Momentum canceling: Difference between revisions

'''Momentum canceling''' is a staple [[technique]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''{{'}}s [[metagame]] that reduces the momentum of a character in midair, and makes characters harder to [[KO]]. The technique essentially exploits the use of [[hitstun canceling]] to not only cancel hitstun but to also reduce the momentum they received from the knockback by executing aerials, specials, or air dodges to slow down the knocked back character. Since, in ''Brawl'', attacks and [[air dodge]]s can be performed while [[tumbling]] and reeling, it is possible to use these moves, in combination with others, to slow a character's aerial movement, and avoid crossing [[blast line]]s and being KOd. A prominent example of a momentum canceling move is {{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s [[Oil Panic]], which negates all aerial momentum immediately, and may be used after tumbling has ended.

In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', momentum canceling is technically still existent, but due to the changes to hitstun canceling (with players having to wait much longer to air dodge or use an aerial after getting hit), momentum canceling is functionally impossible to utilize, and characters in ''Brawl'' that were able to slow/halt their momentum can no longer do so. A prime example is Mr. Game & Watch, whose Oil Panic can no longer completely cancel momentum at all due to it being deliberately removed.

Momentum canceling is possible due to a critical property of knockback; that is, that it still enables other sources of aerial velocity (such as falling) to build up normally, simply stacking with the velocity of the knockback, with the exception of moves such as Oil Panic which cancel it entirely. Ordinarily hitstun would prevent taking advantage of this, and hence [[fall speed]] is the only critical factor in determining overall distance once the magnitude of knockback has been calculated. However, ''Brawl'' enables the canceling of hitstun by use of airdodging and use of aerials, and once the lag from the aerial or airdodge has ended, any special move which applies a velocity to the fighter can be used to alter the overall speed of the fighter. It is also possible to immediately initiate a fastfall if the hitstun is canceled with an aerial, and assuming the player has not used up their jumps, midair jumping is also possible. Since lateral movement in the air is still disabled until such time that the hitstun would have ended automatically, the use of the initial horizontal velocity granted by jumping forwards or backwards is the only safe method of horizontal momentum canceling for characters who do not possess specials which apply a velocity to the character without causing [[helpless]]ness.

| 1 || King Dedede || 176% || 195%

| 2 || Snake || 172% || 188%  

| 3 || Donkey Kong || 171% || 185%

| 4 || Link || 161% || 185%

| 5 || Captain  Falcon || 165% || 182%

| 6 || Bowser || 168% || 179%

| 7 || Ganondorf || 164% || 179%

| 8 || Ike || 163% || 178%

| 9 || Charizard || 161% || 171%

| 10 || Wario || 159% || 170%

| 11 || Yoshi  || 159% || 168%

| 12 || R.O.B|| 157% || 165%

| 13 || Samus || 156% || 164%

| 14 || Ivysaur || 154% || 164%

| 15 || Wolf || 159% || 161%

| 16 || Lucario || 152% || 160%

| 17 || Mario || 151% || 160%

| 18 || Pit || 150% || 160%

| 19 || Sonic || 150% || 159%

| 20 || Diddy Kong || 147% || 158%

| 21 || Luigi || 150% || 157%

| 22 || Ness || 148% || 157%

| 23 || Lucas || 147% || 157%

| 24 || Toon Link || 146% || 157%

| 25 || Marth || 146% || 157%

| 26 || Falco || 142% || 155%

| 27 || Pikachu || 138% || 154%

| 28 || Ice Climbers || 144% || 151%

| 29 || Fox || 134% || 150%

| 30 || Sheik || 137% || 149%

| 31 || Peach || 141% || 147%

| 32 || Olimar || 139% || 147%

| 33 || Zero Suit Samus || 138% || 147%

| 34 || Zelda || 138% || 145%

| 35 || Kirby || 134% || 144%

| 36 || Meta Knight || 135% || 143%

| 37 || Squirtle || 128% || 141%

| 38 || Mr. Game & Watch || 131% || 137%

| 39 || Jigglypuff || 123% || 128%

The following chart shows and ranks each character's horizontal momentum canceling abilities. Each test was carried out by hitting the character from the center of Final Destination with the tip of Wolf's forward smash. This information was compiled by {{Sm|Omega Tyrant}}.

<nowiki/>*''Indicates that the character does not make it back to the stage, and is KOd by the bottom blast line.''

<nowiki/>**''Indicates that without DI, the character's special move provides no additional benefit.''

If a character does not have a special move that negates momentum, their statistics in the "Special MC" columns are copies of those in the "Basic MC" columns, and are displayed in ''italics''. Note that {{SSBB|Lucario}}'s forward aerial is most beneficial when used in basic momentum canceling with no DI, but his down aerial is most beneficial when used in momentum canceling with DI. As such, his down aerial appears in the position of other characters' "Special Moves". Similarly, Snake and Ike have air dodge ("AD") displayed instead of an aerial.

| 1 || Donkey Kong / back aerial / [[Spinning Kong]] ||155% / 163%||176%||204%||189%||199%||234%

| 2 || Bowser / forward aerial / none ||157% / 165%||174%||''174%''||192%||204%||''204%''

| 3 || Yoshi / up aerial / [[Egg Roll]] ||149% / 157%||169%||181%*||181%||197%||204%*

| 4 || King Dedede / back aerial / [[Super Dedede Jump]] ||152% / 159%||165%||172%*||184%||194%||204%

| 5 || Ike / AD / [[Quick Draw]] ||147% / 153%||167%||167%**||178%||189%||203%

| 6 || Snake / AD / none ||153% / 159%||174%||''174%''||184%||201%||''201%''

| 7 || Ganondorf / up aerial / [[Flame Choke]] ||149% / 155%||165%||168%*||181%||192%||197%*

| 8 || Samus / up aerial / none ||151% / 159%||167%||''167%''||182%||195%||''195%''

| 9 || Charizard / up aerial / none ||151% / 157%||165%||''165%''||182%||195%||''195%''

| 10 || Captain Falcon / up aerial / none ||145% / 152%||164%||''164%''||178%||189%||''189%''

| 11 || Lucario / forward aerial / down aerial ||144% / 152%||164%||164%||177%||188%||188%

| 12 || Wario / forward aerial / none ||148% / 160%||163%||''163%''||184%||188%||''188%''

| 13 || Link / back aerial / none ||146% / 152%||162%||''162%''||177%||186%||''186%''

| 14 || R.O.B. / forward aerial / [[Arm Rotor]] ||149% / 155%||156%||157%||179%||180%||184%

| 15 || Mr. Game & Watch / neutral aerial / [[Oil Panic]] ||124% / 132%||140%||157%||152%||161%||184%

| 16 || Sonic / forward aerial / [[Spin Dash]] ||139% / 145%||156%||156%**||169%||179%||183%

| 17 || Diddy Kong / back aerial / [[Monkey Flip]] ||137% / 144%||153%||160%||167%||171%||182%

| 18 || Ivysaur / back aerial / none ||143% / 151%||155%||''155%''||175%||182%||''182%''

| 19 || Wolf / back aerial / none ||142% / 151%||164%||''164%''||178%||179%||''179%''

| 20 || Ness / neutral aerial / none ||139% / 147%||154%||''154%''||170%||179%||''179%''

| 21 || Lucas / neutral aerial / none ||138% / 147%||153%||''153%''||170%||179%||''179%''

| 22 || Pit / forward aerial / none ||139% / 146%||152%||''152%''||169%||179%||''179%''

| 23 || Mario / up aerial / none ||142% / 150%||160%||''160%''||173%||177%||''177%''

| 24 || Ice Climbers / up aerial / [[Squall Hammer]] ||137% / 144%||151%||156%||166%||174%||177%

| 25 || Marth / forward aerial / none ||134% / 141%||152%||''152%''||163%||176%||''176%''

| 26 || Luigi / forward aerial / none ||142% / 149%||158%||''158%''||171%||174%||''174%''

| 27 || Peach / up aerial / none ||137% / 144%||152%||''152%''||166%||173%||''173%''

| 28 || Toon Link / back aerial / none ||138% / 145%||155%||''155%''||168%||172%||''172%''

| 29 || Zelda / back aerial / none ||133% / 140%||148%||''148%''||161%||170%||''170%''

| 30 || Zero Suit Samus / up aerial / [[Flip Jump]] ||128% / 136%||145%||147%||158%||167%||169%

| 31 || Olimar / up aerial / none ||131% / 137%||144%||''144%''||158%||167%||''167%''

| 32 || Falco / up aerial / none ||128% / 135%||143%||''143%''||159%||166%||''166%''

| 33 || Pikachu / up aerial / [[Skull Bash]]||127% / 135%||143%||149%||156%||157%||165%

| 34 || Meta Knight / up aerial / [[Drill Rush]] ||126% / 133%||141%||160%||154%||156%||164%

| 35 || Sheik / forward aerial / none ||129% / 137%||143%||''143%''||163%||163%||''163%''

| 36 || Kirby / up aerial / none ||127% / 134%||139%||''139%''||155%||161%||''161%''

| 37 || Fox / up aerial / none ||123% / 132%||138%||''138%''||158%||158%||''158%''

| 38 || Jigglypuff / back aerial / [[Pound]] ||120% / 127%||131%||131%**||146%||150%||155%

| 39 || Squirtle / up aerial / none ||123% / 131%||141%||''141%''||153%||154%||''154%''

The {{SSBB|Ice Climbers}}' side special will negate horizontal momentum a small amount. When using the move together, the Ice Climbers are able to return to the stage, but a solo Climber cannot. Squall Hammer is moderately risky when used for momentum canceling, as it puts Ice Climbers into a helpless state upon its completion.

Yoshi's side special almost functions exactly the same as it did in ''Brawl''. Egg Roll completely negates horizontal momentum, it is surpassed in this field only by Spinning Kong and Lloid Rocket, and it often allows Yoshi to survive potentially fatal blows if its first few frames are activated. Along with Lloid Rocket and Spinning Kong, it is the only special move that can completely negate vertical momentum as well as horizontal. However, its drawbacks hinder its effectiveness to the point of rendering it impractical under most circumstances.