Roy (PM)

Roy in Project M
Universe	Fire Emblem
Base game appearance	Melee
Moveset inspiration	Roy (SSBM)

Roy is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. He returns from Melee with a buffed moveset. He is one of the two characters that was not originally playable in Brawl, the other being Mewtwo.

Attributes

Roy falls under a unique archetype of being a nimble fighter with relatively strong attacks and amazing comboing flexibility, an uncommon combination for a lightweight; many of his attacks were heavily buffed and strengthened in his transition from Melee. He retains many of his attributes from Melee, including a fast dash, a fast falling speed (the same as the significantly heavier Donkey Kong), and an average air speed. Roy is a sword fighter with decent range, as his Binding Blade gives his attacks disjointed hitboxes, allowing him to carefully space between him and his opponents. Consequently, Roy has transitioned into a more combo-heavy character in Project M, heavily compounded by his increased power and drastically improved aerial game and has been given several more reliable finishers aside from his forward smash. He possesses one of the most powerful spikes in his down aerial, where the sweetspot, while small, if landed properly, will strike the opponent downwards, which can very easily lead to a KO, especially at medium to high percentages. Roy also has an effective finisher with his back aerial, having significantly increased knockback, being able to reliably KO an opponent once he or she is at a high percentage.

Another one of Roy's major assets is his approach; having a below-average traction, he is offered a decent wavedash and possesses one of the best SHFFLs in the game due to his fast falling speed, moderately high gravity, and low short hop. As a result of his amazing SHFFL, he can land consecutive aerials and continuously rack up his opponent's damage.

Roy's grab game is formidable. His up throw is the 9th strongest (10th if Olimar's is counted as two due to his purple and especially blue Pikmin being stronger) and has great chain grabbing potential (though due to the slight knockback increase compared to Marth's, it is overall more difficult to chain grab with Roy's), being capable of chain grabbing fast fallers. Additionally, Roy can force his opponent over to the edge and execute a good edgeguarding strategy by grabbing them, forward or down throw them, and finish them off with either his Flare Blade or side smash.

Roy, however, is not without his flaws. The primary flaw of his disjointed hitboxes remains, as the tipper hitboxes of most attacks, if not all (neutral aerial and up smash are a few exceptions), retain their roles as the sourspots of his attacks; with that being said, Roy's sweetspots remain at the hilt to the middle of his blade, still forcing him to come up close to his opponents to deal maximum damage, unlike Marth; despite this, Roy's sourspot hitboxes are generally smaller than those of Marth, and his sweetspots are generally much larger. Additionally, while being combo-heavy himself, Roy continues to be very vulnerable for combos despite his light weight, all because of his fast falling speed. The latter attribute additionally exacerbates his below-average recovery that is also easily gimpable, if not easily edgeguardable, being among the worst recoveries in the game despite Roy being able to extend the horizontal distance of his Blazer far more than Marth with his Dolphin Slash; while Roy can aid his recovery by using his side special, the Double-Edge Dance, as the first hit grants him slightly more vertical distance and longer airborne time, it is still inferior compared to Marth doing the same thing with his Dancing Blade due to Roy's faster falling speed and higher gravity. On the upside, however, his fast falling speed enhances his vertical endurance and makes him moderately difficult to KO vertically; despite this, it is generally agreed that his vertical endurance is only average due to either being lighter than many other characters (such as Captain Falcon or Donkey Kong) or falling slower than others (particularly the spacies). Overall, in conclusion, Roy can be considered a glass cannon like the space animals because while he possesses devastatingly powerful attacks in his repertoire in addition to an outstanding combo game, his survivability is below average due to being a light character with a lackluster recovery.

Regardless of his flaws, he has inherited a myriad of buffs in his transition, and they have immensely improved his comboing game and overall power and made him become a more formidable fighter than he was before.

Changes from Melee to PM

Roy performing his new Forward Tilt (angled diagonally upwards).

Roy has been heavily buffed from Melee to PM and has been reworked to be more of a semi-clone of Marth, rather than a clone, in terms of animations and attack functions.

Aesthetics

• Roy's up taunt involves him pointing his sword forward while saying "僕 は 負けない." (Boku wa Makenai) meaning "I won't lose!"
• Side taunt involves him pointing his sword up, then swinging it across his body, and pointing it behind him, identical to his father Eliwood's pre-critical animation as a Lord in Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword.
• For his on-screen appearance, Roy comes onto the stage with a magic warp similar to how Marth does, but strikes a different pose (same as his Taunt from Melee) and shouts "Hee-ya!".

Attributes

• Roy's sword attacks have more reach.
• While still incredibly weak, all of Roy's sourspots are overall stronger than in Melee.

Ground Attacks

• Jab deals higher damage and knockback with less endlag.
• Forward tilt is now a quick, long-ranged stab, based off of Roy's attack animation as a Lord in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. It inflicts higher damage and knockback and can be angled, and has less endlag than his old forward tilt.
• Up tilt deals higher damage and knockback and now covers a larger, half-circle area above Roy. It additionally starts from his back (the opposite of Marth's), allowing to quickly repel opponents that manage to cross him up, and has less endlag.
• Forward smash has a hard to land "sweeterspot" that has higher KO potential. Sourspot deals higher damage and knockback.
• Down smash is now a spinning sword sweep with less ending lag and same KO power as in Melee; however, it deals strong knockback even from behind and overall has more utility than his previous one. It also has a flame effect.
• Up smash deals much more damage with higher knockback.
• Dash attack deals higher damage and is cancelable, which allows him to DACUS; this further improves his mobility and is an additional approaching option.
• Forward tilt has slightly slower start-up.
• Down tilt sweet spot is harder to land.
• Down smash hitboxes deal less damage than his old down smash and cannot hit foes on ledges as well.

Aerial Attacks

• Forward aerial deals more damage and knockback, and the sourspot deals higher knockback than the sweetspot, and has slightly less endlag.
• Neutral aerial possesses higher range, doing more damage and knockback. The hitboxes have longer duration, with the first hit striking both in front of and behind Roy once each and the second hit striking twice in front and once behind. The second hit does not have a sourspot. It also has a flame effect on the second hit.
• New back aerial is a horizontal slice that deals higher damage and much more knockback, making it a powerful finisher.
• Down aerial has less endlag and deals more damage, and the sourspot hitbox has been reduced in size, making the mediumspots easier to land. Its sweetspot is located between Roy's head and the base of his blade; additionally, the sweetspot is now a spike instead of a meteor smash, meaning it can no longer be meteor canceled. It also has a flame effect.
• Up aerial deals higher damage and knockback, making it a better juggling move.
• New back aerial has less range.

Grabs and Throws

• Grab range increased.
• Up throw has slightly more KO potential.

Special Moves

• Flare Blade is more powerful in terms of knockback, and even when uncharged it deals more damage than before.
• Double-Edge Dance was improved significantly; 3rd variation has a new animation and its sourspot deals slightly more damage. 4th variation can be reversed and is a stabbing move that deals strong knockback. 3rd up variation sourspot deals much higher damage. 3rd down variation has a new animation and deals slightly higher damage and now has major gimping potential. 4th down variation has a new animation, hits better, and deals more knockback. 4th variation has has a new animation and has more vertical range while the sourspot does more damage.
• Blazer deals much more damage and now has more reliable knockback. Additionally, the very last hitbox of the move no longer inflicts set knockback. Also, at the height of the jump Roy can grab edges when he is facing away from it, similar to Falcon Dive and Dark Dive.
• Double Edge Dance has its sole nerf; 4th up variation has less overall range, damage, and knockback, and has a new animation.

Revisions

v3.01

• Grab release animation sped up to avoid potential grab release combos or re-grabs.
• Forward Air landing lag and L-canceled landing lag matched to Melee.
• Some of Double-Edge Dance's sword swings could whiff when it looked like they hit, this has been fixed.
• New Final Smash doesn't use time manipulation anymore and has been fixed up in general to be less buggy.
• Model optimized to no longer cause significant lag.

v3.5

• Counter now properly covers Roy's feet after activation.
• Slow walk speed slightly increased.
• Double Edge Dance can now clank with projectiles and other moves (except for Down Four, which also can no longer be absorbed).
• Down Air sweetspot now spikes.
• Up air landing lag increased.
• Dash grab range decreased.
• Double Edge Dance frame data now matches Melee.
• Sword Swing sounds now match Melee (using 3.5's revamp of Roy's previous Melee swings).

v3.6

Beta

• AI is now more intelligent when using Roy.
• Down tilt's tip's base knockback was reduced from 90 to 70.
• Down aerial's base knockback was reduced from 40 to 30.
• Down aerial's knockback growth was reduced from 70 to 60.

Full

• Roy's voice clips are more audible. His sounds were also adjusted to be different from Marth.
• Back aerial animation tweaked, making it easier to hit and/or sweetspot opponents. Knockback angle changed from 50 to 361.

Moveset

Up to date as of version 3.5.

	Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack		8% (base), 6% (tip)	Roy performs one single horizontal slash with his sword. Deals low damage and low knockback, even at the sweetspot.
Forward tilt		14% (base), 9% (tip)	Roy thrusts his sword forward, similar to his normal attack animation (like for many rapier-based Lords) in Binding Blade. It has considerable range and power, with low start and end lag. Can be angled up or down.
Up tilt		12% (base), 9% (tip)	Roy swings his sword in an arc upwards and outwards over his head towards the direction he's facing. Low start and end lag, with decent knockback.
Down tilt		12% (base), 10% (mid), 6% (tip)	Same as Marth's. Roy thrusts his sword low. Low start lag with moderate end lag. Has great vertical knockback, which can lead into combos. The range can also prove great during neutral game spacing and edgeguarding.
Dash attack		14% (base), 10% (tip)	Same as Marth's. Roy lunges forward and slashes his sword. Somewhat moderate start and end lag. Decent knockback and can lead into combos or dash dancing.
Forward smash		20% (base), 13% (tip)	Same as Marth's. A rotating one-handed slamming sword plunge to the ground. Low start lag with moderate end lag, great range, along with extreme knockback and damage near the base of the sword. However, near the tip of the sword, the knockback and damage are severely reduced. Roy's original primary finisher like in Melee.
Up smash	Flame Sword	2% (hits 1-4), 12% (hit 5) (20% total)	An upward thrust above Roy's body. Low start up lag with high end lag, and decent vertical range. It traps opponents in for great damage, and can link into combos at low percentages. The tip can spike at the very first frames of the attack, as long as it doesn't link to another part. Causes a flame effect, should it hit.
Down smash		18%/14% (clean base/tip), 14%/10% (late base/tip)	A low outward slashing spin around Roy's body. Low start and end lag, with decent range and knockback. More powerful near the base of the sword, and causes flame effect if it connects.
Neutral aerial		4% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)	A full outward 360° spin 4 times with his sword held in both hands. Low start and end lag, with moderate landing lag. Two attacks may link together for decent damage, with relative knockback. Causes a flame effect if it connects.
Forward aerial		12% (base), 9% (tip)	Same as Marth's. A fast swipe in front of Roy. Low start lag with somewhat moderate end lag, and moderate landing lag. Sweetspot (middle of the sword) deals more damage than the sourspot. The sourspot (near the tip of the sword) causes relatively low damage, less than that of the sweetspot; ironically, the sourspot delivers more knockback than the sweetspot, making it the only move whose sourspot is technically stronger than its sweetspot. Often a main combo tool but can still be punished if used incorrectly.
Back aerial		16% (base), 11% (tip)	Similar to Ike, Roy performs a quick horizontal outward slash behind him. Can turn Roy around. Very low start lag, but very high end lag, with moderate landing lag. It is a decent tool for edge-guarding and gimping, though it is somewhat more difficult to connect due to the smaller, horizontal hitbox.
Up aerial		12% (base), 8% (tip)	Same as Marth's. An outward upward slash, causing Roy to somersault in a delay. Moderate start lag, high end lag, and moderate landing lag. The sweetspot has been given more knockback so Roy can execute better combos. However, his sourspot has lower damage and mediocre knockback.
Down aerial		18% (base), 12% (mid), 9% (tip)	Same as Marth's. An outward pendulum slash downwards. It has been changed from Melee drastically. Though it retains the same start lag, its ending and landing lag has been sped up. The middle of the blade is stronger, and its power is in between those of the sourspot and sweetspot. The sweetspot's knockback, positioned between Roy's head and his sword's hilt when the move is executed, has drastically been increased, making it better for edgeguarding; additionally, the sweetspot is no longer a meteor smash, but a powerful, fiery spike, which means it cannot be meteor canceled anymore, making it even more dangerous. However, other than a slight increase in damage, its sourspot has barely been changed.
Grab		—	Roy attempts to grip to the opponent. The grab range has been noticeably increased. Low start and end lag.
Pummel		3%	Same as Marth's. Roy hits the opponent with his knee, causing decent damage.
Forward throw		5%	Same as Marth's. Roy throws the opponent at blinding speed. Low start and end lag, and can link into combos or chain grabs at moderate percentages. Can also lead into other attacks, like his Forward smash, for example.
Back throw		5%	Same as Marth's. Roy throws the opponent at blinding speed backwards. Low start and end lag, but unlike his forward throw, cannot link into combos at low percentages as easily. However, it can link into various attacks.
Up throw		5%	Same as Marth's. Roy tosses the opponent upwards. Low start and end lag. Great for chaingrabs and combos.
Down throw		6%	Same as Marth's. Roy throws the opponent down in a "V" shape. Moderate start and end lag, decent knockback and can link into his forward smash.
Floor attack (front)		6%	Same as Marth's. Slashes from back to front.
Floor attack (back)		6%	Same as Marth's. Slashes from back to front.
Floor attack (trip)		5%	Same as Marth's. Slashes from back to front.
Edge attack (fast)		8% (sword), 6% (body)	Same as Marth's. Gets up and slashes downward, similar to his Forward Smash.
Edge attack (slow)		10%	Same as Marth's. Gets up swings his sword over his head.
Neutral special	Flare Blade	10-40%, 50% (fully charged)	Similar to Marth's Shield Breaker, Roy charges his sword for a powerful overhead slash, which can cause a flame effect. The power of the attack increases the longer it is held, with an powerful explosion effect occurring if the charge is complete, which can also break shields. However, the explosion damages Roy 10% in the process.
Side special	Double-Edge Dance	5%/4% (1st hit/tip); 6%/4% (2nd hit/tip); 10%/8% (3rd hit clean/tip)(high), 7%/5% (3rd hit late/tip)(high), 10%/8% (3rd hit/tip) (mid), 3% (3rd hit 1-3)(hits 1-3)(low), 5% (3rd hit)(hit 4)(low); 11%/10% (4th hit/tip)(high), 13%/10% (4th hit/tip)(mid), 3% (4th hit)(hits 1-4)(low), 5% (4th hit)(hit 5)(low), 12% (4th hit)(back)	Roy performs a sideways slash attack, and can follow up with 3 different variations for a total of 4 strikes. He can also perform a reverse strike, attacking from the opposite direction. The third and fourth strikes have significant differences between each variation, allowing for Roy to adjust the attack based on the situation. The animations of each strike have been drastically changed, with Roy mostly holding the Sword of Seals with both hands. His 4th upward strike resembles Marth's version of Dancing Blade from Brawl, and the 4th downward strike is based Sol Badguy's Gun Flame attack (as well as his Order-Sol self's Fafnir Prototype version) from Guilty Gear.
Up special	Blazer	5%/3% (hit 1/tip), 2% (hits 2-6), 4% (hit 7) (19%/17% total)	Roy soars upwards with his flaming sword, burning opponents within his reach. Similar to Marth's Dolphin Slash, though noticeably different in that it hits multiple times, is slower, and has significant hang time, giving Roy somewhat of an advantage against impromptu edge-guard attempts. The move's animation in Project M has been modified as a reference to the Ryuuenjin (Dragon Flame Blade) used by Zero in Mega Man X4 and Capcom's Vs. series of games.
Down special	Counter	x1.5 of countered move, 1% minimum	Roy briefly flashes while entering a stance, allowing him to counterattack within the first few frames of animation. Opponents that attack Roy will be struck back with more damage dealt to them. Moderate start lag with high end lag, and slows Roy down in mid-air. At the sweetspot, near the base, there is a chance that the opponent may go into an upside-down "V" when hit, however, this doesn't happen at the sourspot. It also causes a flame effect.
Final Smash	Critical Hit	20% (hit 1), 1% (hits 2-41), 20% (hit 42) (80% total)	Roy starts his attack similarly to Marth's, where he brings his blade back and charges. However, unlike Marth's version, he unleashes a large column of fire, which is strikingly similar to Entei's Fire Spin attack. Usually a One-hit KO. Like Marth, using it in the air without any intervening terrain will cause Roy to self-destruct (which can be avoided by pressing an attack button). The Final Smash is somewhat cinematic, causing the camera to focus directly on to Roy if he connects the attack.

In competitive play

Notable players

•  EclipseKirby
•  Lunchables
•  NinjaLink
•  Sethlon
•  Shokio
•  Smash G0D
•  Pitzer
•  Yono

Alternate costumes

Roy retains his costumes from Melee, with the addition of two new costumes, although they were touched to match the more realistic environment of Brawl.

PMDT has confirmed on their Twitter account that Roy will have an alternate costume based off his appearance in Fire Emblem: Awakening in a future version of Project M.

Roy's alternate costumes in PM

• Default: Based off Roy's design in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, although with a purple cape.
• Green: Based off the "other" units in Fire Emblem games.
• Red: Based off the "enemy" units in Fire Emblem games.
• Blue: Based off the "player" unit in Fire Emblem games. This costume was touched up from Melee, now matching up his appearance in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.
• Gold
• Black: A "dark" costume.
• Purple: A costume added in version 3.5. The color scheme makes a reference to his appearance in Fire Emblem: Awakening.

Trivia

• Roy was the first Clone Engine character to be announced for Project M.
• Roy's SFX are of a significantly lower quality than those featured in Melee, although an unofficial patch proved that this was unnecessary for the official release.
• Unlike Mewtwo, Roy does not have a specific Wii Remote select sound; it is nothing more than a generic, metal clanking sound.
• The voice clip from Roy's up taunt comes from one of his victory quotes in Melee.
  • This voice clip, while rerecorded, would go on to be used in one of Roy's taunts in Smash 4. However, this is a coincidence.
• Being a clone engine character, there are some slightly odd cases with Roy's voice clips during battle:
  • Roy's voice is heard when he is in his Metal form. He shares this distinction with Mewtwo.
  • Prior to the v3.6 Beta, Roy's sound effects replaced Duon's, resulting in atypical behaviour when fighting it. His sound effects are now shared with Marth.

Roy's congratulations screen in Project M

• Roy is still missing his sheathe, because the PMDT stated that there would be file size and clipping issues. However, unofficial patches exist, which do not have the filesize issues (before Brawlbox gained a model optimizer, they could have crashed) and the sheathe clips roughly as much as those of other existing characters on Project M's roster.
• Like Mewtwo, anything that would normally be exclusive to Roy (namely, trophies and a codec conversation) is replaced with that of Mario's.
  • This includes his Congratulations video, but interestingly, not his congratulations screen (as he has his own).
  • In addition, when accessing replays in Brawl, Roy shows up as Mario.
• If Roy is under the effects of a Turbo and performs his neutral air right after using Blazer on a large character such as Bowser, Roy will launch high up into the air.
• Roy is one of the only two characters to have two spikes rather than just one; the other is Donkey Kong.

External links

• Project M character page
• Frame Data