Ok so a quick warning this is basically my little rant on why Shulk is mid tier. So let's get started.
A majority of players claim Shulk to be "low tier". I can see where people get that from though. He has poor frame data which really hurts him as a character. His fair come out frame 14 and has 16 frames of landing lag. Sounds bad huh? But that's really only the problem Shulk has. I don't see how having bad frame data on his ariels automatically makes him low tier. His ground moves come out fairly quick. Plus, he has a lot of other tech that helps Shulk make up for that.
I want to point out the things that Shulk does have going for him.
- Consistent combos out of nair at nearly any percent:
Nair can combo into u-tilt,d-tilt,f-tilt,f-smash,jab and grab.
*Nair comes out frame 13 and has 10 frames of Landing Lag (same as sheiks fair).
- Can throw out ariels with 0 frames of lag using MALLC
- A 50/50 that can work in jump mode starting from 70% and ending at 150%. (That's a huge range of percent!)
- Can kill confirm Nair->Fair->Fair in jump mode at mid %'s.
-Has an Up B out of shield that can kill at high percents.
- Can use the Monado arts to adapt to any situation mid-match which allows him to kill early, become heavier than bowser, and become one of the most mobile characters in the game.
- U-tilt as an Anti-Air that comes out relatively quick.
I understand he's a character that lacks representation in the Sm4sh meta. But I feel that if players mastered everything Shulk has to offer, he could become a very viable character. Even recently at GOML, Darkwolf, a Shulk main made top 32. I feel that someday shulks true potential will be shown and we will see the true power of the Monado!
Comments (9)
I main villager and sheik. Shulk gives my villager trouble. I have played a handful of great shulk players. He can approach so quickly and beats villager at the mid range game with his huge dists. I also happen to struggle with marth and ike for the same reason. But sheik shuts shulk down. I don't like shulk as a character and don't see much potential in him. I personally think he's low tier (one of the best ones) or the lowest mid tier.
"I don't see how having bad frame data on his aerials automatically makes him low tier"
This statement alone speaks of how much you actually don't understand how tier list work.
Well bayo had generally bad frame data now and she is high tier and back when people thought she was #1. Shulk does have things to make up for bad frame data, just not enough to make him that good.
Reply to: Chow
That was pre-patch Bayo and mainly her ground moves have bad frame data. Not her aerials
Shulk's frame data are his aerials and ground moves. The only moves that are somewhat safe is Nair, Dtilt, and Fair.
Reply to: :sunrise_over_mountains: Linbin :sunrise:
Nair auto cancels and combos super well and is safe. Plus with speed and jump almost all his aerials can be spaced to be safe. I don't like shulk but I played a lot of good ones to know.
He struggles against common tournament threats, that's the only reason why he and a few others are low tier. Fox, Sheik, and Cloud can give him some serious trouble.
His Monado is the key too success.
Especially the SpeedArt helps him a lot.
Potential? Yes.
But he needs representation in the meta.
My thoughts exactly