Glossary

AI
Aliases: artificial intelligence
Summary: A computer-controlled character
Full Definition: Actions done by the computer to control a character, mimicking a player. Used for CPU players, as well as the secondary Ice Climber when separated.
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armor
Aliases:
Summary: A state where a character takes damage but not knockback
Full Definition: A type of protection in which a character takes damage but no or reduced knockback from a move while active. The primary counterplays to armor are either waiting for it to end, or grabbing through the armor. There are multiple types of armor: *Super Armor stops all knockback and cannot be broken. *Heavy Armor stops all knockback, but can be broken. What must be done to break the armor depends on the move, but most commonly a character must either take enough knockback, damage, or hits. *Subtractive armor reduces the knockback taken by a set amount. This is only seen in Yoshi's double jump, which reduces knockback by 120 units.
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ASDI
Aliases: Auto Smash Directional influence
Summary: Automatic SDI in hitlag
Full Definition: SDI (See: SDIInfluencing the user's position while in hitlag, typically in multihits) That happens automatically when pressing a direction while in hitlag. In Ultimate, ASDI only works on moves with electric, paralyze, or crumple effects, or on Kazuya's 10-Hit Combo or Mii Swordfighter's Final Smash.
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Auto Turnaround
Aliases: auto turn, autocorrect, aimbot
Summary: A mechanic where a character always faces the opponent in 1-on-1 battles.
Full Definition: A mechanic shared by Ryu, Ken, Terry, and Kazuya intended to mimic fighting game movement by having them always face the opponent by default as long as it's a 1v1. This means that they can walk backwards, but still face forwards, and some moves inputted at certain times will automatically correct to face to where the opponent is. Because of this, characters with the mechanic have an easier time dealing with cross ups. Auto Turnaround will be temporarily overridden if a move is inputted in the opposite direction, the character is airborne, or if they input a run backwards.
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BnB
Aliases:
Summary: Shorthand for "Bread & Butter", or the main combos of a character.
Full Definition: Bread and Butter refers to the most important combo starters and kill confirms your character uses against most of the roster. They tend to be very important to well with playing your character so you are able to combo and kill more consistently.
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burst option
Aliases:
Summary: A fast, unreactable attack often with good distance
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clone
Aliases:
Summary: A character considered to be fundamentally similar to another
Full Definition: A clone fighter is an unofficial term used to describe characters that have a moveset so similar to another that they were likely created from the moveset/model template of that character. Over time, clone characters have gotten significantly less obvious as characters gain their identity across titles, but some still remain, such as Ganondorf being Captain Falcon's clone and Dr. Mario being Mario's clone. Certain clones in Ultimate are officially designated as Echo Fighters as well (see above). Many clones usually follow wildly different gameplans despite this, though some of them are noticeably more similar. Certain clones with less derivative movesets, such as Falco and Ganondorf since Brawl, are considered semi-clones instead. A few of them, like Lucas and Wolf, are even less derivative and are actually considered to be pseudo-clones.
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CPU
Aliases: computer player
Summary: A character controlled by artificial intelligence
Full Definition: CPU, or "central processing unit," is a computer controlled character or entity that attempts to make dynamic decisions as a player would.
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cross up
Aliases: cross-up
Summary: Timing your attack such that your character moves past the opponent and attacks them from behind
Full Definition: A technique used to end up in the opposite place where a shielding opponent expects you to end on. Most commonly done with Dash Attacks, but is also possible with Short Hop Aerials. They make counter attacks (e.g OoS) that start from the front like Shield Grab miss, allowing the attacker to be safer. Bear in mind however that some attacks strike from behind first, making the technique risky.
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DACBG
Aliases: boost grab
Summary: Dash Attack Cancel Boost Grab; adds extra distance to a dash or pivot grab.
Full Definition: Canceling a dash attack with a grab using the shield or grab button for extra distance. It can be performed during a run or initial dash whenever a dash attack is possible. The grab input must be pressed between frames 2 and 4 (Melee/Ultimate) or between frames 2 and 3 (Brawl/Smash 4) in order to cancel a dash attack. This technique cannot be performed in Smash 64.
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DI
Aliases: Directional Influence
Summary: Influence on launch speed and location
Full Definition: The mechanic allowing one about to be launched to slightly influence where/how far they're launched.
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echo fighter
Aliases: echo, echoes
Summary: clone officially designated by Ultimate
Full Definition: Echo fighter is an official term in Ultimate used specifically for seven of the game's clone characters (most of them being newcomers, with the exception of Lucina and Dark Pit) based on the fact that they were derivative characters developed using another character as a base with extremely minimal development time needed. It is possible to stack them on the character selection screen in that game. On an objective level, this term is very loose and undefined, due to some clones not being considered echoes by the game and all echoes being clones. While Lucina, Chrom and Ken all have significant enough gameplay differences from their bases to the point where they are treated as distinct characters by the competitive playerbase, Daisy, Richter, Dark Samus and to a lesser extent Dark Pit are much closer to their bases and are usually grouped together with the originals by players.
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edgeguard
Aliases:
Summary: Using various means to prevent an opponent from recovering to the stage
Full Definition: Using various attacks and techniques to prevent an opponent from recovering to the stage. This may include going offstage to intercept a recovering opponent, typically with aerial attacks, and oftentimes with meteor smashes or spikes. It can also be done on-stage as well, often involving large disjoints and/or projectiles.
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effect
Aliases: status effect, attribute
Summary: a broad term used to describe attributes given by certain moves
Full Definition: A broad term used to describe attributes given by certain moves. This includes inconsequential effects like the coin on Super Jump Punch, to effects like freeze, sleep, fire, electric, reverse, and more.
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ending lag
Aliases: endlag
Summary: The time after a move before a character can act
Full Definition: The time after a move before a character can act. In most fighting games, this is called "recovery". However, in Smash, "recovery" instead refers to a character's ability to return from offstage.
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fadeback
Aliases:
Summary: Moving away from an opponent
Full Definition: Doing an attack while moving away from an opponent in order to either catch hasty approaches or make a move more safe at the cost of stage control.
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Final Smash
Aliases: FS
Summary: A competitively illegal super move in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate
Full Definition: A "super move" that any playable character in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate can perform, usually after breaking a Smash Ball (or filling up the Final Smash Meter in Ultimate). The effects of each Final Smash differs, but most involve dealing damage or killing very early. Under most competitive rulesets, they are banned.
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footsies
Aliases:
Summary: A term referring to the battle to control the space in front of your character, often through the use of pokes
Full Definition: A complicated, often nebulous term that refers to the battle for controlling the space in front of you, often by using good pokes. In essence, you are trying to get to a range you like, while trying to deny your opponent getting to a range that they like. How you do this varies wildly based on the game, but it often involves using long-range attacks to pester your opponent as they are trying to walk around. This dance of playing mind games with your feet is the source of the term's name.
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footstool
Aliases:
Summary: A mechanic introduced in Brawl where fighters can gain an upward momentum boost by simply jumping directly on top of their opponents.
Full Definition: A mechanic present in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate where fighters can gain an upward momentum boost by simply jumping directly on top of their opponents. While grounded opponents are merely stuck in lag after getting footstooled, airborne opponents are placed in a special tumble situation while falling downward. In Brawl and Smash 4, footstools done on airborne opponents cannot be teched by the victim, which can lead to guaranteed combos. However, footstools against airborne foes can be teched by the victim in Ultimate. Additionally, footstools done against opponents who are in the middle of an attack (excluding landing lag from aerial attacks) or certain other special animations/statuses will not affect the victim; such footstools are called "phantom footstools".
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frame trap
Aliases:
Summary: String that allows an escape option while also catching that escape option's lag
Full Definition: A type of string (see also: stringA sequence of moves done in quick succession that is not a true combo) which can punish an escape option, such as jumping or airdodging, by continuing the string in a different way.
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gravity
Aliases:
Summary: Downwards acceleration when falling
Full Definition: A character's downward acceleration in the air. Each frame, this value is subtracted from a character's vertical speed until they reach their maximum fall speed.
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helpless
Aliases: freefall, special fall
Summary: an unactionable state some specials cause
Full Definition: During this state, a character is completely inactionable until they touch the ground again, grab the ledge, or get hit. This most often happens after specials used for recovery.
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hitlag
Aliases: freeze frames, hitstop, hitpause
Summary: Characters are frozen in place after a hitbox connects
Full Definition: The time during getting hit when a player is frozen in place. This applies to both characters usually, and the amount of hitlag there is depends on the power of the move, in most cases. Hitlag allows the attacker to confirm their move hit and plan their next, and allows the victim to react to the hit and SDI (See: SDIInfluencing the user's position while in hitlag, typically in multihits) and/or DI (See: DIInfluence on launch speed and location).
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hitstun
Aliases:
Summary: A state that a character is in put after getting hit, which the afflicted character cannot act at all.
Full Definition: The time after getting hit when a character cannot perform an action. If another move is hit during this time, this becomes known as a true combo.
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hurtbox extension
Aliases:
Summary: An animation causing a character's hurtbox to become more vulnerable
Full Definition: An animation that causes a character's hurtbox to become more vulnerable. This is a type of hurtbox shifting, but while hurtbox extension is often used when the animation causes an attack to hit when it otherwise would not, hurtbox shifting is often used when the animation causes an attack to miss.
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hurtbox shift
Aliases:
Summary: An animation causing a character's hurtbox to move a significant amount
Full Definition: An animation that causes a character's hurtbox to move a large amount. Often, hurtbox shifting is used when the animation's movement causes an attack to miss, while hurtbox extension is used when the animation causes an attack to hit when it otherwise wouldn't.
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IDJ
Aliases: Instant Double-Jump
Summary: Shorthand for "Instant Double-Jump", a technique used to Double Jump as low to the ground as possible.
Full Definition: An Instant Double Jump is using your Double Jump as fast as possible after inputting Jump. The uses of this technique can vary, between performing Rising Aerials low to the ground, using Aerials with increased vertical height, and more.
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infinite
Aliases:
Summary: A combo that can be performed without end
Full Definition: A combo that can be performed indefinitely on an opponent, regardless of percentage or other external factors. These combos are not very common in the Smash Bros. series overall. Several notorious examples include the Ice Climbers' wobbling in Melee and chaingrabs in Brawl, King Dedede's down throw chaingrab against certain characters in Brawl, and Diddy Kong's since-patched Pyramid Scheme in Ultimate.
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intangible
Aliases:
Summary: When a character is unable to be interacted with
Full Definition: A type of protection in which a hurtbox is completely unable to be interacted with. This means that intangible characters can move through each other, and that if intangibility runs out while a lingering hitbox is there, a character will still be hit by the hitbox.
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invincible
Aliases:
Summary: When a character cannot be hurt by attacks, but can be interacted with
Full Definition: A type of protection in which a hurtbox can be interacted with, but will ignore damage, status effects, etc. from an attack.
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IRAR
Aliases: Instant Reverse Aerial Rush, perfect pivot
Summary: A RAR performed during initial dash.
Full Definition: A reverse aerial rush during initial dash, simply a more precise and versatile version of RAR.
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jab lock
Aliases:
Summary: Being hit by a low-knockback move after missing a tech, locking you in place
Full Definition: Hitting an opponent with a low knockback move in their prone state causes them to bounce and enter the lock state, which is 25 frames for initial missed tech and 38 frames for the two possible locks after. This lock state can be reset with another low knockback move one more time if done quickly and at a specific rhythm. During the lock duration, the opponent is completely unable to act, making this a crucial opportunity to extend combos or kill confirm for the attacker. If they aren't hit after the lock state, the opponent goes back to prone state and they can choose a get-up option (See: No results).
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john
Aliases: excuse(non slang term)
Summary: An excuse for a player's underperformance that results in a match loss.
Full Definition: A term used when players attribute their loss to other variables out of their control. Can be used as a noun or a verb (the act of johning). "No Johns" is used as a counter to players making excuses. It is generally frowned up to be doing this.
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juggle
Aliases:
Summary: Vertical advantage state (aka keeping them above you)
Full Definition: Advantage state in which the opponent is above the user. Oftentimes, this comes after an upward combo or throw, or any powerful vertical attack which does not KO the opponent right away.
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low profile
Aliases: High Crush
Summary: A move/state that can dodge moves that hit the middle of the body.
Full Definition: Some moves shift hurtboxes so low to the ground that they can dodge moves that target the middle of the character's body. Additionally, some characters are able shrink their hurtboxes by crouching to avoid said attacks, or by simply having a small hurtbox altogether. Another possible way to low profile attacks is through having upper body intangibility, making the attack on the mid body whiff.
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LSI
Aliases: Launch speed influence
Summary: Holding up or down to slightly change launch speed
Full Definition: Holding up or down to slightly increase or decrease the launch speed. Does not work on moves which send steeply up or down. This mechanic only exists in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
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matchup
Aliases: MU
Summary: A bout between two characters and/or players
Full Definition: A character matchup is when two specific characters fight each other, and the options they have that counter one another. A player matchup is when two specific players fight each other, and the options that they use in order to counter one another.
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meteor smash
Aliases: meteor
Summary: Any attack in Smash 64, Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate that launches opponents downward, or in Melee, only attacks that launch opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees
Full Definition: Attacks that send the victim directly downward, unlike most moves which launch them upward, horizontally or diagonally. In Melee, only attacks that launch opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees are considered to be meteor smashes, causing moves such as Falco's down aerial to instead be considered spikes. Meteor smashes are useful for starting combos, kill confirms, edgeguarding, and gimping, depending on the character's meteor smash. In Melee and Brawl only, meteor smashes can be meteor canceled, nullifying their downward knockback against airborne opponents. In Smash 4 only, meteor smashes can also be teched if done against grounded opponents, limiting their utility as combo starters. In Smash 64 and Ultimate, all meteor smashes are functionally identical to spikes in Melee.
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nerf
Aliases:
Summary: A character receiving a negative change in balance updates
Full Definition: A balance change to the game that results in a net negative change in the potency of a mechanic or character.
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neutral
Aliases: neutral game
Summary: A freeroam analytical gameplay phase
Full Definition: A phase in gameplay where both players can freely move, attack, and defend. Typically players will collect information on each other so they can win the neutral phase and move on to an advantage phase.
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parry
Aliases: perfect shield (official term)
Summary: Releasing shield right as an attack connects in Ultimate only
Full Definition: Unofficial name for the reworked version of perfect shielding seen in Ultimate, which involves releasing one's shield right as an attack connects. This results in extra frame advantage for the one shielding, depending on the type of move being parried.
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PC
Aliases:
Summary: Pivot Cancel; performs a sliding ground move out of a full run
Full Definition: A technique done by running forward, turning around to start sliding, then canceling said slide with a normal in order to retain the slide’s momentum while still attacking.
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planking
Aliases:
Summary: A form of stalling
Full Definition: A form of stalling involving regrabbing the ledge over and over again. It is effective in Smash 64, Melee and most notoriously Brawl, since there is no ledge grab limit in those games and regrabbing the ledge always refreshes ledge grab intangibility. Very difficult to do with many characters in Smash 4 and Ultimate due to the fact that ledge grab intangibility in those two games no longer refreshes unless characters land on the ground first, and even harder in the lattermost game thanks to the in-game ledge grab limit which prevents someone from grabbing the ledge six times in a row without taking damage or landing. Uniquely, Steve can bypass these limits by using blocks or anvil because they both technically count as him touching the ground, making planking much stronger for him specifically.
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pocket
Aliases:
Summary: A character the player sometimes plays
Full Definition: A character which a player is moderately proficient in, but rarely if ever sees use compared to their main and secondary.
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poke
Aliases:
Summary: A low-risk attack
Full Definition: An attack used to occupy space in front of the user, often to assert their presence to them and remind them to respect the space taken. If they don't, they risk getting hit and losing space on the stage or getting comboed (See: combo). What defines a move as a poke is usually a long and safe normal.
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PR
Aliases:
Summary: Shorthand for "Power Rankings", a community ranking of the players in a given region
Full Definition: A community ranking of the players in a given region. For example, an EUPR would be a ranking of all the best players in Europe, as decided by the panelists (usually tournament organisers and other top players). PRs can also be based on a points system determined by placing.
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Rage
Aliases: Inherent knockback increase
Summary: Universally shared mechanic where taking damage increases the amount of knockback and hitstun delivered through a character's moves. Maxes out at 150%.
Full Definition: Rage is a universally shared mechanic across the roster which provides a knockback and hitstun increase to a character's moves based on that character's damage percent. This effect starts at 35% damage, at a very small knockback increase, reaches medium charge at 100% damage, with 5% added knockback, and a maximum of 10% additional knockback at 150%. This effect stacks with all other knockback multipliers and growth, but it does not apply to thrown items. Not to be confused with Kazuya's Rage mode or Lucario's Aura mechanic, although this effect stacks with both.
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RAR
Aliases: reverse aerial rush, pivot (not perfect pivot, see IRAR)
Summary: A tech that allows for approaching your opponent with your back turned, out of a forward run.
Full Definition: A technique that consists of cancelling a forward run with a 1-frame backdash and then a backwards jump. RARs keep the characters' momentum in the direction they were moving, with their back turned. RARs are typically used to approach opponents with a backwards aerial. This tech also works on characters with the Auto Turnaround mechanic. This technique is not possible in Smash 64 or Melee.
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RCBG
Aliases: Roll-Cancelled Boost Grab
Summary: Shorthand for "Roll-Cancelled Boost Grab", a technique used to extend a character's dash grab range.
Full Definition: A Roll-Cancelled Boost Grab involves canceling an initial dash into a roll, and then the roll into a grab on its first few frames, which will make the character slide and improve their travel distance, and thus their effective dash grab range. Any character in Smash 4 and Ultimate can perform this technique, with the exception of Yoshi.
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SDI
Aliases: Smash Directional Influence
Summary: Influencing the user's position while in hitlag, typically in multihits
Full Definition: Influencing the user's position while in hitlag, typically in multihits. Various moves have SDI multipliers which allow them to be more or less easily SDI'd out of.
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Shield SDI
Aliases: Shield Smash Directional Influence
Summary: Influencing the user's position in shieldlag
Full Definition: Similar to regular SDI, influencing the user's position while in the shield is in hitstun by wiggling while in shield.
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shieldstop
Aliases: shieldpause, shieldlag
Summary: Shield is frozen in place after hitbox connects
Full Definition: The time during getting hit when a shield is frozen in place. This applies to both characters usually (the attacker recieving hitlag), and the amount of shieldlag there is depends on the power of the move, in most cases. Shieldlag allows the attacker to confirm their move hit and plan their next, and allows the victim to react to the hit and potentially escape or shield SDI (See: shield SDI).
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shieldstun
Aliases:
Summary: A short state that a character is in put after shielding an attack, which the afflicted character cannot act at all.
Full Definition: The period after the victim's shield has been hit, in which they are frozen in an inactionable state. This occurs after shieldlag/hitlag (See: shieldstopShield is frozen in place after hitbox connects, hitlagCharacters are frozen in place after a hitbox connects), and the attacker is not affected by shield stun. This means the attacker can use a rapid jab or another tight sequence to potentially lock the shielding victim in place for shield pressure and blockstrings. This allows the attacker to at the very least reduce the victim's shield size and either shield poke or pressure the victim into making a hasty move to escape pressure. Shield stun can be drastically increased if a strong move like Ganondorf's Warlock Punch connects.
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spike
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Summary: An attack that sends down at an angle outside of the meteor smash range, and thus cannot be meteor canceled
Full Definition: Only prevalent in Melee, spikes are a special type of attack that launches opponents downward, similarly to meteor smashes. However, unlike meteor smashes, spikes send at a more diagonal launch angle outside of the game's tiny meteor smash range, and therefore none of them can be meteor canceled. Falco's down aerial, the nipple spike hitbox of Captain Falcon's dair, and Marth's dair in NTSC versions of Melee are all good examples of spikes. The meteor smash range is much larger in Brawl, essentially removing spikes in that game. Additionally, meteor canceling does not exist at all in Smash 64, Smash 4 and Ultimate.
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Strafing
Aliases:
Summary: A mechanic during a move where a character can move back and forth but their direction is locked.
Full Definition: A mechanic where a move lets a character freely walk forward or backwards without turning, similar to auto turnaround. Unlike autoturn, the character doesn't automatically face the opponent; their direction is just locked for the duration of the move. This mechanic is shared by a lot of moves in Steve's kit, like mining, block and redstone placement, utilt, and jab/ftilt, but Banjo & Kazooie can also strafe with Breegul Blaster and Min Min can with her ftilt/jab and neutral/side special.
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string
Aliases: Fake combo, not true
Summary: A sequence of moves done in quick succession that is not a true combo
Full Definition: Sequence of moves done in quick succession that are interpreted at combos due to their high successrate. Followups and mixups are very common in strings. Some strings are just a "second part" of a previous combo, or two combos tied together in one string.
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swordie
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Summary: Shorthand for "sword character", but typically used to refer to Fire Emblem characters in particular.
Full Definition: A nickname for characters that primarily use a sword instead of H2H fighting. They are notable for this due to their weapons giving them relatively large disjoints on their attacks. Notable examples introduced in each Smash game include Link in Smash 64, Marth in Melee, Ike in Brawl, Cloud in Smash 4, and Pyra/Mythra in Ultimate.
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taunt
Aliases:
Summary: A dance/emote/pose
Full Definition: Striking a dance/emote/pose with the character. Every character has one single taunt in Smash 64 and Melee, but three taunts in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate. In Ultimate, taunts can be canceled with any action. Only very few taunts—namely Luigi's taunt (Melee) or down taunt (Brawl/Smash 4/Ultimate), all of Snake's nearly identical taunts, Greninja's down taunt, and Kazuya's side taunt—have damaging hitboxes; generally, these taunts are not very useful as actual attacks outside of styling on opponents.
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tech-chase
Aliases: okizeme
Summary: Punishing the opponent's tech options
Full Definition: Punishing the opponent’s tech options, such as tech roll away or tech in place. This is typically done with a read or on reaction, by following the opponent while they're in the animation and punishing them before they can act.
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two-frame
Aliases:
Summary: Hitting someone during the two frames it takes to grab ledge
Full Definition: In Smash 4 and Ultimate, most characters will be vulnerable for two frames when grabbing ledge, even if intangible beforehand, giving the opponent a window to punish. Note: two framing does not apply when grabbing ledge from above, so teleport recoveries and pika/pichu's quick attack can snap to ledge without risk of a two frame
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walling
Aliases:
Summary: Zoning an opponent at a midrange via physical hitboxes
Full Definition: Keeping an area of control between one and their opponent. This is usually accomplished with projectiles, items, and setplay tools.
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whiff punish
Aliases:
Summary: Punishing a missed attack
Full Definition: The user punishing the opponent's whiffed (missed) attack with an attack of their own or a combo.
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zone-breaking
Aliases:
Summary: Getting through an opponent's attempt to zone
Full Definition:
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