Chain grab
A chain grab (also chain throw) refers to a series of grabs and throws that the victim cannot escape. Generally, a player throws the opponent a specific direction (most commonly down or up), chases the enemy's directional influence, and grabs the opponent while he is still in mid-air and before he can tech. Sheik and the Ice Climbers are examples of characters who rely heavily on chain grabs.
Controversy
Chain grabbing is a controversial technique within the community. Many players consider it an unsportsmanlike move because it can be inescapable when perfected by the grabber. However, tournament players generally see it as a valid technique which characters like Sheik, Marth, and the Ice Climbers need to overcome other deficiencies in high-level matches.
Examples
Characters with well-known chain grabs include the following.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Sheik: can chain most characters to medium percents with her down throw
- Marth: his up throw can be used against Fox and Falco, while his forward throw can be used against lighter characters like Peach and other Marths.
- Ice Climbers: through desynching, an Ice Climber player can acheive devastating chain grabs against a large portion of the SSBM cast. Popo alone can chain grab people at lower percentages with his down throw.
- Captain Falcon: can chain throw characters of medium to low falling speed with his down throw and can tech-chase fastfallers into another grab after an up throw, creating a de facto chain throw. Captain Falcon can also use his up throw to chain grab medium to fast falling characters at low percentages.
- Mr. Game and Watch: Can chain grab with all four of his grabs to medium high percentages. Very versatile since all of his directions for grabs can be used for chain grabbing.
- Peach, Pikachu, Pichu, Fox and others: many characters can use chain grabs against the fast-fallers.
- Mario and Dr. Mario can also chainthrow most characters in the game, depending on weight class, with either up throw or down throw.
- Peach can chainthrow another Peach using her down throw.
- Fox can chainthrow another Fox or Falco using an up throw usually from over 10% to death if the Fox player is good enough.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- Falco: chaingrabs with down throw*
- King Dedede Chaingrabs with down throw*
- Ice Climbers Ice climbers could be considered the king and queen of chaingrabbing (for now). This video explains it:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4577972060306709362&hl=en
- Yoshi: 1. Chaingrabs by using the A attack while grabbing. You chew (the attack) them until they escape. Then do a pivot grab and grab them again when they come back down from the air. Called Infinite Pivot Grabbing, although the name could change or have multiple names. 2. Chaingrabs by using a Forward Throw.*
The following characters can be chaingrabbed by both of these methods.
*Wario *Ganondorf *Meta Knight *Falco *Squirtle *Lucas *Sonic (Sonic is much harder to do, you need to react quickly when he releases or else he will escape)
- Note: In order to chaingrab well/correctly, you must perform a Dashing Shield Cancel Grab, not just a Dashing Grab.
- All characters can chain grab against Ness and Lucas. Grab them, hit them with the grab attack, let them escape, and then grab again.