Alolan Whip

Alolan Whip
File:IncineroarAlolanWhip.PNG Incineroar using Alolan Whip on Captain Falcon.
User	Incineroar
Universe	Pokémon

“	Bounces foes off the ropes. The type of follow-up attack depends on the timing of the button press.	”
—Description from Ultimate's Move List

Alolan Whip (ロープスイング, Rope Swing) is Incineroar's side special move in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Overview

Alolan Whip consists of Incineroar dashing forward with its arms extended. If it grabs an opponent, a set of wrestling ring ropes rise up behind it (at about the distance the dash travels), and it Irish whips the opponent into the ropes. The victim is rebounded off the ropes and back towards Incineroar, where it performs one of three attacks on them depending on if and when the special or attack button was pressed during the move.

If an attack button was not pressed by the time the opponent collides with Incineroar, the move "fails" and both the opponent and Incineroar will receive minor damage from the collision. If an attack button is pressed any time after the grab, but before the collision, Incineroar will perform a back body drop, which launches the opponent vertically. If an attack button is pressed just as the victim collides with Incineroar, it will perform a lariat that launches the opponent horizontally in the direction Incineroar is facing when initiating the attack.

If the opponent does not collide with Incineroar (ex. being hit out of the move by another player, either player's positions change due to moving platforms, opponent is slowed down), the move ends with Incineroar shrugging towards the screen. It is also possible for such situations to result in Incineroar "landing" a hit on a missed opponent, which deals damage to anyone touching the hitbox, but not the original target.

Glitch

A rare glitch in Stamina Mode can cause an opponent caught in a lariat to lose two stocks: one from the lariat itself, and one from the release animation.[1] This only seems to occur if another opponent is thrown into Incineroar and KO'd while they are caught with a Fishing Rod. This glitch causes the game to consider that the victim lost two stocks, including the loss of two stock icons and two separate KOs (one explosion and one ragdoll); however, the victim will respawn again while only using a single stock, even if they appear to have no stocks left. Additionally, the Announcer will call out for the defeated victim when they have no stock icons left, but will not call out when the victim actually loses their final "phantom stock".

Starting in Patch 3.0.1, Alolan Whip had another glitch. Using a Mii Brawler with the Counter Throw down special, have Incineroar uses Alolan Whip on any character other than the Mii Brawler, then have the Mii Brawler stand in front of Incineroar, and when the character bounces off the ropes and heads back, have the Mii Brawler counter the character. This causes the character to become ungrabbable, whether through a grab, command grab, or items like Boss Galaga and Beetle. This also causes certain moves used on the ungrabbable character to freeze the game, forcing the player to restart the software. If the character gets sent into a blast zone, is KO'd by any instant KO means, or runs out of stamina, the game will crash, returning the player to the home menu. When Incineroar uses Alolan Whip, other characters can't grab the character that is in the attack. When Mii Brawler counters the attack, it interrupts the attack and the game doesn't set the character back to a normal state. This means the effect of Alolan Whip still remains on the character. The game doesn't expect certain attacks or going into the blast zone in this ungrabbable state, causing the crash. However, the glitch was patched in 3.1.0.

Origin

Alolan Whip does not exist in the Pokémon games. It is instead based off a professional wrestling move, the Irish Whip. Additionally, the back body drop and lariat follow-ups are common real-life follow-ups to the Irish Whip. Alolan Whip's name is a combination of both the Irish Whip and Alola, the region from which Incineroar hails. The slouching pose that Incineroar assumes if the opponent fails to collide with it resembles Guzma's stance during Pokémon battles. The Lariat attack itself may be based off Throat Chop, a move previously near-exclusive to Incineroar.

Gallery

• 

  Alolan Whip as shown by a Skill Preview in Ultimate.

Trivia

• Not counting Final Smashes, Alolan Whip is the first Pokémon special move to be a move original to Super Smash Bros. series.
  • This is not counting Thunder Jolt, which, while not present in the main series games, existed in the Pokémon Trading Card Game prior to its appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series.
• Nearly all characters use their dashing animation when being flung back towards Incineroar by the ropes. Inkling is currently the only exception (likely due to changing form when dashing), instead using the same animation used when experiencing knockback from behind (such as being hit by a back-hitting Back Slash).
• As a failed Alolan Whip causes recoil damage, the move is one of the few that can force a tie during Stamina Mode by failing the move while both Incineroar and its victim have extremely low HP.

Incineroar's special moves

Neutral special	Darkest Lariat
Side special	Alolan Whip
Up special	Cross Chop
Down special	Revenge
Final Smash	Max Malicious Moonsault