Dragon Lunge
| Dragon Lunge | |
|---|---|
 Dragon Lunge in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. | |
| User | Corrin |
| Universe | Fire Emblem |
Dragon Lunge (跳槍突, Leaping Spear Thrust) is Corrin's side special.
Overview
When used on the ground, Corrin takes a short and quick leap forward in his partial dragon form; during this hop, pressing either attack button (attack or special) again has him activate Dragon Fang and thrust his spear-hand at a downward angle (the midair version has him thrust instantly without the prior hop). The thrust deals 7% damage if started on the ground and 8% if started in the air; in both cases, the tip of the lance has a sweet spot which deals 15% damage and increased knockback. However, this thrust has low priority and can be nullified by any non-projectile hitbox.
If Corrin's spear-hand makes contact with a solid surface, be it a floor or a wall, it sticks into it, causing Corrin to remain still. Any targets caught in the attack while it is held will be pinned with him, unable to move, although they can shorten the duration of the pin through button mashing. From this position, Corrin can follow up with a flying kick forward (directional input forward, attack button, or special button), a flying kick backward (directional input backward), a forward front-flipping jump (up direction), or simply cancel the attack by falling to the ground (waiting, with no inputs). The attack can only be held for approximately 3 seconds.
The aforementioned flying kick propels Corrin horizontally with solid base knockback, potentially off a ledge (but does not put him into helpless state), and both the forward and the backward versions deal 12% damage; however, a backward kick deals only 5% damage to pinned opponents, along with having a hitbox in front due to Corrin swinging himself around first with his leg sticking out. However, the forward jump does not allow for another action until after a few frames that occur upon Corrin reaching the apex of it.
Once the move has been used in the air, Corrin won't be able to use it again until he lands or is hit; this also applies to the grounded-hop version if it's used to hop off a ledge or any other higher elevation. However, it does not put him into a helpless state.
Tactics
Tactics-wise, this move provides a massive amount of utility with many options in many different situations; due to the input of the move's grounded version, it's possible to drum along both the special and attack buttons in that order to make Corrin stick his arm out as soon as possible to pin to the surface (since the height of the hop doesn't make it possible on flat surfaces). The attack itself is often very hard to punish on a blocked pin-down version, even with a successful powershield. The followups from the grounded hop can also be used to punish tech options or rolls when timed properly, especially with the instant-pin version.
The prior hop of the move is very akin to flying-variable-types of moves in other prior fighting games, which are moves that involve a special type of jump that do no damage on their own but have varying followups. By this proxy, Dragon Lunge's grounded hop minus the followup can be used when on a safe offensive to approach targets as a fake-out, allowing Corrin upon landing to get a free attack via a hard-read punish, a shield stab or a grab. However, Corrin must still be mindful of the landing lag, as he could get punished by a quick-minded opponent who does not respect his offense.
The midair version can also be used to punish aerial comboers who attempt to juggle Corrin at mid-to-high percents if timed right, though the downward range of the attack makes it rather limited from an air-to-ground position (but at the same time makes it worthwhile to punish certain characters' recoveries with). Regardless, it's not as easy to sweetspot this attack consistently.
With both the pin-followup kicks in mind, the backwards kick due to the initial hitbox makes it difficult to punish even when shielded, save for against most of the faster characters or against very quick projectiles. Punishing is also true its forward version, since both kicks act akin to slide kicks which may be unsafe when performed as close as possible on a shielding opponent, despite their travel speed (allowing a head-on kick at nearly any shielded-range be open to punish). However, the kick's long-lasting hitboxes have an advantage of being used from a pin onto a ledge, allowing Corrin to get back on the ledge safely, or use the forward kick's long-lasting hitbox as a stage spike on a recovering opponent right below (if Corrin pins just below the ledge so the kick flies into ledge without sweetspotting it); the former option can either punish an edgeguarding opponent with a frame-trap or avoid a ledge-stalling tactic with the distance covered.
Despite the aforementioned utility, the jump so far has the least amount; if Corrin tries to use his forward jump to try to get back on the stage when pinned close or onto the ledge, he may be left vulnerable during the rising period. The said jump can also be punished by someone who mashes out of the pinned position sooner than expected. Also, if the pin-down is anticipated, opponents who are quick on reaction can easily punish accordingly, preventing reckless usage of this move regardless as well as quick action if any of the followups are not done fast enough.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
| 1. Dragon Lunge |
|---|
 |
| "Leap and press the button again to attack. Skewer surfaces or walls, and you can do a follow-up kick." |
- Dragon Lunge: Default.
Like the other DLC characters, Corrin lacks custom move variations.
Origin
In Fire Emblem Fates, the Nohr Prince and Nohr Princess classes possess the Dragon Fang skill, which adds 50% of their attack value to their damage output when activated. If wielding a sword or tome, the character transforms parts of his or her body into that of a dragon's to attack. This move comes from the second part of a Dragon Fang-induced critical hit, in which the character transforms his or her free arm into a spear-like appendage and stabs their opponent while in the air on the rebound of a flipping slash. The ability to stick the limb into a solid surface is unique to the Super Smash Bros. series.
Trivia
- If Dragon Lunge is performed on the ground level of Battlefield, it is possible for the lance to skewer a floating platform despite pointing towards the base platform.
- This is the only "Dragon Fang" limb-based special move that does not have the "Dragon Fang" term in both its English and Japanese name.
- This is one of the few special moves outside of Smash 64 that allows the normal attack button to be used for an extra input.
- In the Japanese version of SSB4, Corrin may sometimes shout "貫け!" (Penetrate!) when performing the move.
- If a character with high damage is crouching and Corrin uses the move to pin them, said character will jolt a bit forward, and then quickly jolt back into normal position, except quite a bit above the spear. This becomes more noticeable the more damage the character has.
