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Monado Arts: Difference between revisions

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|<big>{{ja|疾|Shitsu}}</big>*||Speed ({{ja|スピード|Supīdo}})||blue||{{buff|Increased movement speed}}<br>{{nerf|Lower jump height, less damage dealt}}<br><br>Lower jump height means Shulk can use short-hop aerials much more effectively, and when combined with a better approach speed makes this art a good combo starter against slower characters. Decreased damage means Shulk has to land more attacks to compensate for the speed boost.||Leans forward, ready to run||[[File:ShulkSpeedActivationPose.JPG|200px]]
|<big>{{ja|疾|Shitsu}}</big>*||Speed ({{ja|スピード|Supīdo}})||blue||{{buff|Increased movement speed}}<br>{{nerf|Lower jump height, less damage dealt}}<br><br>Lower jump height means Shulk can use short-hop aerials much more effectively, and when combined with a better approach speed makes this art a good combo starter against slower characters. Decreased damage means Shulk has to land more attacks to compensate for the speed boost.||Leans forward, ready to run||[[File:ShulkSpeedActivationPose.JPG|200px]]
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|<big>{{ja|盾|Tate}}</big>||Shield ({{ja|シールド|Shīrudo}})||yellow||{{buff|Less knockback and damage taken, higher shield longevity}}<br>{{nerf|Lower jump height and movement speed, less damage dealt}}<br><br>Reduced damage makes it difficult to gain percentage lead while in this art. Reduced knockback allows Shulk to prevent himself getting trapped in combo chains, but also increases Shulk's susceptibility to getting trapped by fast multi-hitting attacks, notably [[juggle|juggling]] moves like Kirby's up tilt. Also allows Shulk shield to survive attacks that would normally break it (e.g [[Bowser Bomb]]).||Crosses his arms in a defensive pose||[[File:ShulkShieldActivationPose.JPG|200px]]
|<big>{{ja|盾|Tate}}</big>||Shield ({{ja|シールド|Shīrudo}})||yellow||{{buff|Less knockback and damage taken, higher shield longevity}}<br>{{nerf|Lower jump height and movement speed, less damage dealt}}<br><br>Reduced damage makes it difficult to gain percentage lead while in this art. Reduced knockback allows Shulk to prevent himself getting trapped in combo chains, but also increases Shulk's susceptibility to getting trapped by fast multi-hitting attacks, notably [[juggle|juggling]] moves like Kirby's up tilt. Also allows Shulk's shield to survive attacks that would normally break it (e.g [[Bowser Bomb]]).||Crosses his arms in a defensive pose||[[File:ShulkShieldActivationPose.JPG|200px]]
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|<big>{{ja|斬|Zan}}</big>*||Buster ({{ja|バスター|Basutā}})||purple||{{buff|More damage dealt, increased shield damage given}}<br>{{nerf|Less knockback dealt, more damage taken}}<br><br>Reduced knockback allows many of Shulk's attacks to chain into each other, and makes his throws open up highly-damaging combo opportunities. Also increases the amount of knockback his attacks do on shields, making him less prone to shield grabs, and increases shield damage, making his moves more powerful shield breaking attacks. A high-risk art, as Shulk is incredibly vulnerable to opponent's combos which can easily send his percentage up significantly.||Holds the Monado in front of him, much like his down taunt||[[File:ShulkBusterActivationPose.JPG|200px]]
|<big>{{ja|斬|Zan}}</big>*||Buster ({{ja|バスター|Basutā}})||purple||{{buff|More damage dealt, increased shield damage given}}<br>{{nerf|Less knockback dealt, more damage taken}}<br><br>Reduced knockback allows many of Shulk's attacks to chain into each other, and makes his throws open up highly-damaging combo opportunities. Also increases the amount of knockback his attacks do on shields, making him less prone to shield grabs, and increases shield damage, making his moves more powerful shield breaking attacks. A high-risk art, as Shulk is incredibly vulnerable to opponent's combos which can easily send his percentage up significantly.||Holds the Monado in front of him, much like his down taunt||[[File:ShulkBusterActivationPose.JPG|200px]]

Revision as of 12:41, June 15, 2015

Monado Arts
Shulk reveal Monado Arts.jpg
Activating the Smash art
User Shulk
Universe Xenoblade

Monado Arts (モナドアーツ, Monado Arts) is Shulk's neutral special move.

Overview

Shulk has access to five arts. Each art is represented by a kanji character and a color. Shulk will also perform a pose when activating each art, although the art will be activated without a pose if Shulk is in the middle of another animation. When the special button is pressed, a kanji character will appear, beginning with Jump and following the order of Speed, Shield, Buster, and Smash for each consecutive press. While an art is activated, Shulk gets a buff to certain stats while also hampering certain others, each art giving him a different advantage and disadvantage. To activate an art, the special button must not be pressed for a few frames until the colored aura appears on Shulk. If a kanji character is behind Shulk, he will be unable to perform any of his other special moves until an art is activated.

Kanji Monado Art Color Affected stats Activation pose (description) Activation pose (picture)
* Jump (ジャンプ) green Buff Increased jump height, air speed, falling speed, and Air Slash height
Nerf More damage taken

Gives Shulk the highest jump height in the series, and allows him to edgeguard offstage with incredible efficiency, as his forward aerial can wall of pain opponents to the blast line. Makes him vulnerable to damage from edgeguarding opponents, however.
Holds his hand in the air ShulkJumpActivationPose.JPG
* Speed (スピード) blue Buff Increased movement speed
Nerf Lower jump height, less damage dealt

Lower jump height means Shulk can use short-hop aerials much more effectively, and when combined with a better approach speed makes this art a good combo starter against slower characters. Decreased damage means Shulk has to land more attacks to compensate for the speed boost.
Leans forward, ready to run ShulkSpeedActivationPose.JPG
Shield (シールド) yellow Buff Less knockback and damage taken, higher shield longevity
Nerf Lower jump height and movement speed, less damage dealt

Reduced damage makes it difficult to gain percentage lead while in this art. Reduced knockback allows Shulk to prevent himself getting trapped in combo chains, but also increases Shulk's susceptibility to getting trapped by fast multi-hitting attacks, notably juggling moves like Kirby's up tilt. Also allows Shulk's shield to survive attacks that would normally break it (e.g Bowser Bomb).
Crosses his arms in a defensive pose ShulkShieldActivationPose.JPG
* Buster (バスター) purple Buff More damage dealt, increased shield damage given
Nerf Less knockback dealt, more damage taken

Reduced knockback allows many of Shulk's attacks to chain into each other, and makes his throws open up highly-damaging combo opportunities. Also increases the amount of knockback his attacks do on shields, making him less prone to shield grabs, and increases shield damage, making his moves more powerful shield breaking attacks. A high-risk art, as Shulk is incredibly vulnerable to opponent's combos which can easily send his percentage up significantly.
Holds the Monado in front of him, much like his down taunt ShulkBusterActivationPose.JPG
* Smash (スマッシュ) red Buff More knockback dealt
Nerf Less damage dealt, decreased shield damage given, more knockback taken

Turns almost all of Shulk's tilts, aerials and smash attacks into finishers with good knockback scaling. Shulk deals almost no damage and shield damage in return, making this art solely a finishing option.
Points the Monado to the sky ShulkSmashActivationPose.JPG

*Barring "shield", all of the Japanese kanji are stylized in different English translations than what they actually translate to.

Also, for all arts in the Japanese version, Shulk yells out for each respective one: 跳ぶ (Jump/Jumping!), 走る! (Run/Running!), 守る! (Protect/Protecting/Defend/Defending!), 叩く! (Thrash/Thrashing!), 打っ飛ばす! (Blow away/Fly away!)

Once an art activates, that art cannot be activated again until 10 seconds has passed. Before then, its corresponding kanji character will be grayed out when selecting another art. The cooldown on all Monado Arts is reset when Shulk is KO'd. Each art lasts for 15 seconds before stats return to normal. No two Monado Arts can run at the same time; if one is active, and a different art is chosen, the previous art gets overwritten. Monado Arts can be cancelled by pressing the special button three times, or by holding down the special button for one full second.

To indicate which art is running, a colored aura appears in areas relevant to the effect itself. For example, Jump and Speed have an aura around Shulk's shoes, while Buster's aura will appear around the Monado. Shield's aura will appear around Shulk's chest and Smash's aura will be at Shulk's hands. Also, in the Wii U version, when under the effects of a Monado Art, the corresponding symbol appears at the top left corner of Shulk's portrait, and Shulk additionally gains a trailing aura effect while he moves (similar to a Smash Ball's glow) which color depends on his currently active art.

Although each art both boost and hampers Shulk's stats, some stat nerfs are not necessarily bad: Speed lowers his jump height as a hindrance for example, but allows Shulk to perform short hop aerials much easier, giving him a wider range of approach options while the art is active. In the same sense, Buster makes it almost impossible to launch opponents, but lowers knockback so much that Shulk's throws can lead into many intricate and damaging combos. Knowing what each art can and cannot do is therefore one of the fundamentals to Shulk's gameplay.

Kirby is able to copy Monado Arts with his Inhale and can receive effects from these Arts when he uses this copy ability, though any effect will deactivate as soon as the copy ability is discarded.

Customization

Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the known variations:

  1. Decisive Monado Arts: Arts last for 5 more seconds and recharge 5 seconds sooner, but once an Art is activated, it cannot be cancelled or changed for another Art.
  2. Hyper Monado Arts: Both positive and negative effects of Arts are amplified, but the Arts have a shorter duration time of 5 seconds. Recharging will also take 5 seconds longer.

Origin

The Shield, Speed, and Buster arts are three of the arts that are available in Xenoblade Chronicles. Shulk would learn each art automatically as the story progresses. Shield created a barrier around each of the party members that can block physical talent arts as long as the strength of the shield is at least that of the incoming attack. Speed increases the target's agility, allowing him or her to dodge attacks more easily. Buster is a powerful slash attack that extends the beam produced by the Monado as well as the damage caused by the slash, and it deals extra damage to Mechon. The Jump and Smash arts, however, are unique to SSB4, with the Smash art being named after the game.

The fact that each Monado Art cannot be selected again for a short time after use reflects a mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles, in which arts have cooldown times before they can be used again. How long the cooldown lasts depends on the art.

Trivia

  • This is the only neutral special move that cannot be performed while on a revival platform.
    • It is also the only special move in the entire series that cannot be performed from a revival platform that can be performed in the air.
  • Despite having a copy of the Monado equipped, Kirby does not use it for any direct attacks when he copies Shulk from an inhale.