Flare Blitz

Flare Blitz
Flare Blitz in Ultimate.
User	Charizard
Universe	Pokémon
Article on Bulbapedia	Flare Blitz (move)

Flare Blitz (フレアドライブ, Flare Drive) is Charizard's side special move in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Overview

Flare Blitz's startup.

Charizard emits a blue glow at startup, and then cloaks itself in flames and rushes forward, hitting anyone in its path. Flare Blitz gains limited armor during the move, able to take up to 14% damage without flinching. This is a particularly strong attack with high knockback, but has a very slow startup, making the move reactable. It has recoil damage both in the beginning and when Charizard hits anything, like a wall, some projectiles, or an opponent. Charizard is hurt 5% when the move is used and is hurt another 5% when it collides with anything. It then falls over (this cannot be teched), allowing the opponent to punish it extremely hard if they blocked the attack.

The attack inflicts 4% to the opponent from the flames cloaking Charizard, and another 15% if the opponent is hit with the tackle, dealing heavy knockback from the tackle itself. The move's power decreases at the end of the tackle, leaving only the flames, inflicting 4% and low knockback. Since the tackle is finished, Charizard won't receive the additional 5% recoil damage. Rarely, the explosion may miss the opponent, dealing only 4% and low knockback but causing Charizard to receive full recoil. This happens more often when the opponent is above Charizard.

The move can be used as a reliable recovery in the air, as it travels the whole length of Final Destination and can snap the ledge before the animation completes. However, Charizard continues to fall while starting up the move, which can make it difficult to snap to the ledge instead of crashing into the stage. Knocking into an opponent or side of the stage will cause Charizard to be temporarily forced into its falling hurt animation, potentially self-destructing due to its lengthy animation. This significant-end lag on impact also makes Flare Blitz very punishable if shielded, and if Charizard ends up lying on the ground, it can even set up a free jab lock for the opponent. As such, the move must be used sparingly and carefully, primarily as a punishing option in its own right, but also as a movement option for mix-ups and to escape potential pressure from foes.

In Ultimate, Flare Blitz is even more powerful, and the recoil from the collision cannot be jab locked.

Interestingly, the explosion can be reflected and absorbed.

Instructional quotes

case foldout		A powerful flaming tackle that also hurts you.
Move List		Charges forward, engulfed in flame, and explodes. It's so powerful, even Charizard takes damage!

Customization

Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:

1. Flare Blitz	2. Blast Burn	3. Dragon Rush
"Hurtle sideways in an explosive assault. Damages both you and your foes."	"Slower but more explosive than Flare Blitz. Deals more damage to you and your foes."	"Less powerful than Flare Blitz, but you don't take damage when using it."

1. Flare Blitz: Default.
2. Blast Burn (ブラストバーン): Charizard takes a little more time to charge up, and travels slowly for a short distance. Charizard is engulfed with more flames, and is more powerful, inflicting 32% damage, and the explosion upon impact causes high knockback. Charizard hurts itself significantly more, taking 6% by using the move and 10% more upon tackling an opponent. Unlike with Flare Blitz, Blast Burn's explosion cannot be reflected or absorbed.
3. Dragon Rush (ドラゴンダイブ, Dragon Dive): Does not have a very long charge up time, and does not have any recoil. The move has no flame effect, and instead drills through opponents and traps them, dealing continuous damage for a max of 11%, with less knockback. As a recovery option, it is better than the standard variation, as Charizard will not stop the move when it hits an opponent. However, this move does not travel as far as Flare Blitz, but the reduced travel distance does help avoid accidental self-destructs when used near stage ledges. This variation is also used during its Final Smash, Mega Charizard X, as a basic attack.

Origin

Flare Blitz charging at the opponent and hitting them in Pokémon X/Y.

Flare Blitz is a physical Fire-type attack introduced in Generation IV. It is a very powerful move, but the user takes a third of the damage dealt to the target as recoil.

Blast Burn is the Fire-type equivalent of Hyper Beam. Unlike its Smash Bros. variation, it doesn't damage the user, nor is it a contact move, but it does leave them vulnerable for the next turn as they need to recharge.

Dragon Rush, also introduced in Generation IV, is a physical Dragon-type attack that has a small chance of flinching the target.

Charizard learns Flare Blitz by leveling up in all games since the move's introduction. Charizard has been able to learn Blast Burn from a move tutor starting in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen and in all games from Generation IV onwards. Finally, Charizard learns Dragon Rush as an egg move as a Charmander.

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  Blast Burn in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

• 

  Dragon Rush in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

Gallery

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  Flare Blitz in Generation V.

• 

  Charizard using Flare Blitz, along with knockback recoil.

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  Flare Blitz in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

• 

  Flare Blitz as shown by a Skill Preview in Ultimate.

Trivia

• Although Charizard does have a vocal sound with this move, the move's own sound effects make it impossible to hear without adjusting the sound in Options.
• For some odd reason, in Ultimate, there is a part around Flare Blitz that counts as a projectile which deals most of the move's damage, making the move deal pitiful damage if that part is reflected.

Charizard's special moves

Neutral special	Flamethrower
Side special	Rock Smash	Flare Blitz
Up special	Fly
Down special	(Pokémon Change)	Rock Smash	(Pokémon Change)
Final Smash	Fire Blast (of Triple Finish)	Mega Evolution	Fire Blast (of Triple Finish)