I thought I’d make a more positive post, if only to make a point about 3 given Powers being banworthy in their own right, namely Warp, Brief Invincibility, and Celestial Fireworks. See, I got into Kid Icarus Uprising because the Power system provided a happy medium with knockback medium that would indicate that the man makes the armor, not the other way around, while making sure the armor would still be useful enough for strategic and tactical factor. Of course, the Power system would prove to run even deeper, which makes it suck that it would get buried beneath the game’s blatant subscription to power creep. But how deep is the Power system? Well, I could talk about Grid Reading, but though I probably could figure out some handy points with it if I did that, I’ll just talk about the Powers having Counter Play.

First though, I’m going to start with a deconstruction of Warp, Brief Invincibility, and Celestial Fireworks.

Warp, Brief Invincibility, and Celestial Fireworks – why they are not healthy to the gameplay

To clarify what this trio of Powers are about, these are basically get out of jail free cards. Warp will teleport the user to a random location, though it still guarantees escape from melee combat, and Brief Invincibility will provide dragged out invincibility that doesn’t even require going into a casting animation. Celestial Fireworks, meanwhile, grants absolutely lengthy invincibility that even outlasts the casting animation by more than dodge moves under Evasion +4 outlast their committal movement. Oh, but wait, apparently I would have the point about Celestial Fireworks wrong, because it actually generates a fireworks attack. Yeah, there’s the problem: people flock to Celestial Fireworks for the invincibility, not for its intended use. Why does this happen? Because Celestial Fireworks provides *FIVE* charges per Level.

What makes these Powers detrimental to gameplay growth is that they’re overly efficient tag protection. This is supposed to be the job of Warp and Brief Invincibility, but neither of these two Powers ever costs more than 2.5 spaces per charge, which is over the top. To put in perspective how broken this is, let’s make direct comparison to other Powers that could be used to react to Black Hole:

-Reflect Barrier 3 costs 3.34 spaces per charge–anything that costs more spaces per charge is bound to be tolerable. (This means Libra Sponge, Aries Armor, Trade-Off, Playing Dead, and Pisces Heal at all levels, as well as Super Armor at any level up to 3.) Reflect Barrier 4 demand 2 full lines, so the mere presence of Slip Shot at all will immediately rule it out.

-Super Speed and Bumblebee both require a full line, which immediately contradicts leveled Slip Shot. Both also have their own weaknesses. Aries Armor and Trade-off similarly cost a full row and column, immediately contradicting Super Speed and Slip Shot.

-Darkness only inhibits visibility, but will not provide protection past that or the casting animation, and will seep into a second quadrant of the grid regardless of level anyway.

-Interference is a stationary defense that just prevents further Power usage by the opponent when they’re in range of the beacon, which also will not inhibit long range attacks or even usage of lunge Powers such as Super Speed from a heightened distance.

-Counter is bad on weapon types that don’t work well with their Neutral Shots, and even those weapon types are guaranteed to still want to be careful about being hit anyway. Super Armor, even at Level 4 (12 spaces for 4 charges–and by the way, Super Armor 4 suffocates 3 of the center spaces), costs its fair share for summing up the problem with both Powers against melee burst damage weapon types: getting hit is still too undesirable.

Angelic Missile and Jump Glide would have to be investigated to see if either of them would be reasonable to counter. It’s a guarantee that Angelic Missile would involve too much reliance on Grid Reading to overcome. Jump Glide could be balanced, but 5 charges for 4 spaces is a potential issue, especially considering it also describes Celestial Fireworks.

Yep, Celestial Fireworks can be spammed, which is why it’s overused flowchart. In fact, a direct comparison to Reflect Barrier, which still has the weakness of a stationary defense that can be overwhelmed or faked out, would provide the points about what makes these 3 Powers overly good.

-Warp 1 has a 5 space U shape, which is an objectively better shape than Reflect Barrier 1’s 2×3 rectangle, while providing 2 charges, which is what Reflect Barrier 2 has.

-Warp 2, for 7 spaces, has 3 charges, and only pressures a center space, but doesn’t use it, which is an important distinction to keep in mind when dealing with Slip Shot.

-Warp 3, for 9 spaces, has 4 charges, and though it pressures 2 center spaces, it uses neither of them, whereas Reflect Barrier 4, with the same charge count, uses 2 full lines and thus immediately contradicts Slip Shot at any level.

-Warp 4, for 11 spaces, has 5 charges. It does at least use 2 center spaces, but let’s not mince words: it can be paired with Super Speed at any level, providing tag Power reaction protection without acceptable consequence.

-Celestial Fireworks 1 has a 4 space Z shape, which again is an objectively better shape than Reflect Barrier 1’s 2×3 rectangle, while having *FIVE* charges to work with.

-Celestial Fireworks 2 has the same shape as Warp 2, meaning it costs 7 spaces, while having *TEN* charges.

-Brief Invincibility 1 is an 5 space L shape, which believe me is flexible, arguably more than Warp 1’s U shape, especially since it doesn’t even need to be in multiple quadrants.

-Brief Invincibility 2 requires 6 spaces for 3 charges. The shape is objectively better than Reflect Barrier 2’s and that the comparative holes are on the outside makes it easier to fit other Powers.

-Brief Invincibility 3 has Warp 2’s 7 space shape for 4 charges. Considering Warp 2 has 3 charges as it is, this is a clear imbalance.

Of course, the final nail in the coffin is the comparison to Super Speed with all 3 Powers. Let’s go over these comparison points, with the Winner being the Power that’s the least mindless about the given aspect:

*Spaces per charge: Celestial Fireworks has, of course, the lowest between these 4 Powers, with both levels having the spaces per charge value below 1. Brief Invincibility is the next most cost-effective with 4+L spaces for 1+L charges–even if it doesn’t protect from statusing (I have to check if it does or not), Effect Recovery would already have to be considered for Super Speed anyway. As for Warp, though its higher levels are less cost-effective than Super Speed’s, the simple anti-tag ability is overwhelming at that point anyway and the two Powers can easily be stacked for some overwhelming issues, not to mention Super Speed could need to lug around Effect Recovery for status shenanigans, at which point it becomes less cost-effective.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Grid shapes: this is no contest for Super Speed, as that requires a full line as it is, conflicting directly with leveled Slip Shot, whereas the other Powers barely complicate the grid at all. It should be noted that Warp 4 does conflict with Slip Shot + Energy Charge entirely, and Warp 3 with Slip Shot + Energy Charge 2+, but the problem is when Warp can be used for camping.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Safety from damage any time soon: Warp will teleport the user to a random location, but the chance that it will fail to get the user away from somebody with melee is absolutely slim anyway. Brief Invincibility lives up to its name and prevents damage outright while the user’s other actions aren’t inhibited at all. As for Celestial Fireworks, Evasion+ has proven how a quarter of a second worth of surplus intangibility frames is overly versatile, and while Celestial Fireworks isn’t infinite use, each individual use does provide more surplus intangibility frames than Evasion+ dodge moves–2/5 of a second worth, for reference, compared to the 1/4 from Evasion+ dodge moves. By contrast, Super Speed will halve, but not nullify, damage taken from a hit, and the user is forced into continuous running for the duration, which can be inhibiting movement that will limit their attack options and prevent them from sidestepping.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Post-escape offense: this is pretty simple: Super Speed’s user has to wait 6 seconds for a competent mix of offense and defense without heightened effort to be able to happen again. Warp lets the user get moving almost immediately, and Brief Invincibility once again doesn’t inhibit the user’s actions. Celestial Fireworks does keep the user in place for nearly a full second, but as they’re intangible during the casting and then some anyway, I doubt it would be hard to do an escaping dash attack or even dodge move slightly late.

-Winner: Super Speed, though Celestial Fireworks does try

*Black Hole/Explosive Flame: Warp loses this easily, as it works as an easy panic button as either Power and if Explosive Flame doesn’t stop buff usage, it definitely won’t stop Warp usage. Brief Invincibility similarly works as a panic button especially against Black Hole. Now Super Speed can panic button against either one, but as mentioned it usage immediately exposes a lack of leveled Slip Shot on the spot, in addition to suffocating options for the time being. Ironically, Celestial Fireworks would be the least efficient against those 2 Powers since the user is still in place, but any weapon using it is bound to be mobile enough to dodge Explosive Flame, and the insane intangibility can easily blunt Black Hole.

-Winner: Super Speed; Celestial Fireworks would win instead if the ridiculous intangibility didn’t blunt Black Hole

*Hit by melee combo?: This is something to bring up with Warp, which is the ONLY one of the 4 Powers that even work when in tumble. All 3 of the other Powers are unavailable and therefore must be used beforehand if they want to work against the melee combo. For reference, Super Speed is the only one of the 3 that won’t prevent all damage, although getting a melee combo off on somebody in consistent running stat wouldn’t exactly be easy.

-Loser: Warp

*Petrify/Freeze?: Warp is once again the infinite loser here, because of course, it can be used when the user is under statuses such as Petrify/Freeze. Celestial Fireworks grants intangibility and thus can prevent it in the first place. I’m not sure on Brief Invincibility, but Super Speed definitely doesn’t prevent statusing, and it only reduces damage taken anyway.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Falling into a pit?: Once again, Warp exclusive. About to fall into an abyss feature because you got hit hard enough? No problem, just Warp.

-Loser: Warp

*Fire-heavy area?: Warp, of course, easily ruins any and all hard work put into flanking. Celestial Fireworks and Brief Invincibility will easily blunt surgical strikes as well. Super Speed can do the same, but to a much lesser extent, one that will not protect Energy Charge (granted, Brief Invincibility doesn’t protect EC either) and definitely won’t manage the escape if the user has Counter active.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Uses other than use in bad situations?: Warp and Brief Invincibility are designed specifically to escape bad situations, and don’t involve deeper tactics when pressing on an attack, with Warp being random and Brief Invincibility only rewarding brute forcing with weapon types that shouldn’t do that. Celestial Fireworks as well is practically a glorified panic button since the firework barely does anything useful, so it’s basically deadweight until getting hit starts being expected. As for Super Speed, notice how I use it as a tag Power in the first place? Also, may I point out that it can be used for flanking.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Countermeasures favoritism: with Super Speed not being the only glorified panic button out of the 4 Powers, the other 3 explicitly expect overwhelming long range attacks, which of course screams weapon type bias. Super Speed has the highest amount of depth involved, being far easier to Grid Read and having actual alternative tactics to work with.

-Winner: Super Speed

*Hide-and-seek balance (indoor maps): Warp’s randomness helps the user by making their location finding a complete guessing game. Of course, Super Speed does let the user dash out of sight, though their general location can still be deduced. Brief Invincibility and Celestial Fireworks actually don’t help in this regard.

-Winner: Celestial Fireworks, with Brief Invincibility coming a close second

Suffice to say that that is a Curb Stomp Battle, with Celestial Fireworks and Brief Invincibility beating Super Speed in only ONE category, one that is map dependent at that, and hardly makes up for what they can do to excessive effectiveness even on a map like Desert Tomb or Starlight Observatory given that they can easily mitigate the hide-and-seek aspect’s influence in the first place. Super Speed actually provides depth by actively enough involving Grid Reading while being able to work as more than a glorified panic button. I wouldn’t doubt higher level Super Speed would need to be looked at due to Super Speed having only a 1 space level difference, but even then, Warp, Celestial Fireworks, and Brief Invincibility not only are easier to use, but those 3 Powers can all fit at max level on the grid, and considering how much messy gameplay that asks for creating, all 3 of those Powers are worth banning.

Of course, I have spent too long already talking about what makes them busted. I should get to talking about how other Powers have actually viable countermeasures.

How each Power (other than Warp/Brief Invincibility/Celestial Fireworks/Lightweight/Jump Glide/Angelic Missile/Darkness/Random) gets countered

If you’re wondering why I mention Lightweight, that’s another Power that should be banned, but I don’t want to spend another 2000 words explaining what is the problem with a buff that provides disproportionately powerful stats and also causes the game to lag to the point where the Lightweight user gets lag armor even in local matches. Same with Random’s effect potentially setting off either a banned Power or a Power that is supposed to be counterbalanced by Grid Reading, with the chance rolling of either being significantly higher than rolling Spite. Angelic Missile, Jump Glide, and Darkness are also on the chopping block due to questionable Counter Play compared to the cost-effectiveness in the panic button ability. (Jump Glide lets the user jump away from Black Hole and possibly to a safe location; Angelic Missile’s center space suffocation doesn’t change the invincibility in its duration; and Darkness can be spammed somewhat.) A few Powers are also unlisted due to them being circumstantial enough.

The reason I make this post is because weaknesses for Powers kept sticking out to me, and not just how they require space on the grid, even though that does help.

Sky Jump

Sky Jump may cost only 3 spaces for 10 charges, but the jumps are limited in horizontal movement, which will keep them from escaping Black Hole usage. Sky Jump can be used to escape using platforming, but in that case, having the height advantage could help in interception.

Rocket Jump

Compared to Sky Jump, Rocket Jump trades cost-effectiveness for a short range attack from the explosion at the start of the jump. Otherwise, Rocket Jump is in the same boat as Sky Jump.

Super Speed

As stated above, Super Speed’s mere usage, due to being a full line Power, will immediately expose that the user will not have leveled Slip Shot. If the opponent isn’t using Powers, terrain cover can definitely help in calling out an active refusal to reveal their hand. Additionally, if a range setup is using Super Speed, forcing its usage can ruin their offense and allow for further expansion.

Mega Laser

Another full line Power, although Mega Laser has dubious usefulness on a setup that could want to have any of the full row/column Powers anyway. Mega Laser’s real drawback, however, is that its damage output is easily mitigated due to relying on the multi-hit aspect for it while having narrow range. This means that Mega Laser relies on terrain and utility to get by. Also as a note, Powers with a casting animation can potentially be used as panic buttons due to the intangibility, but even then, an already active Power can’t be used again until the duration is over, so they can be overwhelmed by tag Power tempo.

Explosive Flame

The explosion created by Explosive Flame can be dodged and has low range, and even if it is not initially dodged, the knockback won’t lock Powers that can be used to stop the knockback of the later hits.

Black Hole

Black Hole is, of course, stopped by various Power options. Of course, its underlying purpose is more useful for closing distance on an opponent instead of opening it anyway, so the only mindless camping ability it could have is the casting invincibility, since it has 2 charges for 6 spaces at L1, but even then, there are better options.

Meteor Shower

The meteors may hit hard, but they travel gradually enough in a straight line. Meteor Shower does have casting intangibility when the spaces per charge count never exceeds 2.5 for Meteor Shower, but if it being used as a panic button gets read, it is guaranteed to get overwhelmed by sudden tempo.

Land Mine

The mines can be shot at to disarm them, and their markers aren’t that invisible. Consequently, Land Mine can just as easily have trouble doing anything mindless.

Reflect Barrier

The defense provided by Reflect Barrier is stationary, meaning that it has the user stay in that area to make the most of it. Additionally, Reflect Barrier can be overwhelmed by tag Powers if it doesn’t have other anti-tag Powers to support it–either Black Hole can drag the RB user away from the barrier, or Super Speed can move right through the barrier and allow for hitting the RB user easily.

Heavenly Light

Low range, and also relies on multi-hits. Goes without saying.

Autoreticle

Auto-aiming already has issues in that it ruins shot leading. Additionally, leveled Autoreticle, revealed by a single use lasting more than 14 seconds, is a full line Power, which means it directly contradicts leveled Slip Shot, and considering that Slip Shot is often paired with Autoreticle, this guarantees that Autoreticle will end up at level 1.

Quick Charge

To be sure, Quick Charge is pretty much the hardest of the offensive range Powers to Grid Read, while upping the DPS amount from range attacks by about 50% to 70%, but even then, it has its charge count equivalent to its Level, and each level above 2 suffocates a center space as well. Since it also slightly favors higher chargeup weapon types, it’s a guarantee the way Quick Charge is used will out the user’s strategy and its drawbacks, whether it’s used liberally which suggests a high enough enough level of Quick Charge, or invoked in a round of sudden tempo with supporting Powers that are likely easier to Grid Read.

Homing Boost

Although Homing Boost has multiple charges at Level 1, it already suffocates a center space. Take advantage of the lack of added attack power from standalone Homing Boost so that the user will have to compromise with using other offensive Powers.

Slip Shot

This is the Power that showcases how useful Grid Reading can get. Immediately, it prevents more than 1 line Power from fitting, in addition to also contradicting Aries Armor and Trade-Off, which means no worries about distance closure being diminished. And of course, Slip Shot has only 1 charge at Level 1, so if it’s used again, that will prove it uses a full row and column, preventing it from even fitting with another line Power at all. Here is the list of line Powers:

*Super Speed (a potential panic button)

*Mega Laser (not useful, but could help; Slip Shot already contradicts Mega Laser L4, by the way)

*Reflect Barrier L4 (also contradicted by Slip Shot L1 already, and means the Reflect Barrier charge count is limited to 3)

*Autoreticle L2+ (this guarantees that Slip Shot/Autoreticle has the latter at Level 1)

*Power Thief (though this again isn’t useful)

*Virus (thus another potential deterrent against melee is weakened, made more notable by how Slip Shot L1 already prevents Virus L3, limiting the charge count to 2)

*Aries Armor/Trade-Off (see above)

*Bumblebee (one less dampener to burst damage)

(There are more line Powers, but they’re not listed because their status as such is basically trivia.)

Now Slip Shot can be problematic in a map with hide-and-seek ability, but it’s a guarantee that a Slip Shot attack will be survivable, and when that happens, the user’s general location will be indicated.

Invisible Shots

The most popular use of Invisible Shots is to pair it with club shots and manage easy hits. I don’t have a lot of experience fighting against Invisible Shots and my own experience trying it shows how cost-ineffective it is, but what I can gather is that the shots still generate their sounds, so that can be used to help with dodging or even shot offsetting. Invisible Shots consequently ends up relying on sudden tempo, and also has only 1 charge per Level when L2+ already uses a center space unconditionally.

(Status Powers)

Setups that actively have difficulty avoiding hits will likely pack Effect Recovery, especially for the nastier statuses. As to Grid Reading, Freeze Attack and Tempura Attack pressure center spaces.

Power Thief

Line Power that requires melee to manage its effect at all. You know how easily this speaks for itself when I don’t fear that taking a finger poke has a 66% chance of costing me one of my armor or tag Power charges, which believe me is not as small as you may think.

Energy Charge

Another Power that helps to showcase Grid Reading, but in a more advanced manner than Slip Shot. Pressuring 1 center space per level, while having one charge per level, can definitely get in the way of chunky Powers. What about non-leveled Energy Charge since the buff can exploit how it is indefinite? Well, that won’t take a lot of Mega Laser attrition to eliminate.

Libra Sponge

The only way Libra Sponge is useful is by the user getting hit. Protection against Black Hole’s vacuum isn’t even a sole reason to use this because it has only 1 charge and costs 12 spaces minimal. If it’s paired with Aries Armor as it often is, stalling it out is going to leave the user with garbage for remaining Powers.

Interference

Now the only Power that has fewer spaces per charge that provides casting intangibility is Celestial Fireworks, which of course speak for itself. Why leave this be when Darkness is on the chopping block? Because Interference has such a long duration that it can’t be used consecutively, and so has to worry about tempo tagging. Yes it prevents Power usage by the user’s opponent, when they’re in range of the beacon, but it won’t cancel the buffs already used, nor will it stop sniping or lunge Powers from being used from a heightened distance, making the Interference usage moot.

Virus

Besides, of course, being a full line Power, Virus has a short range, so the user can be smoked out of its protection, and Super Speed practically cancels with the Virus effect anyway, allowing for punching through. There is a casting intangibility, but once again, it’s cost ineffective.

Super Armor

This does not flow well on a setup that doesn’t expect to avoid getting hit, even ignoring that the only attack boost Power it has ANY synergy with is Libra Sponge, and 3 spaces per charge (assuming Level 4) just for protection against Black Hole’s vacuum is a God awful idea when Super Speed is still around.

Tirelessness

Lasting running can allow for movement that avoids concern with the stamina system, but it doesn’t boost running speed, so a setup that works on Black Hole “simply” because of Tirelessness says more about the setup’s own mobility than Tirelessness.

Trade-off

Well, this would pop up sooner or later, of course. Trade-Off’s weakness beyond the full row/column weakness, which for the record immediately contradicts leveled Slip Shot and thus makes it less likely on an active range weapon type, is that it’s a very committal one-shot–and even if you are in a situation where you can’t respond with an escape plan, such as having Counter active with a low mobility weapon type when your only escape Power is Super Speed (*AHEM*), it’s still survivable. Once the duration is over, the Trade-Off user will be stuck with a sliver of health, and there’s no way they’re going to block Mega Laser with Bumblebee auto-dodging. Do not say that they will likely use Pisces Heal after, because that will leave them with their other Powers being underwhelming.

Aries Armor

A less extreme version of Trade-Off, by only having a megaton defense boost instead of flat invincibility and heightened offense stats, though it doesn’t bring the user’s health down to minimal. (For reference, the game is lying when it says Aries Armor provides status immunity for its duration.) Aries Armor still commits a lot even on its own, never mind with an additional high space Power–yes, including Libra Sponge. A focus on survival until the Aries Armor drops will leave with an effective 5×5 Power Grid, if that, for efforts to defend against a heightened offense.

Bumblebee

Another line Power, and one that range setups could want to use instead of leveled Slip Shot. It’s telling how much of a weakness being a line Power is that it’s easily the ONLY Counter Play I can find against the sort of setup displayed by this shamelessly min-maxed Flintlock Staff. (Yes, showcasing once again why weapon modifiers still deserve their banning.) But what about managing offense against Bumblebee when stuck with burst damage options? Well, the Bumblebee auto-dodge forces the user to move clockwise around whoever hit them, making their movement a lot easier to read and therefore allowing for hitting them right when they come out of the auto-dodge–especially useful for getting rid of a protected Energy Charge.

Counter

Yet another Power that sucks on a setup actively wanting to avoid getting hit. It doesn’t cost a lot, but it’s reliant on the free Neutral Shot to function, something a weapon type like Magnus Club can’t work with, so there are even fewer weapon types that could make it into an obscene offense. Counter does protect against Black Hole for a low number of spaces per charge (to be precise, 1.5 to 2) but it won’t protect against Super Speed.

Transparency

This messes with vision, but really nothing else. It costs quite a bit for something that can’t be used as a panic button against Black Hole too…

Playing Dead

Now this Power can be used for SOME stalling, but it’s unlikely to cancel out more than 1 tag Power per charge because a player aware of Playing Dead’s provided intangibility will recognize to not waste further resources on offense, and Playing Dead can be Grid Read by duration. A more savvy player could intentionally end Playing Dead uses early to call out Grid Reading efforts, but even then, L1 Playing Dead already suffocates multiple center spaces. It even sucks used in combination with Slip Shot/Energy Charge combination: Playing Dead can’t be L2, Energy Charge is forced to be L1, and no line Powers can fit even if Slip Shot is L1. This guarantees that Playing Dead with either of those Powers for absurd free offense is going to have a problem show up.

Health Recovery

And yet another Power that is only useful if the setup expects getting hit. It doesn’t even protect against ANY tag Powers.

Pisces Heal

Pisces Heal uses 12 spaces minimum for 1 charge without being an offensive Power. And yet again, it expects getting hit in the first place to see any efficiency.

Spite

I don’t think this can 1HKO a vanilla fighter without Power ATK+. It’s only really good for capitalizing upon a stock lead, or for kamikaze bombing clustered fighters in team battles. Otherwise, maintenance is the only thing that would be needed to stump Spite.

In closing

Grid Reading definitely contributes to countermeasures against given Powers, but what really cements their balance is surprisingly natural weaknesses that come up through gameplay that is not only readily available to any weapon type choice but also involves less mechanical gameplay. It just sucks to see what could be good gameplay get buried by weapon modifiers and a community so bent on contributing to that very problem.