Desynching

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This article or section may require competitive expertise. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Hasn't got any Brawl or Ultimate data and hasn't been updated since February 2019. Rosalina & Luma desyncs could also be worth adding. (August 2020). You can discuss this issue on the talk page or edit this page to improve it.

This article or section may require additional technical data. The editor who added this tag elaborates: General technical data regarding desyncs, explanations, data for Melee, Brawl and Ultimate. A table of desync possibilities could be handy, as well as more technical data. (August 2020) You can discuss this issue on the talk page or edit this page to improve it.

For information on the abnormality that can be seen in online matches, see Online desynchronization.

"Continuous desynch," as demonstrated in MICH's SmashBoards signature.

Desynching is an advanced Ice Climbers technique that involves separating the two Ice Climbers' states and controlling them individually.

Principles

While it may seem the Ice Climbers act simultaneously when performing an action, Nana actually has a several frame delay. Desynching relies on taking advantage of this frame delay by using specific means, most commonly done during grabs to allow Nana to attack a captive opponent or regrab them, but the Ice Climbers can be desynched out of many attacks, allowing the player to perform an attack, move, jump, or wavedash with either Nana or Popo, whilst inputting a different command to the other Ice Climber.

Due to changes to the Ice Climbers in Ultimate, however, Nana no longer attacks along with Popo, thus invalidating this specific maneuver.

Methods of desynching

For simplicity, the main and parter climbers will be referred to as Popo and Nana, respectively.

• Seperation: When the Ice Climbers are apart from each other (most commonly seperated by an attack on Nana), A.I. will assume control of Nana and guide her back to Popo. During this time, she will not perform any inputs until she is within a certain proximity to Popo.

• Spot dodge: A common way to initiate desynching. In the middle of the spot dodge animation, for example, holding the Special Move button will cause Nana to perform Ice Shot as soon as the animation ends. During Ice Shot's animation, Popo is free to act independently from her.

The application of spot dodge desynching has changed in Ultimate and is more difficult to perform. As soon as the frame for Popo's spot dodge concludes, there is a 1 frame window where Popo can initiate an action. During this time, Nana can be given another action to do in the meantime.

• Pummel: While Popo is in the middle of pummeling the opponent, Nana can act during the middle of the animation with any kind of input. This method is used for initiating wobbling.

• Dash dance: Similar to fox-trotting, the Control Stick must be centered before the start of each dash.

• Empty short-hop: Takes advantage of Nana's landing lag. Initiated by short-hopping, fast falling, and then short-hopping again. The moment Nana lands after the the fast fall is when the second short-hop should be done. If done correctly, Popo will be able to jump by himself while Nana incurs landing lag, staying on the ground.

• Turning forward tilt: Using forward tilt in the opposite-facing diretion will cause Popo to forward tilt and Nana to jab. The different speeds between the moves allow for desynching. Can also be done while wavedashing.

• Continuous desynch: As demonstrated in Two Climbers, Two Hands, it is a technique and strategy which involves keeping the Climbers desynced for extended periods of time. In addition to making the Climbers much more powerful offensively, they also become harder to approach with continuous desynch. Due to the extreme difficulty of timing and maintaining a continuous string of attacks, the in-combat potential of this approach is clearly substantial, but largely untapped.

There are 2 rules when keeping the Ice Climbers continuously desynched:

1. Avoid having Popo use Blizzard; it will end the desynching process.
2. Always wavedash with Popo in order to move both of the Ice Climbers around.

• Pivot: A fairly difficult method of desynching to perform, as there is a 1 frame window to use any standing move from a pivot. If Popo performs a smash during said frame, it will come out seperate from Nana.

• Retreating pivot: Similar to the pivot desync, but with both sticks being inputted simultaneously.

• Advancing pivot: A variation of the pivot desync. Upon turning around, the C Stick is inputted the opposite direction.

• Nana platform: The Ice Climbers jump under a soft platform and air dodge, so that only Nana lands and wavedashes off of the platform. The air dodge should he done when Popo is halfway through the platform.

• Perfect Shielding: Due to the frame delay for which Nana initiates an input, shielded moves can incur shieldlag for her, allowing an ample opportunity for desynching inputs.

• Aerial autocancel: Nana's jump height, gravity, and falling speed differ from Popo. Due to this, she can avoid suffering landing lag that Popo would otherwise suffer himself. By buffering 2 aerials back-to-back from a short-hop, Nana will briefly desync from Popo until he recovers from his aerial lag. The following aerial strings can initiate the desync:
  

• Up Aerial + Up Aerial
• Up Aerial + Back Aerial
• Up Aerial + Neutral Aerial
• Back Aerial + Up Aerial
• Back Aerial + Back Aerial
• Back Aerial + Neutral Aerial

• Aerial Landing: When landing in the middle of a synchronized aerial, buffering an additional move a couple frames before landing will have Nana act with said buffered move.

For example, if the player was to fall through a soft platform and use the neutral aerial, by buffering Blizzard before landing on the ground, Nana will use Blizzard as soon as the Ice Climbers both land.

• Empty hop: Not to be confused with the above "Empty Short-Hop". Right before landing with both Ice Climbers, if a move is buffered, Nana wil perform said move immediately upon landing. Compared to the "Aerial Landing" method, Popo will not suffer aerial lag. This method is much more difficult to perform.

• Throw: During the down throw animation when Popo slams the opponent on the ground and the shockwave flashes green, there is a 3 frame window to buffer a move with Nana.

• Turnaround / Skid: Involves dashing in one direction until the player enters run, then releasing the Control Stick to enter the skidding anination. During the skid, move the Control Stick so Popo begins to turn, and then quickly interrupt the turning animation with any grounded move. If done correctly, Popo should perform the move while Nana performs a short forward dash.

• Squall: Nana can perform a move by timing a buffered input at the end of Squall Hammer.

Impact

Due to the increased popularity of the Ice Climbers, desynching has quickly become a common tactic for a number of Ice Climber mains. Videos have been created solely for the purpose of demonstrating the possibilities of this technique.