Ness (SSBM)/Forward smash

Overview[edit]

Hitbox of Ness' forward smash.

Ness brings out a baseball bat and swings it. This attack deals high knockback and the most damage of any single-hit forward smash when tipped but it is among the weakest at its innermost point. The attack is unique among forward smashes that it can reflect projectiles when timed correctly. The move does more damage the further away the opponent is, with a reasonably fast hitbox; the reflection aspect mostly goes unused in competitive play due to the lag afterwards as well as the reflector's low range and short duration. While it is often recognized as the worse reflector in the game, it is also considered one of the best forward smashes in the game due to its decent speed, good range, high disjoint, and high power in all but the sourest of hits. It sees frequent use in competitive play for a move of its class for it subtle rear-back and its ability to whiff-punish, especially during a pivot.