Pummel: Difference between revisions

[[File:PummelMelee.jpg|thumb|Fox pummeling Mario in ''Melee''.]]

A '''pummel''' ({{ja|つかみ攻撃 or 掴み攻撃|Tsukami kōgeki}}, ''Grab, grasp, grip or catch attack''; referred to as '''CatchAttack''' by the internal game files, and officially as '''Grab Attack''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'') is an attack usable while an opponent remains trapped in the player's [[grab]]. It was first introduced in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', and is performed by pressing the attack or grab buttons after a successful grab. Pummels deal very low damage (usually from 1% to 3% per use), but can be used repeatedly at a relatively fast rate until the opponent is eventually [[throw]]n or breaks free from the grab.

Most pummels consist of knee jabs or headbutts, since the pummeling character will already be holding their opponent using their arms. Pummeling is primarily used to rack up extra damage before a throw, and to restore moves from [[stale-move negation]]. The latter utility becomes more critical from ''Brawl'' onward, as staleness has a greater effect on the [[knockback]] inflicted, allowing pummels to bring KO moves back to full strength, and in ''Brawl'', to keep subsequent throws at the appropriate knockback for [[chain grab]]bing.

The higher an opponent's [[damage]], the longer one can pummel before they're able to [[Button mashing|break free]] from the grab. If not executed swiftly, an adept fighter may escape before even a single blow is landed, which is one of the decisions a player must make when they grab an opponent: a character with a fast pummel (such as [[Lucario]]) can spare a few frames to get some extra damage on the opponent, whereas one with a slow pummel (such as [[Ganondorf]]) risks the opponent wriggling out of their grab if they pummel, making it more worthwhile to simply throw the opponent.

In ''Melee'', all pummels deal 3% damage, and most characters' pummels last 24 [[frame]]s, with only {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}, {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, {{SSBM|Link}}, {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}, {{SSBM|Young Link}} and {{SSBM|Zelda}}'s being slower, causing them to be mostly identical across the cast. Jigglypuff, Kirby, and Mr. Game & Watch are tied for the slowest pummel, lasting 30 frames.  

In ''Smash 4'', all returning veterans except {{SSB4|Lucas}} retain their pummeling speeds from ''Brawl''. However, due to several newcomers such as {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, {{SSB4|Mii Swordfighter}}, {{SSB4|Robin}}, and {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} possessing notoriously slow pummels, the average duration has been increased to 20 frames. The fastest pummel is now {{SSB4|Lucario}}'s at 7 frames, due to Wolf being cut from the game, while the slowest is Mii Swordfighter's at 33 frames. Pummels are also far more unique across the cast because of the new ability to give moves decimal base damage, with several of them dealing a variety of decimal damage values; this results in some more damaging pummels that the most damaging from ''Brawl'' (discounting Olimar's with White Pikmin), with {{SSB4|Dr. Mario}}'s dealing 3.64%.

In ''Ultimate'', while some variance remains between characters, pummels have overall been standardized across the board, much like in ''Melee'', except keeping the average pummel duration closer to those of ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''; this applies to their damage as well, which is considerably lower overall, with a minimum of 1% and a maximum of 1.6%, and the majority of pummels dealing 1.3%. As a result of these changes, previously fast pummels such as {{SSBU|Lucario}}, {{SSBU|Ness}} and {{SSBU|Samus}}'s deal slightly more damage, but are noticeably slower, while previously slow pummels such as {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}, {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} and {{SSBU|Robin}}'s are significantly faster, but deal moderately less damage. This eliminates a large part of the imbalance between pummels in previous games, as characters no longer refresh other moves or rack up damage at a disproportionally fast rate compared to others based on pummel speed.

It is worth noting that like other attacks, pummels inflict [[freeze frame]]s (hitlag), and opponents can still [[mash]] out of the attacker's grab during them, so they are another factor to consider for a pummel's practical duration. Because of this, pummels that inflict fewer freeze frames are more advantageous. In ''Ultimate'', the actual duration of pummels is significantly shorter than in previous games (from 5 to 7 frames), but it is augmented by a much higher amount of freeze frames (from 10 to 16), which keep their average speed roughly the same as in previous games.

In the following tables, "Duration" means how many frames the attack lasts for until another pummel can be made.

 

!Duration in frames

|Slaps opponent with its tuft of hair.

|Hits opponent with the hilt of his sword.

|Stomps on opponent's shins.

|Hits opponent with the hilt of his sword.

 

===In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''===

[[File:Peachpummel.jpg|thumb|right|290px|Peach pummeling Ike in ''Brawl''.]]

All characters' pummels have normal [[hitlag]] multipliers, with the exception of {{SSBB|Pikachu}}'s, which possesses a multiplier of 0.5×.

!Duration in frames

|{{SSBB|Kirby}}

|Punches opponent.

|1%

|9

|{{SSBB|Link}}

|Hits opponent with the hilt of his sword.

|2%

|15

|{{SSBB|Lucario}}

|Hits opponent with a blast of aura.

|{{AuraDamageSSBB|1}}

|7

|{{SSBB|Lucas}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3%

|12

|{{SSBB|Luigi}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3%

|23

|{{SSBB|Mario}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3%

|23

|{{SSBB|Marth}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSBB|Meta Knight}}

|Hits opponent with the claws on his wings.

|3%

|23

|{{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}

|Hits opponent with a bell.

|3%

|29

|{{SSBB|Ness}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1%

|9

|{{SSBB|Olimar}}

|Pikmin headbutts opponent.

|2% (Other colors), 4% (White)

|21

|{{SSBB|Peach}}

|Stomps on opponent's shins.

|2%

|18

|{{SSBB|Pikachu}}

|Zaps opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSBB|Pit}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSBB|R.O.B.}}

|Squeezes opponent with both his hands.

|2%

|16

|{{SSBB|Samus}}

|Chops opponent with her left hand.

|1%**

|8

|{{SSBB|Sheik}}

 

 

===In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''===

[[File:GrabPummelSSB4.jpg|thumb|right|290px|Ness pummeling Rosalina.]]

 

|{{SSB4|Falco}}

|2%

|{{SSB4|Fox}}

|1.2%

|{{SSB4|Ganondorf}}

|{{SSB4|Greninja}}

|{{SSB4|Ike}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3%

|22

|{{SSB4|Jigglypuff}}

|Punches opponent.

|3%

|20

|{{SSB4|King Dedede}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3%

|24

|{{SSB4|Kirby}}

|Punches opponent. Can be used in rapid succession.

|1.55%

|9

|{{SSB4|Link}}

|Hits opponent with the hilt of his sword.

|2.1%

|15

|{{SSB4|Little Mac}}

|Punches opponent in the stomach.

|2.1%

|15

|{{SSB4|Lucario}}

|Hits opponent with a blast of aura. The fastest pummel in the game.

|{{AuraDamageSSB4|1}}

|7

|{{SSB4|Lucas}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1.2%

|9

|{{SSB4|Lucina}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Luigi}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3.2%

|23

|{{SSB4|Mario}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3.25%

|23

|{{SSB4|Marth}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Mega Man}}

|Squeezes opponent.

|3%

|28

|{{SSB4|Meta Knight}}

|Hits opponent with the claws on his wings.

|3%

|23

|{{SSB4|Mewtwo}}

|Zaps opponent with a small psychic pulse.

|2%

|18

|{{SSB4|Mii Brawler}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3.25%*

|23

|{{SSB4|Mii Gunner}}

|Whacks opponent with their arm cannon.

|2%*

|24

|{{SSB4|Mii Swordfighter}}

|Hits opponent with the hilt of their sword. It has the longest frame duration of all pummel animations.

|3.25%*

|33

|{{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}}

|Hits opponent with a bell.

|3.2%

|29

|{{SSB4|Ness}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1.2%

|9

|{{SSB4|Olimar}}

|Pikmin headbutts opponent. The third most damaging pummel whenever the White Pikmin is used.

|2% (Other colors), 4% (White)

|21

|{{SSB4|Pac-Man}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|3.25%

|24

|{{SSB4|Palutena}}

|Hits opponent with magic through her staff.

|3.1%

|22

|{{SSB4|Peach}}

|Stomps on opponent's shins.

|2%

|18

|{{SSB4|Pikachu}}

|Zaps opponent.

|1.9%

|15

|{{SSB4|Pit}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|R.O.B.}}

|Squeezes opponent with both his hands.

|2%

|16

|{{SSB4|Robin}}

|Zaps opponent with magic.

|3%

|32

|{{SSB4|Rosalina}}

|Hits opponent with her wand.

|2%

|18

|{{SSB4|Roy}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Ryu}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Samus}}

|Chops opponent with her left hand. The second fastest pummel in the game behind Lucario.

|1.2%

|8

|{{SSB4|Sheik}}

|Hits opponent with her arm.

|3.1%

|23

|{{SSB4|Shulk}}

|Hits opponent with the hilt of the Monado. When using the Buster [[Monado Art]], it is the most damaging pummel in the game, dealing 4.2%.

|3%

|26

|{{SSB4|Sonic}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Toon Link}}

|Hits opponent with the hilt of his sword.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Villager}}

|Yanks net backwards.

|3%

|26

|{{SSB4|Wario}}

|Pokes opponent in the gut with his finger.

|2%

|18

|{{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}

|Squeezes opponent.

|3%

|30

|{{SSB4|Yoshi}}

|Bites down on opponent.

|2%

|15

|{{SSB4|Zelda}}

|Zaps opponent with magic.

|3%

|24

|{{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}

|Knees opponent.

|2%

|15

|}

 

<small><nowiki>*</nowiki> This assumes the Mii is default height and weight.</small>

 

|{{SSBU|Bayonetta}}

|Slaps the grabbed opponent twice.

|0.6% (hit 1), 0.7% (hit 2)

|6

|10 each hit

|{{SSBU|Bowser}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1.6%

|7

|15

|{{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}}

|Hits opponent with a toy hammer.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Charizard}}

|Bites opponent.

|1.6%

|7

|15

|{{SSBU|Chrom}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Cloud}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Corrin}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Daisy}}

|Toad punches opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Dark Pit}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Dark Samus}}

|Chops opponent with her left hand.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1%

|6

|11

|{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}

|Chops opponent with one hand.

|1.6%

|7

|15

|{{SSBU|Dr. Mario}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1.534%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Duck Hunt}}

|The duck headbutts the opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Falco}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Fox}}

|Knees opponent.

|1%

|5

|11

|{{SSBU|Ganondorf}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.6%

|7

|15

|{{SSBU|Greninja}}

|Squeezes opponent with water.

|1%

|7

|11

|{{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1%

|6

|11

|{{SSBU|Ike}}

|1.6%

|6

|15

|{{SSBU|Incineroar}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1.6%

|6

|15

|{{SSBU|Inkling}}

|Kicks opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Isabelle}}

|Yanks net backwards.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Ivysaur}}

|Constricts opponent with vines.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Jigglypuff}}

|Kicks opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|14

|{{SSBU|Joker}}

|

|

|

|

|{{SSBU|Ken}}

|Knees opponent.

|1.3%

|6

|12

|{{SSBU|King Dedede}}

|Headbutts opponent.

|1.6%

|7

|15

|{{SSBU|King K. Rool}}