {{s|supermariowiki|Turbo Tulip}} in ''{{s|supermariowiki|Yoshi's Story}}'', although that is generally attributed to the [[Egg Roll]] instead.
| | In ''Kirby Super Star'', Kirby is capable of blocking attacks in effectively the exact same way as traditional fighting games - protecting him from flinching or losing his ability while still dealing minor damage if the attack is strong enough - though he automatically guards from all directions. In addition, if Kirby has the Mirror ability, guarding produces a multi-coloured bubble around his body that blocks all non-grab attacks without chip damage and is even capable of reflecting certain projectiles. It is this bubble that appears to be the inspiration for the shield bubble in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. |
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| Inkling's method of refilling ink is derived from [[Splatoon (universe)|their home series]], where the player's ink can be refilled by turning into squid form and diving into ink of the same color. In these games, turning into squid form is mapped to the{{button|Switch|ZL}}button; the [[ZL button|ZL]] and [[ZR button]]s shield by default in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.
| | Yoshi's shield design, on the other hand, is possibly based on an occurrence in [[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island|''Yoshi's Island'']]. When Baby Mario grabs a Super Star and starts running around, Yoshi follows by hiding in an egg and becoming part of his egg trail. The duo is invincible during this time. The shield may also be based on Yoshi becoming invincible once swallowing a Turbo Tulip in ''[[Yoshi's Story]]'', although that is generally attributed to the [[Egg Roll]] instead. It is unknown why Yoshi is the only character to have a unique shield. |
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| ==Gallery== | | ==Gallery== |
| <gallery> | | <gallery>Shield SSB (Kirby).png|A CPU {{SSB|Kirby}} shielding in ''Smash 64''. |
| Shield SSB (Kirby).png|A CPU {{SSB|Kirby}} shielding in ''Smash 64''. | | Shielding64.gif|{{SSB|Captain Falcon}} angling his shield upwards in ''Smash 64'' |
| Shielding64.gif|{{SSB|Captain Falcon}} shown [[Shield stab#Shield angling|angling]] his shield upward in ''Smash 64'' to block an incoming attack from {{SSB|Samus}}. | | Yoshi Egg Shield SSB.png|{{SSB|Yoshi}}'s shield in ''SSB64''. |
| Yoshi Egg Shield SSB.png|{{SSB|Yoshi}}'s shield in ''Smash 64''. | |
| Mario Shield SSBM.gif|{{SSBM|Mario}}'s shielding animation in ''Melee''. | | Mario Shield SSBM.gif|{{SSBM|Mario}}'s shielding animation in ''Melee''. |
| Mario Sheild break SSBM.gif|Mario's shield breaking in ''Melee''. | | Mario Sheild break SSBM.gif|Mario's shield breaking in ''Melee''. |
| Mario Stunned SSBM.gif|Mario's [[stun]]ned animation in ''Melee''. | | Mario Stunned SSBM.gif|Mario's shield [[stun]] animation in ''Melee''. |
| MeleeShield.jpg|{{SSBM|Ness}} (Player 1) and {{SSBM|Fox}} (Player 2) shielding in ''Melee''. | | MeleeShield.jpg|{{SSBM|Ness}} (Player 1) and {{SSBM|Fox}} (Player 2) shielding in ''Melee''. |
| Shield Melee Red.png|Mario shielding in ''Melee''. | | Shield Melee Red.png|Mario shielding in ''Melee''. |
| Marth Neutral B SSBM Shield.gif|{{SSBM|Marth}} using Shield Breaker in ''Melee''.
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| Shield.jpg|{{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}} shields to defend herself against {{SSBB|Snake}}'s attack. | | Shield.jpg|{{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}} shields to defend herself against {{SSBB|Snake}}'s attack. |
| MarioShielding-3DS.jpg|{{SSB4|Mario}} puts up his shield to block {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s attack. | | MarioShielding-3DS.jpg|{{SSB4|Mario}} puts up his shield to block {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s attack.</gallery> |
| </gallery> | |
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| ==Trivia==
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| *If the [[Shadow]] [[Assist Trophy]] freezes a character while shielding, the shield will remain up until being unfrozen. Shield decay does not trigger, though it shrinks after being hit as normal. If the frozen character's shield is broken, they will immediately be unfrozen and receive the shield break effect as normal, temporarily disabling the background caused by Shadow before it quickly returns.
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| ==See also== | | ==See Also== |
| *[[Dashing shield]] | | *[[Dashing shield]] |
| *[[Shieldstun]]
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| *[[Shield break combo]] | | *[[Shield break combo]] |
| *[[Shield grab]] | | *[[Shield grab]] |
| *[[Perfect shield]] | | *[[Powershield]] |
| *[[Shield stab]] | | *[[Shield stab]] |
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| [[Category:Game controls]] | | [[Category:Game Controls]] |
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