Lag

For the lag associated with playing online, see Wi-Fi lag. For the lag associated with certain televisions, see display lag. For the lag associated with connecting with attacks, see freeze frame.

Lag is a catch-all term used to indicate periods of time where a character is busy doing something and is left vulnerable. The two main categories of lag are startup lag and ending lag. The more lag a move has, the easier it is to attack the user, prepare a shield grab, or simply move out of the way and prepare a punishment. Generally, more powerful KO moves have greater startup and/or ending lag.

Start-up lag

Zero Suit Samus's Plasma Whip has a noticeable amount of start-up lag.

Start-up lag is the delay between a move being initiated and the move having an effect, such as the length of time before a hitbox is first produced. Examples of moves with extreme startup lag include Ganondorf's up tilt, and Warlock Punch, and Falcon Punch and King Dedede's forward smash. Examples of moves with the least start-up lag include Fox's and Falco's Shine (Super Smash Bros. Melee only) and Jigglypuff's Rest. Items like the Home-Run Bat can also cause this, along with stage hazards like spikes. Flinching during start-up time will prevent the move from being executed.

Ending lag

Ending lag is the delay between the move's effect finishing and another action being available to begin, such as the length of time after using an attack before another attack can be used. Almost all attacks have more ending lag than startup lag. Rest is notorious for having a huge amount of ending lag, and it's possible to SD if it's used over a gap.

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