Customization Strategies - Equipment / Moves / Powers / etc.

[BANRYU]

So um. I dunno about you guys, but weirdly, the customization is one of the things I've been spending the most time on. At first it was mainly for the moves (since I've been playing the crap out of Smash Run to get all the custom moves), but as a side effect I've wound up spending a lot of time creating silly little loadouts for all the characters (IE alts like Daisy, Wolf, all the Koopalings, and Robin's alts are based on classes from Fire Emblem lol) or even optimizing them.

So uh, I guess I thought I'd make a thread for comparing various custom strategies and whatnot. Customized characters are also great for feats like clearing Classic on 9.0, so hopefully it'll prove useful? Or just fun? IDK.

Well, here are some of the main ones that I've come up with that any character can use:

1) No-Flinch + Hyper Smasher

Self-explanatory: charges Smash attacks longer for more power, and gives you super armor while charging for Ganondorf Warlock Punch levels of power and impunity for every Smash attack. Basically good for every character, and on chars with enough vertical reach, it makes the Master Core 9.0 fight a breeze. I've used this one to clear Classic 9.0 with Lucina, Greninja, and Robin. Great for Classic, great for Smash Run, great for multiplayer Smash.

2) Healtank

Combine an Auto-Healer equip with the two best Defense-boosting equips you can get; don't fall off the stage and you'll be very difficult to kill. Especially good on campy, stally characters like Dedede, Samus, and Robin. I used this with Charizard (and a healthy dosage of Rock Smash) to win my first Classic 9.0 run. Basically best for Classic, but also decent for Smash Run if you can compensate for the drastically lowered mobility. You can add Crouch Healer for the opportunity to basically double your regen speed, but in Smash Run you don't usually want to waste time sitting still. Crouch Healer could be good for Classic, though.

3) Ragetank

This one is basically JUST for Smash Run if you decide you want to live dangerously, because it relies on Smash Run powers to be effective. What you want to do is use any All-Around Tradeoff eqiupment, then give the character the Super Armor and Rage powers. Desperate __ equipment is very useful for when you get to higher percentages, and if you REALLY want to get risky, you can throw more Tradeoff equipment on there. It might sound bad in theory, but if you can avoid getting launched it hits like a semi, especially with Rage active. At percentages of over 100 with Rage active, I've reduced Smash Run's toughest enemies like Clubberskull, Bulb-orbs, and Mimicuties to rubble in a matter of 3 or 4 solid smash attacks. Again, very risky, but very rewarding as well if you play carefully. I usually run it on the Dark palette variants of characters, but it's pretty much Lucario's jam.

- Subclass: Vampire = add any Vampire effect equipment in for a safer version of the build. Or, even just equip a high-level health recovery power combined with 120% worth of damage, then just heal the damage right at the start of the game lol.

4) Smash Ball enthusiast

Smash Ball Attractor + any of the other various Smash Ball effects; Double Final Smasher strikes me as another good one, low as the chance might be. I don't really run these, but seems like it might be worthwhile for any custom multiplayer Smash matches where Smash Balls will be active lol. I hear tell that multiple Smash Ball Attractor badges will stack, but haven't been able to confirm it for sure yet.

Other stuff I've been using tends to vary on the character-specific equipment, like the Pokemon getting special Home-Run stuff and so on and so forth. Here are some of the other loadouts that work for more specific groups of characters:

- Item-based Builds: Basically, you build around one of the item-related equips, like Item Shooter (Ray Gun / Super Scope), Item Hitter (Beam Sword), Item Hurler (Bob-omb / Smart Bomb), and my favorite, Home-Run Bat + Quick Batter. Equip one of the item effects and then an effect that starts you with one of the items affected by it, then load the character up with Smash Run powers that give you even more of the item lol. It's a bit gimmicky, but I've found it to be fairly effective. Note also that Ore Clubs (via powers) and Star Rods (via equipment) count as both hitting AND shooting weapons, depending on whether you're landing the projectile or the item itself, so they work for both variants.

- Air-Attacker builds: Good for floaty characters or those with lots of jumps, and also good when combined with one of the various jump-boosting equips like Hi-Jump, Floaty Jump, Leaper, Glider, etc. depending on the character. IE, I used Floaty Jump + Air Attacker on a Falco alt and Hi-Jump + Air Attacker on Lucina.

- Perfect Shield boosts: Not my favorite, but you can combine Perfect Shield Helper + Explosive Perfect shield. Useful from time to time, but I'd rather have something to boost my attacks, personally.

- Misc. Useful Equipment effects: Anything with Caloric Immortal/Powerhouse, Moon Launcher, Meteor Master, Shield Reflector, Escape Artist, Improved Braking, Speed Skater (good for compensating for an overly fat character's slowness), or Nimble Dodger make good filler effects to add to other builds or to give to a nonspecific build that's just going for stats.

- Misc. Useless Equipment effects: Anything to do with food that isn't named Caloric Immortal/Powerhouse is too situational to be useful given how infrequently food shows up. Effects like Unharmed ___, Sudden Death Gambler, Countdown, First Striker, and Insult-to-Injury are all pretty situational and useless and don't use them because eugh.

Welp, that's what I've got. How about you all? Got any character-specific builds to share? I know equipments' Attack/Defense/Speed values are randomly generated (I think), so mileage will obviously vary from person to person, but I think the approximate raise/lower ratios are consistent for each type of equipment, so the strats should be relatively replicable.

I might write a Smash Run bestiary next if people think that might be useful.

Edited November 17, 2014 by BANRYU

[eclipse]

I'm absolutely awful at Smash in general, and even worse on Smash Run (like, the best thing I can do is pick up a Mettaur and throw it). I wouldn't mind the bestiary, just so I'll live a little longer!

[Czar_Yoshi]

Personally I'm not using any customization whatsoever in Classic until I've cleared it on 9.0 with every character.

Smash Run I tend to focus more on bases than powers, specifically in mobility- I'd rather save a minute that would otherwise be wasted traveling than have extra secondary effects (with the exception of the Glider Sword and whatever it is that makes you start at 30% and take 0.7x damage. Those are both great). Some characters, only need a very small amount of extra stuff to get incredible starts- my best Jigglypuff has no special effects on its equipment and a high score of over 210K (for reference, my GSP gains have a pretty major slowdown once I break ~150K, and a good number of my highs are still around the ~147K mark, with only Jiggs, ZSS, Falcon and D3 above 160K).

[BANRYU]

Not all of us are overachievers-slash-shining pinnacles of gamerhood like yourself, CY. =3=

In any case I'm not denying that just going with a strong round of base stats is effective, but I've gotten good scores with quite heavy characters about as often as the alternative. Speaking for myself, at the very least, changing up the playstyle helps keep it entertaining through the tedious custom-move grinding.

Also, I have confirmed that Smash Ball Attractor perks indeed stack. Boy, do they stack.

[insert video footage proof here if I had it; tl:dr it's effectively gluing the Smash Ball to your back]

[Ema Skye]

Max speed for Smash Run. I can get a lap around the level in like 4 minutes.

Max attack for Classic mode. Beat Master Core in like 16 attacks (4 for each form). Felt so good.

Intentionally don't put them on custom characters in Smash mode.

[Elieson]

Personally I'm not using any customization whatsoever in Classic until I've cleared it on 9.0 with every character.

Smash Run I tend to focus more on bases than powers, specifically in mobility- I'd rather save a minute that would otherwise be wasted traveling than have extra secondary effects (with the exception of the Glider Sword and whatever it is that makes you start at 30% and take 0.7x damage. Those are both great). Some characters, only need a very small amount of extra stuff to get incredible starts- my best Jigglypuff has no special effects on its equipment and a high score of over 210K (for reference, my GSP gains have a pretty major slowdown once I break ~150K, and a good number of my highs are still around the ~147K mark, with only Jiggs, ZSS, Falcon and D3 above 160K).

for Smash Run I just throw on whatever speed boosts I can, like an agility item that gives better Run speed (or two), and an item that gives +speed and slippery traction. If i can't stack, then I'll go with soemthing like increased lateral aerial movement, because i personally prefer to zip around and kill mooks for items to find, and/or find chests/doors easier.

Health Recovery/Hammer/BackShield/Meteor Shower is my typical item list.

[Roflolxp54]

For Smash Run, I just customize my characters to use a piece of Attack equipment that gives them the most Attack possible, and then a piece of Defense equipment that gives them the most Defense possible. Then I add a piece of Speed equipment that brings up their Speed as close to 0 as possible while still in the positives before trying to find alternative pieces of Speed equipment that doesn't lower Attack as much while still keeping Speed greater than or equal to 0. I typically do not use equipment that have special effects.

For Powers, I typically go with Power Bomb, Horizon Beam, Health Recovery, Auto-Recovery, Homing Foe and Back Shield.

[Kiseki]

I always end up with full on Bruisers in Smash Run, even when I'm not trying to do so. More power makes it easier to take down enemies. I'll only use equipment effects if it feels right for the character in question (ie. air-based effects for Little Mac, Smooth Lander on Falco, Critical Hitter on Marth).

Powers I use are: Horizon Beam, Spinning Blades, Meteor Shower, Health Recovery, Rage, and sometimes Brief Invincibility. Devil's Pact is a must for Lucario.