Q&A Tactical Deployment - Roy Q&A Thread

[Croph]

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In order to quell the amount of question threads coming in and keep everything organized... Welcome to the Roy Question and Answer Thread! Do you have a game-play related question that needs answering? Ask it here! Other users will be able to answer them. Additionally, if you feel that any of the questions and/or answers should be added to the main post feel free to let me know.

 

[TheRealGimpt]

Is Roy's d-tilt still a knockup move? I don't think I've seen anyone talk about the properties of it yet and I won't be able to play until tomorrow to find out for myself.
Also is his general gameplay style similar to Melee in terms of he's largely ground based with taking advantage of an opponents mistakes?

 

[XL_]

Is Roy's d-tilt still a knockup move? I don't think I've seen anyone talk about the properties of it yet and I won't be able to play until tomorrow to find out for myself.
Also is his general gameplay style similar to Melee in terms of he's largely ground based with taking advantage of an opponents mistakes?

Dtilt feels very similar to Marth's in Sm4sh, but it sends them away from Roy instead of up.
He does prefer to keep his feet largely on the ground, yes, but Nair is pretty safe and has a wide hitbox, I find myself throwing it out more and more.

 

[Odd_0ne]

Do you think that roy is somewhat superior to marth and worth maining?

 

[Locuan]

Do you think that roy is somewhat superior to marth and worth maining?

They are both different characters, some similarities yes, but I see strengths in both. Additionally, Marth got some very nice changes in this patch which will allow him to shine brighter than before. Regardless, we are still in a very early period for Roy, so there's a lot to be learned.

 

[Xuan Wu]

What are Flare Blade's hitboxes like? Do they linger? Have you had any success in edgeguarding recoveries by exploiting ledge snap vulnerability with Flare Blade, much like Ike's Eruption?

^-^

 

[Inevitableascendancy]

It seems that in most cases, other than too low, or too high, D-Throw to Up-B is a true combo if angled properly. Anyone have any insight on this? What percents does it generally work on light,medium or heavy characters? Am I just being optimistic? how can people get out sometimes? Am I just doing it wrong? That kind of stuff.

 

[luke_atyeo]

roy to me seems weird, even though he has a sword and moves designed for a marth style poke defensive gameplay, he's supposed to be played as a zero range rushdown combo fighter, is that actually the case or am I just ********?


edit- and is there a way to autocancel nair?

 

[Eureka]

roy to me seems weird, even though he has a sword and moves designed for a marth style poke defensive gameplay, he's supposed to be played as a zero range rushdown combo fighter, is that actually the case or am I just ********?


edit- and is there a way to autocancel nair?

Roy is designed to be a character that simultaneously employs a rushdown style while controlling space with his sword, and honestly most of his moves are good for playing offensive (d-tilt tech chases are fun ). Considering how he is a semi clone of Marth, who is an extremely defensive character in smash 4 I can see why'd you think that Roy is defensive as well. What moves in particular seemed odd to you? Nair unfortunately does not autocancel out of a short hop, but it does out of a full one.

What are Flare Blade's hitboxes like? Do they linger? Have you had any success in edgeguarding recoveries by exploiting ledge snap vulnerability with Flare Blade, much like Ike's Eruption?

^-^

Flare Blade can hit people who's recoveries expose themselves over the ledge (Falcon, Marth, Meta Knight) but it doesn't really reach bellow the edge like Eruption does, at least as far as I seen. I mostly get people with it when they go high or slip up on recovery. The hitboxes don't linger much, but Flare Blade does have surprisingly little ending lag and doesn't get laggier as you charge it, so it has it's uses.

 

[Jrzfine]

Do you think that roy is somewhat superior to marth and worth maining?

They have very different playstyles, but if you're asking who'd be higher on a tier list I'd say Roy due to having more combos, a *much* stronger punish game, and in general an easier time killing.

 

[Frenzy]

What are Roy's kill moves? I noticed the forward air offstage doesn't seem to kill. Are we looking at just smash attacks and charged B?

 

[Rikter]

Is it just me or does Roy actually run faster than Marth this time around?

 

[Kenith]

Is it just me or does Roy actually run faster than Marth this time around?

I think so actually. Probably because Roy is supposed to be aggressive while Marth isn't.
...
Is there any reason to angle Blazer any direction other than straight upwards?

 

[adom4]

I think so actually. Probably because Roy is supposed to be aggressive while Marth isn't.
...
Is there any reason to angle Blazer any direction other than straight upwards?

I like angling it to chase in the air sometimes.

 

[phoopes]

It seems that in most cases, other than too low, or too high, D-Throw to Up-B is a true combo if angled properly. Anyone have any insight on this? What percents does it generally work on light,medium or heavy characters? Am I just being optimistic? how can people get out sometimes? Am I just doing it wrong? That kind of stuff.

Here's what I've noticed regarding Down Throw. These are very general.

Down Throw -> Up Tilt
Works at very low percents on most characters. I'd wager anything below 15-20%. On really heavy characters like Bowser, Ganon, etc. I've been able to add Up Smash to the end of this but I suspect that it's able to be air dodged.

Down Throw -> F Tilt
I've only noticed this work on really light characters. This is again at really low percents. I would guess that in some cases you could also go Down Throw to Jab on light characters as well but I've never tried it.

Down Throw -> Up Air
I think this works on most characters from 30-70%. Again, a very general feeling. I've played about 60 matches with Roy though and I feel like that range of percentages is pretty good.

Down Throw -> Up B
I do think this is a true combo if angled properly. Again, another general feeling here but I'd say this works on most characters from 80-120%. This can kill, especially if you're on top of a platform. EDIT: Should be noted that this is not grounded Up B, it's Down Throw -> Jump -> Up B.

---

I'm kind of inexperienced here so I don't know how to multi-quote, but someone asked about kill options besides smash attacks and Neutral B. In addition to these, I've found the following:

Dash Attack can kill at about 130% on some characters. I think this is more of a kill option on light characters than anything else though, because I don't remember getting any Dash Attack kills on heavy characters.

Up B is definitely a kill move. An Up B out of shield or out of a down throw can kill as early as 100%. This is of course dependent on characters, rage, etc. but I still think it's pretty good.

Up Throw: I'd say it has about the same kill percentages as Marth.

 

[ToTs]

I think all around Roy will be highest tier fire emblem char. One thing I love doing is Nair to re-grab its sooo good

 

[Locuan]

Roy is not meant to be "rush down". You have to be calm and calculated. Once we get the frame data thread completed and we have information such as hitlag, it will be easier to notice. As with Marcina, Roy is a reactionary character.

 

[Eureka]

Something I've noticed is i'be been hearing "Roy's our boy" way more often then any other cheer. Is it just me or is Roy actually more likely to be cheered for? Secondly, what's Roy's weight this time around?

 

[MoveslikeQuagger]

Back to down throw:

I've had some success with downthrow -> nair at low-ish percents (Usually around 20-60, character dependant ofc), which seems to be safer than any of the other options at that percent. Is this a true combo, or is it just pretty likely to work?

 

[doom dragon 105]

Which of his aerials moves autocanel?

 

[Eureka]

Which of his aerials moves autocanel?

Out of a short hop? None, his jump is just too low. You can however act before hitting the ground after rising fair, double jumping away or combing into blazer for example.

 

[doom dragon 105]

Anyone know true combos yet that don't need a grab?

 

[Eureka]

Anyone know true combos yet that don't need a grab?

I know rising fair into Dobule Edge Dance or Blazer works, and you get a ton of options off of a falling up air. I believe you can also combo off of jab and nair at the right percentages, but I'm not certain on the specifics.

 

[E.Lopez]

What is ph1r3?

 

[The Big Wang Theory]

What are Roy's options to punish a ledge grab after a trump aside from Dtilt?

 

[Sora66]

What are his best approach options? Any other approach options that can lead to his combos. Or should I say plethora of combos xD

 

[Eureka]

What is ph1r3?

It's what Roy has, t3h ph1r3. Seriously though "ph1r3" is a leetspeak spelling of "fire" the joke being that "Roy has t3h ph1r3" which was one of his unique qualities from Marth back in Melee. I don't recall where the joke came from, but it's basically become a meme for Roy.

 

[E.Lopez]

I had no idea, thanks!

 

[Kulty]

What are his best approach options? Any other approach options that can lead to his combos. Or should I say plethora of combos xD

From what I played, Nair can be a safe approach option after a short hop, since it does not have as much ending and landing lag of how it was back in Melee. You can kinda mix-up with Fair, but this one has slightly more landing lag than Nair. Don't use Bair, too laggy to approach. As for combos, Nair can set up to Ken Combo if you're fast enough at certain percentages (Nair to Fair to Dair). Also, you may try Nair to Uair.

 

[Mightyno.M]

What do you guys set your c stick to?

 

[Sora66]

What do you guys set your c stick to?

I set mine to tilt. Have been doing that since day 1

 

[Bribery]

What do you guys set your c stick to?

I have it set to Attack, which is what I use for most characters. I find it easier to space my aerials this way.

 

[ScoutF]

How much longer is Roy's sword in this game? I ask because..well, Marth doesn't have much of a sword and he's a Marth clone.

 

[Rakath]

How much longer is Roy's sword in this game? I ask because..well, Marth doesn't have much of a sword and he's a Marth clone.

Roy's reverse grip makes many of his hitboxes shorter than normal?

This influences his jab, dash, Blazer, and a few other moves. But his F-Smash, DTilt, and USmash have the reach you'd expect.

 

[ScoutF]

Roy's reverse grip makes many of his hitboxes shorter than normal?

This influences his jab, dash, Blazer, and a few other moves. But his F-Smash, DTilt, and USmash have the reach you'd expect.

Alright, thanks

 

[Furret]

What are Roy's kill moves? I noticed the forward air offstage doesn't seem to kill. Are we looking at just smash attacks and charged B?

bair is better at the first mentioned thing, just has more kb growth

dair kills really early
dash attack of all things
utilt isn't bad at killing
ftilt/blazer can do late kills

dancing blade seems unreliable even if the last hits are powerful

Anyone know true combos yet that don't need a grab?

obviously DI dependent
sweet spot nairs can lead to almost anything that you can follow in time with, usually another nair
jab can string but blazer will true combo at higher %s, (also jab-> jab is a combo )
uairs can combo into each other

 

[AuraWielder]

A bit new to using Roy here, but after playing as him, I like him a lot. He's really great and fun to use especially after how I despised how Marth was nerfed in this game. Is there any general advice or tip and tricks to use with this version of Roy for success?

 

[Bribery]

How do I use Double-Edge Dance properly? Sometimes I manage to get the hits to link seemlessly, other times it just stops after the first or second hit. Is it just about developing a consistent rhythm to press B? When should I be pressing B again to link the hits optimally?

 

[MoveslikeQuagger]

So, I have to bring this up because I've noticed it on Roy in the lab in this patch whereas it's never happened to me before the patch.

Recently, I've found it's possible to either double-b-reverse with neutral b's, or b-reverse side-b's (?). Not sure if this was a thing before, but I've never seen it discussed. I know it's well known that wavebouncing is a thing on e.g. mario by b-reversing fireball midair to reverse your momentum, and what I've noticed recently is that with the right (very specific) inputs you can wavebounce back like that, but keep facing the same way. Again, certainly this has been found before, but I never see it discussed.

I bring this up because it seems like a very useful tool for Roy with his side-b and neutral-b in the air. Both can be used to wavebounce backwards while still facing forwards. Neutral B can be used to bounce back AND turn around, but I'm not sure that can be done with side-b.

Seems like a solid approach tool if used correctly (In neutral, shorthop -> Side-b wavebounce retreat) or a helpful reading tool (Neutral-b wavebounce backwards to punish). Any thoughts on this?

Edit: This may be a thing on other characters, but I've only ever seen it used to bounce back and still spin around (Just to clarify).

 

[Eureka]

So, I have to bring this up because I've noticed it on Roy in the lab in this patch whereas it's never happened to me before the patch.

Recently, I've found it's possible to either double-b-reverse with neutral b's, or b-reverse side-b's (?). Not sure if this was a thing before, but I've never seen it discussed. I know it's well known that wavebouncing is a thing on e.g. mario by b-reversing fireball midair to reverse your momentum, and what I've noticed recently is that with the right (very specific) inputs you can wavebounce back like that, but keep facing the same way. Again, certainly this has been found before, but I never see it discussed.

I bring this up because it seems like a very useful tool for Roy with his side-b and neutral-b in the air. Both can be used to wavebounce backwards while still facing forwards. Neutral B can be used to bounce back AND turn around, but I'm not sure that can be done with side-b.

Seems like a solid approach tool if used correctly (In neutral, shorthop -> Side-b wavebounce retreat) or a helpful reading tool (Neutral-b wavebounce backwards to punish). Any thoughts on this?

Edit: This may be a thing on other characters, but I've only ever seen it used to bounce back and still spin around (Just to clarify).

What I believe you are describing is in fact known as a wavebounce. What you were earlier describing was a b-reverse, where you input a special move and then instantly input the opposite direction which reverses your momentum and direction. By inputting the opposite direction, then doing a special you get a turnaround special move. So b-reversing a turnaround special will give you a wavebounce. This video explains the concept much more in depth https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw1elkJwtDo and yes all characters can do it. In terms of Roy I think the best option to wavebounce is Flare Blade, or if you're really feeling crazy, wavebounce counter for insane mind games. Side-b has too much ending lag I think to be just thrown out like that and flare blade has more range and very little lag.

A bit new to using Roy here, but after playing as him, I like him a lot. He's really great and fun to use especially after how I despised how Marth was nerfed in this game. Is there any general advice or tip and tricks to use with this version of Roy for success?

Roy is very fast and very strong, but as previously mentioned in this thread he can not afford to simply start swinging away at his opponent without getting punished for it. One thing I can say is be patient but ready, sometimes as Roy the best option is to simply poke outside your opponents effective range and capitalize on an opening. However you have options to open your opponent up, tomahawking with Roy is really good, since he has such a low jump and fast fall speed it's a really good option for mixing your opponent up. Between that, regular dash grabs, and effective spacing with his pokes, Roy can beat shields, but he is not safe on shields, remember there is a distinction. Also know your combos, Roy has a lot of good ones. Flare Blade has very low ending lag, so you can surprise your opponent with that. In conclusion, be strong, be swift, but don't be stupid, Roy is not like certain green plumbers or blue hedgehogs, you need to think and react with our boy. Oh, and don't land with dair ever. If there is the slightest chance they could block it, don't do it.