Stale-move negation: Difference between revisions

'''Stale-move negation''' ({{ja|ワンパターン相殺|Wanpatān sōsai}}, ''One-pattern offsetting''), known as '''Repetition Effect''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' and '''Stale Moves''' in ''[[Ultimate]]'', is a mechanic and a gameplay element in all games in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series. It refers to how moves cause less [[damage]] and [[knockback]] as they are used multiple times in a row. The strength of a move increases back to its regular power as other moves are used. Starting in ''Melee'', being [[KO]]'d resets the staleness of all of that player's moves. Moves not yet affected by stale-move negation are referred to as '''fresh'''.

!Queue position /<br>Reduction factor!!1!!2!!3!!4!!5!!6!!7!!8!!9!! !!Fresh!!All slots<br>in total

|''Melee''||0.09||0.08||0.07||0.06||0.05||0.04||0.03||0.02||0.01|| ||&mdash;||0.45

|''Brawl''||0.1||0.09||0.08||0.07||0.06||0.05||0.04||0.03||0.02|| ||1.05||0.54

|''SSB4''||0.08||0.07594||0.06782||0.06028||0.05274||0.04462||0.03766||0.02954||0.022|| ||1.05||0.4706

|''Ultimate''||0.09||0.08545||0.07635||0.0679||0.05945||0.05035||0.04255||0.03345||0.025|| ||1.05||0.5305

As an example, if a move is in positions 1, 2, and 6 in the queue - it has been used two times in a row, and another time as the sixth-most recent move. This corresponds to adding the reductors of each position together for a total reduction. Therefore, if the move is used once more (and hits) without anything changing, it will deal a damage reduced by the amount shown below:

 

''Melee:'' 0.09 + 0.08 + 0.04 = 0.21, the total damage is 79% of the base amount.<br>

''Ultimate:'' 0.09 + 0.08545 + 0.05035 = 0.2258, the total damage is 77.42% of the base amount.

[[Reflect]]ed projectiles (whether by moves that reflect or by [[powershield]]ing) contribute to the staleness queue, applying to the defender's queue based on the projectile's move type (e.g. reflecting a Charge Shot will stale the defender's neutral special if it hits).

Stale-move negation is not applied in any [[Mode#Solo|one-player]] modes except for the [[Home-Run Contest]] (including [[Training]], which initially confused those trying to test the effect); however, it is still present in the fights against {{SSBB|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBB|Toon Link}}, and {{SSBB|Wolf}} in [[The Subspace Emissary]].

Unlike in ''Melee'', stale-move negation affects knockback calculations. Since the damage of a hitbox is a main component in the knockback formula, this results in significant knockback loss as an attack is staled. The damage required to KO as a move is staled rises well beyond the damage dealt by it; the effect is so severe that a move that would normally KO well under 150% fresh will be unable to KO at damages over 300% if fully staled. The effect it has on KO moves means players must actively preserve the use of their primary KO moves, especially if their character has limited KO options, or else they will find themselves unable to KO opponents if they repeatedly use their KO moves without effectively refreshing them with usage of other moves. For setup moves and [[chain throw]]s, the severe knockback reduction can be desirable, as it'll allow the moves to combo/chain well beyond what they normally would, and thus staling of these moves can be beneficial if exploited this way.

In ''Ultimate'', a major change to stale-move negation is that it applies when hitting a shield, which in previous games had no effect on the staleness queue. However, moves that stale on shield have the reductor in their queue position reduced to 0.85×, including if perfect shielded, meaning that hitting shields is 15% less punishing on a move's final damage reduction for that spot in the queue.<ref>https://twitter.com/Meshima_/status/1078340842169950208</ref>

Transformations no longer reset the queue, as in ''Melee''. As such, the staleness queue is now fully shared between {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}'s three Pokémon, unlike in ''Brawl''. {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}} also fully share their staleness queue as well, similarly to Zelda and Sheik in ''Melee''.

Otherwise, the staleness system is generally unchanged from ''SSB4'', but slightly stronger reductors have increased maximum staleness to 0.4695x. In addition, there is now an option in [[Training Mode]] to toggle stale moves (as well as [[rage]]) on and off, as opposed to previous games, where no such option was present. Moves will enter the queue even if the option is disabled, but will still deal their base damage in this case.

*[[Taunt]]s excluding [[Kazuya]]’s side taunt, Demon’s Wrath.

In ''Brawl'' onward, stale-move negation does not apply to any single-player mode outside of the [[Home-Run Contest]] (except ''Ultimate''{{'}}s [[Training Mode]], if Stale Moves is turned on). It additionally does not apply in the [[Online Practice Stage]], and the testing mode in [[customization]]. In the single-player and practice area cases, the freshness bonus is also ignored, so attacks always do their base damage.