Charizard (SSB4): Difference between revisions

Unlike the other playable Pokémon, who are either lightweights or middleweights, Charizard is a super [[Weight|heavyweight]]. As such, its moveset and playstyle can be compared to {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s in numerous ways, as the two heavyweight reptiles possess a number of moves with similar uses, heavily rely on throw combos, and possess near-identical projectile options. Charizard fittingly possesses impressive power and survivability, yet deviates from its weight class's archetype in a few ways. Its most atypical attributes are its grounded mobility and versatile recovery: Charizard boasts very good grounded mobility, with its [[walking]] speed being tied with {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}'s for the fifteenth fastest in the game, and its [[dash]]ing speed being the ninth fastest in the game, whereas its recovery covers good distance and possesses [[armor]]. Charizard's frame data is also decently fast, making it arguably the fastest of the super heavyweights and thus results in it fitting the "lightning bruiser" archetype. Despite its impressive grounded mobility, Charizard is burdened with low [[traction]], which is tied with Mewtwo's as the second lowest in the game. Lastly, Charizard is one of the only two heavyweights that has [[Jump#Multiple double jumps|multiple double jumps]], with the other being {{SSB4|King Dedede}}.

One of Charizard's strengths is its KOing ability, as it possesses numerous KOing options ([[Flare Blitz]], [[Fly]], [[Rock Smash]], its smash attacks, its sweetspotted forward tilt, its forward, up, back, and down aerials, and its post-update [[1.0.8]] up throw) that become even more lethal courtesy of the [[rage]] mechanic. As of update 1.1.5, Charizard's back aerial in particular is one of its most fearsome moves, as it deals outstanding knockback and has excellent range. Another of Charizard's strengths is its grab game. Its overall grab range makes it one of the longest non-[[tether grab]]s in the game, its up throw can potentially KO below 95%, and its down throw is a reliable combo starter. Its very fast dashing speed further complements its grab game by allowing Charizard to land dash and pivot grabs easier than other heavyweights.

[[Flare Blitz]] and [[Fly]] are highly protective recovery options. Flare Blitz grants a great amount of horizontal distance quickly, deals respectable damage and knockback, and can be used as a punishment option due to its [[armor]]. However, it deals [[recoil damage]] and is highly punishable due to its lag, making it a situational recovery option. [[Fly]] grants a decent amount of vertical distance, and, like Flare Blitz, provides armor and deals high knockback, making it a risky move for opponents to intercept.

However, Charizard has noticeable flaws. One of which is its lack of a very useful projectile; despite Flamethrower's strengths, its sub-par range and moderately fast decay can prevent it from aiding Charizard significantly. Charizard is also easy to combo and generally hit due to its size and weight, although this factor can be overcome with the use of defensive moves such as Rock Smash, Fly, dodging, and even Flare Blitz to escape from foes. Additionally, while Charizard's frame data is better overall than other heavyweights (even {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s), it is still generally poor compared to most of the cast, although this is not necessarily a glaring problem depending on the moves used. While Charizard's [[air speed]] has been greatly improved and is no longer among the slowest in the game, it is still below average overall. Its [[out of shield]] game is considered a weakness as well; despite having some of the best out of shield options available, such as Fly and its up throw, they are hindered by Charizard's aforementioned poor traction. Finally, Flare Blitz is a highly situational move, as it damages Charizard even when used for recovery and is telegraphed highly enough so that it can be avoided and exploited by more competent players when used as an attack.

A few of Charizard's [[Character customization|custom moves]] address some of its shortcomings. Dragon Rush is arguably its best custom move, as it is a pressuring and rushdown option that has less lag, no recoil and cannot be blocked by opponents when recovering. Fly High slightly improves its vertical recovery, although it loses one of its fastest punishing moves in the process. Rising Cyclone sacrifices some recovery height for very high launching power that can KO most characters around as low as 56% while near the upper [[blast line]]. Rock Hurl, while sacrificing damage output, provides much greater range, speed, and super armor (starting on frame 1) than Rock Smash.

Overall, Charizard is well-rounded for a super-heavyweight, with less of a focus on grappling than {{SSB4|Bowser}} and {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}} but having attributes that are not as polarized as those of {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} and {{SSB4|King Dedede}}. Its strengths are on par with its weaknesses; whether one outweighs the other depends on the opponent it is facing and the player's style. Charizard can be considered a variation of Bowser that exchanges out of shield options and raw power for speed, mobility, usable defensive tools and better recovery; additionally, while Bowser's mobility is balanced between ground and air, save for his sluggish walk speed, Charizard's mobility is surprisingly strong on the ground but below average in the air (which is ironic considering it is a Flying-type Pokémon). Charizard's playstyle requires patience, similarly to Bowser's, yet requires it to appropriately balance offensive and defensive tactics instead of being mainly defensive like Bowser. Purely offensive play exposes Charizard to harsh punishment, whereas purely defensive play fails to exploit Charizard's main advantages (namely its attack speed and mobility) over its fellow super heavyweights. Like its fellow super heavyweights, Charizard should not be afraid to exchange blows with the opponent, as a few strong hits from it can give it the advantage in many cases. [[Read]]s and [[mindgame]]s can be pivotal for Charizard's best punishment options, such as Flare Blitz and its smash attacks, although it is not as singularly dependent on them like {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} and {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}} are thanks to its other assets.

From a competitive standpoint, Charizard is ranked at the top of the bottom-tier on the current tier list, similar to previous incarnations of [[Bowser]], although Charizard's disadvantageous matchups are not as extreme. Charizard has had generally below average tournament representation to reflect its position, with a few outliers. Many players cite it as one of the more complex heavyweights to utilize. However, professional players have frequently expressed more favorable opinions of Charizard than the tier list would suggest, citing the fact that its strengths are not offset as harshly by its weaknesses as with other bottom-tier characters - a judgment reinforced by Charizard's sparse but notable successes in regional tournaments (including numerous first place finishes). One such example is {{sm|ZeRo}} labeling Charizard as a potential mid-tier character, with {{sm|MKLeo}} and {{sm|ESAM}} expressing similar opinions (MKLeo even claiming that Charizard can fare well against top-tier characters such as {{SSB4|Cloud}}, citing his matches with {{sm|Serge}}). Overall, Charizard's viability is very heavily debated; while it continues to be poorly-represented in the US scene, it has seen more notable success and representation from players in South America, Japan and Europe.