Metagame

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*{{SSB4|Bowser}} was considered by some to be one of the best characters in the game prior to the Wii U version, due to his superior strength, weight, and surprisingly quick attacks. This was due to players' inexperience as well as the 3DS controls being less apt in general for high-level play, thus favoring characters with better raw stats. It was not long after the Wii U release that Bowser's weaknesses really began to show through, notably his abysmal landing options and inconsistent KOing ability. His perception thus declined sharply, now placing roughly in the middle tier, which is likely because of version [[List of updates (SSB4)/1.1.3 changelog|1.1.3]], where Bowser received a powerful combo tool by greatly reducing knockback dealt by his up-thow, allowing him to rack up damage and KO opponents with greater safety and consistency, which made his play style overall more rewarding.

*{{SSB4|Meta Knight}}, obviously heavily nerfed from his dominance in ''Brawl'', was initially considered to be a shadow of his former self, and was generally considered unviable, with commonly given reasons being his short range and weak KOing ability (the latter of which is considered moot now). However, due largely to new strategies developed with him, most famously the optimization of his devastating up aerial combos, and along with significant patch buffs, he rose back up to prominence, currently placing high in the tier list, and while not nearly as dominant as in ''Brawl,'' he eventually earned his status as one of the best characters in the game. After receiving nerfs to his infamous up aerial in update [[1.1.5]], opinions on Meta Knight have begun to fall again, with him no longer being among the best characters in the community's view, though he is still regarded more highly than he was in the early metagame.

*{{SSB4|Sheik}}, with the heavy nerfs to Diddy Kong, came to be universally accepted as the best character in the game with her swift movement and frame data, fantastic projectile, versatile combos, long recovery, and reliable KO set-ups off of her throws, culminating in her ranking at the very top of the first official [[tier list]], but not long after, she was significantly nerfed in patch 1.1.5, which notably removed her main KO set-ups off of her down and forward throws. Currently, many players no longer consider her the best character, though she is still generally agreed to hold up as a top-tier, as she continues to gain great results and is well-represented.

*{{SSB4|Luigi}} was a very prominent character in low- and mid-level play, largely thanks to his effective projectile and his down throw, the latter of which led into highly damaging combos and guaranteed KO set-ups, and he was further aided by balance patches for a while. However, updates [[1.1.0]] and [[1.1.1]] nerfed him; the former patch increased the lag on his [[Fireballs]], while the latter patch more importantly increased the knockback on his down throw, removing his KO set-ups, and the [[shield stun]] changes brought about by the same update hindered him due to his very poor [[traction]]. He went on to be ranked at 16th on the official tier list, in upper-mid tier, whereas he was considered a contender for top 10 prior to his nerfs.

*{{SSB4|Cloud}} was viewed as a viable high-tier at first, because, while his long range, good frame data, great mobility, damage output, and [[Limit Break]] were all noted as clear advantages, many players cited his exploitable [[recovery]] as a weakness that would prevent him from competing consistently, and this was reflected in his ranking at 12th on the tier list, at the lower end of the high-tier. However, after gaining noteworthy results from the likes of {{Sm|Komorikiri}}, {{Sm|Tweek}}, and {{Sm|Mew2King}}, as well as among the best, if not the best results at all levels of play, and with the heavier nerfs that Sheik received in update 1.1.5, Cloud is widely considered a top-tier character at this point in time, though some such as Mew2King believe that he should be a bit lower while others believe that he's easily somewhere around top 5 in the game.

*{{SSB4|Marth}}, for more than a year, was regarded rather poorly due to heavy nerfs coming from ''Brawl,'' which included his shorter reach relative to the cast, slower frame data (particular with his renowned forward aerial), worsened damage output, and much less effective grab combos. He eventually ranked at 41st on the tier list, in low-tier, a huge drop from his placings in previous games. However, as of patch [[1.1.4]], Marth has been significantly buffed in frame data, damage output, and range, and while he is still not quite as good as he was in ''Brawl,'' he is generally considered a solid mid-tier, especially with notable results from {{Sm|Pugwest}} and {{Sm|Mr.E}}.

*{{SSB4|Roy}} was a high tier and best sword-fighter in the eyes of many players (including {{Sm|ZeRo}}) at his release. This was largely because players would often draw comparisons between Roy and Marth, who was surrounded by a negative stigma at the time, along with the notable buffs Roy received to his mobility, damage output, and power in the transition from ''Melee.'' However, Roy has so far failed to attain notable results, and opinions on him have steadily dropped. With stronger performances from other sword-fighters like Meta Knight, Ike, and Marth himself, and with the inclusion of Cloud and {{SSB4|Corrin}}, Roy is perceived as a low-tier character, as is evident with his rank at 32nd on the tier list (which is generally considered too high), and to some, he is among the worst characters in the game, with the most commonly mentioned reasons being his unsafe attacks, limited combos, difficulty KOing, lackluster recovery, and vulnerability to combos.

*Though initially viewed as a mid-tier, opinions on {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} plummeted not long after its release, with many eventually regarding it as one of the worst characters in the game. Such negative opinions were generated mainly by its unusual combination of very low [[weight]] and large hurtbox, which made it highly susceptible to both combos and early KO's, its lack of a reliable combo throw, and its generally worsened frame data coming from ''Melee,'' along with Mewtwo being adversely affected by the loss of advanced techniques like [[wavedashing]] and [[L-cancelling]]. However, in updates [[1.1.3]] and 1.1.5, Mewtwo received a plethora of buffs to its mobility, frame data, range, and damage output, as well as a slight increase to its weight. Furthermore, it would gain strong results from its mains, with {{Sm|Abadango}} going as far as to win [[Pound 2016]] using mostly Mewtwo. Mewtwo's placement at 37th in the low tier of the tier list was partly a result of its previously poor status, and this is widely thought to be outdated in light of recent results. As of now, many players view Mewtwo as a high-tier character, with some believing it to be a top-tier, and with a few considering it as one of the best characters in the game. In retrospective, some players say Mewtwo's once poorly regarded status was too harsh, and that it was underrated as a whole.

*{{SSB4|Pikachu}} was highly regarded during the early meta game as a top-tier and one of the best characters in the game, thanks to its good mobility and frame data, strong combos, great recovery, and capable edge-guarding, as well as high placements by {{Sm|ESAM}}, including a close set against ZeRo. However, Pikachu's weaknesses, namely its poor KOing ability, survivability, range, and low damage output in spite of its combos, became more apparent as time went on, particularly with the rise of characters like Meta Knight and the inclusion of Cloud, Bayonetta, Corrin and {{SSB4|Ryu}}, all of whom excel at KOing, and along with the exploitation of KOing set-ups available to characters like Sheik. Pikachu has not been significantly changed by patches, while a number of characters thought to be below it, such as Ike, Marth, and previously the aforementioned Meta Knight, have been heavily buffed to the point that Pikachu has a much harder time dealing with them, as reflected by ESAM's performance in his sets against {{Sm|Ryo}} and {{Sm|Jbandrew}}. Furthermore, ESAM's results have gotten notably worse and less consistent over time, and since he is one of the only noteworthy Pikachu mains, this has hurt perceptions towards the character. Pikachu currently ranks at 5th on the tier list, and this placement has gained considerable backlash. Many don't really consider Pikachu as one of the best characters, though it is still generally accepted as a high-tier if not lower, and despite the nerfs to the more dominate characters in patch 1.1.5 and previous patches, these characters arguably still hold up and Pikachu's placement remains contested.

*Ever since her inclusion, {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} has been the source of controversy due to her highly damaging combos that can often 0-death, her infamous counter in [[Witch Time]], the surprising safety of her attacks (unlike what was mentioned in her reveal) and their large hitboxes, her ability to escape combos and pressure with [[Bat Within]], and her excellent landing options and recovery, as well as her relatively low learning curve. With the light nerfs she received in update 1.1.5 compared to Sheik, Bayonetta is now arguably the best character in the game, and the outcry towards her has only gotten louder as a result, especially with new findings that her two main combo moves, [[Witch Twist]] and [[After Burner Kick]], only account for a character's [[falling speed]] in calculating knockback and are capable of disabling [[Directional Influence]], factors that make her combos even easier to perform than initially thought. Due to this low-risk, high-reward play style, some regions have banned her from tournaments, most notably some parts of Spain. In response to this backlash, Bayonetta was the sole character affected in update 1.1.6, which nerfed her specials moves Which Twist and After Burner Kick that were used for many of her combos along with other of her options.

*{{SSB4|Ryu}} was generally perceived as a top-tier character for several months after his inclusion, with players acknowledging his excellent frame data, damaging combos, and fearsome KO power, along with an interesting neutral option in [[Focus Attack]], and such reception would lead to him ranking 4th on the tier list, just outside of the top-tier. However, Ryu's results have never been quite as good as other perceived top-tiers, and while his high learning curve was often cited as the reason, his ranking is nonetheless considered too high at this point, as his weaknesses, being his below-average mobility, a lack of a reliable combo or KO throw, short range, mediocre landing options, and predictable recovery, are now more apparent. Ryu's already middling tournament representation has been hurt with {{Sm|9B}} dropping him in favor of Bayonetta, and Cloud's dominance is a further hindrance to Ryu due to the former's long disjoints. As of now, while he is no longer considered a definitive top tier by many, he is still viewed positively as a viable high-tier.

*[[Customization]] was at first a subject of debate in the community, until a project named [[Official Custom Moveset Project]] was took into place: the goal of this project was to promote the use of custom moves in tournament play using balanced, yet viable sets of custom moves, with several tournaments starting to use this as a base. However, [[EVO 2015]] was a tournament which drew a lot of controversy, as these moves made several characters more difficult and/or annoying to ideal with, most notably {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}}, {{SSB4|Villager}}, and {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}. Due to the controversy as well as the logistical issues in setting up custom tournaments, custom special moves are currently banned from the majority of tournaments. Rules regarding {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s, which can use their custom moves without character customization enabled, are a particular point of contention; players like {{Sm|Dapuffster}} and {{Sm|GimR}} think that as the Mii Fighters are built around customization, they should be able to use any moveset even if customs are otherwise disallowed, while others think they should be limited to 1111 sets, and others like {{Sm|ESAM}} and {{Sm|MVD}} think they should be banned entirely.

*Similarly, {{SSB4|Palutena}} has also driven controversy due to her custom moves being available from the start, with some people like GimR arguing she should be able to use them. Nonetheless, as she cannot make use of them without the '''Custom Fighters''' setting turned on, most people agree she should have to fight without custom moves. As a result, it is commonly believed Palutena is one of the worst designed characters in the game due to her playstyle revolving on customs (despite not being able to use them on most game modes), and she is currently ranked as a bottom tier fighter in the tier list.

==See also==

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 *{{SSB4|Bowser}} was considered by some to be one of the best characters in the game prior to the Wii U version, due to his superior strength, weight, and surprisingly quick attacks. This was due to players' inexperience as well as the 3DS controls being less apt in general for high-level play, thus favoring characters with better raw stats. It was not long after the Wii U release that Bowser's weaknesses really began to show through, notably his abysmal landing options and inconsistent KOing ability. His perception thus declined sharply, now placing roughly in the middle tier, which is likely because of version [[List of updates (SSB4)/1.1.3 changelog|1.1.3]], where Bowser received a powerful combo tool by greatly reducing knockback dealt by his up-thow, allowing him to rack up damage and KO opponents with greater safety and consistency, which made his play style overall more rewarding.
 *{{SSB4|Meta Knight}}, obviously heavily nerfed from his dominance in ''Brawl'', was initially considered to be a shadow of his former self, and was generally considered unviable, with commonly given reasons being his short range and weak KOing ability (the latter of which is considered moot now). However, due largely to new strategies developed with him, most famously the optimization of his devastating up aerial combos, and along with significant patch buffs, he rose back up to prominence, currently placing high in the tier list, and while not nearly as dominant as in ''Brawl,'' he eventually earned his status as one of the best characters in the game. After receiving nerfs to his infamous up aerial in update [[1.1.5]], opinions on Meta Knight have begun to fall again, with him no longer being among the best characters in the community's view, though he is still regarded more highly than he was in the early metagame.
-*{{SSB4|Sheik}}, with the heavy nerfs to Diddy Kong, came to be universally accepted as the best character in the game with her swift movement and frame data, fantastic projectile, versatile combos, long recovery, and reliable KO set-ups off of her throws, culminating in her ranking at the very top of the first official [[tier list]], but not long after, she was significantly nerfed in patch 1.1.5, which notably removed her main KO set-ups off of her down and forward throws. Currently, many players no longer consider her the best character, though she is still generally agreed to hold up as a top-tier, as she continues to gain great results and is well-represented.
 *{{SSB4|Luigi}} was a very prominent character in low- and mid-level play, largely thanks to his effective projectile and his down throw, the latter of which led into highly damaging combos and guaranteed KO set-ups, and he was further aided by balance patches for a while. However, updates [[1.1.0]] and [[1.1.1]] nerfed him; the former patch increased the lag on his [[Fireballs]], while the latter patch more importantly increased the knockback on his down throw, removing his KO set-ups, and the [[shield stun]] changes brought about by the same update hindered him due to his very poor [[traction]]. He went on to be ranked at 16th on the official tier list, in upper-mid tier, whereas he was considered a contender for top 10 prior to his nerfs.
-*{{SSB4|Cloud}} was viewed as a viable high-tier at first, because, while his long range, good frame data, great mobility, damage output, and [[Limit Break]] were all noted as clear advantages, many players cited his exploitable [[recovery]] as a weakness that would prevent him from competing consistently, and this was reflected in his ranking at 12th on the tier list, at the lower end of the high-tier. However, after gaining noteworthy results from the likes of {{Sm|Komorikiri}}, {{Sm|Tweek}}, and {{Sm|Mew2King}}, as well as among the best, if not the best results at all levels of play, and with the heavier nerfs that Sheik received in update 1.1.5, Cloud is widely considered a top-tier character at this point in time, though some such as Mew2King believe that he should be a bit lower while others believe that he's easily somewhere around top 5 in the game.
 *{{SSB4|Marth}}, for more than a year, was regarded rather poorly due to heavy nerfs coming from ''Brawl,'' which included his shorter reach relative to the cast, slower frame data (particular with his renowned forward aerial), worsened damage output, and much less effective grab combos. He eventually ranked at 41st on the tier list, in low-tier, a huge drop from his placings in previous games. However, as of patch [[1.1.4]], Marth has been significantly buffed in frame data, damage output, and range, and while he is still not quite as good as he was in ''Brawl,'' he is generally considered a solid mid-tier, especially with notable results from {{Sm|Pugwest}} and {{Sm|Mr.E}}.
 *{{SSB4|Roy}} was a high tier and best sword-fighter in the eyes of many players (including {{Sm|ZeRo}}) at his release. This was largely because players would often draw comparisons between Roy and Marth, who was surrounded by a negative stigma at the time, along with the notable buffs Roy received to his mobility, damage output, and power in the transition from ''Melee.'' However, Roy has so far failed to attain notable results, and opinions on him have steadily dropped. With stronger performances from other sword-fighters like Meta Knight, Ike, and Marth himself, and with the inclusion of Cloud and {{SSB4|Corrin}}, Roy is perceived as a low-tier character, as is evident with his rank at 32nd on the tier list (which is generally considered too high), and to some, he is among the worst characters in the game, with the most commonly mentioned reasons being his unsafe attacks, limited combos, difficulty KOing, lackluster recovery, and vulnerability to combos.
 *Though initially viewed as a mid-tier, opinions on {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} plummeted not long after its release, with many eventually regarding it as one of the worst characters in the game. Such negative opinions were generated mainly by its unusual combination of very low [[weight]] and large hurtbox, which made it highly susceptible to both combos and early KO's, its lack of a reliable combo throw, and its generally worsened frame data coming from ''Melee,'' along with Mewtwo being adversely affected by the loss of advanced techniques like [[wavedashing]] and [[L-cancelling]]. However, in updates [[1.1.3]] and 1.1.5, Mewtwo received a plethora of buffs to its mobility, frame data, range, and damage output, as well as a slight increase to its weight. Furthermore, it would gain strong results from its mains, with {{Sm|Abadango}} going as far as to win [[Pound 2016]] using mostly Mewtwo. Mewtwo's placement at 37th in the low tier of the tier list was partly a result of its previously poor status, and this is widely thought to be outdated in light of recent results. As of now, many players view Mewtwo as a high-tier character, with some believing it to be a top-tier, and with a few considering it as one of the best characters in the game. In retrospective, some players say Mewtwo's once poorly regarded status was too harsh, and that it was underrated as a whole.
-*{{SSB4|Pikachu}} was highly regarded during the early meta game as a top-tier and one of the best characters in the game, thanks to its good mobility and frame data, strong combos, great recovery, and capable edge-guarding, as well as high placements by {{Sm|ESAM}}, including a close set against ZeRo. However, Pikachu's weaknesses, namely its poor KOing ability, survivability, range, and low damage output in spite of its combos, became more apparent as time went on, particularly with the rise of characters like Meta Knight and the inclusion of Cloud, Bayonetta, Corrin and {{SSB4|Ryu}}, all of whom excel at KOing, and along with the exploitation of KOing set-ups available to characters like Sheik. Pikachu has not been significantly changed by patches, while a number of characters thought to be below it, such as Ike, Marth, and previously the aforementioned Meta Knight, have been heavily buffed to the point that Pikachu has a much harder time dealing with them, as reflected by ESAM's performance in his sets against {{Sm|Ryo}} and {{Sm|Jbandrew}}. Furthermore, ESAM's results have gotten notably worse and less consistent over time, and since he is one of the only noteworthy Pikachu mains, this has hurt perceptions towards the character. Pikachu currently ranks at 5th on the tier list, and this placement has gained considerable backlash. Many don't really consider Pikachu as one of the best characters, though it is still generally accepted as a high-tier if not lower, and despite the nerfs to the more dominate characters in patch 1.1.5 and previous patches, these characters arguably still hold up and Pikachu's placement remains contested.
-*Ever since her inclusion, {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} has been the source of controversy due to her highly damaging combos that can often 0-death, her infamous counter in [[Witch Time]], the surprising safety of her attacks (unlike what was mentioned in her reveal) and their large hitboxes, her ability to escape combos and pressure with [[Bat Within]], and her excellent landing options and recovery, as well as her relatively low learning curve. With the light nerfs she received in update 1.1.5 compared to Sheik, Bayonetta is now arguably the best character in the game, and the outcry towards her has only gotten louder as a result, especially with new findings that her two main combo moves, [[Witch Twist]] and [[After Burner Kick]], only account for a character's [[falling speed]] in calculating knockback and are capable of disabling [[Directional Influence]], factors that make her combos even easier to perform than initially thought. Due to this low-risk, high-reward play style, some regions have banned her from tournaments, most notably some parts of Spain. In response to this backlash, Bayonetta was the sole character affected in update 1.1.6, which nerfed her specials moves Which Twist and After Burner Kick that were used for many of her combos along with other of her options.
-*{{SSB4|Ryu}} was generally perceived as a top-tier character for several months after his inclusion, with players acknowledging his excellent frame data, damaging combos, and fearsome KO power, along with an interesting neutral option in [[Focus Attack]], and such reception would lead to him ranking 4th on the tier list, just outside of the top-tier. However, Ryu's results have never been quite as good as other perceived top-tiers, and while his high learning curve was often cited as the reason, his ranking is nonetheless considered too high at this point, as his weaknesses, being his below-average mobility, a lack of a reliable combo or KO throw, short range, mediocre landing options, and predictable recovery, are now more apparent. Ryu's already middling tournament representation has been hurt with {{Sm|9B}} dropping him in favor of Bayonetta, and Cloud's dominance is a further hindrance to Ryu due to the former's long disjoints. As of now, while he is no longer considered a definitive top tier by many, he is still viewed positively as a viable high-tier.
-*[[Customization]] was at first a subject of debate in the community, until a project named [[Official Custom Moveset Project]] was took into place: the goal of this project was to promote the use of custom moves in tournament play using balanced, yet viable sets of custom moves, with several tournaments starting to use this as a base. However, [[EVO 2015]] was a tournament which drew a lot of controversy, as these moves made several characters more difficult and/or annoying to ideal with, most notably {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}}, {{SSB4|Villager}}, and {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}. Due to the controversy as well as the logistical issues in setting up custom tournaments, custom special moves are currently banned from the majority of tournaments. Rules regarding {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s, which can use their custom moves without character customization enabled, are a particular point of contention; players like {{Sm|Dapuffster}} and {{Sm|GimR}} think that as the Mii Fighters are built around customization, they should be able to use any moveset even if customs are otherwise disallowed, while others think they should be limited to 1111 sets, and others like {{Sm|ESAM}} and {{Sm|MVD}} think they should be banned entirely.
-*Similarly, {{SSB4|Palutena}} has also driven controversy due to her custom moves being available from the start, with some people like GimR arguing she should be able to use them. Nonetheless, as she cannot make use of them without the '''Custom Fighters''' setting turned on, most people agree she should have to fight without custom moves. As a result, it is commonly believed Palutena is one of the worst designed characters in the game due to her playstyle revolving on customs (despite not being able to use them on most game modes), and she is currently ranked as a bottom tier fighter in the tier list.
 ==See also==