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Armor: Difference between revisions

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(→‎In Super Smash Bros. 4: Even when crouch cancelling, Bowser will still flinch if he takes more than 19 units of knockback.)
 
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{{Technical data|Some moves still need the exact frames their armor is active for.}}
[[File:CH_SA_demo1.jpg|thumb|200px|{{SSBB|Ike}}'s super armor from his [[Aether]] move. Notice how Ike didn't take any knockback from {{SSBB|Marth}}'s [[Critical Hit]], which is an invariable [[OHKO]] under standard circumstances.]]  
[[File:CH_SA_demo1.jpg|thumb|200px|{{SSBB|Ike}}'s super armor from his [[Aether]] move. Notice how Ike didn't take any knockback from [[Critical Hit]], which is an invariable [[OHKO]] under standard circumstances.]]  
'''Armor''' (spelled '''armour''' in the PAL version of ''Smash Smash Bros. 4''), also called '''flinch resistance''' or '''[[knockback]] resistance''', is an effect of certain moves or actions in all ''Super Smash Bros.'' games. It was first introduced through {{SSB|Kirby}}'s [[Stone]] move.


'''Armor''' ([[PAL]] English '''armour''') , also called '''launch resistance''', '''[[knockback]] resistance''', '''super armor''' (for infinite knockback resistance), or '''heavy armor''' (for finite knockback resistance), is an effect of certain moves or actions in all ''Super Smash Bros.'' games. When a character has super armor, they will generally not [[flinch]] nor take any knockback when attacked by a harmful hitbox; while heavy armor also provides protection from attacks, a sufficiently strong attack can still deal more damage or knockback than the heavy armor can sustain, and cause the character to receive full knockback. Most types of armor only affect knockback and the attack's full [[damage]] is still taken; however, both {{SSB4|Kirby}}'s [[Stone]] and {{SSB4|Ryu}}'s [[Focus Attack]] grant damage-based heavy armor that reduces the damage taken to half (or negates damage entirely in ''Brawl'' in the case of Stone), and [[Mega Charizard X|two]] [[Mega Lucario|Final Smashes]] grant super armor with the same damage reduction. Armor can also be known as '''light armor''' if it only protects against extremely weak low-knockback attacks, such as [[jab]]s or individual hits of multi-hitting attacks.
Armor is the concept of sustaining hitlag and damage, but not sustaining any [[knockback]] or sustaining reduced [[knockback]]. Most instances of armor have full [[damage]] taken; however there are exceptions. Some instances of armor, such as {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}'s [[Long-Stem Strike]] or [[Mega Charizard X]], can reduce what is taken during knockback calculation. [[Grab]] hitboxes ignore all variations of armor. This is not to be confused with [[invincibility]] or [[intangibility]], mechanics where characters are hit, but sustain no damage or knockback at all; in the case of invincibility, the hitbox connects and thus hitlag is sustained, while in the case of intangibility the hitbox does nothing.  


The [[Metal Box]] offers knockback resistance in that 30 knockback units will be subtracted from the total knockback taken. Combined with the increased weight, the fighter will never flinch if the total knockback taken is less than or equal to 0. However, the knockback resistance is ignored if the fighter is hit by an attack that has the [[bury]] effect.
==Types of armor==
===Super armor===
[[File:DKPunchArmorSSBB.gif|thumb|300px|{{SSBB|Donkey Kong}} using [[Giant Punch]]'s armor to beat a fully charged [[Super Scope]].]]
When a character has '''super armor''', or '''infinite knockback resistance''', they will not [[flinch]] nor take any knockback when attacked by a harmful hitbox, but flinchless hitboxes (like "windboxes") will still move the character. All [[boss]]es except [[Giga Bowser]] in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' and [[Master Core]]'s doppelganger form in ''Smash 4'' use this trait or an equivalent. However, they also cannot be [[grab]]bed, removing the main form of counterplay to armor itself.  


There are two unrelated phenomena with similar effects; one is known as [[faux super armor]], which occurs when two characters are hit with the same hitbox while one has the other in a grab. Whoever has higher controller [[port priority]] takes full damage but only flinching slightly from the attack, while the other takes full damage and full knockback. The other phenomenon is called grab armor; in ''Brawl'', when a grab connects with a character that also has an active hitbox, the character that attempted the grab takes the full damage from the hitbox but not the knockback, giving the illusion that grabs have launch resistance, though this will only occur if the grab actually connects with the other character's hurtbox, and in both previous games, the same character would not have taken the damage. In ''Smash 4'', this situation is reversed; the character that attempted the grab will now take full damage and knockback from the hitbox, and the other character will simply be [[grab release]]d and take 3% damage (or more if the grab came from a special move and the grab itself dealt damage, like the beginning of [[Falcon Dive]]).
Super armor has been given to a variety of moves, with no true definition in terms of consistency. It has been given to some fast attacks and even grabs, such as {{SSBU|Charizard}}'s [[Fly]] and {{SSBU|Little Mac}}'s [[KO Uppercut]], respectively. Many [[Final Smash]] transformations, such as [[Mega Lucario]] or {{b|Giga Bowser|Final Smash}}, also grant passive super armor. Some attacks may also give an opponent super armor to prevent animations from being interrupted, like Mario's [[Cape]] in ''Melee'', ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'', and Ganondorf's [[Flame Choke]] in ''Brawl''.  


[[Grab]] hitboxes ignore all variations of armor. All [[boss]]es except [[Giga Bowser]] in ''Melee'' and [[Master Core]]'s doppelganger form in ''Smash 4'' cannot flinch or be knocked back at all, similar to the effects of super armor.
Most moves that use super armor are slow to offset the power of the mechanic, making them easily avoided. However, it isn't uncommon for them to deal significant shield damage as well, such as Little Mac's low angled forward smash. Some can also outright break shields, such as [[Warlock Punch]] when reversed. However, most moves with super armor are also very unsafe on shield, especially with [[perfect shield]]s factored in, giving them an inherent form of counterplay. Some moves using super armor also have inherent drawbacks programmed in, such as {{SSBU|Kazuya}}'s [[Rage Drive]] depleting his Rage mechanic if it misses and only being usable once per stock if it connects.  


==In ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==
''Smash 4'' introduced numerous Custom Specials with super armor as alternatives to the default ones. Some of these were extremely quick or lasted long lengths of time, such as [[Volatile Breathing]] and [[Stubborn Headbutt]]. Custom Specials also allowed characters such as {{SSB4|Toon Link}} to access armor when they otherwise wouldn't, in this case with [[Flying Spin Attack]].
[[File:YoshiDJResistanceSSB64.gif|thumb|{{SSB|Yoshi}} double jumping through an attack.]]
Armor is not an established mechanic in the first two games. In both games, launch resistance is limited to Yoshi's [[double jump cancel counter]] and [[crouch cancel]]ing, neither of which are infinite. The difficulty setting on the single player modes (and [[event]]s in ''Melee'') alters launch resistance for both the player's character and the CPU characters, with the player's character taking more knockback and the CPUs taking less knockback as the difficulty setting increases. Adjusting the handicap levels in the multiplayer modes in ''Melee'' has the same effect.


According to [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/Lv11.html the Japanese Super Smash Bros. website], Yoshi's double jump resistance works by subtracting 120 units from the knockback that would have been delivered, with Yoshi not flinching if the result is negative, and Yoshi taking the difference in knockback if the result is positive.
===Damage-based armor===
[[File:DamageBasedArmorUlt.png|300px|thumb|{{SSBU|Snake}}'s [[Cypher]] being hit by Pichu's neutral aerial, but armoring through thanks to damage-based armor.]]
Damage-based armor was originally introduced as a HP mechanic for {{SSBB|Kirby}}'s [[Stone]], wherein it would sustain damage until it reached below a set value. This has since been dubbed "Cumulative damage-based armor". Non-cumulative damage-based armor was introduced in ''Brawl'', specifically for {{SSBU|Snake}}'s [[Cypher]]. Under the effect of damage-based armor, characters will suffer [[hitlag]] and damage, but not flinch or take knockback unless the attack deals enough [[percentage]] to go over a defined threshold. For example, {{SSBU|Byleth}}'s [[Aymr]] in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' will handle up to 30% from frame 34 onwards before it can be interrupted, but dealing above 30% will interrupt it during its duration. This mechanic isn't to be confused with [[Belly Super Armor]], a similar mechanic where {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}'s belly will protect him from attacks.  


Nana has 5 units of launch resistance by default. [https://twitter.com/kyu_puff/status/730174703776604160 Kyu Puff's tweet] on the subject shows Nana not flinching when being hit by the weak hit of Luigi's up special.
Damage-based armor is usually applied to attacks used by super-heavyweight characters such as {{SSB4|Charizard}} and {{SSBU|Bowser}} to make up for their slow but powerful attacks. Most of the time, moves with this mechanic have low percentage thresholds for breakage, usually not going above 8%. Naturally, there are exceptions to both of these rules, with characters such as the aforementioned Byleth having the mechanic applied to generally powerful attacks instead, even with high thresholds.  


==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
This mechanic isn't without its weaknesses, however. For one, many moves, such as {{SSBU|Bowser}}'s [[tilt attack]]s, have very low thresholds, making the armor completely useless in high-damage matchups, especially [[heavyweight]]s. Moves with the armor are typically very unsafe on shield or whiff, meaning they can't be used without a plan and/or spacing. The attacks also tend to have low active armor frames in comparison to others, so they cannot be used for survivability very often; there are exceptions, however, most notably {{SSBU|Little Mac}}'s [[Straight Lunge]]. All the usual weaknesses of armor also apply, with moves such as [[Crownerang]] easily having the armor ignored by [[grab]]s due to the slow nature of the attack.  
Armor was formally introduced in ''Brawl''. Several characters have moves that provide them with infinite launch resistance, usually to allow for such characters to counter attempts to disrupt the incoming attack. Some of these moves are not offensive, however, and there are a few cases of finite launch resistance, as listed below. Crouch canceling no longer affects knockback, but instead affects the amount of [[freeze frame]]s sustained.


All of the moves below have '''super armor''', unless a threshold is stated.
{{SSBU|Ryu}} and {{SSBU|Ken}}'s [[Focus Attack]]s have a unique form of damage-based armor which accumulates its threshold every frame. It also lasts for only a single hit, allowing moves with multiple hits to break it. As of ''Ultimate'', their thresholds begin at 14% and rise at 0.24% per frame, before finally capping out at 28%. Ken's armor frames also end a frame later than Ryu's<ref>[https://rubendal.github.io/ssbu/#/Character/Ryu Ryu]/[https://rubendal.github.io/ssbu/#/Character/Ken Ken], Article SpecialLw</ref>.
{{clr}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character !! Moves !! Active frames !! Notes
|-
| {{SSBB|Bowser}} || [[Giga Bowser (Final Smash)|Giga Bowser]]|| Always active ||
|-
| {{SSBB|Charizard}} || [[Fly]] || 4-15 ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | {{SSBB|Donkey Kong}} || [[Giant Punch]] || 17-18 || Grounded version only.
|-
| [[Spinning Kong]] || 10-16 || Grounded version only. If Donkey Kong leaves the ground while the super armor is active, a glitch will make the super armor last for the entire move.
|-
| [[Forward throw|Cargo throw]] || Entire duration || Donkey Kong gains knockback-based launch resistance while the opponent gains super armor. Also works while holding heavy items.
|-
| {{SSBB|Ganondorf}} || [[Flame Choke]] || 17-40 || In the grounded version, the opponent also gains super armor. In the aerial version, the opponent still gains super armor but Ganondorf does not, allowing for strange KOs in places like [[Norfair]] or [[Brinstar]] where Ganondorf will bounce off the acid, while the opponent will continue their plummet.
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSBB|Ike}} || [[Eruption]] || 6-10 || When releasing the charge.
|-
| [[Aether]] || 19-40 ||
|-
| {{SSBB|King Dedede}} || [[Super Dedede Jump]] || 23-? || <!--Couldn't get DeDeDe's moveset file to open, so end frame is unknown. Found start frame thanks to the animation files tho.-->
|-
| {{SSBB|Kirby}} || [[Stone]] || Entire duration (once transformed) || Will flinch when taking more than 29% damage while in the transformation and take the full knockback of the move that causes him to exit the transformation, but none of the damage.
|-
| {{SSBB|Olimar}} || [[Pikmin Order]] || 2-16 ||
|-
| {{SSBB|Pit}} || [[Mirror Shield]] || 4-6 || Grounded version only.
|-
| {{SSBB|Snake}} || [[Cypher]] || 8-96 || Armor ends if the move is cancelled. Will flinch to attacks that deal more than 7% damage.
|-
| {{SSBB|Squirtle}} || [[Forward smash]] || 19-22 ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSBB|Wario}} || [[Forward smash]] || 9-13 ||
|-
| [[Wario Waft]] || 5-10 || When fully charged.
|-
| {{SSBB|Yoshi}} || Midair jump || Entire duration || Yoshi retains the midair jump armor from previous games, and it can still sustain 120 units of knockback. However, instead of taking the difference in knockback if the attack is strong enough to surpass the armor, Yoshi takes the full knockback of the attack.
|}


==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', damage-based armor was distributed to a wide variety of characters. It also introduced the [[1v1 multiplier]], which causes characters to take more damage from attacks in one-on-one matches. In general, this does not alter whether an attack can break a move's armor: the extra damage taken is applied ''after'' all other calculations, including deciding whether the armor breaks. However, in the case of hitting an armored opponent more than once (or with a multi-hit attack), the higher damage dealt by previous hits may alter whether the next hit will succeed. For example:


{{incomplete|Needs exact armor threshold for Donkey Kong's Cargo Carry, and needs frame data on the items.}}
*If a move provides 15% of damage-based armor, it will protect against a move that does 14% damage, even though in the aftermath of the hit the character will now be 16.8% higher.
*If this same move were hit by two attacks of 7% each (which normally totals 14%), the armor will be broken, as the unaltered damage of the first hit (7%) is added to all damage taken so far (8.4%) to form an overpowering 15.4%. This can be put into the following equation; '''{(Sum of base damage taken from prior hits} × 1.2) + Base damage of final hit > armor threshold'''.
* Additionally, because ''Ultimate'' does not represent floating points with the 1v1 multiplier properly, armor that would fit the aforementioned equation may still break it. For example, {{SSBU|R.O.B.}}'s [[Arm Rotor]] can break {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}'s [[Crownerang]] despite dealing less than the threshold with repeated hits.


''Smash 4'' continues the trend of implementing launch resistance to certain characters, though there is more variation with the strength of armor (some negligible, some infinite, and some based on damage). Crouch canceling now acts as a combination of ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''{{'}}s version of the tactic, although the knockback sustained is only reduced to 0.85× the original value.
===Knockback-based armor===
[[File:BowserToughGuySSB4.gif|thumb|300px|{{SSB4|Bowser}} using [[Tough Guy]] in the air to armor through a specific hitbox of [[Thunder Jolt]].]]
Knockback-based armor was introduced in ''64'' as a [[fighter ability]] for {{SSB|Yoshi}}'s double jump. This mechanic is used to prevent opponents from being knocked back unless it reaches a certain threshold in units. Some forms subtract the amount from the knockback received during calculation (known as subtractive knockback-based armor), such as the aforementioned Yoshi's double jump and [[Giga Bowser]] and [[Nana]]'s ''Melee'' appearances. Others, however, follow damage-based armor's system, not sustaining knockback until the threshold is surpassed. [[Crouch cancelling]] also gives a form of knockback resistance, although in ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', this has changed to be a 0.85× knockback multiplier. Because of this, crouch cancelling improves {{SSB4|Bowser}} and {{SSBU|Kazuya}}'s Tough Guy and Tough Body abilities, respectively. The way knockback-based armor works varies by game and move. For some moves it will subtract the knockback, making the difference between the threshold and knockback received what is taken. This was covered on [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/Lv11.html the Japanese Super Smash Bros. website], covering Yoshi's double jump in ''64''. For other moves, however, it will instead have characters take full knockback when the threshold is surpassed. In these cases, knockback-based armor is separated by prefixes ''Subtractive'' and ''Non-Subtractive''.  


All of the moves below have '''super armor''', unless a threshold is stated.
This armor's nature means that its effectiveness directly correlates to the user's [[percentage]]. As they take more damage, their received knockback increases; ergo, knockback-based armor becomes harder to use as a game goes on. This also means that there will be a distinct cap on the armor in every matchup, and against characters that hit harder, such as [[heavyweight]]s, the armor can even be completely ineffective. Effects that increase knockback, such as [[rage]], will also further reduce the armor's effectiveness. Some characters can also increase their knockback by way of multipliers, such as {{SSBU|Hero}}'s [[Psyche Up]], which will assist greatly in breaking through.  
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character !! Moves !! Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSB4|Bowser}} || All animations || Bowser has universal armor that applies at all times, where he will not flinch from hitboxes that deal 19 or less units of knockback. Referred to as "Tough Guy" in the [[tips]]. This armor can be used alongside crouch cancelling to give Bowser an increased range of when this armor will work, especially when paired with items like the [[Super Mushroom]] and [[Metal Box]]. However, Bowser loses the crouching bonus once he [[crawl]]s or initiates any other action.
|-
| {{b|Giga Bowser|Final Smash}} || Giga Bowser retains the infinite knockback resistance from ''Brawl''.
|-
| rowspan="3" | {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}} || [[Clown Kart Dash]] || During the move it possesses heavy armor up to 7% damage. However this armor only affects hitboxes that touch only the Kart's hurtbox; any hitbox that touches the Koopaling's hurtbox will completely ignore the armor and hit as normal.
|-
|[[Grounding Dash]] || Starting from frame 1 it possesses super armor, with it ending after frame 31, and it still has this super armor range if initiated while airborne.
|-
|[[Meteor Ejection]] || Possesses super armor during the startup of the move, from frames 9 to 20.
|-
| rowspan="1" | {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}} || [[Heavy Raptor Boost]] || For both the grounded and aerial versions, when Falcon initiates the attack phase of the move, it possesses super armor throughout the entirety of it, during frames 1 to 17 after initiation. The dashing phase however has no sort of armor at all.
|-
| rowspan="8" | {{SSB4|Charizard}} || [[Flare Blitz]] || During the charging forward phase, starting from frame 23 and lasting until after frame 53, Charizard has heavy armor which ignores hitboxes that deal up to 14% damage. A hitbox that deals more than 14% will ignore the armor and launch Charizard with its usual knockback. Once Charizard comes in contact with a hurtbox or any other obstacle and initiates the explosion phase, this armor deactivates.
|-
| [[Blast Burn]] || Same 14% heavy armor as Flare Blitz during its charging forward phase, except it starts on frame 28.
|-
| [[Fly]] || During the move's start-up and initial hitboxes like in ''Brawl'',  it possesses super armor starting on frame 4 and ending after frame 15, ending one frame before its second set of hitboxes comes out.
|-
| [[Rising Cyclone]] || Like Fly, but its super armor starts later and covers a stricter range, staring on frame 13 and ending after frame 18, also ending one frame before it second set of hitboxes come out.
|-
| [[Fly High]] || Despite lacking any sort of hitboxes, the move still possesses super armor like Charizard's other up specials, from frames 11 to 19.
|-
| [[Rock Smash]] || Possesses super armor during the move's start-up, starting from frame 5 and ending after frame 23, one frame before the first hitbox comes out. The armor does not activate if the boulder is broken before Charizard headbutts it.
|-
| [[Rock Hurl]] || Like Rock Smash, except the super armor starts on frame 1 and ends after frame 20, one frame before its first hitbox comes out.
|-
| [[Mega Charizard X]] || For the entire duration Charizard is transformed it possesses super armor, while sustaining half damage from attacks.
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSB4|Dark Pit}} || [[Electroshock Arm]] || Possesses super armor during a portion of the beginning charge, from frames 11 to 26, for both the grounded and aerial versions, while the super armor is lost the instant it initiates the attack phase.
|-
| [[Electrocut Arm]] || During the readying phase of the move, it possesses super armor from frames 7 to 40 after initiation. Upon activation of the attack phase, it has super armor during 1 to 8 frames after activation, ending as its hitboxes cease. The aerial version possesses the same super armor durations.
|-
| rowspan="5" | {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}} ||| [[Forward throw|Cargo throw]] || Gains knockback-based heavy armor while carrying the opponent or heavy object (i.e. boxes, crates etc.).
|-
| [[Giant Punch]] || When fully charged, the move possesses super armor as Donkey Kong unleashes the punch, when his arm is moving forward just before and during the punch, from frames 11 to 20. If used while airborne it still possesses super armor but in a stricter range, from frames 17 to 20.
|-
| [[Stubborn Headbutt]] || The move possesses super armor starting from frame 1, and lasts through its entire startup and a bit through its endlag, ending after frame 54. It possesses the same super armor range if initiated while airborne.
|-
| [[Spinning Kong]] || If initiated on the ground, DK gains super armor when he pulls back and just before he starts spinning, from frames 8 to 17, ending 2 frames before its first hitbox comes out. If initiated in the air it possesses no sort of armor at all.
|-
| [[Kong Cyclone]] || When initiated on the ground it possesses super armor from the 2nd hit in front until shortly before the last 2-3 swings, from frames 20 to 45. If initiated in the air it still possesses super armor, though it activates faster with a stricter range, from frames 15 to 35.
|-
| rowspan="4" | {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} || [[Warlock Punch]] || When initiated on the ground, the move will have super armor until Ganondorf begins his punch forward during most of its startup, with Warlock Punch having super armor from frames 11 to 66, ending four frames before its hitboxes comes out. While in earlier versions of the game the reverse variation had no armor, [[List of updates (SSB4)/1.1.3 changelog#Ganondorf|version 1.1.3]] added super armor to it, albeit in a stricter range; super armor covers frames 21 to 68 for reverse Warlock Punch, ending 22 frames before its hitboxes come out. Neither variation has any sort of armor if initiated while Ganon is airborne, even if Ganondorf lands on the ground before punching.
|-
| [[Warlock Blade]] || Its super armor works similarly to Warlock Punch, except it has super armor from frames 8 to 52, ending one frame before its [[windbox]] comes out and eight frames before its hitboxes, while when reversed it has super armor from frames 11 to 54, ending nine frames before its windbox comes out and sixteen frames before its hitboxes. Also just like Warlock Punch, the reverse variation had no armor in pre-1.1.3 versions of the game, and neither variation has armor if the move is initiated while Ganondorf is airborne.
|-
| [[Flame Choke]]/[[Flame Wave]] || In the grounded versions, when Ganondorf has someone grabbed, he and the opponent possesses super armor starting from frame 17 of the grabbing phase, and it ends after frame 40 for Flame Choke, while Flame Wave's ends 1 frame later at frame 42.
|-
| [[Dark Fists]] || Possesses super armor during the startup of the move, from frames 6 to 16, with it ending the frame after its first hitbox comes out.
|-
| rowspan="5" | {{SSB4|Ike}} || | [[Eruption]]/[[Furious Eruption]] || Only gains super armor 3/4 to fully charged, with the super armor activating during 6 to 10 frames after the special button released, ending 1 frame before its first hitbox comes out.
|-
| [[Tempest]] || Its super armor works the same as Eruption's, except it has super armor during a slightly different range of frames 5-8 after the special button is released, though still ending 1 frame before its first hitbox comes out.
|-
| [[Unyielding Blade]] || Starting from frame 15, Ike possesses super armor while charging the move. When Ike releases the move on the ground, he has super armor throughout the entirety of dashing phase starting from frame 1, until he goes into its endlag or [[helpless]] state. During the attacking phase Ike possess super armor from frames 1 to 5, ending after its hitboxes cease.
|-   
| [[Aether]]/[[Aether Drive]] || Ike gains a brief duration of super armor while his sword is thrown upwards from frames 18 to 21.
|-
| [[Aether Wave]] || Like Aether it briefly has super armor when Ike is throwing his sword upwards, from frames 12 to 15. It also possesses super armor when Ike lands on the ground with it, starting from the first frame Ike lands and ending 15 frames later.
|-
| rowspan="4" | {{SSB4|King Dedede}} || [[Super Dedede Jump]]|| Just like in ''Brawl'', it has super armor during the rising phase of the move, until Dedede reaches the apex of his jump, from frames 26 to 32. Also has some duration of super armor after Dedede starts descending upon its first descent hitbox activating, from frames 73 to 80. Both durations of super armor end the instant Dedede lands with the move or cancels it.
|-
| [[Rising Dedede]] || Like Dedede Jump it has super armor during the rising phase of the move, though it activates slightly faster, starting on frame 23 and ending after frame 27, which also covers some of the range it possesses hitboxes. The super armor ends the instant Dedede cancels the move.
|-
| [[Quick Dedede Jump]] || Like Dedede Jump it has super armor during the rising phase though it activates drastically faster, being active from frames 3 to 8. It also similarly has super armor upon when Dedede first begins his descent, from frames 25 to 33. Both durations of super armor end the instant Dedede lands with the move or cancels it.
|-
| [[Armored Jet Hammer]] || From the first frame Dedede starts charging the move, it has super armor until Dedede unleashes the move or is interrupted by other means, regardless of if he is on the ground or in the air. Once Dedede releases the move and it's not fully charged, it has super armor from frames 1 to 10 after release, ending five frames before its first hitbox comes out. If Dedede released while the move was fully charged, it has super armor from frames 1 to 12 after release, ending the frame before its first hitbox comes out. These same super armor durations apply to releasing the move while airborne.
|-
| rowspan="4" | {{SSB4|Kirby}} || Copied moves || If Kirby copies any neutral specials that possess armor, the armor of Kirby's copied equivalent will function exactly the same.
|-
| [[Hammer Flip]] || When fully charged, it'll have super armor during its swing, from frames 11 to 13 after release, ending two frames after its hitbox comes out.
|-
| [[Giant Hammer]] || Once Kirby begins charging the move, he'll have super armor until the frame he unleashes it or until he is interrupted by other means. If he releases the move while fully charged, super armor will activate from frames 5 to 13 after release, ending two frames after  its hitbox comes out.
|-
| [[Stone]]/[[Grounding Stone]]/[[Meteor Stone]] || Kirby possesses a unique type of damage-based heavy armor while transformed; he can sustain up to 24% damage while transformed, where he'll take no knockback from all moves regardless of how strong their knockback is, while also taking no damage and remaining transformed. Once he sustains more than a collective 24% damage per transformation however, he'll be launched as normal, while taking half the damage from the threshold-breaking hitbox.
|-
| rowspan="5" | {{SSB4|Little Mac}} || | All [[smash attack]]s || Little Mac's smash attacks all have super armor during their start-up; unangled and up-angled forward smash have super armor during frames 8-15 while the down-angled version has super armor during frames 9-15; up smash has super armor during frames 8 to 11; and down smash has super armor on frames 7 to 10 (before the first swing) and frames 15 to 17 (before the second swing).
|-
|[[Straight Lunge]]/[[Flaming Straight Lunge]] || Starting from the first frame of activation, Little Mac gains 8% heavy armor during the entirety of the charging and attacking phase of the move, until he goes into the endlag of the move, regardless of if it's on the ground or airborne.
|-
| [[KO Uppercut]] || The grounded version has a brief duration of super armor from frames 8 to 9, the frame its first hitbox comes out. The aerial version has no sort of armor at all.
|-
| [[Guard Breaker]] || During the jumping forward phase of the move, it has super armor from frames 12 to 34. When the attacking phase is activated, it has super armor during frames 1 to 17 after activation. Both instances of super armor function the same for both the grounded and aerial versions.
|-
| [[Giga Mac]] || Little Mac possesses super armor for the entire duration he is transformed.
|-
| {{SSB4|Lucario}} || [[Mega Lucario]] || Lucario possesses super armor for the entire duration he is transformed, while taking half damage.
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSB4|Mii Brawler}} || [[Ultimate Uppercut]] || If released on the ground, it possesses brief super armor during frames 10 to 12 after release if it wasn't fully charged, ending the frame after its first hitbox comes out. If fully charged, it has super armor from frames 7 to 14, ending three frames after its first hitbox comes out. If initiated while airborne, it has no sort of armor at all regardless of how much it was charged.
|-
| [[Exploding Side Kick]] || A bit before the kick is released, it possesses super armor during frames 40 to 53, ending after its hitboxes cease. If reversed, it has super armor during frames 48 to 61, also ending after its hitboxes cease. The aerial version possesses the same super armor duration for both variations.
|-
| {{SSB4|Olimar}} || [[Pikmin Order]] || Like ''Brawl'' it possesses super armor, though for a shorter duration, from frames 6 to 12.
|-
| {{SSB4|Pac-Man}} || [[Power Pellet]]/[[Distant Power Pellet]]/[[Enticing Power Pellet]] || After Pac-Man eats the Power Pellet, he has super armor until he enters the move's ending lag.
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSB4|Pit}} || [[Upperdash Arm]] || Possesses super armor during a portion of the beginning charge, from frames 11 to 26, for both the grounded and aerial versions, while the super armor is lost the instant it initiates the attack phase.
|-
| [[Interception Arm]] || During the readying phase of the move, it possesses super armor from frames 7 to 40 after initiation. Upon activation of the attack phase, it has super armor during 1 to 8 frames after activation, ending as its hitboxes cease. The aerial version possesses the same super armor durations.
|-
| {{SSB4|Roy}} || [[Blazer]] || When initiated while grounded, it has super armor during its startup from frames 4 to 10, ending the frame after its first hitbox comes out. It has no sort of armor if it's activated while airborne however.
|-
| {{SSB4|Ryu}} || [[Focus Attack]] || While charging the attack, Ryu will be able to withstand any single hitbox that deals less than 22%-39% damage; the exact value depends on how long he has been charging Focus Attack, anywhere between frames 1 to 59, with the threshold increasing the longer he charges the move. A move that breaks this threshold will launch Ryu as normal, though he will take half damage from any hit regardless of if it broke through the armor or not. However, if he is hit again while having already withstood another hitbox, he will take the full damage and knockback of that hitbox, regardless of how weak it is.
|-
| {{SSB4|Wario}} || [[Wario Waft]] || If it is released while fully charged, Wario will possess super armor during the startup from frames 5 to 10, ending after the initial hitboxes cease.
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} || [[Volatile Breathing]] || Starting from frame 1 of the move's startup, it'll possess super armor, with the armor ending immediately upon the special button being hit again, regardless of if the attack was successfully activated or not.
|-
| [[Steady Breathing]] || Upon successfully using the move, Wii Fit Trainer will possess universal super armor for 21 frames.
|-
| {{SSB4|Yoshi}} || Midair jump || Yoshi retains the same knockback-based heavy armor from ''Brawl'' during the entire portion of his midair jump, being able to sustain up to 120 units of knockback, while Yoshi will sustain the full knockback of a hitbox that exceeds this value. The armor activates the first frame of Yoshi initiating a midair jump and lasts for 69 frames, while it deactivates the instant Yoshi initiates any attack, an airdodge, or when his midair jump is interrupted by any means.
|-
| rowspan="2" | All [[character]]s || [[Home-Run Bat]] || When the bat is about to be swung.
|-
| [[Ore Club]] || When charging and releasing a smash attack.
|}


==External references==
Knockback-based armor is polarizing in terms of viability. Being generally quite low in numbers - only really notable for [[Neutral attack|jab]]s - it rarely sees relevance during gameplay. However, moves such as [[Power Pellet]] and Yoshi's double jump are notoriously hard to break due to their extremely high thresholds, often being able to take [[smash attack]]s at what would otherwise be a KO [[percentage]]. For example, it takes over 70% from Samus' [[Charge Shot]] at full charge to break Yoshi's double jump armor in ''Ultimate''.
*[http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=163775 A better 'Super Armor List' Thread]: lists characters and their moves that have Super Armor, along with some frame data.
 
In ''Melee'', the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}} — specifically Nana — have used knockback-based armor as a passive ability. Nana has 5KB units of subtractive knockback armor. [https://twitter.com/kyu_puff/status/730174703776604160 Kyu Puff's tweet] on the subject shows Nana not flinching when being hit by the weak hit of Luigi's up special. However, this has been removed in later games. [[Giga Bowser]] also has passive subtractive knockback-based armor of 20KB. Since ''Melee'', {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, {{SSBU|Bowser}}, and {{SSBU|Kazuya}} have received mechanics similar to this passive knockback-based armor for their Kong Karry, [[Tough Guy]], and [[Tough Body]] [[Fighter ability|fighter abilities]], respectively. In ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'', Giga Bowser is buffed to receive passive super armor instead, before later being given knockback-based armor reminiscent of Tough Guy in Ultimate when he becomes a [[boss]] again, which has an eye-watering threshold of 95 units.
 
The [[Metal Box]] offers knockback-based armor in that it gives users 30 units of subtractive knockback-based armor. Combined with the increased weight, the fighter will never flinch if the total knockback taken is less than or equal to 0, which can be a substantially long length of time. However, the knockback resistance is ignored if the fighter is hit by an attack that has the [[bury]] effect like most forms of armor.
 
In ''Ultimate'', given that [[knockback]] is calculated before the 1v1 multiplier is applied to damage, knockback-based armor is unaffected by it. However, as in previous games, moves like {{SSBU|Hero}}'s [[Oomph]] and [[Psyche Up]] that ''do'' apply their modifications before knockback will affect it. [[Stale-move negation]] can also affect this through the freshness and staleness multipliers.
 
==Oddities==
===Faux super armor (''Brawl'')===
Faux super armor occurs when two characters are hit with the same hitbox while one has the other in a grab. Whoever has their controller [[port priority|set to the highest numbered slot]] (starting with P4) takes full damage but only flinching slightly from the attack, while the other takes full damage and full knockback.
 
This is often utilized for the [[Omnigay]], a doubles combo popularized by [[Omni]]. This consists of having {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} or {{SSBB|Kirby}} use their [[up throw]] to send opponents close (or past) the blast zone, before a partner {{SSBB|Snake}} blows up [[C4]] attached to either character. This leaves the thrower unharmed, and the victim instantly [[KO]]'d. Due to the introduction of throw [[invincibility]] in ''Smash 4'' and more characters having throws akin to the ones used in the strategy, this has technically been [[buff]]ed in the post-''Brawl'' games, despite the removal of Faux super armor.
 
===Grab armor (''Brawl'')===
In ''Brawl'', when a grab connects with a character that also has an active hitbox, the character that attempted the grab takes the full damage from the hitbox but not the knockback, giving the illusion that grabs have a form of armor. However, this will only occur if the grab actually connects with the other character's hurtbox, and in both previous games, the same character would not have taken the damage.
 
In ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', this situation is reversed; the character that attempted the grab will now take full damage and knockback from the hitbox, and the other character will simply be [[grab release]]d and take 3% damage (or more if the grab came from a special move and the grab itself dealt damage, like the beginning of [[Falcon Dive]]). In ''Ultimate'' specifically, a clash between grabs will also have characters take this damage, with an appearance similar to that of throw teching in traditional fighting games.
 
==Trivia==
*In ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', a character's voice clip will get cut off if they get hit by an attack during their armor frames. This is best noticeable with {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} when charging up a grounded [[Warlock Punch]].
**This also applies to flinchless attacks such as the lasers from Fox's {{b|Blaster|Fox}}.
 
==See also==
* [[List of armored attacks (SSBB)]]
* [[List of armored attacks (SSB4)]]
* [[List of armored attacks (SSBU)]]
* [[Passive armor]]
* [[Stone]] - Kirby's [[down special]], which uses a mechanic similar to armor.
* [[Belly Super Armor]] - {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}'s exclusive form of armor that is active for specific periods during various attacks. Not to be confused with [[Crownerang]]'s damage-based armor. It is also affected by the 1v1 multiplier.
 
==External links==
*[http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=163775 A better 'Super Armor List' Thread]: lists characters and their moves that have super armor, along with some frame data.
*[http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=182223 The Armor Project]: explains how knockback-resisting moves that are not super armor work, including Snake's Cypher and Yoshi's midair jump.
*[http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=182223 The Armor Project]: explains how knockback-resisting moves that are not super armor work, including Snake's Cypher and Yoshi's midair jump.
==References==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Game physics]]
[[Category:Game physics]]

Latest revision as of 23:13, February 13, 2024

Ike's super armor from his Aether move. Notice how Ike didn't take any knockback from Marth's Critical Hit, which is an invariable OHKO under standard circumstances.

Armor (spelled armour in the PAL version of Smash Smash Bros. 4), also called flinch resistance or knockback resistance, is an effect of certain moves or actions in all Super Smash Bros. games. It was first introduced through Kirby's Stone move.

Armor is the concept of sustaining hitlag and damage, but not sustaining any knockback or sustaining reduced knockback. Most instances of armor have full damage taken; however there are exceptions. Some instances of armor, such as Piranha Plant's Long-Stem Strike or Mega Charizard X, can reduce what is taken during knockback calculation. Grab hitboxes ignore all variations of armor. This is not to be confused with invincibility or intangibility, mechanics where characters are hit, but sustain no damage or knockback at all; in the case of invincibility, the hitbox connects and thus hitlag is sustained, while in the case of intangibility the hitbox does nothing.

Types of armor[edit]

Super armor[edit]

Donkey Kong using Giant Punch's armor to beat a fully charged Super Scope.

When a character has super armor, or infinite knockback resistance, they will not flinch nor take any knockback when attacked by a harmful hitbox, but flinchless hitboxes (like "windboxes") will still move the character. All bosses except Giga Bowser in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Master Core's doppelganger form in Smash 4 use this trait or an equivalent. However, they also cannot be grabbed, removing the main form of counterplay to armor itself.

Super armor has been given to a variety of moves, with no true definition in terms of consistency. It has been given to some fast attacks and even grabs, such as Charizard's Fly and Little Mac's KO Uppercut, respectively. Many Final Smash transformations, such as Mega Lucario or Giga Bowser, also grant passive super armor. Some attacks may also give an opponent super armor to prevent animations from being interrupted, like Mario's Cape in Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Smash 4, and Ganondorf's Flame Choke in Brawl.

Most moves that use super armor are slow to offset the power of the mechanic, making them easily avoided. However, it isn't uncommon for them to deal significant shield damage as well, such as Little Mac's low angled forward smash. Some can also outright break shields, such as Warlock Punch when reversed. However, most moves with super armor are also very unsafe on shield, especially with perfect shields factored in, giving them an inherent form of counterplay. Some moves using super armor also have inherent drawbacks programmed in, such as Kazuya's Rage Drive depleting his Rage mechanic if it misses and only being usable once per stock if it connects.

Smash 4 introduced numerous Custom Specials with super armor as alternatives to the default ones. Some of these were extremely quick or lasted long lengths of time, such as Volatile Breathing and Stubborn Headbutt. Custom Specials also allowed characters such as Toon Link to access armor when they otherwise wouldn't, in this case with Flying Spin Attack.

Damage-based armor[edit]

Snake's Cypher being hit by Pichu's neutral aerial, but armoring through thanks to damage-based armor.

Damage-based armor was originally introduced as a HP mechanic for Kirby's Stone, wherein it would sustain damage until it reached below a set value. This has since been dubbed "Cumulative damage-based armor". Non-cumulative damage-based armor was introduced in Brawl, specifically for Snake's Cypher. Under the effect of damage-based armor, characters will suffer hitlag and damage, but not flinch or take knockback unless the attack deals enough percentage to go over a defined threshold. For example, Byleth's Aymr in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will handle up to 30% from frame 34 onwards before it can be interrupted, but dealing above 30% will interrupt it during its duration. This mechanic isn't to be confused with Belly Super Armor, a similar mechanic where King K. Rool's belly will protect him from attacks.

Damage-based armor is usually applied to attacks used by super-heavyweight characters such as Charizard and Bowser to make up for their slow but powerful attacks. Most of the time, moves with this mechanic have low percentage thresholds for breakage, usually not going above 8%. Naturally, there are exceptions to both of these rules, with characters such as the aforementioned Byleth having the mechanic applied to generally powerful attacks instead, even with high thresholds.

This mechanic isn't without its weaknesses, however. For one, many moves, such as Bowser's tilt attacks, have very low thresholds, making the armor completely useless in high-damage matchups, especially heavyweights. Moves with the armor are typically very unsafe on shield or whiff, meaning they can't be used without a plan and/or spacing. The attacks also tend to have low active armor frames in comparison to others, so they cannot be used for survivability very often; there are exceptions, however, most notably Little Mac's Straight Lunge. All the usual weaknesses of armor also apply, with moves such as Crownerang easily having the armor ignored by grabs due to the slow nature of the attack.

Ryu and Ken's Focus Attacks have a unique form of damage-based armor which accumulates its threshold every frame. It also lasts for only a single hit, allowing moves with multiple hits to break it. As of Ultimate, their thresholds begin at 14% and rise at 0.24% per frame, before finally capping out at 28%. Ken's armor frames also end a frame later than Ryu's[1].

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, damage-based armor was distributed to a wide variety of characters. It also introduced the 1v1 multiplier, which causes characters to take more damage from attacks in one-on-one matches. In general, this does not alter whether an attack can break a move's armor: the extra damage taken is applied after all other calculations, including deciding whether the armor breaks. However, in the case of hitting an armored opponent more than once (or with a multi-hit attack), the higher damage dealt by previous hits may alter whether the next hit will succeed. For example:

  • If a move provides 15% of damage-based armor, it will protect against a move that does 14% damage, even though in the aftermath of the hit the character will now be 16.8% higher.
  • If this same move were hit by two attacks of 7% each (which normally totals 14%), the armor will be broken, as the unaltered damage of the first hit (7%) is added to all damage taken so far (8.4%) to form an overpowering 15.4%. This can be put into the following equation; {(Sum of base damage taken from prior hits} × 1.2) + Base damage of final hit > armor threshold.
  • Additionally, because Ultimate does not represent floating points with the 1v1 multiplier properly, armor that would fit the aforementioned equation may still break it. For example, R.O.B.'s Arm Rotor can break King K. Rool's Crownerang despite dealing less than the threshold with repeated hits.

Knockback-based armor[edit]

Bowser using Tough Guy in the air to armor through a specific hitbox of Thunder Jolt.

Knockback-based armor was introduced in 64 as a fighter ability for Yoshi's double jump. This mechanic is used to prevent opponents from being knocked back unless it reaches a certain threshold in units. Some forms subtract the amount from the knockback received during calculation (known as subtractive knockback-based armor), such as the aforementioned Yoshi's double jump and Giga Bowser and Nana's Melee appearances. Others, however, follow damage-based armor's system, not sustaining knockback until the threshold is surpassed. Crouch cancelling also gives a form of knockback resistance, although in Smash 4 and Ultimate, this has changed to be a 0.85× knockback multiplier. Because of this, crouch cancelling improves Bowser and Kazuya's Tough Guy and Tough Body abilities, respectively. The way knockback-based armor works varies by game and move. For some moves it will subtract the knockback, making the difference between the threshold and knockback received what is taken. This was covered on the Japanese Super Smash Bros. website, covering Yoshi's double jump in 64. For other moves, however, it will instead have characters take full knockback when the threshold is surpassed. In these cases, knockback-based armor is separated by prefixes Subtractive and Non-Subtractive.

This armor's nature means that its effectiveness directly correlates to the user's percentage. As they take more damage, their received knockback increases; ergo, knockback-based armor becomes harder to use as a game goes on. This also means that there will be a distinct cap on the armor in every matchup, and against characters that hit harder, such as heavyweights, the armor can even be completely ineffective. Effects that increase knockback, such as rage, will also further reduce the armor's effectiveness. Some characters can also increase their knockback by way of multipliers, such as Hero's Psyche Up, which will assist greatly in breaking through.

Knockback-based armor is polarizing in terms of viability. Being generally quite low in numbers - only really notable for jabs - it rarely sees relevance during gameplay. However, moves such as Power Pellet and Yoshi's double jump are notoriously hard to break due to their extremely high thresholds, often being able to take smash attacks at what would otherwise be a KO percentage. For example, it takes over 70% from Samus' Charge Shot at full charge to break Yoshi's double jump armor in Ultimate.

In Melee, the Ice Climbers — specifically Nana — have used knockback-based armor as a passive ability. Nana has 5KB units of subtractive knockback armor. Kyu Puff's tweet on the subject shows Nana not flinching when being hit by the weak hit of Luigi's up special. However, this has been removed in later games. Giga Bowser also has passive subtractive knockback-based armor of 20KB. Since Melee, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and Kazuya have received mechanics similar to this passive knockback-based armor for their Kong Karry, Tough Guy, and Tough Body fighter abilities, respectively. In Brawl and Smash 4, Giga Bowser is buffed to receive passive super armor instead, before later being given knockback-based armor reminiscent of Tough Guy in Ultimate when he becomes a boss again, which has an eye-watering threshold of 95 units.

The Metal Box offers knockback-based armor in that it gives users 30 units of subtractive knockback-based armor. Combined with the increased weight, the fighter will never flinch if the total knockback taken is less than or equal to 0, which can be a substantially long length of time. However, the knockback resistance is ignored if the fighter is hit by an attack that has the bury effect like most forms of armor.

In Ultimate, given that knockback is calculated before the 1v1 multiplier is applied to damage, knockback-based armor is unaffected by it. However, as in previous games, moves like Hero's Oomph and Psyche Up that do apply their modifications before knockback will affect it. Stale-move negation can also affect this through the freshness and staleness multipliers.

Oddities[edit]

Faux super armor (Brawl)[edit]

Faux super armor occurs when two characters are hit with the same hitbox while one has the other in a grab. Whoever has their controller set to the highest numbered slot (starting with P4) takes full damage but only flinching slightly from the attack, while the other takes full damage and full knockback.

This is often utilized for the Omnigay, a doubles combo popularized by Omni. This consists of having Meta Knight or Kirby use their up throw to send opponents close (or past) the blast zone, before a partner Snake blows up C4 attached to either character. This leaves the thrower unharmed, and the victim instantly KO'd. Due to the introduction of throw invincibility in Smash 4 and more characters having throws akin to the ones used in the strategy, this has technically been buffed in the post-Brawl games, despite the removal of Faux super armor.

Grab armor (Brawl)[edit]

In Brawl, when a grab connects with a character that also has an active hitbox, the character that attempted the grab takes the full damage from the hitbox but not the knockback, giving the illusion that grabs have a form of armor. However, this will only occur if the grab actually connects with the other character's hurtbox, and in both previous games, the same character would not have taken the damage.

In Smash 4 and Ultimate, this situation is reversed; the character that attempted the grab will now take full damage and knockback from the hitbox, and the other character will simply be grab released and take 3% damage (or more if the grab came from a special move and the grab itself dealt damage, like the beginning of Falcon Dive). In Ultimate specifically, a clash between grabs will also have characters take this damage, with an appearance similar to that of throw teching in traditional fighting games.

Trivia[edit]

  • In Smash 4 and Ultimate, a character's voice clip will get cut off if they get hit by an attack during their armor frames. This is best noticeable with Ganondorf when charging up a grounded Warlock Punch.
    • This also applies to flinchless attacks such as the lasers from Fox's Blaster.

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

  • A better 'Super Armor List' Thread: lists characters and their moves that have super armor, along with some frame data.
  • The Armor Project: explains how knockback-resisting moves that are not super armor work, including Snake's Cypher and Yoshi's midair jump.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ryu/Ken, Article SpecialLw
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