Mii Gunner (SSBU): Difference between revisions

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Like the other Mii Fighters, one of the primary strengths of the Mii Gunner is their diverse set of versatile specials. As the long range and projectile-heavy Mii Fighter, many of their specials excel at neutralizing approaches, racking up damage, edgeguarding, and shield pressure from a distance. Charge Blast is a very good KO'ing option which is extremely consistent, quick, and powerful when fully charged. Gunner Missile are both good at spacing and keeping enemies out. The Super variant deals a solid bit of damage and knockback while the Homing variant can wall out approaches and also help the Gunner initiate approaches of their own. Laser Blaze racks up decent damage while also causing flinching, making it a valuable tool similar to Falco and Fox's [[Blaster]]. Finally, Flame Pillar and Bomb Drop are both good tools for ledgetrapping and setting up kill confirms. A bomb drop at mid-high percentages can reliably confirm into back aerial while an opponent trapped in Flame Pillar can be combo'd into a fully charged Charge Blast. Additionally, the Mii Gunner can also further solidify their defensive playstyle with the usage of Echo Reflector and Absorbing Vortex, both of which aid in countering other campy or projectile-based characters.

 

Accompanying the Mii Gunner's vast collection of zoning specials is a very interesting and varying set of normals. While many of the Gunner's normals suffer from mild ending lag, they either possess high KO'ing power or range. Forward smash and up aerial are both among the longest-ranged moves in the game (the latter which can secure very early KO's at the top of the blast line and the former being an excellent way of reading rolls and covering landing options), forward tilt and neutral air are good tools to push pressuring opponents off of them, and forward aerial is a very useful move, which not only can edgeguard and space opponents from a distance due to it being a projectile, but it also can be used to perform a technique called gundashing, which is an excellent technique that significantly helps mitigate the Mii Gunner's lacking mobility and their recovery. Alongside the aforementioned moves are a slew of moves that have respectable KO'ing power such as up smash, up tilt, down tilt, down smash, and back aerial.

Lastly, the Mii Gunner has adequate choices for recovery. With the exception of Cannon Jump Kick, Lunar Launch and Arm Rocket both provide a fantastic amount of distance, especially Arm Rocket which has far more control both horizontally and vertically. This combined with their heavy weight gives the Mii Gunner a decent ability to survive at higher percents.

Of course, the Gunner does not come without their flaws. While many of their moves have tremendous range or KO'ing power, most of them are very laggy. This is especially prominent with their up and down tilt, which both have decent start up, but significant ending lag while moves that are fast such as forward tilt and neutral air have poor range and KO potential. As a result, they struggle to acquire reliable KOs outside of a fully charged Charge Blast.

While the Mii Gunner's array of special moves are all very potent, there are some that do not come without their weaknesses. Laser Blaze is a fairly slow and easily interceptible projectile, Grenade Launch travels in a very slow and short-ranged arc that no longer can be charged or controlled, Flame Pillar has relatively substantial lag on both ends and doesn't last as long as other flame-arc moves, and Bomb Drop can be hit back to the Gunner, making them a poor choice to use against opponents with disjoints.

As mentioned before, the Mii Gunner has terrible mobility. Their air speed, dashing speed, and initial dashing speed are among the slowest in the game, making them a very sluggish fighter both on the ground and in the air outside of gundashing. Additionally, their status as a heavyweight makes them very easy to combo despite their decent survivability and while their recoveries are good, they do not come without their weaknesses. Arm Rocket possesses no damaging hitbox despite its fantastic mobility and distance, Lunar Launch, while in possession of good vertical distance and a relatively powerful projectile, has poor horizontal distance, and Cannon Jump Kick is a terrible recovery move, providing very little distance both horizontally and vertically while also being very slow and easily intercepted.

Overall, the Mii Gunner is a jack of all trades amalgamation of all projectile based fighters. The ability to mix and match several different special moves adds a unique layer of versatility by allowing several different playstyles for the same basic fighter, making Mii Gunner among the most unpredictable to fight against. However, all of the customizable special moves have a fatal flaw to prevent them from being overpowered and/or are an inferior version of a similar move other fighters possess. Their strengths do marginally outweight their weaknesses and as a result, is a fighter that excels at walling out opponents while struggling up close. Their multitude of projectiles provide them with countless options to keep opponents away, rack up damage, and edgeguard. However they must be mindful and extremely careful, as one mistake can cause them to take a huge chunk of damage. They are a relatively simple character to pick up and can be a potent zoner.

Like the other {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s, the Mii Gunner retains their general moveset, with many direct changes to how their [[special move]]s function. The changes to the Gunner's specials were not as drastic as those of the {{SSBU|Mii Brawler}} (who gained four completely new special moves), but are rather alterations and improvements to the Gunner's moveset, much like the {{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}}. However, the Gunner's changes are a mixed bag of buffs and nerfs overall.

 

Like the other Mii Fighter types, the Mii Gunner now has set attributes, including high [[weight]] (the Gunner is now a heavyweight weighing as much as {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}, even surpassing the largest possible Mii Fighter in ''Smash 4''), significantly increasing their survivability in general, especially since the Gunner's below average [[falling speed]] has been unaltered. However, the rest of the Gunner's attributes have been heavily worsened, with many of their stats being significantly below average or even bottom 10 (notably their [[run]] speed, initial dash speed, and [[air speed]]). As a result, the Gunner's staying power is now above average, but their overall mobility has become one of the slowest in the game, further enforcing the Gunner's camping-centric playstyle.

 

The Gunner's standard moveset has been buffed in various ways. Their inconsistent [[jab]] and [[up aerial]] now connect better due to faster transition speed, and some of the Gunner's moves have been given more utility due to a reduction of lag ([[forward tilt]]), greatly increased damage ([[forward smash]]), or KO potential (forward smash and the second hit of [[down smash]], which now acts individually for each hit instead of leading into one another).

The universal frame 3 jumpsquat and reduction to landing lag benefit the Gunner as well, as they now have faster access to their powerful air game and are less vulnerable against shield. The Gunner's [[throw]]s, previously notorious for all dealing 5%, have been buffed, with [[up throw]] now being the second most damaging in the game behind {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}, and [[down throw]] being much more reliable for starting combos till mid percents.

The Gunner's special moves have been a mix of changes, though the majority of their specials have been significantly buffed. Many of their projectiles (such as [[Charge Blast]], super missiles from [[Gunner Missile]], and [[Stealth Burst]]) do vastly increased damage or knockback, fixing one of the Gunner's old problems of KO potential. Those that have not gained power buffs have instead been improved as utility projectiles, with [[Flame Pillar]], [[Laser Blaze]] and [[Bomb Drop]] each having heavily improved abilities (multi-hit combo initiation, no damage falloff, and stage control, respectively). The Gunner's [[recovery]] moves have also been buffed, as [[Lunar Launch]] travels significantly higher, [[Cannon Jump Kick]] has excellent [[out of shield]] KO power, and [[Arm Rocket]]'s trajectory can be altered during travel.

However, the Mii Gunner has received notable nerfs. The Gunner's mobility changes are by far the most glaring weakness from their transition to ''Ultimate'', as they now have to rely on spacing to compensate for their significantly lowered movement speed, which is amplified due to the cast receiving many movement buffs in general. The Gunner's powerful tilts have been slightly toned down, limiting their fastest grounded KO options, while [[forward aerial]], previously a pinnacle of the Gunner's [[neutral game]], had its distance reduced without compensation for landing lag, though this has since been marginally rectified in the 2.0 update.

Some of the Gunner's specials have been nerfed, most notably with [[Grenade Launch]] and Gunner Missile; Grenade Lauch's lowered ending lag does not compensate for the utility it had in ''Smash 4'' (since its startup was heavily increased and it can now only fire in one direction and trajectory), while homing missiles now sacrifice homing ability for speed, making them less effective. Finally, the Mii Gunner's combo potential is still limited despite the buffs they received, as their combo initiators act as "hit-and-run" spacing attacks with few followups (such as their tilt attacks and neutral aerial).

Overall, the Mii Gunner has been repurposed into a slow-moving, hard-hitting heavyweight projectile fighter, who has to rely on their special moveset's zoning abilities to rack up damage and force opponents into making a mistake to capitalize on, similar to {{SSBU|Samus}} and the [[Belmont]]s. While a more effective fighter compared to their iteration in ''Smash 4'', the Gunner's viability compared to the cast and, more significantly, their impact on the metagame, are still yet to be determined due to their small playerbase and sparse results. Nevertheless, it has seen success, with players such as {{Sm|Katakiri}} placing in the top 8 of {{Trn|2GG: Run it Back}}.

Mii Gunner has received a mixture of buffs and nerfs in balance patches, but was overall nerfed. While their forward aerial auto-cancels earlier and their up smash connects more reliably, the nerfs to the shield damage of various projectiles in update 3.0.0 affect Mii Gunner more negatively than most other characters.

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltdesc=Fires a burst of flame onto the ground in front of themself, similarly to {{SSBU|Samus}}'s down tilt. Like up tilt, it is fast for its damage (frame 8) and is the Gunner's most damaging tilt, but has such high ending lag that it has no true followups. As a result, it is mostly used to punish grounded openings, in comparison to the anti-air strengths of up tilt. Despite its higher damage, it KOs slightly later than up tilt, doing so only at 141%.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdesc=Unleashes a series of energy bursts in quick succession, followed by a stronger burst. Hits opponents 7 times and has tremendous range, being one of the longest forward smashes in the game. Coupled with its very long hitbox duration, it is overall difficult to challenge, pressures shields well, and is useful for edgeguarding. It is safe on shield at max distance due to its decently low ending lag. For its strengths, it also has reliable KO potential, KOing at center-stage from 122%. However, it is the Gunner's slowest smash attack (frame 17).

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=Fires two bursts of flame onto the ground, first in front then behind of themself. Each flame burst launches opponents away, though the second one has significantly more knockback than the first. The first hit starts on frame 9, making it the Gunner's fastest smash attack. Both hits have deceptively high range, especially the second hit. The second hit uses the combined damage of the Gunner's previous down smash, which connected into each other; as a result, it has very high KO power, KOing Mario from the edge of Final Destination at 66%.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdesc=Sweeps their arm cannon downward in an arc around themself similar to Ike’s. It is the Gunner's fastest aerial (frame 8), and has a high amount of active frames alongside good coverage. At low percents (especially against super heavyweight characters), a neutral aerial on grounded opponents can lead to a neutral combo, forward tilt, dash attack, forward smash, and up smash. However, its high base knockback makes followups almost impossible at mid-percents unless it is a projectile. As a result, it is mostly an aerial "get-off-me" option, and is useful for landing since it has 11 frames of landing lag.

|fairname=&nbsp;

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=Releases a burst of flames from the arm cannon behind themself. The Gunner's most reliable aerial finisher, able to KO middleweights from centerstage at around 130%. It is also the Gunner's second fastest aerial (frame 9), though it will miss short characters if performed out of a short hop.

|uairname=&nbsp;

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdesc=The Gunner pauses, then fires a single burst of flame below themself. The burst itself deals more damage and is a very strong, aerial-only [[meteor smash]]. However, the meteor hitbox only lasts for two frames, with the rest of the hitbox being a weaker non-meteor smash. As a result, it is difficult to land, made even more difficult by its frame 20 startup. As such, it is usually outclassed for edgeguarding by neutral and back aerial.

|grabname=&nbsp;

|grabdesc=The Gunner reaches in front of themself with their left hand.

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowdesc=Tosses the opponent behind themself, then fires a single energy pellet at the foe. It can KO at extremely high percentages, but the laser can be avoided with [[DI]].

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|uthrowdesc=Tosses the enemy above themselves, then fires 2 energy pellets at the foe. The Gunner's most damaging throw, dealing 13%, making it among the most damaging throws in the game. It is thus useful for racking up damage and refreshing the [[stale]]ness of the Gunner's other moves, and starting juggles.

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|floortdesc=Shoots a blast of fire in front then behind themself.

|nsc1desc=Fires spammable green energy pellets that cause flinching. Similar to {{SSBU|Falco}}'s [[Blaster]], but fires at a slightly slower rate while inflicting slightly more damage. It does not lose strength while traveling, making it a useful damage racker. The lasers can also lock floored opponents.

|ssdefdesc=Fires an energy shot diagonally down that erupts into a pillar of [[flame]] that lingers for a few moments. The pillar, similar to {{SSBU|Robin}}'s [[Arcfire]], hits multiple times, with the last hit launching opponents away. If used in midair, the projectile's angle is more diagonal and travels further. The pillar will slowly drift downwards if it hits an aerial opponent, allowing it to function as an edgeguard if it hits an enemy near a ledge. It is otherwise a useful deterring tool, and can start combos from careless approaches. Can confirm into a charge blast, reliably KOing opponents at 80 percent on the ledge.

|ssc2desc=Functions like {{SSBU|Samus}}'s [[Missile]]: holding the button will fire a homing missile, and inputting like a smash attack fires a super missile. Each missile travels a different distance, with the homing variant traveling more than half of Final Destination, and the super variant traveling almost the stage's full length. The homing missiles have decent homing capabilities, while the super missiles speed up after an initial pause and have good KO potential, able to KO Mario at the edge of Final Destination from 120%. The super missile can combo into Charge Blast if both are fired one after another against an opponent at medium distance. Homing missles can lock floored opponents.

|usdefdesc=The Gunner fires a flaming projectile beneath themself, launching into the air from the recoil. Grants excellent vertical height but passable horizontal momentum. The projectile itself explodes on contact with solid ground and other opponents, and launches foes in the opposite direction from where the Gunner is facing. The projectile is able to KO at the edge of Final Destination from 130%.

|usc1desc=Fires a concussive blast, then propels themselves with the arm cannon while kicking into the air. A sweetspotted concussive blast can meteor smash midair opponents. The kick itself is extremely powerful and the clean hit lasts for most of the move; coupled with it starting on frame 6 and granting [[intangibility]] on the same frame, it is an excellent [[out of shield]] option. KOs as early as 115% onstage. However, it is extremely ineffective for recovery, as it covers the lowest vertical distance out of all the Mii Gunner's up specials.

|usc2desc=Propels themself with a stream of flames from their arm cannon. By holding the Control Stick in a direction, the Mii Gunner can travel more horizontally. During flight, tilting left or right will adjust the Mii's flight angle. Overall, the move acts like an unchargeable version of [[Rocketbarrel Boost]] but without any damaging hitboxes, and grants the most distance and maneuverability out of all the Gunner's up specials.

|dsc1desc=Drops a small bomb that bounces off the ground and explodes either upon contact with an enemy, or after a set time (134 frames, or roughly 1.6 seconds). Inputting the move again causes the bomb to automatically detonate while dropping another bomb, making it difficult for opponents to approach the Gunner. It is overall a useful stage control move, as it can block opposing projectiles, trap opponents at ledges, and can even KO at around 170%. However, opponents can knock the bomb away with their own attacks, and the bomb will harm the Mii Gunner while it is knocked around.

|dsc2desc=Covers themself with a glowing energy shield that absorbs energy projectiles and converts its damage to healing, similarly to Ness's [[PSI Magnet]]. However, unlike Ness, Absorbing Vortex does not have multiple hits, instead only having a single hit upon start-up (7 frames). Heals 1.4x the damage the Gunner would have taken. Upon activation, as well as when absorbing projectiles, any nearby opponents will take slight damage. This hitbox is capable of [[lock]]ing. However, the minimal histun of this move invalidates the combo potential. Additionally, Absorbing Vortex reduces falling speed, allowing Gunner to stall in mid air, allowing it to be used as a potential landing mixup.

|fsdmg= 1.2% (mini laser loop), 1.7% (big laser loop), 3% (big & mini laser loop), 10% (final hit)

|fsdesc=The Gunner shoots a strong laser, with two small laser cannons firing smaller lasers that circle the main laser. Can be angled during the move. The middle of the laser does slightly more damage than the beginning. The Final Smash also does more damage if angled (as the opponent will be hit by both the big and small lasers).

*Emerges from an energy field, which resembles [[Absorbing Vortex]], then points their arm cannon to the left side of the screen.

*'''Up taunt''': Using their free hand to hold the arm cannon, they aim it towards the left side of the screen, slightly kneeling down in a "readying" pose. They then proceed to aim to the right, with the arm cannon slightly angled higher. Each time the Gunner points their arm cannon, it makes a clicking noise while emitting a brief flash from the tip. No matter what direction the Gunner faces, they always aim at the same directions. Unlike in ''Smash 4'', the Mii Gunner now shows an angry expression instead of a neutral one.

*'''Side taunt''': They raise their arm cannons in an upward position and cock them while facing forward. A brief flash is emitted from the tip of the arm cannon.

SSBUMiiGunnerIdle1.gif|Mii Gunner's first idle pose

SSBUMiiGunnerIdle2.gif|Mii Gunner's second idle pose

==In competitive play==

While it was relatively difficult to find Mii Gunner users in the first year of ''Ultimate'''s competitive lifespan, interest in the character took an unprecedented turn upon the release of the [[Sans]] [[Alternate_costume_(SSBU)/Mii_Fighter|Mii Fighter costume]], which caused representation of the character to skyrocket for some time. Despite this, the Mii Gunner has not made much of an impact in the competitive scene, with only a few notable users achieving lukewarm results, such as {{Sm|Katakiri}}, {{Sm|Deon}}, and {{Sm|Protom}}; professionals usually agree that the Gunner is significantly outclassed by other zoners with similar playstyles, such as {{SSBU|Samus}} and {{SSBU|Simon}}. While their current standing in the metagame is still debatable, the Mii Gunner is typically considered the least effective Mii Fighter of the three, or on par with the Mii Brawler at most.

*{{Sm|Aikota|USA}} - One of the best Mii Gunner players in the United States. Placed 25th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}} and 33rd at {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}} along with {{SSBU|Zelda}} and {{SSBU|Ness}}. Has wins over players such as {{Sm|Mr E}}, {{Sm|ScAtt}}, and {{Sm|Fatality}}. Ranked 6th on the [[Georgia Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Tsumusuto|Japan}} - The best Dr. Mario player in the world who is also one of the best Mii Gunner players in Japan. Placed 4th at {{Trn|Karisuma SP 6}}, 7th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 9}}, 13th at both {{Trn|Sumabato SP 10}} and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 12}}, 25th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 2}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}} using both characters. Has a win over {{Sm|Masashi}} with Gunner.

{{-}}

Mii Gunner's fighter spirit is available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Mii Gunner in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Unlike most fighters, the spirit for the Mii Gunner only uses the default Gunner's artwork from ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Mii Gunner.png|1,092. '''''Mii Gunner'''''

==In Spirit battles==

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Mii Gunner}} {{Head|Mii Gunner|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (Moveset [[Charge Shot|1]][[Gunner Missile|3]][[Cannon Jump Kick|2]][[Echo Reflector|1]], Chibi-Robo Hat, Chibi-Robo Outfit)

|•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|Daisy}} {{Head|Daisy|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Mii Gunner}} {{Head|Mii Gunner|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (Moveset: [[Laser Blaze|2]][[Flame Pillar|1]][[Cannon Jump Kick|2]][[Absorbing Vortex|3]])

Mii Gunner unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Mii Gunner's unlock notice.

===Character Showcase Video===

*Mii Gunner is one of five characters whose unlocking battle in World of Light is not on either {{SSBU|Final Destination}} or an Ω form. The other four are {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Daisy}}, {{SSBU|Toon Link}}, and {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}.