Luigi ladder
The Luigi ladder is a recurring technique in the Super Smash Bros. series. It involves two Luigis repeatedly using their sourspotted Super Jump Punch against each other back and forth, allowing them to steadily climb upwards and away from the stage. An applied usage allows players to stall indefinitely against a ceiling.
The technique can be performed in all four games, though its applications can be varied. In Super Smash Bros., Super Jump Punch grants some horizontal distance, allowing to act as a method for stage jumping.
The technique's use, however, is most infamous in Melee. Changes to Luigi's Super Jump Punch causes the technique to instead send the two Luigi's straight upward, and the team can even jump up beyond the upper blast line. Applied usage of the technique can also allow for recovery options, though the lack of horizontal distance from Super Jump Punch makes this a situational use. It is not known why the Luigis are unable to KO each other while above the blast line; similar variants of the technique involving attacks like Link's Spin Attack and Samus's Screw Attack end up KOing the characters when they cross the blast line.
While carried over for Brawl, the two Luigis now KO each other upon crossing the upper blast line; despite this, it can be used for stalling against a ceiling.
In tournaments
As stalling is banned in tournaments, the Luigi ladder is banned in tournament play and is sometimes specifically mentioned in tournament rulesets. While only significant in doubles, where Friendly Fire is turned on, a team of Luigis can perform the technique in order to take an early lead, and from there create an effectively unbeatable stalling strategy.
Trivia
- It is also possible to perform the Luigi ladder by having both players Super Jump Punch on the same frame, creating a much shorter jump which gives control back to the players much faster and in a synchronised fashion. However, as both Luigis must be next to each other, the uses for recovery are far more limited, and avoiding the helpless state is purposeless when stalling.
- Another character who can perform a similar technique is Pac-Man this can be done by exploiting the fact that his trampolines can be used by anyone. similar to the Melee version of the Luigi ladder this allows Pac-Man to bypass the upper blast line and stall indefinitely
