Version 9.0.0 of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just dropped, and it’s time to assess all of the character buffs (there weren’t actually any nerfs) and their effects on our metagame! Yes, this patch added Steve, but we aren’t concerned with him until his Figure Player is made available. If it’s made available. Spoiler alert: Ness got buffed. He’s definitely staying top-tier.
There were a few slight buffs to neutral attacks. Something about them connecting more easily or something? We won’t cover those in this post — just buffs that would apply to the amiibo metagame. Let’s have ourselves a look at the biggest winner this update:
Ice Climbers
Ice Climbers got buffed a ton, good grief! Their dash attack has increased range and power, and their down smash inflicts more knockback. The real buff here, though, is that Nana’s AI was adjusted. We’re not exactly sure how yet. Better yet is that Nana now takes less damage and knockback, which helps keep the climbers together! But here’s the best part: Popo and Nana can execute a team Belay at a greater distance now! We don’t know if these changes will be enough to bring the Ice Climbers out of low-tier, but we’ll update you all if something does happen!
Ness
Ness was already strong, but now he’s just a little bit stronger. None of his buffs are super important to the Ness FP, but they’re appreciated nonetheless. His dash attack launches opponents farther, his up tilt deals more damage, his down air is faster, his up throw deals more damage, and PK Flash moves faster. Ness’s AI can’t use PK Flash, so that’s no big deal. Are these buffs interesting? Yes. Do they move Ness any closer to being banned? Probably not.
Sonic
Sonic has received a few noteworthy buffs, too. His dash attack deals more damage, his up tilt has less lag, and his up smash… got a lot of changes, actually! It’s faster, has more invincibility frames, and links into itself more easily. Nothing too major, then, but Sonic’s up smash is now a bit better as an aerial punish. Cool!
Lucario
Lucario got buffed quite a bit. The power of Aura has risen, meaning Lucario’s attacks will now deal even more damage when it’s taken a lot of damage. Its neutral attack and down smash are faster now! Force Palm’s extended area inflicts more damage, too. Nothing major, but still interesting!
Bowser Jr.
Lots of good stuff here! Up smash connects easier, forward tilt deals more knockback, down smash is faster, forward throw has greater launch distance, and up special is faster. Good stuff indeed. Hard to say if Bowser Jr. will do better because of these changes, but they’re still welcome!
Simon
These changes apply to Richter as well. And there are a lot of them! Dash attack deals more damage, up tilt launches opponents farther, up smash has stronger damage and knockback, down smash has stronger knockback, and up special has more range. Not too bad! The smash attack changes are probably the best here.
The Verdict
And that’s it! I think the Ice Climbers buffs are going to be most interesting. Realistically speaking, they might not add up to much, but any low-tier Figure Player receiving notable buffs is fine by us! If we notice any other changes – ranging from hidden character adjustments to AI updates – we’ll be sure to post again. In the meantime, check out our Discord server if you haven’t done so already! We can help you if you’re training an amiibo for the first time. Also of note here is our Ice Climbers guide… if you can’t tell, I’m really hoping for an Ice Climbers insurgence. We’ll see how that goes.
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