Roy (SSBU): Difference between revisions
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This is the first time in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series where Roy is not voiced in Japanese in all regions. In international releases, Roy is voiced in English by {{iw|wikipedia|Ray Chase|voice actor}}, who reprises his role from ''{{iw|fireemblem|Fire Emblem Heroes}}''. {{iw|wikipedia|Jun Fukuyama}}'s portrayal of Roy from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' was repurposed for the Japanese version. | This is the first time in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series where Roy is not voiced in Japanese in all regions. In international releases, Roy is voiced in English by {{iw|wikipedia|Ray Chase|voice actor}}, who reprises his role from ''{{iw|fireemblem|Fire Emblem Heroes}}''. {{iw|wikipedia|Jun Fukuyama}}'s portrayal of Roy from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' was repurposed for the Japanese version. | ||
Roy is ranked 19th out of 82 on the [[tier list]], placing him in the A tier. This is a drastic improvement from his mid-tier placement in ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 41st out of 54. This is also the first | Roy is ranked 19th out of 82 on the [[tier list]], placing him in the A tier. This is a drastic improvement from his mid-tier placement in ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 41st out of 54 characters. This is also the first game in which Roy is ranked higher than a mid-tier, which results in this being his best placement in the series. Roy has fast air and dash speeds which, combined with great frame data in his aerials and tilts, gives him a strong combo game and several mix-up options. The new mechanics in ''Ultimate'' also benefit Roy by making it easier for him to hit his sweetspot at the hilt and thus making it easier for him to take stocks at a relatively early percentage. Finally, Roy possesses a strong set of specials such as [[Double-Edge Dance]], which has been improved from the previous game to be overall faster and stronger. | ||
However, Roy also has several weaknesses. Roy's fast falling speed makes it easy for him to be comboed, and he has little options that allow him to escape. His recovery is also weak compared to other characters, as [[Blazer]] covers little vertical distance, making it possible for Roy to die early due to a gimp. Finally, Roy's raw strength relies on him getting the sweetspot at the hilt, which means he either has to get dangerously close to his opponent to hit it or deal minimal knockback and damage if the sourspot hits. | However, Roy also has several weaknesses. Roy's fast falling speed makes it easy for him to be comboed, and he has little options that allow him to escape. His recovery is also weak compared to other characters, as [[Blazer]] covers little vertical distance, making it possible for Roy to die early due to a gimp. Finally, Roy's raw strength relies on him getting the sweetspot at the hilt, which means he either has to get dangerously close to his opponent to hit it or deal minimal knockback and damage if the sourspot hits. | ||
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==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''== | ==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''== | ||
Roy was infamous for being | Roy was infamous for being a lower-ranked character in previous appearances, with his [[Roy (SSBM)|debut appearance in ''Melee'']] being particularly egregious. Even in ''SSB4'', he still retained a committal approach and unsafe aerials (especially compared to other fellow swordfighters), and his inverse tipper attribute hindered his spacing abilities, which collectively resulted in both his lower mid tier placement and being ranked as the lowest ranked DLC fighter. Likely because of this, Roy has been drastically buffed overall in his transition to ''Ultimate'', and is the only DLC fighter from ''SSB4'' to remain mostly buffed in that transition. | ||
Roy's most significant improvements are indirect, as he benefits noticeably from the changes to the universal gameplay mechanics in ''Ultimate''. The improved flexibility of [[dash cancel]]ing and the decreased landing lag on his aerials greatly improve his combo game, aerial offense, rushdown potential, and make his KO power consistent. Complementing this, the universal mobility increase benefits Roy's core strategy of closing the distance on his opponents and landing hits with the hilt of his sword, as well as helping counterbalance his vulnerability to camping. These changes almost fully alleviate the need to approach at dangerously close ranges in order to deal optimal damage and knockback, which was his main flaw that had plagued him in previous games and was not present in his other fellow swordfighters. | Roy's most significant improvements are indirect, as he benefits noticeably from the changes to the universal gameplay mechanics in ''Ultimate''. The improved flexibility of [[dash cancel]]ing and the decreased landing lag on his aerials greatly improve his combo game, aerial offense, rushdown potential, and make his KO power consistent. Complementing this, the universal mobility increase benefits Roy's core strategy of closing the distance on his opponents and landing hits with the hilt of his sword, as well as helping counterbalance his vulnerability to camping. These changes almost fully alleviate the need to approach at dangerously close ranges in order to deal optimal damage and knockback, which was his main flaw that had plagued him in previous games and was not present in his other fellow swordfighters. | ||
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Some of Roy's useful buffs are also direct. Moves like his [[dash attack]], [[forward tilt]], [[forward aerial|forward]], [[back aerial|back]] and [[up aerial]]s, and [[Double-Edge Dance]], have increased power, significantly increasing his options at higher percentages and further toning down his trouble at KOing. Furthermore, KO confirms with his neutral attack and the first hit of neutral aerial or a sourspotted up aerial have become much more consistent and reliable. A small amount of his moves have also had their hitbox placements improved, which is notable in his forward smash and Double-Edge Dance, the former of which can now hit opponents in the lower platforms of {{SSBU|Battlefield}}. Double-Edge Dance has also been sped up greatly, making its hits link into each other much more consistently. His air game in general has directly improved, as forward aerial now auto-cancels in a short hop and has knockback and angle adjustments that make it better for both combos and KOs; neutral, back and up aerials are stronger (the lattermost of which can now KO reliably), and down aerial has larger sweetspots. These changes, compounded with his lower landing lag all-around, makes Roy's air game one of the most versatile and fearsome of any character. | Some of Roy's useful buffs are also direct. Moves like his [[dash attack]], [[forward tilt]], [[forward aerial|forward]], [[back aerial|back]] and [[up aerial]]s, and [[Double-Edge Dance]], have increased power, significantly increasing his options at higher percentages and further toning down his trouble at KOing. Furthermore, KO confirms with his neutral attack and the first hit of neutral aerial or a sourspotted up aerial have become much more consistent and reliable. A small amount of his moves have also had their hitbox placements improved, which is notable in his forward smash and Double-Edge Dance, the former of which can now hit opponents in the lower platforms of {{SSBU|Battlefield}}. Double-Edge Dance has also been sped up greatly, making its hits link into each other much more consistently. His air game in general has directly improved, as forward aerial now auto-cancels in a short hop and has knockback and angle adjustments that make it better for both combos and KOs; neutral, back and up aerials are stronger (the lattermost of which can now KO reliably), and down aerial has larger sweetspots. These changes, compounded with his lower landing lag all-around, makes Roy's air game one of the most versatile and fearsome of any character. | ||
However, Roy is not without a few nerfs, some of which are significant | However, Roy is not without a few nerfs, some of which are significant. [[Blazer]] now needs to travel half its maximum distance before it can sweetspot ledges and also deals less knockback, reducing its use as a KO option. He now boasts a less effective grab game, as his forward throw has lost its combo potential altogether, and down throw has less followups due to its increased knockback; the universal nerfs to grabs further pronounce these issues, making it riskier and less rewarding for him to grab the opponent. | ||
Overall, Roy's core playstyle remains fundamentally the same as it was in ''SSB4'', but the changes made to the game's engine and his substantial buffs now make him less polarizing and allows him to comfortably play aggressively up close, while retaining his raw power, range, and speed mostly intact. | Overall, Roy's core playstyle remains fundamentally the same as it was in ''SSB4'', but the changes made to the game's engine and his substantial buffs now make him less polarizing and allows him to comfortably play aggressively up close, while retaining his raw power, range, and speed mostly intact, though with a few risks added to his playstyle such as a less effective grab game. Despite this, while Roy's nerfs are comparatively few, he still has some of his flaws from past games, such as mediocre offstage survivability, a vulnerability to combos, and an ineffective spacing game. Nevertheless, Roy is considered to be much more viable than he was in any of his previous playable appearances, and is widely seen as a solid contender in competitive play and one of the best swordfighters in the game. | ||
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Roy}} | {{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Roy}} | ||
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|usdesc=A jumping reverse gripped slash, which ignites the Binding Blade. Hits multiple times and can be angled diagonally, though this causes the slash to cover less vertical distance. The grounded version deals more damage and knockback, and has brief [[super armor]] before Roy leaves the ground, making it Roy's best option [[out of shield]]. Roy cannot sweetspot ledges with the move unless he has traveled half of Blazer's maximum distance. | |usdesc=A jumping reverse gripped slash, which ignites the Binding Blade. Hits multiple times and can be angled diagonally, though this causes the slash to cover less vertical distance. The grounded version deals more damage and knockback, and has brief [[super armor]] before Roy leaves the ground, making it Roy's best option [[out of shield]]. Roy cannot sweetspot ledges with the move unless he has traveled half of Blazer's maximum distance. | ||
|dsname=Counter | |dsname=Counter | ||
|dsdmg=1.35× (minimum | |dsdmg=1.35× (minimum 8%) | ||
|dsdesc=[[fireemblemwiki:Counter|Parries]] and then [[counterattack]]s against any incoming attacks with an outward slash that ignites the Binding Blade. It has a 1.35× damage multiplier, the third-highest of any counterattack in the game by default, with [[Counter Throw]] and [[Gut Check]] tied for second (1.5×), [[Rebel's Guard|Tetrakarn]] in first (1.6×), and [[Vision]] surpassing it while the Buster Monado Art is active. | |dsdesc=[[fireemblemwiki:Counter|Parries]] and then [[counterattack]]s against any incoming attacks with an outward slash that ignites the Binding Blade. It has a 1.35× damage multiplier, the third-highest of any counterattack in the game by default, with [[Counter Throw]] and [[Gut Check]] tied for second (1.5×), [[Rebel's Guard|Tetrakarn]] in first (1.6×), and [[Vision]] surpassing it while the Buster Monado Art is active. | ||
|fsname=Critical Hit | |fsname=Critical Hit | ||
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==In [[competitive play]]== | ==In [[competitive play]]== | ||
===Most historically significant players=== | ===Most historically significant players=== | ||
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines --> | <!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines --> | ||
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''See also: [[:Category:Roy players (SSBU)]]'' | ''See also: [[:Category:Roy players (SSBU)]]'' | ||
*{{Sm|alice|Japan}} - One of the best Roy players in Japan in the post-pandemic era | *{{Sm|alice|Japan}} - One of the best Roy players in Japan in the post-pandemic era, peaking at 68th on the [[UltRank 2022]]. His breakout tournament was at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 5}} where he placed 25th, and continued to place highly at other events with a 4th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 14}} and 7th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 10}}. He notably took a set over {{Sm|acola}} at {{Trn|Maesuma Offline (Shikoku)}} and {{Sm|Sonix}} at the {{Trn|Smash World Tour 2021 Championships}}. | ||
*{{Sm|Flow|p=France|France}} - The best Roy player in Europe | *{{Sm|Flow|p=France|France}} - The best Roy player in Europe who has placed top 8 at several large European tournaments, including 5th at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2023}} and 7th at {{Trn|VCA 2021}}. Overseas, he also placed 17th at both {{Trn|Collision 2023}} and {{Trn|Kagaribi 11}}, the latter being one of the largest Japanese tournaments of all-time and defeating {{Sm|ProtoBanham}} and {{Sm|Jogibu}} along the way, as well as 25th at {{Trn|GENESIS X}}. His best placement was 67th on the [[OrionRank 2019]]. | ||
*{{Sm|Goblin|USA}} - The second | *{{Sm|Goblin|USA}} - The second-best Roy player of all-time who was the definitive best in 2019, being the highest ranked Roy main in that year with his 42nd placement on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]]. He had supermajor placements such as 13th at {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}} and 17th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} with wins over {{Sm|Tweek}} and {{Sm|Samsora}}. He has continued to do well at offline tournaments after the pandemic, placing 5th at {{Trn|Riptide}} and {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2022}}, but began to decline in mid-2022. | ||
*{{Sm|HIKARU|Japan}} - Known for his other characters such as {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, but picked up Roy in post-pandemic tournaments and | *{{Sm|HIKARU|Japan}} - Known for his other characters such as {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, but picked up Roy in post-pandemic tournaments and became best Roy player in Japan, peaking at 38th on the [[OrionRank 2022]] with Roy as his primary character. He won {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 5}} with solo Roy, as well as {{Trn|Sumabato SP 27}} and {{Trn|KOWLOON 2}} with Roy as one of his characters. | ||
*{{Sm|Mugen|USA}} - One of the best Roy players in | *{{Sm|Mugen|USA}} - One of the best Roy players in North America. Despite his limited activity outside of his region, he began showing prominence in 2022 thanks to his 9th place finish at {{Trn|Glitch - Infinite}} with wins over {{Sm|Tilde}} and {{Sm|Leon}} and a 17th place finish at {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2022}} with a win over {{Sm|Ling}}, which ultimately led to him ranking 92nd on the [[OrionRank 2022]]. | ||
*{{Sm|Kola|USA}} - The best Roy player | *{{Sm|Kola|USA}} - The best Roy player of all-time, peaking at 5th on the [[OrionRank Mid-Year 2022]], and is the only Roy player to win a major, doing so at {{Trn|CEO 2021}}. He is also considered one of the best online players, placing 1st at {{Trn|Soaked Series Invitational}} primarily using Roy, which to date is one of the largest online tournaments in ''Smash Bros.'' history. | ||
*{{Sm|tk3|Japan}} - Co-mains Roy with Chrom and is considered one the best Roy players in Japan. Prior to 2022, he was considered the best Roy in the country with major placements such as 5th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 3}}, 9th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}}, and 13th at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}} with {{Sm|Yoshidora}}, {{Sm|Atelier}}, and {{Sm|Akakikusu}} being some of his most notable Roy wins. After 2021, he has been inconsistent with his placements, but can still make decent bracket runs seen with many Sumabatos. | *{{Sm|tk3|Japan}} - Co-mains Roy with Chrom and is considered one the best Roy players in Japan. Prior to 2022, he was considered the best Roy in the country with major placements such as 5th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 3}}, 9th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}}, and 13th at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}} with {{Sm|Yoshidora}}, {{Sm|Atelier}}, and {{Sm|Akakikusu}} being some of his most notable Roy wins. After 2021, he has been inconsistent with his placements, but can still make decent bracket runs seen with many Sumabatos. | ||
===Tier placement and history=== | |||
When ''Ultimate'' released, Roy looked promising in the meta due to the universal decreased landing lag on aerials and ability to use tilts out of a dash, which drastically fixed one of his biggest weaknesses. Along with his excellent mobility and some of the strongest KO power in the game, many professionals believed that Roy could potentially be a top-tier character. However, people also noticed that his [[Echo Fighter]], {{SSBU|Chrom}}, despite having less power and a significantly worse recovery than Roy, was more consistent due to his lack of sourspots, making him better at spacing than Roy. Chrom also had a notorious sacrificial KO move from his forward aerial to Soaring Slash. Although the latter was eventually removed, Chrom was still widely agreed to be one of the best characters in the game and was considered to be better than Roy in the early metagame. Despite this, Roy has achieved many noteworthy results thanks to players such as {{Sm|Goblin}} and {{Sm|Flow|p=France}}, and is still thought to be significantly improved from ''Smash 4'', with many players ranking him as a high-tier or even top-tier character. | |||
Roy's reputation continued to improve during and after the end of the online metagame. {{Sm|Kola}}, a rising star prior to the pandemic, made waves during the online metagame and ultimately placed 1st on the [[Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v5]]. He maintained this momentum after offline play returned, and consistently placed top 8 at majors. Other Roy players such as Goblin and {{Sm|HIKARU}} also see strong results during this period, leading to an increase in Roy's representation, especially in the United States: Roy had the second-highest character usage by the end of 2021,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zTKrF1HOv70Pp8xdJKrRQy3QiMYKLTCstoVNgxymt0o/edit#gid=0|title=OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse character usage}}</ref> and continues to be a top 10 character representation-wise in the following year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gRlzy4z_dpqb2ZRhGoqtbDcuvUKz_ROsMZHGegon53M/edit#gid=329450080|title=OrionRank 2022 character usage}}</ref> With Chrom's decline as a result to a shrinking playerbase, many players such as {{Sm|Dabuz}} and {{Sm|Tweek}} consider Roy to be one of the best, if not the best, Fire Emblem characters in the game. As such, Roy was ranked 8th on the first tier list as a top tier character. | |||
Following the first tier list, Roy's representation saw a sudden decline at the top level, attributed to Kola's declining performances and months-long hiatus, Goblin's severe decline, and HIKARU's retirement from competitive ''Smash''. Although Roy remained a popular character overall, on the other hand there were few Roy players that could match the three's performances, as {{Sm|alice}} remained rather inconsistent while Flow did not become more prominent until the latter half of 2023. Finally, Kola's results following his return were better than his results right before his hiatus, however they were still worse than his results at his peak. This decline led to Roy dropping out of the top 10 in terms of representation by mid-2023, the first time Roy was outside the top 10 since the early metagame, and this drop, alongside many players questioning whether Roy's hilt sweetspot and linear recovery were becoming more of a problem, led players to believe Roy was overrated on the first tier list. This view was reflected in the second tier list, where Roy dropped eleven spots to 19th in the A-tier, tied with Chrom and {{SSBU|Ken}} as the largest drops from the first tier list. | |||
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: A Journey of Swords== | =={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: A Journey of Swords== | ||