Smash directional influence: Difference between revisions

'''Smash directional influence''' (commonly shortened to '''Smash DI''' or '''SDI''', and officially known as '''Hitstun Shuffling''' since ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'') is a mechanic that allows players to slightly alter their position during the [[freeze frame]]s of being hit by an attack. Tapping the [[control stick]] (and/or [[C-stick]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'') in any direction during freeze frames will slightly move their character in that direction, allowing them to potentially escape multi-hit moves or certain [[combo]]s. SDI can also be used to move into a wall or ceiling in order to [[tech]] near-instantly or to (very minimally) increase the distance from the [[blast line]] that the attack is about to send them towards.

Whenever a character is hit on the ground by an attack that does not lift them off it, such as a weak [[meteor smash]] or move that launches at the [[Sakurai angle]], they can only leave ground horizontally, not vertically. This prevents them from SDIing upward and going airborne before getting launched by the attack, thus ensuring they remain on the ground. When grounded, the horizontal component of a diagonal SDI vector still moves the character, only vertical component is negated. Consequently, quarter circle SDI and other methods to perform multiple SDI inputs still work.

As SDI is performed during [[freeze frames]], a move is easier to SDI the more freeze frames it inflicts, and essentially impossible to SDI if it has no freeze frames. This is also why the mechanic is more effective against multi-hit moves, as each hit puts the opponent in freeze frames and thus extends the total amount.

'''Automatic smash directional influence''' ('''ASDI''' for short) is a weaker variant of SDI. Once a character's freeze frames are over, they shift slightly in whatever direction the control stick is currently held, by a shorter distance than an SDI input. If the C-stick is also being held in a direction, it will override the control stick's input, allowing the player to [[DI]] in another direction simultaneously. ASDI is significantly less useful than regular SDI and is generally ignored, as any stick position during this time is likely to be attempted at regular DI. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', however, it is an important factor in [[crouch canceling]]. The downward shift from ASDI down may allow a character to land on the ground immediately. If the character wasn't knocked down, the landing cancels hitsun, and thus allows them to retaliate against attacks much quicker than usual.

Similar to SDI, '''shield SDI''' (officially named '''Shieldstun Shuffling''' by the [[tips]] in ''[[Smash 4]]'' and ''[[Ultimate]]'') is a mechanic that allows players to move slightly when their [[shield]] is hit. It is nearly identical to SDI in its function and how it is performed: during freeze frames (and thus before [[shieldstun]]), players can tap or hold a direction on the control stick to shift along the ground, with each shield SDI pulse covering 2/3 of the distance of a regular SDI pulse. However, contrary to SDI, shield SDI can only be applied horizontally, and vertical components of control stick inputs are completely ignored. Thus, techniques such the quarter-circle sdi wont result in multiple shield SDI inputs. Shield SDI is especially useful to escape some grounded multi-hit attacks, most notably [[Peach (SSBM)/Down smash|Peach's down smash in ''Melee'']].