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~ IM SAFE!!! ~ The Shield Compendium

Pr0phetic

Dodge the bullets!
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THE SHIELD COMPENDIUM!!!


Welcome to a place of safety. I had the idea to go into one aspect i have yet to seen, a thread dedicated to shields! Now this is far from complete, I have big plans for it. And, this is OPEN, so please help as mch as you can in any way.

[DISCLAMER] All values and frame data in this are for now BASE values taken from no other factors.

Basic Info

Shield: General - Shielding is the true defence method in the SSB series. It blocks all attacks, but however, is susceptable to grabs. The shield is one one the fastest actions in the game, coming out in 1 frame and only has a cool down of 7 frames (power shielding excluded).
Shield Coloring - Depending on your controller position, your shield can be one of four colors: P1 - Red, P2 - Blue, P3 - Yellow, and P4 - Green.
Shield Energy - Your shield maintains energy over time, and is the factor that depends shield size and the resistance of attacks.
Shieldstab - This what happens when you have low shield energy, or you angle you shield in a bad way, and a part is not covering your character. This in part allows the hitbox of an attack to connect and drop the sheld.
Shieldbreak - A term used for when your shield runs out of energy, and basically cracks. Some attacks can cause it to crack regardless. Most shields last for 183 frames (3.05 seconds) without factoring in other major aspects. Shieldbreak stun lasts for 438 frames (7.3 seconds) without mashing, and lasts 282 frames (4.7 seconds) with mashing.

Technical Info
Shield Stun - When hit by attacks while shielding, you will lag for a number of frames during which you can't do anything. The number of shield stun lag frames varies depending on which character hit you and with what attack, the lag is not based on who you are. This is different from shield hitstun in that it is the person shielding, not the attacker, that receives the lag.
Shield Hitstun - When you hit a shield with an attack, you will suffer shield hitstun. During these frames, you can't do anything.
Shield Drop Lag - When you drop your shield, you suffer drop lag, which you can't do anything for a few frames.
Powershielding - If you press the shield button all the way down within 8 frames of you being hit, you will block the attack without putting up your shield and be able to retaliate immediately. The computer does this frequently.

Application of Shields
Defensive
- Powershielding: This is a very good aspect of shield. If you throw up your shield right as the hit would connect, you'll successfully block it, and suffer no shieldstun or drop lag. It allows for a quick follow up, and can successfully out do some campers (i.e. works good for Falco's lasers).
- Shield Conservation: Always be wary of your shield. You always want to think about how much shield energy is remaining. This will help you strateically use your shield, and avoid shieldstabbing or a shieldbreak. This can save you a stock if the situation arises.
- Angling Your Shield: This can be done while shielding by pushing the analog stick in a given direction. The angle of your shield can help you or hurt you. Say said character starts an attack above you, such as Meta Knight's Tornado, which could shieldstab by regular shield. If you angle it up towards the attack, it can survive most of the hits (depending on shield energy). However, with an incorrect or bad angle, attacks may easily shieldstab.

Offensive
- Out of Shield: Most know it as OoS, and is a very great aspect of Brawl. After an opposing character strikes your shield, or comes close to it, certain characters can instantly use an attack (i.e. Marth and Meta Knight's UpB.) OoS options include:
  • - jumping into aerials
  • - shield dropping into tilts
  • - Usmash directly OoS
  • - UpB directly OoS
- Shield Grabbing: Ah, what an excellent technique. By holding your shield button (by default its L/R) and A, you can grab directly out of your shield. It is the safest way to grab, and for some the preferred way to grab an opponent (i.e. DeDeDe's chaingrab).
- Shieldbreaking: This can literally turn the tide of match. One shield breaker at even mid percents = death. If your opponent overshields, pick up on this pattern, and own them. Don't over abuse Brawl's shield mechanic! Great Shield Breakers are:
  • - Marth's Shieldbreaker (Neutral B)
  • - Snake's Fsmash
  • - Donkey Kong's Side B
  • - Jigglypuff's Pound (Side B)
  • - Mr.Game and Watch's Judgment 3 (Side B)
Character-Specifics
Special Shield & Conditions
Jigglypuff has a weird shield. Whenever Jiggs shield is broken, she will go into the shieldbreak animation, however fly straight through the top blastzone and die.

Yoshi has a fairly weird shield aswell. Yoshi's shield cannot be jump-canceled, shield poked, neither can an attack be used directly OoS. Yoshi's powershield is also slower then those of the other cast.

Effects & Resultants on/of Shields
- Comming soon!!!~

Credits

- All who contributed; large contributions will get your name up here or else this would be a LONG list.
- All who had great ideas and suggestions!
- All who found it a good read! Thanks for the support~
- The Smash Dojo (The pictures)
- Myself

More updates everyday!
 

Pr0phetic

Dodge the bullets!
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An idea:

Mention how special Jigglypuff and Yoshi's eggs are.

=P

And maybe gather some frame data on shield (hit)stun.
Shield frame data is a little tedious. But sure, i want to make this BIG, will include Yoshi's and Jiggs shield speciality.
 

Kitamerby

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You should talk about the different types of OoS options(jumping OoS into an aerial, jumping OoS into a special/uspecial, grabbing, usmash, and shield-drop into quick move).
 

Rashid

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Oh right, I just remember that every single hit is different, and that's 39 characters we're talking about..

How about some shield-related techs/tactics? Like Out-of-shield ones, abusing the shield's "push" when shielding stronger attacks, etc.

I don't know if there's anything else needed...
 

Pr0phetic

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Oh right, I just remember that every single hit is different, and that's 39 characters we're talking about..

How about some shield-related techs/tactics? Like Out-of-shield ones, abusing the shield's "push" when shielding stronger attacks, etc.

I don't know if there's anything else needed...
You should talk about the different types of OoS options(jumping OoS into an aerial, jumping OoS into a special/uspecial, grabbing, usmash, and shield-drop into quick move).
Both comming tonight already =] And yeah i was about to say thats 39 chars, 10 moves each, a lot of work.
 

Kitamerby

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Both comming tonight already =] And yeah i was about to say thats 39 chars, 10 moves each, a lot of work.
Very few (if any) characters have 10 moves that are safe and reliable to use out of shield. You should probably just list the most effective/common ones. Most characters usually have three to maybe 5 moves at the most. For example, Pikachu can reliably Nair, Fair, Usmash, Utilt, and Dsmash. Technically, he could jab, Ftilt, or Dtilt OoS, but those are pretty much never used, so you don't need to list them. Lucario though has only jab and utilt that are reliable to use out of shield. Ike has jab, ftilt, and Fsmash iirc.
 

Tristan_win

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You should at least mention that the shield is one of the fastest actions in the game.

Coming out in 2 frames and only have a cool down of 7 frames unless you power shield a attack.

I don't know by heart the frame advantage you get for power shielding a attack but it's big.
 

Pr0phetic

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Very few (if any) characters have 10 moves that are safe and reliable to use out of shield. You should probably just list the most effective/common ones. Most characters usually have three to maybe 5 moves at the most. For example, Pikachu can reliably Nair, Fair, Usmash, Utilt, and Dsmash. Technically, he could jab, Ftilt, or Dtilt OoS, but those are pretty much never used, so you don't need to list them. Lucario though has only jab and utilt that are reliable to use out of shield. Ike has jab, ftilt, and Fsmash iirc.
That wasn't in response to your suggestion, but thanks.
And i'll add that in now Tristian since its short. Later guys ~
 

Wave⁂

Smash Legend
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Quoting the definition of shielding in Melee might not be such a good idea.
 

Ulevo

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Something you should take mention to is the effect of knockback on shields. Something also noteworthy is the effect of stale moves on shields and their knockback as a result.

Also, Yoshis shield can't be shield poked.
 

ZesuBen

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I dunno... I think you should post the useless attacks OoS as well as the useful ones to make a more complete guide. That's just me...
 

Amazing Ampharos

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Figuring out the relative sizes of the shields would be a great asset to the community. As per a way to scientifically work it out, I think the best bet would be to hold a full shield n frames and determine the first frame some attack that hits very low (Charizard dsmash?) shieldstabs. That would probably be pretty hard, but it's basically the biggest unknown when it comes to shields.

My understanding of frame data gathering suggests that figuring out how long shields take to break when held should be relatively easy too. Yeah, it's probably over 100 frames, but it's completely non-random so a single recording of a full shield being held to breaking would be enough. I also think Yoshi is the only one whose shield has an unusual number of frames to break so you could potentially only have to do 2 measurements (though verifying that I'm right about that couldn't hurt).

As per powershielding timing, I think the powershield can be dropped the frame after hitlag ends; I know powershielding makes you subject to no blockstun. On that note, Yoshi's powershield is bad. I think it takes the standard 7 frames to be dropped.

Information about how recovering from a shield break works would always be good; I don't think anyone has ever researched that before. I think mashing helps you recover faster (same mechanics and grab breaking?), but I'm not sure if the base amount of time you spend stunned is a constant, depends on damage, depends on character, or whatever. I do know the amount you fly up before you are in the helpless state on the ground is character dependent (fun trivia: Warioman flies up much further than Wario); it's what kills Jigglypuff. It seems like in general character who fly further fly faster, but given how long Jigglypuff will stick to a ceiling, I don't think the amount of time spent in the air is uniform.

Information about shield restoration would be handy too of course. Getting more than a rough value for how fast shields recharge would probably be impossible, but it's an interesting consideration. There's also the matter of investigating whether dying or transforming into a different character results in a recharged shield; I think it does, but I'm not sure.

That's about all I can think of in terms of interesting shield mechanics that have been poorly explored.
 

Pr0phetic

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Figuring out the relative sizes of the shields would be a great asset to the community. As per a way to scientifically work it out, I think the best bet would be to hold a full shield n frames and determine the first frame some attack that hits very low (Charizard dsmash?) shieldstabs. That would probably be pretty hard, but it's basically the biggest unknown when it comes to shields.

My understanding of frame data gathering suggests that figuring out how long shields take to break when held should be relatively easy too. Yeah, it's probably over 100 frames, but it's completely non-random so a single recording of a full shield being held to breaking would be enough. I also think Yoshi is the only one whose shield has an unusual number of frames to break so you could potentially only have to do 2 measurements (though verifying that I'm right about that couldn't hurt).

As per powershielding timing, I think the powershield can be dropped the frame after hitlag ends; I know powershielding makes you subject to no blockstun. On that note, Yoshi's powershield is bad. I think it takes the standard 7 frames to be dropped.

Information about how recovering from a shield break works would always be good; I don't think anyone has ever researched that before. I think mashing helps you recover faster (same mechanics and grab breaking?), but I'm not sure if the base amount of time you spend stunned is a constant, depends on damage, depends on character, or whatever. I do know the amount you fly up before you are in the helpless state on the ground is character dependent (fun trivia: Warioman flies up much further than Wario); it's what kills Jigglypuff. It seems like in general character who fly further fly faster, but given how long Jigglypuff will stick to a ceiling, I don't think the amount of time spent in the air is uniform.

Information about shield restoration would be handy too of course. Getting more than a rough value for how fast shields recharge would probably be impossible, but it's an interesting consideration. There's also the matter of investigating whether dying or transforming into a different character results in a recharged shield; I think it does, but I'm not sure.

That's about all I can think of in terms of interesting shield mechanics that have been poorly explored.
Sounds great, i'll probabaly work on this next since it's the least explored. I think the stun from a shieldbreak is a constant without facotring in button mashing. If anything will you be able to help me with any of this A.A.?
 

sMexy-Blu

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I think you should add information about Rolling, Spot Dodging and Air Dodge mechanics.

P.S: Awesome thread, can't wait till you finish it. :p
 

Pr0phetic

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I think you should add information about Rolling, Spot Dodging and Air Dodge mechanics.

P.S: Awesome thread, can't wait till you finish it. :p
Might be my next project, thanks =P

Oh just in, Shieldbreak stun lasts for 438 frames (7.3 seconds) without mashing, and lasts 282 frames (4.7 seconds) with mashing.
 

Denzi

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Oh just in, Shieldbreak stun lasts for 438 frames (7.3 seconds) without mashing, and lasts 282 frames (4.7 seconds) with mashing.
You should also note that the higher your damage is, the faster you recover from a sheild break. There's a video somewhere, but I couldn't find it.
 

Pr0phetic

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You should also note that the higher your damage is, the faster you recover from a sheild break. There's a video somewhere, but I couldn't find it.
I'm going to put a disclaimer saying these are all base values, but thanks!
 

SSD

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Though most of us know already, it's probably a good idea to mention Marth's shield breaker, and maybe look for other moves that do large amounts of shield damage/threaten a shield break.
 

Pr0phetic

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I know Marth's Shieldbreaker (Neutral B), Snake's Fsmash, and Jiggs Pound is great at breaking shield.
 

SSD

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Judgement 3
Toon Link's Fsmash(this does a pretty good amount of shield damage, but that may be because of the double hit. I dunno.)
 

Pr0phetic

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Thanks SSD, I need a capture card, I wanna test the effects of decay on shields. I might need to find somebody to help. Any takers?

The obvious is decreased knockback, and possibly decreased shieldstun.
 

SSD

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I have a capture device. I'm assuming you'll want to send replays to be recorded and sent back?
 

Pr0phetic

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I have a capture device. I'm assuming you'll want to send replays to be recorded and sent back?
Well that will work great! I'll PM you about it later. I'm trying to squeeze in a new part today, but everything might have to wait.
 

Browny

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umm who is in the shield in the OP lol?

it looks like ZSS's boots but i cant figure out what on earth that thing protruding from the top it, looks like a golden hammer :/
 

Pr0phetic

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Alright today im gonna do some testing on shield energy & regeneration. I know that shield energy refreshes after a stock, but any other info ill find out and add today. Look out for some good stuff~
 

sMexy-Blu

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Snake Dair helps breaking shields and also MK's whorenado if you try to shield it all.
 

Pr0phetic

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Snake Dair helps breaking shields and also MK's whorenado if you try to shield it all.
It'll shieldstab before it shield breaks. Eh, my sensor bar is broken for the time being. Would anyone mind contributing facts about the effects of knockback on a shield?
 
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