Hitstun: Difference between revisions

'''Hitstun''' is the period of time after being hit that a character is unable to act outside of [[directional influence]] or [[tech]]ing. Hitstun received is a function of knockback so it is essentially also linked to the distance travelled before action is possible. When a hit deals insufficient knockback to lift the opponent off the ground, hitstun is equal to the length of the [[flinch]] animation, while at higher knockbacks it is a straight multiplier of the knockback received. Each Smash game has a programmed value that is multiplied by the amount of knockback received to determine the amount of frames a character is locked in hitstun after being hit (for example, ''Melee'' has a hitstun multiplier of 0.4 frames per unit of knockback, so a hit that deals 100 units of knockback will leave the target in hitstun for 40 frames).

Hitstun is an essential component of [[combo]]s, with the point of a combo being that the target is trapped in the hitstun of consecutive attacks. As a result, games that have more hitstun for equivalent knockback open up more potential combos.

The amount of hitstun in the original Smash is notoriously much higher than in the subsequent Smash games, being a x0.533 multiplier. The multiplier is so high that long and highly damaging combos are commonplace, with competitive matches being heavily centralised around them, and [[zero-death]] combos not being uncommon for most characters. In fact, every character in the game except {{SSB|Samus}} is capable of pulling a zero-death using their normal moves. The commonness of zero-deaths in this game is one of the primary reasons why competitive matches are played with 5 stock, which is more than ''Melee'', despite the game not being as fast-paced as ''Melee''.

''[[Brawl]]'' has the same hitstun multiplier ''Melee'' has. However, when hit, characters can now [[air dodge]] after 13 frames and attack after 25 frames out of hitstun, regardless of the actual amount of hitstun they sustained; this new mechanic drastically reduces the amount of actual hitstun characters have to sustain upon being hit, especially at higher knockback (for example, while a character sustaining 100 units of knockback in ''Melee'' will be in hitstun for 40 frames, in ''Brawl'' that character will be in actual hitstun for only 13 frames if they air dodge or 25 frames if they attack, and if that knockback value is doubled, while the ''Melee'' character would sustain an inescapable 80 frames of hitstun, the ''Brawl'' character will still only sustain 13 or 25 frames of hitstun). This drastically reduces the amount of true combos, and makes the only attacks that can truly combo being those that deal very low knockback while having low enough ending/landing lag to followup within 13 frames before the opponent can air dodge (such as [[chain throw]]s, {{mvsub|Meta Knight|SSBB|up aerial|poss=y}}, and {{mvsub|Sheik|SSBB|forward tilt|poss=y}}). Any other attack that deals a slight bit more knockback or has a slight amount of more ending lag will require the player to successfully read the opponent's action to successfully followup. This new mechanic also allows launched characters to act before their knockback wears off, which allows characters to perform certain actions during knockback to reduce their aerial momentum, allowing them to survive blows that would have otherwise KO'd.