Luigi (SSBU): Difference between revisions

Luigi is ranked 39th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him at the end of B+ tier. This is a moderate drop from his high tier placement ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 18th out of 54 characters. Similarly to his brother {{SSBU|Mario}}, Luigi has excellent frame data, with low [[startup]] and [[ending lag]] on the majority of his kit, making him a very difficult character to punish. He has an outstanding air game, with one of the best jumping abilities of the roster and strong aerials with fast startup, low ending lag (except neutral and back aerials) and landing lag, and lenient [[auto-cancel]] windows, with all of them being able to auto-cancel from a short hop, and he can autocancel all of them in a short hop fast fall except for his neutral aerial. His forward and up aerials in particular have such low ending lag that he can use two forward aerials or two up aerials in a short hop and still autocancel them. Additionally, Luigi boasts incredible combo ability and solid KO power: his [[down throw]] is one of the best combo starters in the game, and allows him to either perform consistent [[zero-to-death]] combos on the vast majority of the roster or set up for a KO via [[Super Jump Punch]], [[Luigi Cyclone]], or a sweetspotted back aerial at high percentages. Finally, Luigi Cyclone's frame 1 [[invincibility]] when used in the air gives Luigi a reliable combo breaker.

However, Luigi still has several noticeable weaknesses. His overall mobility is sluggish, with his [[air speed]] being one of the slowest in the game. Luigi's pitifully slow air speed is an especially painful hindrance, as it makes him susceptible to [[juggling]]. Both of these weaknesses leave Luigi with a poor disadvantage state. Along with his only average grounded mobility at best, his ground game is also further brought down by his below average range, which, when combined with his aforementioned debilitating air speed and the lack of a reflector, makes it very difficult for him to fight against [[camping]]. In addition, Luigi's recovery, while long-distanced, is very predictable and linear, as [[Green Missile]] doesn't leave him [[helpless]] but only grants him horizontal distance with noticeable ending lag, while Super Jump Punch only travels straight upwards with no horizontal gain, and it also possesses very high landing lag, making him vulnerable to punishes if he fails to grab the ledge. Finally, Luigi Cyclone has lost all of its recovery and gimping potential, as the move's very high ending lag and reduced distance cause him to lose what little recovery distance he got before he can act, removing one of Luigi's strongest options off-stage.  

Overall, Luigi is a polarizing character who, in the right situation, can perform setups for quick and unexpected KOs, but on the other hand, his weaknesses can allow opponents to take advantage of his poor mobility and predictable recovery. Although the character’s representation early on was sub par due to his rather poor disadvantage, it has since improved noticeably as his strengths became more noticeable in the competitive scene, as a result, this has allowed him to foster a good-sized playerbase spearheaded by players such as {{Sm|Luugi}}, {{Sm|Raru}}, and, prior to his ban, {{Sm|Elegant}}. Due to his top notch advantage state, strong results from his players in major tournaments and Raru winning a few majors and supermajors, there have been calls to reevaluate Luigi’s current position on the tier list, with many saying that he should be ranked higher.

However, Luigi has also received several buffs, with said buffs being of greater quantity than his nerfs. Some of his least useful moves in ''SSB4'' have been significantly improved: his [[down tilt]] can be interrupted twice as fast and deals less knockback, allowing it to poke opponents much more safely and increasing its combo potential, while his [[dash attack]] has considerably decreased ending lag, connects more consistently, and has increased power, making it much safer and more reliable as a burst option, while its higher power gives it utility as a potential KO option near the edge at high percentages. Additionally, his existing KO options have been improved overall, as his [[forward smash]], [[up smash]], [[down aerial]], sweetspotted [[Super Jump Punch]], and [[Luigi Cyclone]] all have increased knockback; his forward smash and [[down smash]]'s launching angles are much more favorable for KOing outright and edge-guarding; his down smash's sweetspots out-prioritize its sourspots, and his [[back throw]] is more effective at KOing due to its much faster and farther release making it harder to DI.