Critical Hit (written as Critical-hit capability in Super Smash Bros. 4) is a bonus effect in both Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Critical-hit capability, along with Explosive perfect shield, are banned from Smash 4 tournaments that allow equipment. Critical hits were drastically nerfed in Ultimate, and thus are not banned in the Spirits format.
General Information
In Super Smash Bros. 4, Critical-hit capability was one of the most powerful and centralizing bonus effects available. The effect itself provides its user with a 20% chance of scoring a critical hit on any of their attacks. In this game, a critical hit deals three times more damage and knockback, which means smash attacks from heavyweights essentially have a 20% chance of one-hit KOing an opponent. Matches quickly became decided by which fighter landed a critical hit first, so Critical-hit capability was unanimously banned in 2016.
Critical hits were significantly nerfed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Their activation rate was decreased to a pitiful 8%, and critical hits that do land only deal 1.2x increased damage instead of 3x. A stronger variation, Critical Hit ↑↑, was introduced as well — other than a 4% activation rate increase, it is identical in every other way. It is important to note that critical hit bonus effects do not increase the likelihood that Mr. Game & Watch’s Judge attack lands a 9 or that Hero lands a critical smash attack — these are completely separate mechanics.
Acquisition
Critical-hit capability and Explosive perfect shield are the most sought-after bonuses in Smash 4, but amiibo trainers rarely had to go out of their way to obtain them. Amiibo Powersaves, software that was required to host online tournaments, had a function to manually choose a Figure Player’s bonus setup without having to farm for the corresponding equipment pieces in-game. Players without Powersaves were forced to farm via Master Orders, Crazy Orders, or Trophy Rush. In Ultimate, the Critical Hit ↑ effect is found on the Judge, Ultimate Chimera, and Mario (Mario Tennis Aces) Support Spirits. Critical Hit ↑↑, its stronger variations, can only be obtained via the Legend-class Mythra Support Spirit. All of these can be found randomly by shuffling the Spirit Board.
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