Tether recovery

Link and Samus using their tether recoveries in Smash 4.

A tether recovery (ワイヤー復帰, Wire Comeback) is a type of recovery move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that lets the player latch onto the edge of a platform with an extendable item or hook. If there is an open edge when it is used, the tether will automatically connect to it. Pressing the standard attack button after grappling an edge will pull the player towards it. Tether recoveries are effectively the successor to the wall-grapples in Super Smash Bros. Melee, though tethers can only grab onto unoccupied edges as opposed to any wall. In addition, tethers that can grab no longer put characters in a helpless state if they miss. Up special tether recoveries do, however, cause helplessness if they miss (with the exception of Zero Suit Samus).

Many tether recoveries have larger range than regular recoveries and also home in on the edge, allowing for better control. However, in Brawl, if the edge is currently occupied when a tether recovery is used, it will fail to grab onto the edge (the player can, however, knock other players off the edge if the tether hits the opponent). None of the other players can grab the edge while a player is attached to it with a tether (prior to SSB4), making it a method of edge-hogging other players. A tether recovery can only be used three times without touching the ground; if it is used a fourth time, the tether will simply hover near the edge, and the player will have to make use of his/her remaining jumps (with the exception of the Ice Climbers).

As of Super Smash Bros. 4, multiple characters can latch onto a ledge at once if using their tether, but once a player pulls up, normal ledge grabbing rules apply.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

List of tether recoveries

Up specials:

• Ice Climbers - Belay (within a certain range)
• Zero Suit Samus - Plasma Wire
• Ivysaur - Vine Whip
• Olimar - Pikmin Chain

Side specials:

• Sheik - Chain
• Zero Suit Samus - Plasma Whip

Grab aerials:

• Link - Clawshot
• Samus - Grapple Beam
• Toon Link - Hookshot
• Lucas - Rope Snake

Note that characters that have tether recoveries as a special move cannot use their extended grab as one.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Several characters with tether recoveries were removed and the remaining characters have been rebalanced so that none have a tether recovery as their only means of surviving knockback.

List of tether recoveries

Grab aerials:

• Link - Clawshot
• Samus - Grapple Beam
• Toon Link - Hookshot
• Zero Suit Samus - Plasma Whip*
• Lucas - Rope Snake

*: Also a side special recovery.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Link no longer possesses a tether recovery due to Breath of the Wild lacking a hook/clawshot (which is the basis for his current design), even though both of his clones do. With its return from Brawl, Ivysaur is the sole character with a tether recovery as its Up special, but thanks to the buffs to Pokémon Change, it can swap to Charizard and Squirtle in midair and make use of their recoveries.

Special moves:

• Ice Climbers - Belay
• Isabelle - Fishing Rod
• Zero Suit Samus - Plasma Whip
• Ivysaur - Vine Whip

Grab aerials:

• Samus - Grapple Beam
• Young Link - Hookshot
• Toon Link - Hookshot
• Zero Suit Samus - Plasma Whip
• Lucas - Rope Snake
• Luigi- Poltergust

Unknown

• Simon - ???
• Richter - ???

Dark Samus shares an air grab but it has not been seen to tether as of this point.

Gallery

• 

  An example of a tether recovery in Brawl.

• 

  Lucas's tether recovery in Brawl; his is notable for being the only zair in the game to not have a damaging hitbox.

• 

  Vine Whip used as a tether recovery.

External links

• Initial DOJO!! post