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Marth (SSB4)

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This article is about Marth's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4. For the character in other contexts, see Marth.
Marth
in Super Smash Bros. 4
Marth
FireEmblemSymbol.svg
Universe Fire Emblem
Other playable appearances in Melee
in Brawl

Availability Starter
Final Smash Critical Hit
Tier C (19)
Marth's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Marth (マルス, Marth) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was announced on the official website on November 7th, 2013; years before, four Fire Emblem games were released within a similar time frame; Fire Emblem on November 3rd, 2003 in North America, The Sacred Stones and Path of Radiance on November 4th, 2005 in Europe, and Radiant Dawn on November 11th, 2007 in North America. He was among the first wave of amiibo figures that are compatible with SSB4 and is voiced once again by Hikaru Midorikawa in the international release, albeit using recycled voice clips from Brawl.

Marth currently ranks 19th on the SSB4 tier list in the C tier. This is a moderate fall from his 5th place position out of 38 in Brawl. Marth's upsides include good overall mobility and disjointed range on many attacks. All of his sword-based attacks in particular are quite rewarding if they land only at the tip of his sword, often dealing absurdly high knockback despite their quick startup, most notably his forward smash and Shield Breaker. However, the drop on Marth's tier placement is largely due to his initial transition into the game and the myriad of nerfs he received in the process. The transition had hindered his reach relative to the cast (though he still has a long reach overall, and it was also buffed in its transition), and slightly increased the ending lag on many attacks, making his moveset less safe as a whole. His forward aerial, a staple move in his approaching and combo games, is laggier and less versatile than before. His throws are now ineffective for comboing past extremely low percents, while still unreliable for KOing, worsening his punish game. Marth's linear recovery is still susceptible to edgeguarding even with the new ledge mechanics (though it remains relatively risky to intercept due to it's stage spike potential), and he is vulnerable to combos, juggling, and projectile camping due to his lack of safe methods to relieve pressure.

His current position is a result of his heavy buffs brought by recent updates like 1.1.3 and 1.1.4, particularly in reach, interruptibility and damage for many of his attacks, and all subsequent patches went to further nerf some of his harder matchups. Since the buffs in said update, Marth has achieved some notable results in lower-level tournaments and has also achieved significantly better results in bigger tournaments, with Mr.E having placed 5th at KTAR XVII and 13th at EVO 2016 (and notably defeated ZeRo 2-1), and Pugwest placing 17th at Pound 2016, GOML 2016 and EVO 2016, while such results before the patch were almost unspoken of for him. He has also started gaining results in Japan, one of his driest regions for results, thanks to Fuwa. Lastly, he recently had Leo win Smash Factor 5 while using Marth through a majority of the tournament, notably being able to reset the Grand Finals bracket against Mr. R's Sheik 3-0, using Marth. As a result, Marth has the 2nd largest rise between the first and the second official Smash 4 tier lists (+22), second to Mewtwo. Another result of these buffs resulted in Dabuz and ZeRo claiming that Marth's placement is too low and that he is a top tier character (although this is highly debatable). All in all, his tier placement is considered to be accurate, though he is still overshadowed by his top/high placements in Melee and Brawl.

Attributes

Marth is emblematic of sword characters, making extensive use of disjointed hitboxes and his unique tipper mechanic. His attributes remain present; he has good overall mobility, sporting the fastest walking speed in the game (tied with his clone, Lucina), an above average dashing speed, average air speed, above average air acceleration, moderate falling speed, and low gravity, along with average weight.

Marth's playstyle remains fundamentally intact, being characterized by the properties of his sword, the Falchion. His attacks deal more damage and knockback if struck with the tip of the sword, encouraging and rewarding proper spacing. This is more clearly evident in moves such as his forward smash: when tippered, it is the third strongest forward smash in the game, while it cannot KO until well beyond 100% if landed untippered. Being a sword-user, Marth has the universal benefit of disjointed hitboxes. Many of his moves have good reach, fast startup, and cover wide arcs, such as his up tilt and forward aerial. As such, Marth aims to fight a step away from danger, where he can pressure and poke at the opponent without leaving himself open to punishment.

Marth's special moveset has good utility. His neutral special, Shield Breaker, as implied by its name, deals high shield damage even when uncharged, and is useful for punishing rolls. Side special Dancing Blade is a four-hit combo that can be used to punish sidesteps, and is an effective damage racker, dealing 15-20% if all hits connect. Marth possesses a Counter as his down special, giving him the capability to shrug off enemy attacks and return them with 1.2x the knockback, and is able to KO if a strong enough attack is countered, making it a good option against overly aggressive foes. Counter can also be used against opponents with easily predictable recoveries, such as Ness and Lucas. But his up special is arguably his most potent: Dolphin Slash has quick startup, and provides intangibility frames during its startup frames, and is relatively strong when it first comes out. These attributes make it an excellent out of shield option and combo-breaker. It is also Marth's primary method of vertical recovery, as it grants a high amount of vertical height along with a bit of horizontal distance, and its speed can make it difficult to intercept, while it can stage spike reckless edgeguarders.

Marth's disjointed range gives him an innately strong edgeguarding capability. His forward and back aerials have fast startup and good range, and are strong when tippered. Down aerial is relatively quick, and if it hits at the center of the arc (directly below Marth), it powerfully meteor smashes opponents. Forward smash's range makes it a good choice against opponents aiming their recoveries towards the ledge. Also, Marth's low gravity and only average falling speed allow him to maneuver effectively offstage.

However, Marth also exhibits glaring flaws, largely as a result of his initial transition into SSB4 and the myriad of nerfs he has received in the process. As a result of his heavier reliance on tippers and spacing ability, he has a poor up-close game, giving him a hard time against rush-down characters, notably Captain Falcon. Though his attacks have quick startup, many of them have high ending lag, with his aforementioned forward smash being a notable case. His attacks also suffer from short hitbox durations. For example, his forward aerial, despite covering a wide arc in front of him, has a hitbox that lasts for only 3 frames, and comparatively high ending lag and noticeable landing lag, and along with its very strict autocancel window, it is a surprisingly poor approach option. This combination of high ending lag on his moves and his requirement for careful spacing result in a lackluster neutral game, as none of his approach tools are particularly reliable or consistent, and this is exacerbated by his lack of a projectile.

Not only does Marth struggle to win in neutral, but his conversions are unreliable and weak. Aside from having a fairly fast pummel , his grab game is poor. His throws deal low damage and have high base knockback, making them poor for combos and damage-racking. Except for up throw, they have low knockback scaling, preventing them from KOing at realistic percents, while up throw can KO only starting at 160%. As such, Marth has poor options against shields, and Shield Breaker is highly punishable if predicted. Marth's weak throws tie into his inconsistent KO power. Furthermore, his tipper mechanic actually puts him at a disadvantage here, for his normal attacks are weak and do not generate much knockback if not spaced properly. Lastly, his edgeguarding ability, though strong, is flawed, both due to the need for tippers and the high ending lag on his aerials, with his down aerial suffering from roughly 45 frames of ending lag.

Marth himself is vulnerable to edgeguarding. Dolphin Slash is his only reliable vertical recovery option, but its path is linear and its distance is fixed, making his recovery very predictable and easy to intercept. Additionally since this move grants little horizontal distance, Marth is vulnerable to semi-spikes. Shield Breaker can aid his horizontal recovery, but it still covers little distance and has to be charged in order to be a reliable recovery tool. As a result, Marth will be in considerable peril if he is forced offstage without his double jump, since he is heavily reliant on it to mix up the timing of his up special recovery. Despite having only average weight and falling speed, Marth is susceptible to combos, and his tall hurtbox makes him easy to hit. Dolphin Slash is his only reliable combo-breaker, but as it leaves him helpless, it can inadvertently put him in an even worse position. While Counter can be used against overly aggressive foes, a cautious opponent will find ways to bait it and punish accordingly. He also has little defense against juggling. His aerials' high ending and landing lag make them ineffective at relieving pressure, and are sometimes unsafe to hit if not tippered.

With customs turned on, Marth gains some options to address some of his drawbacks, at the cost of creating different ones by doing so. Dashing Assault lets him punish landings and rolls, create trap situations, and force opponents off of the stage, but loses its tremendous power and shield breaking capabilities. Crescent Slash gives Marth more horizontal recovery, but with much less vertical recovery. It also grants him a fairly reliable follow-up from his forward throw and aerials at low percents and can punish airdodge landings, but it cannot be used as an out of shield option. Dolphin Jump gives Marth more vertical distance and greater horizontal control, but loses all of its offensive use. Iai Counter has quicker startup (counters from frame 3), increased range and power, and deals electric damage as well, but has much stricter timing.

Overall, Marth's strengths are about on par with his flaws. He does have notable advantages in his tipper mechanic, great reach, good mobility, and the fast startup of his moves, and while his sourspot can help in terms of combos for damage racking, his playstyle is so overly centered on his tipper mechanic that it arguably hinders him as much as it helps, giving him an average neutral game with relatively weak conversions, and making his punishes unreliable due to their inconsistency. He is essentially a very honest character that does very well if the player has great fundamental skills. Marth does have a dedicated playerbase in competitive play, even in spite of his nerfs, with notable players such as Mr.E, Pugwest, and False achieving good overall results in tournament play on a regular basis, commonly placing within the top 8 or winning smaller tournaments, and placing within (or 1 place out of) the top 16 of majors. As such, while he is noticeably nerfed from Brawl, he has proven to be a solid pick in competitive play from after his buffs in 1.1.4, right through to the current patch of 1.1.6.

Changes from Brawl

Possibly as a result of his dominance in previous appearances, Marth has been noticeably nerfed overall in his transition from Brawl to SSB4, though definitely not to the extent of charcters like Falco and King Dedede. While Marth's disjoint has been slightly increased, he has less reach relative to the cast as a result of many characters getting the same treatment, negating his key advantage from past games (though he still has one of the largest overall reaches in the game). As a result, this makes it much harder for him to control space. His air game, another strength in previous iterations, has been significantly nerfed. His forward and down aerials have increased startup; the former has a shorter hitbox duration, higher ending and landing lag, and autocancels much later, hindering his main approach option from Brawl, while the latter has a much smaller meteor smash sweetspot, hurting its edgeguarding utility. Down tilt has higher ending lag, rendering it less effective as a defensive option.

Marth's damage racking game has also been nerfed. The base knockback on his throws has been significantly increased, making them ineffective for combos past extremely low percents, and removes his ability to tech-chase. However, their knockback scaling is still low, and so, aside from up throw, they cannot KO realistically. This is further compounded by the removal of chain grabbing, as the low damage output of his throws is more pronounced. His aerials are less effective for comboing and juggling due to their increased lag. Despite these nerfs, he has not been compensated in the damage output of his individual moves, as all of his smash attacks and aerials deal less damage. As a result of the weakened power of his non-tippered attacks and increased ending lag, and along with the loss of his tech-chasing ability, these changes now make his KO power inconsistent.

Marth has received buffs in other areas, however. Shield Breaker has improved utility due to the weaker shields and higher shield-stun, and Counter reflects attacks with significantly increased knockback. His moves are significantly stronger when tippered, an example being forward smash, which is now being the third strongest in the game. As Dolphin Slash was relatively susceptible to edge-hogging, it greatly benefits from the new ledge mechanics, improving Marth's recovery. His ground game has also been buffed, with his jab, tilts, and down smash having decreased ending lag allowing for new combo and kill set ups. Many of his tipper hitboxes have grown larger as well, improving his spacing game. These changes give him a better grounded spacing and combo game at the cost of having to more properly space and time his aerials. Overall though, Marth is one of the very few characters to have been truly nerfed in the transition to Smash 4, along with Meta Knight, King Dedede, Falco, Jigglypuff and Olimar, and while he is still a viable character, his viability pales in comparison with his two previous iterations.

Aesthetics

  • Change Marth's design takes elements from his attire seen in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon[1][2] as opposed to his design from Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, which was used in Melee and Brawl. His eyes are also smaller, and he has shorter hair.
  • Change Marth's sword trails are much brighter at the tip; this makes the sweetspot of his attacks more visible than in previous games.
  • Change Marth's sound effects for his sword slashes are less pronounced than in Brawl, overall being quieter. His Dolphin Slash in particular now produces a soft, short slashing sound, compared to the loud and prolonged noise it produced in Brawl.

Attributes

  • Change Marth is slightly heavier than in Brawl (87 → 90), improving his endurance but making him easier to combo at early percentages from the changes to hitstun cancelling.
  • Buff Almost all of Marth's attacks have slightly increased range compared to Brawl (apart from forward smash and Shield Breaker), ranging from a 0.25 increase to a 3.5 increase (2.5 before 1.1.4, as certain moves were increased further in said patch).
  • Buff Marth dashes faster (1.7 → 1.785).
  • Nerf Marth's air speed is slightly slower (1.034 → 1.02).
  • Change Marth falls faster (1.5 → 1.58). This slightly improves his vertical endurance, but makes him more susceptible to combos.
  • Buff Marth's fast-falling speed is faster (2.1 → 2.528), making him less susceptible to vertical juggling.
  • Change Marth's gravity is higher (0.06715 → 0.075), hindering his endurance and making him more susceptible to combos, but allowing him to reach his falling speed faster.
  • Buff Marth's soft landing is 1 frame faster (3 frames → 2).
  • Nerf Marth's item throw is weaker (1 → 0.966).
  • Buff Marth's rolls have less ending lag (FAF 35 → 31).
  • Nerf Marth's rolls provide less intangibility frames (frame 4-19 (forward)/4-23 (back) → 4-17).
  • Nerf Marth's spot dodge has more start-up with a shorter duration (frame 2-20 → 3-17) and has more ending lag (FAF 24 → 26).
  • Change Marth has a new spot dodge animation: he shifts backwards instead of crouching forward.
  • Buff Marth's air dodge has less start-up (frame 5 → 3) and much less ending lag (FAF 49 → 32), no longer being considered among the worst air dodges as a result.
  • Nerf Marth's air dodge's lasts 1 frame shorter (25 frames → 24).

Ground attacks

  • Buff Neutral attack has more range, the first hit transitions faster, and the second hit deals more knockback. The first hit also sends opponents at a higher trajectory (361° → 78°/65°/90°) and has less ending lag (FAF 29 → 25), allowing for follow-ups and mix-ups.
  • Nerf Both hits of neutral attack come out 1 frame later (4/2 → 5/3).
  • Buff Forward tilt is stronger (40 base/80 scaling → 55/85), and has slightly more vertical range. It also has noticeably less ending lag (FAF 40 → 34).
  • Nerf Forward tilt hits 1 frame later (frame 7 → 8).
  • Nerf Up tilt (8%/9%/12% → 5%/6%/9%), down tilt base (8%/9% → 7%), forward smash (14%/19% → 13%/18%) and up smash sourspots (4%/14% → 3/13%) all deal less damage, though with their knockback compensated.
  • Buff Up tilt deals overall more knockback (40/30 base/120/118/116/90 scaling → 65/52 base/100 scaling), has more max reach (6.85u → 8.45u), and has decreased ending lag (FAF 40 → 34). Additionally, all of its hitboxes now produce vertical knockback (110°/361°/85° → 100°/85°).
  • Buff Down tilt deals more base knockback (50/40/25/20 → 50/40), resulting in the tipper dealing more knockback, and also has slightly increased max range. The base deals less knockback due to dealing lower damage, and this gives Marth more follow ups from a sourspot down tilt, such as a tipper forward aerial, grab, or Dancing Blade.
  • Nerf Down tilt has 2 more frames of ending lag (FAF 22 → 24), and has a slightly shorter hitbox duration (3 frames → 2). It also no longer moves Marth forward, removing its ability to pseudo-crawl.
  • Buff The tipper hitbox of forward smash is slightly larger (3u → 3.5u) and has more knockback scaling (70 → 80), now being the third strongest forward smash in the game.
  • Change Sourspotted forward smash deals less base knockback, but more knockback scaling (60 base/70 scaling → 55/80). This makes it less effective at lower percents, but the increased scaling means it still KOs at the same percent as in Brawl, and is even more effective as the percent's rise higher due to the higher scaling.
  • Nerf Forward smash has less reach (10.5u → 9.05u), due to a slight animation change, where Marth doesn't step forward as much as before. It also has slightly increased ending lag (FAF 49 → 51).
  • Buff Up smash has a slightly larger hitbox radius overall, giving it slightly more vertical range (8.45u → 10.2u). Tippered up smash also has much more knockback scaling (70 → 95).
  • Nerf Up smash has slightly slower startup (frame 12 → 13), shorter hitbox duration (6 frames → 5), and increased ending lag (FAF 49 → 58).
  • Buff Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 64 → 54), and slightly more max range (7.2u → 9.05u). Back hit of tippered down smash also has more knockback scaling (80 → 88) and deals slightly more damage (16% → 17%).
  • Nerf Though down smash has more max range, the tipper hitboxes are slightly smaller (3.5u → 3u). Back hit of down smash also deals 1% less damage (13% → 12%) and the front hit deals much less damage (14%/17% → 8%/12%), making it weaker despite its increased scaling on both the sweet and sourspots (70/80 → 88). The hitbox duration on both hits is shorter (3 frames → 2).

Aerial attacks

  • Buff Neutral aerial's first hit sourspotted deals 0.5% more damage: 3% → 3.5%.
  • Nerf Neutral aerial (6% (first hit, tippered), 9%/12% (second hit) → 5% (first hit, tippered), 7%/9.5% (second hit)), forward aerial (10%/13% → 8%/11.5%), back aerial (11%/14% → 9%/12.5%), and up aerial sourspot (10% → 9.5%) all deal less damage than in Brawl. The knockback has been compensated on tipper forward, back and up aerials, along with sourspot up aerial. However, all of neutral aerial, and sourspot forward and back aerials have not had their knockback compensated.
  • Nerf Except for back aerial, all aerials have worse autocancel windows (neutral aerial: frame 25 → 47, forward aerial: frame 27 → 36, up aerial: frame 27 → 38, down aerial: frame 48 → 55). Neutral aerial no longer autocancels in a short-hop.
  • Nerf Neutral aerial (9 frames → 12 frames), forward aerial (9 frames → 16), and up aerial (9 frames → 14) have increased landing lag.
  • Buff Back aerial (21 frames → 17) and down aerial (32 frames → 24) have less landing lag.
  • Buff Neutral aerial has noticeably more range (6u → 9.45u).
  • Nerf Neutral aerial has 1 more frame of ending lag (FAF 49 → 50).
  • Nerf Forward aerial now possesses increased startup and reduced duration (frames 4-7 → 6-8). Marth can also no longer perform another aerial after a forward aerial in a single short hop due to increased ending lag (FAF 34 → 38). As such, it is usually no longer considered the best forward aerial in the game (though it is still considered an extremely effective aerial attack for approaching).
  • Buff As of patch 1.1.4, forward aerial has more range (7.8u → 9.45u), and the tipper hitbox is slightly larger.
  • Buff Back aerial also has more range (7.4u → 9.45u).
  • Buff Up aerial is stronger overall, due to the move having increased knockback scaling across all hitboxes (70 base/80 tipper → 80/84). It also has slightly more range (7.9u → 8.45u).
  • Nerf Despite having more reach, up aerial's tipper hitbox is slightly smaller (4.8 → 3.5).
  • Buff Down aerial's meteor smash hitbox deals 1% more damage (14% → 15%). The move also has slightly more overall range (7.16u → 8.45u).
  • Nerf Down aerial has slightly more startup (frame 7 → 9). Its sweetspot only lasts 1 frame; it no longer meteor smashes unless the sword hits directly below him (which is the middle of the swing arc, frame 11). It has less base knockback (40 → 20), and the hitboxes that used to meteor now send the opponent sideways with moderate knockback and 1% less damage than the meteor (15% → 14%; however, this hitbox can KO earlier on stage than any of the move's other hitboxes). In addition, the move now starts from Marth's back instead of his front, essentially flipping its animation around from Melee and Brawl, taking longer to hit foes in front of him. Combined with its worse autocancel window, these changes hurt his ability to approach with his down aerial, and drastically worsen the move's overall utility.

Throws/other attacks

  • Nerf Marth's grab comes out 1 frame later (frame 6 → 7), has 1 frame more ending lag, and less range.
  • Buff Dash grab comes out 1 frame earlier (frame 9 → 8).
  • {{buff|Forward throw Its significant increase in base knockback improves its ability to set-up an early edgeguard or gimp, especially on characters with weak recoveries.
  • Nerf Forward throw has significantly higher knockback (70 base/45 scaling → 100/50). This removes many of his follow-up options after a forward throw unless at extremely low percentages, as he can now only lead into a neutral aerial or forward aerial until around 20%, as opposed to having multiple follow-up options right up until high percents. Due to the aforementioned change, Marth can also no longer chaingrab or tech chase opponents with his forward throw.
  • Change Back throw has much more base knockback (50 → 80). While this harms its follow-up ability, this makes it better at creating space and getting opponents off-stage and setting up for potential edge-guards.
  • Buff Up throw has more base knockback (60 → 70), allowing all characters except King Dedede to be KOed under 200%.
  • Buff Down throw sends foes at an upwards trajectory (135° → 100°), with more base knockback (65 → 95), which gives some new follow-up options with his aerials at low percents.
  • Nerf Down throw Upwards trajectory removes its ability for tech-chases.

Special moves

  • Buff Shield Breaker now gives Marth a horizontal boost when used in the air, regardless of whether it is charged or not, aiding Marth's recovery. A fully charged Shield Breaker also deals more shield damage (40 → 50), and a tippered Shield Breaker has more base knockback (50 → 60) and has increased hitlag (1.5x (uncharged)/1x (fully charged) → 1.6x), combined with the aforementioned shield changes, this makes the fully charged variant even more effective at breaking shields. It also has less ending lag (FAF 54 → 50).
  • Nerf An uncharged Shield Breaker deals less shield damage (42 → 25) and less hitlag when uncharged and sourspotted (1.3x → 1x), making the move worse at breaking shields despite the removal of shield reduction on shields as well as the increase in shieldstun. Marth also no longer steps an extra distance forward when using Shield Breaker, making the move's range shorter. In addition, a sourspotted Shield Breaker deals less knockback (30 (uncharged)/50 (fully charged) base/100 scaling → 30 base/90 scaling). Lastly, Shield Breaker has a shorter duration (4 frames → 2).
  • Buff The downward hits of Dancing Blade deal slightly more damage (down hit 3: 4%/5% → 4.5%/5.5%, down hit 4 final hit: 3%/5% → 4%/6%).
  • Nerf The first hit of Dancing Blade has slightly more startup with a shorter duration (frame 4-7 → 6-8). Additionally, all the strikes have more slightly more ending lag, and the third hit downward no longer meteor smashes. It is also harder to connect each hit together compared to Brawl, due to the fact of each hit having slightly increased base knockback and less interruptibility (though it still connects far better than it did in comparison to Melee). Its hover effect in midair is also much weaker to the point it is almost negligible, hindering Marth's recovery.
  • Change The third upward hit of grounded Dancing Blade has a new animation, where Marth twists around and swings up instead of downwards.
  • Buff Dolphin Slash has significantly less landing lag (34 frames → 20).
  • Nerf Dolphin Slash has less intangibility frames when grounded (frame 1-5 → 4-5), making it less safe as an out of shield option. Sweetspotted Dolphin Slash also deals less damage (13% → 11%), making it slightly weaker despite its increased knockback scaling (68 → 74). Dolphin Slash's sweetspot hitbox is smaller (6.5u → 4u), which makes hitting with a reverse Dolphin Slash harder.
  • Change Sweetspotted Dolphin Slash has more hitlag (0.5x → 0.7x). This makes it safer on shield, but easier to DI.
  • Buff Counter has increased base knockback (40 → 60) and has a slightly higher damage multiplier (1.1x → 1.2x), being able to KO reliably off of strong countered attacks at very low percentages.
  • Nerf Counter has more start-up with a shorter duration (frame 4-27 → 6-27) and more ending lag (FAF 59 → 60).
  • Change Marth now grunts instead of talking when his Counter is triggered.

Update history

Marth has been considerably buffed ever since update 1.0.6, with the multiple buffs giving him more follow-up options and drastically improved frame data on all of his aerials and some special moves. However, it is unclear whether the many changes to shield mechanics in 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 have affected Marth for the better or for the worse. While these changes to shield mechanics make Marth's tippered attacks a lot safer on shield, the same changes make his sourspotted attacks less safe than they already were, due to their lower hitlag, making them overall less safe than those of his moveset clone, Lucina. These changes make precise spacing of his attacks mandatory, as the decreased safety of his sourspotted moves can result in serious punishment, though when properly spaced, they are almost unpunishable. Shield Breaker also deals less shield damage, making it more difficult to wear down shields when partially charged. However, the small landing lag reduction on all of his aerials and ending lag on all of his standard ground attacks have helped mitigate his lag issues with most of his moves and improve his combo game, giving him a more offensive playstyle with fewer flaws in defending. The strengthening of up tilt and Dolphin Slash and the multiple buffs to Dancing Blade so its hits link better together have also noticeably improved three of his moves that were previously considered situational. Marth was significantly buffed in version 1.1.4, with increased damage slightly improving his previously poor damage racking, better frame data, and the increased tipper hitboxes not only address his worsened range, it also improved his aerial game and juggle abilities. Overall, Marth has been significantly buffed and is more viable since the original version, but he still remains rather nerfed compared to Brawl.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 1.0.4

  • Bug fix Using Counter after being trumped from the ledge no longer changes momentum.


Super Smash Bros. 4 1.0.6

  • Buff Jab 1 FAF: Frame 29 → 26
  • Buff Forward tilt FAF: Frame 39 → 35.
  • Buff Dancing Blade hit 1 FAF: Frame 45 → 42.
  • Buff Dancing Blade combos more consistently.

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.0.8

  • Buff Jab improved. Both hits link more reliably as the transition is faster and the first hit now produces vertical-based knockback, while the second deals increased knockback. The first hit also now has follow-up potential outside of transitioning to the second hit.
    • Nerf Due to the angle change of Jab 1, the move can no longer jab lock.
  • Nerf All hitboxes of jab 1 deal 1% less damage (4%/6% → 3%/5%).
  • Buff All hitboxes of up tilt now deal vertical knockback, with improved base knockback, making it a better KO move. It additionally has 3 less frames of ending lag.
  • Buff Neutral aerial has 3 less frames of landing lag.
  • Buff Dolphin Slash has slightly improved knockback scaling.
  • Change Dolphin Slash and Crescent Slash deal slightly more hitlag.

Technical changelist 1.0.8

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.0

  • Buff All hits of neutral aerial deal 1% more damage.
  • Buff Up tilt's ending lag is reduced by 3 frames.
  • Buff Forward, up, and back aerials have 2 less frames of landing lag.
  • Buff Down aerial has 4 less frames of landing lag.
  • Buff All variations of Dolphin Slash have 3 less frames of landing lag.
  • Buff All variations of Shield Breaker have 2 less frames of ending lag.
  • Change Dancing Blade's first, second and third strikes have 5 more frames of input window duration. This allows them to connect better, but makes the first hit harder to follow up with attacks other than another hit of Dancing Blade.

Technical changelist 1.1.0

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.1

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.3

  • Buff Multiple changes to the knockback, hitbox sizes, and damage have made Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade link better.

Technical changelist 1.1.3

Change Old value New value
Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade hit 2 forward knockback growth (hitboxes 0/2) 70 30
Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade hit 2 forward knockback growth (hitbox 1) 50 30
Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade hit 2 forward base knockback (all 3 hitboxes) 28 30
Dancing Blade hit 3 down damage (hitbox 0) 3% 4.5%
Dancing Blade hit 3 down damage (hitbox 1) 4% 5.5%
Dancing Blade hit 3 down knockback growth (hitbox 0) 60 28
Dancing Blade hit 3 down knockback growth (hitbox 1) 40 28
Dancing Blade hit 3 down angle (both hitboxes) 20° 44°
Dancing Blade hit 3 down base knockback (both hitboxes) 30 50
Dancing Blade hit 3 down size (hitbox 1) 4.3 4.6


Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.4

  • Buff Neutral attack's first hit has less ending lag: (28 frames → 25) and both hits have larger hitboxes: (6.5u → 7u.)
  • Buff Forward and up tilt have less ending lag: 36 frames → 33.
  • Buff Forward tilt has a larger sour x and tipper hitbox: (2u (sour)/6.7u (tipper) → 2.5u/7.7u.
  • Buff Down tilt has a larger tipper and sour x hitbox: 6.7u (tipper)/15.2u (sour x) → 8.2u/16.7.
  • Nerf Down tilt's sour y hitbox is smaller: 3.2u → 2.7u.
  • Buff Down smash has significantly decreased ending lag: 64 frames → 54.
  • Buff All aerials deal slightly more damage: 3%/4% (neutral, first hit), 9% (neutral, back hit), 7%/10% (forward), 12% (back), 9%/12% (up), 11%/13%/14% (down) → 3.5%/5%, 9.5%, 8%/11.5%, 12.5%, 9.5%/13%, 12%/14%/15%.
  • Buff The tipper hitboxes on neutral, forward, and back aerial are larger: 6.7 (neutral, first hit)/6.5 (neutral, back hit), 6.7 (forward and back) → 7.7/7.5, 7.7.
  • Buff Back aerial's sour x hitbox is slightly bigger: 2 → 2.5.
  • Buff Dancing Blade improved. The first hit has less startup (7 → 6) and has one frame less of ending lag both on the ground and in the air (IASA: 42/32→ 41/31.)


Moveset

For simplicity if, for example, Marth's blade does 4% damage while the tip does 6%, and the attack has no other hitboxes, it is written as 4%/6%.

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   3%/5% Slashes the Falchion twice in front of himself. If spaced and timed correctly, this move has many follow-up capabilities as it can link into any of his smash attacks or tilts that can link into his other moves when untippered, but some of these followups only work if the opponent is very close to the player.
4%/6%
Forward tilt   9%/12% A fast upward swipe while leaning forward. Has a large arc that is useful for spacing, and deals moderately strong knockback when tippered, making it a go-to spacing and KO option. Deals much weaker knockback if untippered.
Up tilt   6% (blade), 5% (body), 9% (tip) Swings the Falchion in a large arc above his head, with a large hitbox that can hit enemies behind him. Can combo into itself at low percentages and KO at high percents when tippered.
Down tilt   7%/10% A quick crouching sword poke. Marth's fastest tilt attack, which is useful for creating space. Can follow up into a grab, dash attack, or running Dancing Blade if the move is untippered, and the tipper hitbox can hit opponents on and below the ledge , while dealing semi-spike knockback.
Dash attack   10% (blade), 9% (body), 12% (tip) A quick, running, upward-sweeping diagonal slash. Low knockback, but deals decent semi-spike knockback if tipped. Moderate ending lag and very low hitlag if untippered, making it rather unsafe against shields.
Forward smash   13%/18% Rotates his body counterclockwise with a strong overarching one-handed swing from his head to the ground. Moderately fast startup, but high ending lag. Although lackluster when sourspotted, this move has the third highest knockback scaling of any forward smash in the game when tippered, being able to KO opponents at 75% from the stage's center and as low as 37% near the edge. Despite this, the move's low range compared to Marth's previous incarnations makes landing a tipper somewhat difficult and highly susceptible to punishment.
Up smash Justice Sword 3% (ground), 13% (blade), 17% (tip) A quick, direct upward thrust. The weak grounded hit can knock nearby opponents into the main attack. Good for aerial protection and chasing down landing opponents. If tippered, it deals extremely high knockback, KOing around 76%, although this is difficult to do unless an opponent falls directly on top of Marth.
Down smash   8%/12% (hit 1), 12%/17% (hit 2) Sweeps the Falchion on the ground toward the front outward then toward the back inward. The back hit has much stronger power, while the front hit is relatively weak unless tippered, where it will do moderate knockback. It also has high ending lag.
Neutral aerial   3.5%/5% (hit 1), 7%/9.5% (hit 2) Two horizontal slashes around himself via an inward slash followed into a full 360° outward spin. The second hit can hit on both sides of Marth, and can be used to create space by short hopping then fast-falling immediately after using the move in the air. The tipper of the second hit is very strong, being the most powerful neutral aerial in the game, KOing near the edge at around 100%.
Forward aerial   8%/11.5% Does a descending crescent slash in front of him with great coverage. This is Marth's best tool for air combat but is risky to use in the neutral game unless used immediately out of a short hop, due to its weak damage if untippered, low hitbox duration and its strict autocancel window, only cancelling if used in a few specific frames immediately after a short hop. However, it is powerful when tippered for how quickly the move comes out, KOing near the edge at around 110%.
Back aerial   9%/12.5% An upward crescent slash behind him in an inward swipe. Has the interesting property of turning Marth around, changing the direction he is facing. Similar use to his forward aerial, although with more knockback and a smaller hitbox. Can be used a few frames before landing to catch opponents with a tipped blow, with correct spacing. Another very powerful move when tippered considering its speed it can KO near the edge at around 90%, and around 145% at the stages' center.
Up aerial   9.5%/13% An overhead crescent slash with good coverage, ending in a delayed somersault. Marth's fastest aerial, it is good for juggling at low percents thanks to its large arc, making it a good anti-air as well, but it has weak knockback unless tippered. Due to its angle and low ending lag during the first few frames, it can be used for a somewhat reliable KO confirm of a landing up aerial to down aerial meteor smash at around 55-60% near the edge. It can also KO at high percents from a down throw on a handful of the cast when tippered, but only in stages with platforms.
Down aerial   12% (blade), 14% (non-meteor tip), 15% (meteor) A downward, wide crescent slash with large coverage. If the attack connects at the middle of the swinging arc (directly below Marth), it serves as a powerful meteor smash. However, the meteor smash window lasts only one frame (frame 11). Other hitboxes when tippered result in moderate knockback. It also has high ending and landing lag.
Grab   Grabs the enemy with his left hand.
Pummel   2% Knees the enemy. A fairly fast pummel.
Forward throw   4% Throws the opponent forward. Can be used to set up a tippered forward aerial until around 20%, or a Crescent Slash from low to mid-high percentages. Can also be followed up with a neutral or forward aerial at very low percents against heavier characters.
Back throw   4% Tosses the opponent over his leg, sending them behind him. Its high base knockback allows him to set up edgeguarding, but it cannot combo or KO reliably.
Up throw   4% A powerful one-armed upward throw. Marth's strongest throw, which can KO at around 170%. It is also rather tricky to DI due to its lauch angle being behind Marth.
Down throw   5% Throws opponent to the ground with one arm, bouncing them upwards. His primary throw for follow-ups due to its low base knockback, allowing him to follow up with an up or back aerial at low percentages. However, it quickly loses combo potential due to its high knockback growth, sending opponents too high after medium percentages.
Floor attack (front)   7% Spins around gracefully and slashes the Falchion in a circle.
Floor attack (back)   7% Swings the Falchion behind, then in front of him before getting up.
Floor attack (trip)   5% Stabs behind him, then slashes in front of himself before getting up.
Edge attack   7% Backflips onto the stage and slashes.
Neutral special Default Shield Breaker 8%/9% (uncharged), 22%/24% (fully charged) Marth assumes a readying stance and charges the Falchion at chest level before powerfully thrusting it forward. This attack deals massive shield damage. If fully charged and used in the air, this move will thrust Marth in whatever direction he's facing, giving him a strong horizontal recovery option, albeit with very high startup. Deals very high knockback when tippered, making it a powerful KOing option, especially against dazed opponents.
Custom 1 Storm Thrust 4% (uncharged), 11% (fully charged) The stab produces a gust of wind from the tip, with pushing strength dependent on the charge level. In exchange, the attack is much weaker than normal.
Custom 2 Dashing Assault 6%/5%/3% (ground uncharged early/mid/late), 7%/6%/4% (air uncharged early/mid/late), 16%/13%/9% (ground fully charged early/mid/late), 17%/14%/10% (air fully charged early/mid/late) Marth performs a lunging thrust with the Falchion. Deals less damage and slightly less shield damage, but propels Marth forward, even when used on the ground.
Side special Default Dancing Blade Varies (see table below). A sequence of sword slashes with several variations based on directional input. Four slashes total, with each capable of being altered in direction, allowing for eighteen total possible combinations. Standard strikes are trailed red, high strikes are trailed blue, and low strikes are trailed green (see table below for details and limits of the move). The first hit comes out on frame 6 and is arguably Marth's best tool for catching and punishing rolls, airdodges, and landings.
Custom 1 Effortless Blade 2%/3% (parts 1-3), 4%/5% (part 4) Makes the hits easier to link, but can only use the standard variation. Since Marth swings with less vigor, the attack is also weaker.
Custom 2 Heavy Blade 7%/9% (part 1), 9%/11% (part 2), 10%/12% (part 3), 13%/15% (part 4 up), 14%/16% (part 4 side), 2.2% (part 4 down hits 1-4), 11%/13% (part 4 down hit 5) Marth slashes with more force, but the controller input time is much stricter and the hits are harder to link. Each slash also has more startup and ending lag.
Up special Default Dolphin Slash 11% (clean), 7% (late blade), 6% (late body) Marth performs a high-speed jumping uppercut slash that can be B-reversed. Has a powerful sweetspot located in the first few frames, which can easily cause stage-spikes under the right circumstances.
Custom 1 Crescent Slash 7% (clean), 12% (late blade), 6% (late body) Marth uses a lower Dolphin Slash that gains more horizontal distance. It gives Marth an access to his only true follow-up from forward throw and grab release combo against some characters. However, it has less vertical distance. Most damage at midpoint, and high landing lag.
Custom 2 Dolphin Jump 0% The jump is purely vertical and gains more height. Lots of landing lag and deals no damage.
Down special Default Counter 1.2x (min 8%) Marth assumes a defensive stance and retaliates against incoming attacks. The power of the counterattack scales with the strength of the attack blocked. Starts up on frame 6 and lasts 22 frames. Ineffective against projectiles and attacks with sufficiently long reach, such as many of Shulk's tilts and smash attacks.
Custom 1 Easy Counter 0.7x (min 4%) Marth holds his stance longer and strikes with less power. Has a decreased multiplier, but has a wider trigger window. Starts up on frame 6 and lasts 29 frames.
Custom 2 Iai Counter 1.3x (min 6%) Marth strikes the opponent while moving behind them at lightning speed. Inflicts more damage, knocks foes behind him, and is much quicker, but the trigger window is stricter. Deals electric damage. Starts up on frame 3 and lasts 14 frames.
Final Smash Critical Hit 60% Marth raises the Falchion skyward, then lunges in one direction, attacking the first opponent he connects. Immense knockback, enough to one-hit KO any character on any roofless stage. Pressing the special button again will cause him to stop mid-dash.

On-screen appearance

  • Warps onto the stage using a warp circle with a twirl and unsheathes his sword.
MarthOnScreenAppearanceSSB4.gif

Taunts

  • Up taunt: Points the Falchion skyward with a quick spark of light emitting at the tip. This is similar to his stance before he performed his Critical Hit animation in the Fire Emblem series and identical to his stance while performing his Lodestar technique.
  • Side taunt: Swings the Falchion twice before sheathing it. Marth quickly unsheathes it before the taunt ends.
  • Down taunt: Swings the Falchion downwards before holding it in front of his face, then going back to his idle pose. Marth says: みんな、見ていてくれ! ("Everyone, watch over me!" or in official Fire Emblem Fates English dub as "My prayers are with you!")
Up taunt Side taunt Down taunt
Marth's up taunt in Smash 4 Marth's side taunt in Smash 4 Marth's down taunt in Smash 4

while doing so.

Idle poses

  • Holds his hand to his chest, closes his eyes, and silently takes a breath.
  • Brushes his hair out of his face.
Marth's first idle pose in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Marth's second idle pose in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Crowd cheer

English Japanese
Cheer
Description Marth! Marth! Marth! Ma-ru-su!
Pitch Group chant Group chant

Victory poses

This victory theme is a small orchestral cover from the title theme of the first Fire Emblem game, which has since become the main theme of the series.
  • Turns with pride, spins the Falchion then poses with it pointed to the ground, and says "今回は僕の勝ちだね?", which translates to "This time it's my victory isn't it?"
  • Poses with the Falchion sheathed and his right hand over his face before dramatically moving his arm away from his head while saying "僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ。", which translates to "There's no way for me to lose." or in official Fire Emblem Fates English dub as "I cannot afford to fail." Marth keeps a stern expression before smiling once the victory pose is over on the Nintendo 3DS version, while smiling throughout the entire pose on the Wii U version.
  • Sheaths the Falchion and stands facing the camera, while saying "今日も生き延びることが出来た。", which translates to "Today I have risen to survive."
MarthPose1WiiU.gif MarthPose2WiiU.gif MarthPose3WiiU.gif

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character Custom sets available
Marth's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Marth 3113 3123 1123 3133 1133
3121 1121 3111 1131 3131

Notable players

Active

Inactive

Tier placement and history

In the early lifespan of Smash 4, players instantly recognized changes and nerfs in his moveset. In particular, players picked up on the increased lag on his staple moves, his weaker damage outputs and combo game, the decreased utility of his throws, up tilt and Dolphin Slash, and the fact that his reach, while still good (and even improved in some areas from Brawl), was no where near as big a selling point as before, due to other characters getting much bigger reach increases, weakening one of Marth's former selling points. This culminated in Marth being widely considered a bottom tier character early on. As time went on, however, Marth started to receive small buffs in balance patches. By the time of patches 1.0.8 and 1.1.0, Marth received some notable buffs that helped improve some of the initial problems, such as receiving less lag on his tilts, less landing lag on all aerials, and improved angles and/or knockback on up tilt and Dolphin Slash. These changes helped mitigate some of the problems Marth initially had, which helped him gain a playerbase, with players like Mr.E and Pugwest appearing more in tournament. While Marth's results were still overall poor, the buffs helped improve his perception as a character, now being considered from a relatively high low tier character to a mid tier. This culminated in him being placed 41st out of 56 characters on the first official tier list.

However, Marth continued to improve with time, and gained his most significant buffs in patches 1.1.3 and 1.1.4, with all of the buffs increasing many of his tipper hitbox sizes and the damage output on his aerials, and reduced the lag on some of his moves. This improved his combo game and also made some of his aerials gain fearsome KO power. These buffs, tied in with all previous ones, allowed Marth's game to flow far more consistently than ever before, which allowed his playerbase to gain significantly better and consistent results, such as Mr. E notably defeating ZeRo 2-1 at EVO 2016. His playerbase also continued to grow, with players like Leo and Fuwa gaining more results and showing Marth in a positive light. As a result, Marth has gained between the 12th and 16th best overall tournament results between patches 1.1.4 and the present. Combined, these traits allowed Marth to rise out of the low tier and into the lower high tier by the second official tier list, at 19th place. While Marth's moveset still possesses some problems, they are now counterbalanced by him possessing notable strengths, and his placement on the current tier list is considered to be accurate. However, some top players, such as ZeRo and Dabuz believe Marth is still low, and while debatable, should be placed within the top tier. Overall, Marth has noticeably improved during the lifespan of the game, and arguably one of the characters that has developed the most.

Trophies

Marth
Ntsc The first hero from the Fire Emblem series, Marth is the prince of Altea and descendant of the hero Anri. In Smash Bros., he's known as an exceptional swordfighter, swinging his blade with grace. Striking with the tip will maximize the damage dealt. Teach aggressive foes a lesson with his strong Counter move.
Pal Marth, the prince of Altea, is the hero of the first ever Fire Emblem game and its remake, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. In this game, his graceful sword skills are what set him apart. Strike with the tip of his blade to deal extra damage, and use his Counter skill to defend yourself, no matter which directions you're being attacked from.
NES: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (JP)
SNES: Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (JP)
Marth (Alt.)
Ntsc Marth's side special Dancing Blade is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! The tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above and launch nearby foes.
Pal Marth's side special, Dancing Blade, is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! As usual, the tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above, and even to launch nearby enemies off the ground."
NES: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (JP)
SNES: Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (JP)
Critical Hit (Marth)
Ntsc Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky and then rushes forward to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KO'ing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When it's used in the air, he'll fly forward a certain distance. On the ground, however, he'll only dash to the edge of the platform he's standing on.
Pal Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky, then rushes forwards to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KOing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When used in the air, he'll fly forwards a set distance, but on the ground, he'll only dash up to the edge of the platform he's standing on.

In Event Matches

Solo Events

Co-op Events

  • A Royal Errand: Marth and Robin must work together to collect 500G from Wario and Bowser in a coin battle before the stage reaches the Bazaar.
  • The Ultimate Battle: Two players must select their characters and defeat the entire roster (prior to DLC).

Alternate costumes

Marth Palette (SSB4).png
Marth's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. MarthHeadRedSSB4-U.png MarthHeadGreenSSB4-U.png MarthHeadBlackSSB4-U.png MarthHeadWhiteSSB4-U.png MarthHeadBlueSSB4-U.png MarthHeadYellowSSB4-U.png MarthHeadPurpleSSB4-U.png

Gallery

Trivia

  • Despite now only grunting instead of talking when doing his Counter, the voice clips of him speaking are still in his Sound Test. Interestingly, Marth can be heard talking while countering in Roy's reveal trailer.
  • Dashing Assault makes a "woosh" sound when used, but in Corrin's reveal trailer it makes the "shing" sound when executed, likewise when Marth performs his standard Shield Breaker.
  • Marth, Roy and Cloud are the only characters to speak Japanese in every regional version of Super Smash Bros. 4.
  • Marth's sword and its sheath are not present in his artwork for the cover of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS.

References

External links