R.O.B. (SSB4): Difference between revisions

Like {{SSB4|Mario}} and {{SSB4|Pit}}, R.O.B. has received a very small number of direct changes from game updates. Update [[1.0.4]]'s changes to [[LSI]] indirectly buffed him by enabling his [[Beep-boop|Beep Boop]] combo (down throw → up aerial) to function past low percentages, and become one of the game's most infamous 50/50 KO combos out of grab. However, update [[1.0.6]] notably decreased the knockback of R.O.B.'s up throw. This hindered its KO potential to the point that it now KOs roughly 15-20% later; previously, it was the strongest up throw in the game, and the second strongest throw of any kind after {{SSB4|Ness}}' [[Ness (SSB4)/Back throw|back throw]].

Despite this, up throw remains a viable KOing option and one of the best KO throws, especially on stages with [[platform]]s. Its lower base knockback has also granted it combo potential at low percentages; when coupled with its lower base knockback and launch angle, its combos are also more varied compared to down throw's (which can mainly just combo into uair regardless of percent). As a result, up throw can now be used to perform more damaging combos at low percents compared to what down throw can do, while additionally conserving the [[fresh]]ness of both down throw and up aerial for later combos and KOing, respectively.

Update [[1.1.1]]'s increase to shieldstun indirectly nerfed R.O.B.: in addition to making his relative shield safety among the cast less impressive because of his moves having low damage output or being projectiles (and thus saw less increase to their shieldstun than most other characters' moves), getting grabs that he was heavily dependent on to KO became more difficult, especially with his already terrible grab range that made shield grabbing unreliable even before the shieldstun patch. Lastly, update [[1.1.4]] marginally increased the size of R.O.B.'s hurtboxes and decreased his tripping stance's invincibility frames by standardizing it, though these had a negligible impact on his viability.

Although updates [[1.1.3]] to [[1.1.6]] notably nerfed some of R.O.B.'s more difficult matchups, such as {{SSB4|Bayonetta}}, {{SSB4|Cloud}}, {{SSB4|Sheik}}, and {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}, they nevertheless remained difficult, with Bayonetta and Cloud in particular remaining a severe problem for R.O.B. as they became the meta's most dominant characters. On a related note, [[buff]]s to other characters in these updates have also made some of R.O.B.'s other matchups less favorable, most notably {{SSB4|Lucina}}, {{SSB4|Marth}}, and {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}. Due to remaining relatively static throughout ''Smash 4''{{'}}s lifespan, as well as DLC introducing difficult matchups and most of the cast becoming more viable via game updates, R.O.B. is less effective than he was during the initial release of ''Smash for Wii U''.