Super Smash Bros. Ultimate/Glossary

AI

AKA:	Artificial Intelligence
Summary:	A computer-controlled character
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.
See Also:	CPU

Auto Turnaround

AKA:	Auto Turn, Autocorrect, Aimbot
Summary:	A mechanic where a character always faces the opponent in 1-on-1 battles.
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.

Armor

Summary:

A state where a character takes damage but not knockback.

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.

Bread & Butter

AKA:	BnB
Summary:	The simplest and most useful combos of a character.
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 playing well with your character so you are able to combo and kill more consistently.

Burst Option

Summary:

A fast & un-reactable attack, especially those which cover a large distance.

Clone

Summary:

A character considered to be fundamentally similar to or derived from another.

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. 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.

CPU

AKA:	Computer Player
Summary:	A character controlled by artificial intelligence.
Definition:	CPU, short for "central processing unit," is a computer controlled character or entity that attempts to make dynamic decisions as a player would.
See Also:	AI

Cross Up

AKA:	Cross-Up, Crossup
Summary:	Timing your attack such that your character moves past the opponent and attacks them from behind.
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.

DACBG

AKA:	Boost Grab
Summary:	Dash Attack Cancel Boost Grab. Adds extra distance to a dash or pivot grab.
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.

DACUS

AKA:	Dash Attack Cancel Up Smash
Summary:	Dash Attack Cancel Up Smash. Cancelling the startup of dash attack into an up smash for more distance and momentum.
Definition:	Canceling a dash attack with an up smash input before the dash attack comes out. It can be performed during a run or initial dash whenever a dash attack is possible.

DI

AKA:	Directional Influence
Summary:	Influence on launch angle, performed by holding a direction while being hit.
Definition:	The mechanic allowing one who's about to be launched to slightly influence where/how far they're launched.

Disjoint

Summary:	An attack or animation whose hitbox/appearance is disconnected from its hurtbox.
Definition:	An attack or animation that appears or is disconnected from its respective hurtbox. Characters that use a sword are a common example of this.
See Also:	Hitbox \ Hurtbox

Echo Fighter

AKA:	Echo, Echoes
Summary:	Clone officially designated by Ultimate.
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.
See Also:	Clone

Edgeguard

Summary:	Using various means to prevent an opponent from recovering to the stage.
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.

Effect

AKA:	Status Effect, Attribute
Summary:	A broad term used to describe attributes given by certain moves.
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.

Empty Land

Summary:	Landing without using an aerial or attacking, typically near an opponent to mix them up.
Definition:	Empty landing is the act of landing (usually near an opponent) without attacking or using specials in order to mix up one's timing or offensive options. Also known as a "Tomahawk", especially when done into a grounded grab.

Ending Lag

AKA:	Endlag
Summary:	The time after a move before a character can act.
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.

Fadeback

Summary:	Drifting away from an opponent.
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.

Final Smash

AKA:	FS
Summary:	A competitively illegal super move in Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate
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.

Footsies

Summary:

A term referring to the battle to control the space in front of your character, often through the use of pokes.

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.

Footstool

Summary:

A mechanic introduced in Brawl where fighters can gain an upward momentum boost by simply jumping directly on top of their opponents.

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".

Frame Trap

Summary:	String that allows an escape option while also catching that escape option's lag.
Definition:	A type of string (see also: {{{2}}}) which can punish an escape option, such as jumping or airdodging, by continuing the string in a different way.

Gravity

Summary:	Downwards acceleration when falling.
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.

Helpless

AKA:	Freefall, Special Fall
Summary:	An unactionable state some specials cause, lasting until the character lands, is hit, or grabs ledge.
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.

Hitlag

AKA:	Freeze Frames, Hitstop, Hitpause
Summary:	Period of time where both attacking and defending characters are frozen in place after a hitbox connects.
Definition:	The time during getting hit when a player is frozen in place. This applies to both characters usually, and the amount of hitlag depends on the power of the move in most cases. Hitlag allows the attacker to confirm whether their move hit and react accordingly, as well as allowing the victim to react to the hit with DI and/or SDI.
See Also:	DI \ SDI

Hitstun

Summary:	The state a character is put in after getting hit where they're unable to act for a period of time.
Definition:	The time after getting hit when a character cannot perform an action. If another move connects during this time, it is known as a "true" combo.

Hurtbox

Summary:	The invisible collision box of a character that decides whether an attack's hitbox connected.
Definition:	An invisible collision box attached to each character's body that serves as their "real" body for hit detection purposes. A move is considered to connect if the attack's hitbox overlaps with a target's hurtbox. Hurtboxes typically follow a character's body through an attack (such as covering a character's legs during a kick), though are not explicitly bound to an attack's hitbox (e.g. a sword having a hitbox but no hurtbox).
See Also:	Hitbox \ Disjoint

Hurtbox Extension

Summary:	An animation, typically during an attack, that causes a character's hurtbox to move in a way that is more vulnerable.
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.
See Also:	Hurtbox \ Hurtbox Shifting

Hurtbox Shift

Summary:	An animation that causes a character's hurtbox to move a significant amount.
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.
See Also:	Hurtbox

Instant Double-Jump

AKA:	IDJ
Summary:	A technique where one Double Jumps as low to the ground as possible.
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.

Infinite

Summary:

A combo that can be performed without end, infinitely.

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 platform fighters 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.

Instant Reverse Aerial Rush

AKA:	IRAR
Summary:	A RAR performed during initial dash.
Definition:	A reverse aerial rush during initial dash, simply a more precise and versatile version of RAR.
See Also:	Reverse Aerial Rush

Intangible

Summary:	State where attacks cannot interact with a character.
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.

Invincible

Summary:	When a character cannot be hurt by attacks, but can be interacted with.
Definition:	A type of protection in which a hurtbox can be interacted with, but will ignore damage, status effects, etc. from an attack.

Jab Lock

Summary:

Being hit by a low-knockback move after missing a ground tech, locking you in place.

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: {{{2}}}).

John

AKA:	Excuse (non slang term)
Summary:	An excuse for a player's underperformance that results in a match loss.
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 upon to be doing this.

Juggle

Summary:	Vertical advantage state (or, keeping someone perpetually launched above you).
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.

Launch Speed Influence

AKA:	LSI
Summary:	Holding up or down to slightly change launch speed.
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 exists primarily to simplify optimal DI to holding in or out horizontally (on average). This mechanic only exists in Smash 4 and Ultimate.

Low Profile

AKA:	High Crush (as it's known in trad fighters)
Summary:	A move/animation that can dodge below moves that hit the middle or top of the body.
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.

Matchup

AKA:	MU
Summary:	A bout between two characters and/or players, generally referring to the strategies and dynamics of how each side interacts.
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.

Meteor Smash

AKA:	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
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.

Nerf

Summary:	A negative change to a character or mechanic in balance updates.
Definition:	A balance change to the game that results in a net negative change in the potency of a mechanic or character.

Neutral

AKA:	Neutral Game
Summary:	The state of the game where both players have equal agency without major advantages or disadvantages (matchups aside).
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.

Parry

AKA:	Perfect Shield (official term)
Summary:	Releasing shield right as an attack connects in Ultimate.
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.

Pivot Cancel

AKA:	PC
Summary:	Performing a sliding grounded move out of a full run.
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.

Planking

Summary:

A form of stalling that involves releasing and regrabbing ledge repeatedly.

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.

Pocket

Summary:	A character a player plays regularly, but with less proficiency or regularity than a main or secondary character.
Definition:	A character which a player is moderately proficient in, but rarely if ever sees use compared to their main and secondary.

Poke

Summary:	A low-risk attack used to pressure or chip away at an opponent.
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.

Power Rankings

AKA:	PR
Summary:	A community ranking of the players in a given region/community.
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 organizers and other top players). PRs can also be based on a points system determined by placing.

Rage

Summary:

Universally shared mechanic where taking damage increases the amount of knockback and hitstun delivered through a character's moves. Rage is not present in Rivals of Aether 2. The following is information about how rage works in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Rage Maxes out at 150%.

Definition:

In some games, like smash ultimate,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.

Reverse Aerial Rush

AKA:	RAR, Pivot
Summary:	A tech that allows for approaching your opponent with your back turned, out of a forward run.
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.
See Also:	Instant Reverse Aerial Rush

Roll-Cancelled Boost Grab

AKA:	RCBG
Summary:	A technique used to extend a character's dash grab range.
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.

Smash Directional Influence

AKA:	SDI
Summary:	Influencing the user's position while in hitlag, typically during multihits.
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.

Shield SDI

AKA:	Shield Smash Directional Influence
Summary:	Influencing the user's position during shieldlag.
Definition:	Similar to regular SDI, influencing the user's position while in the shield is in hitstun by wiggling while in shield.
See Also:	SDI

Shieldstop

AKA:	Shieldpause, Shieldlag
Summary:	Period of time where a shielding character is frozen in time after a hitbox connects with them.
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 Also:	Shield SDI

Shieldstun

Summary:	Period of time after Shieldstop where a character is locked into shielding, unable to act.
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, 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.
See Also:	Shieldstop \ Hitlag

Spike

Summary:	An attack that sends down at an angle outside of the meteor smash range, and thus cannot be meteor canceled
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.
See Also:	Meteor Smash

Strafe

Summary:

A mechanic during a move or animation where a character can move back and forth without changing the direction they face.

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.

String

AKA:	Fake Combo, Untrue Combo
Summary:	A sequence of moves done in quick succession that leave barely enough room for the opponent to airdodge or interrupt.
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.

Swordie

AKA:	Sword Character
Summary:	An archetype of character known for boasting an array of disjointed attacks, typically used to refer to Fire Emblem characters in particular.
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.
See Also:	Disjoint

Taunt

Summary:

A dance/emote/pose performed with the D-Pad.

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.

Tech-chase

AKA:	techchase, okizeme (in trad fighters)
Summary:	Punishing the opponent's tech options
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.

Two-Frame

Summary:	Hitting someone during the two frames of vulnerability it takes to grab ledge.
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.

Walling

Summary:	Zoning an opponent out at midrange via hitboxes, rather than movement.
Definition:	Keeping an area of control between one and their opponent. This is usually accomplished with projectiles, items, and setplay tools.

Whiff Punish

Summary:	Punishing a missed attack.
Definition:	The user punishing the opponent's whiffed (missed) attack with an attack of their own or a combo.

Zone-Breaking

Summary:

Getting through an opponent's attempt to zone.