One interesting aspect of playing Mii Gunner is evaluating and choosing the 4 special moves. With 3 options for each one, that’s 12 potential special moves. This allows an exciting opportunity to design Mii Gunner to fit your preferred playstyle. In this guide I’ll analyze each option, provide recommendations for each special, and explain which specials work together to create the best moveset.

Unless specified otherwise, anytime a KO percentage is mentioned, Roy (middleweight) is the opponent standing at the ledge of Final Destination with no directional influence after launch. When a move is said to inflict a certain amount of damage, that’s the damage done during 1 v. 1 matches, which is 1.2x (120%) the damage done in doubles or free for all matches. This article has been edited to reflect Version 3.0’s nerfs to projectiles’ shield pressure.

Neutral B Special

Gunner’s Neutral B options are all projectiles, varying from powerful KO move to low damage harassment tool that has no meaningful knockback.

Option 1 is Charge Blast. It’s by far the most popular choice among Mii Gunner players, and the reason is clear. This is essentially a slightly weaker version of Samus’s Charge Shot. When fully charged, it’s a large, fast-moving projectile that inflicts 31% damage and KO’s opponents from across the stage. Charge Blast will KO at 76%. For reference, Samus’s Charge Shot KO’s at around 69-70%. A fully charged blast will cause about 70% shield damage, taking away your opponent’s shield option for a while decent shield damage (Version 3.0 nerfed shield damage considerably). Naturally, Charge Blast instills fear in your opponents, perhaps changing their playstyle for the worse. Uncharged, Charge Blast is a small projectile that inflicts only 4.8% damage, causing your opponent to flinch but otherwise having no knockback. Its range is also shorter, but not by much. Partially charged Charge Blasts will vary in size, range, damage, and knockback.

It takes about 2.4 seconds to fully charge, which feels a lot longer when you’re fighting off a rush-down Fox or Roy. Fast rush-down characters are some of Mii Gunner’s worst matchups, so this is a significant point. And even if you have time to charge after launching an opponent, stationary charging sacrifices an opportunity to press your advantage state even further. Of course, you can charge in bits and pieces (even during a jump), which may alleviate some concern.

Pros: Large, fast-moving projectile 31% damage Early KO power Fear factor Can charge in bits when possible



Cons: Sometimes hard to find time to charge Sometimes difficult to hit a smart opponent If reflected, difficult to avoid due to high speed, will cause heavy damage (probably 40-45%) and possibly KO



Option 2 is Laser Blaze, which is quite similar to Falco’s laser. It inflicts 6% damage and causes your opponent to flinch, but it has no knockback. Its main use is to punish or prevent linear aggression, or to force an approach. While this special does serve a purpose, the other two options are clearly better.

Option 3 is Grenade Launch. As its name suggests, Gunner launches an arching grenade that detonates on contact or after one bounce (it has a short timer). It inflicts 14.6% damage and can KO at 126%. Its explosion lingers for quite some time: whether it hits an opponent or his shield, you have enough time to run up and grab the opponent, up tilt, or dash attack. If you’re very quick, you can even do an up smash. Grenades can be used in neutral as a mixup to other projectiles, and it really shines as an edge-guarding tool against opponents trying to recover back to ledge. It’s also an effective 2-framing tool due to its active, lingering explosion. Opponents can negate the projectile (before it explodes) with any hitbox, but that’s risky business. In my experience, it’s not a reliable counter to grenades.

Pros: 14.6% damage Active explosion that allows follow up attacks Effective edge-guarding tool Usually safe on reflectors due to launch and landing angle, but not always Unlike Charge Blast, there is no need to charge



Cons: Laggy move that attacks on frame 32 and leaves you free to act again after frame 54.



Neutral special recommendation: Charge Blast and Grenade Launch are your best options. I personally prefer grenades because I don’t like the charging requirement of Charge Blast. But I sometimes use the latter because it’s just such a blast.

Side B Special

All 3 side special options are good, but Gunner Missile is probably the best.

Option 1 is Flame Pillar, which is similar to a Belmont holy water or Ness PK fire. As its name suggests, Mii Gunner creates a pillar of fire for a short duration about a dash length away in front. Flame Pillar activates only if it hits the ground or an opponent. On shield, it simply disappears. It does 16.3% damage and its main utility is controlling the space directly in front of Gunner. It will also protect Gunner from incoming projectiles during its short duration. It’s often difficult to land on smart opponents but sometimes chains into itself several times in a row. It’s also excellent for ledge trapping (although it doesn’t 2-frame). Players often choose Flame Pillar over the alternatives because Flame Pillar to short hop Charge Blast is a true kill confirm that can KO at about 45%. However, in practice, it’s a laggy move (FAF 64) that often does not lead to a follow up combo.

Pros: 16% damage Controls space in front Can sometimes be chained together several times Kill confirm into Charge Blast Good ledge trapping tool



Cons: Laggy move with limited follow up opportunities Difficult to land against smart opponents Bomb Drop (down special 2) serves the same purpose of controlling space in front of Gunner, does it better, and serves other purposes as well



Option 2 is Stealth Burst, a unique, fast-moving projectile that’s gaining popularity among Gunners due to its KO power. It’s somewhat similar to Zelda’s Din’s Fire, but it can’t be steered up or down. You shoot the projectile by inputting side B, holding B until it reaches the desired location, and releasing B to explode the projectile. This requires aim/timing and Gunner is stuck in place until the projectile explodes. As the name suggests, the projectile is difficult to see. It travels through other projectiles and players, exploding only when you release B. Stealth Burst does 14.5% to 20% damage, doing more damage the further it travels. Interestingly, it can’t be reflected back at you, although a reflector will protect your enemy from damage. The long range version has true KO power, taking a stock at about 97% no matter where the opponent is located (the medium range version will KO at about 123%). Stealth Burst shines in catching landings and airborne fighters who are are trying to make it back to stage. Pro player, HugS, switched to Stealth Burst after previously using Flame Pillar.

Pros: Stealth, fast-moving projectile Goes through other projectiles 14.5-20% damage KO power Can’t be reflected back



Cons: Requires aim/timing Gunner stuck in place until projectile explodes



Option 3 is Gunner Missile, which is essentially a better version of Samus’s missiles. It’s two projectiles in one special, a super missile (flick/smash input) and homing missile (tilt input). Super missile inflicts 17.4% damage with significant knockback while homing does 9% damage and slight knockback. Super missile will KO at about 117%. And it can KO earlier offstage, making missiles useful for edge guarding. Super missiles are great in neutral because they move fast, inflict heavy damage, allow follow ups (like dash attack), can be used as follow ups to other attacks, and control the entire horizontal space on the stage. In fact, missiles are Gunner’s best tool for consistent control of horizontal space. Homing missiles are slower and follow the opponent, creating frustration, disrupting jumps, and allowing run in follow ups. Mixing up homing and super missiles in neutral is a great way to keep opponents off guard.

Pros: Two projectiles in one High damage output for super missile: 17.4% Complete control of horizontal space, making neutral much easier Can KO during edge guards



Cons: None, really. While it’s a fairly laggy move, it’s effective even from long distance. If used intelligently (not close range), an opponent can’t punish you in response.



Side special recommendation: While all three specials are useful, I highly recommend missiles for the damage output and horizontal control. Stealth Burst is also a great option for its KO power, but your horizontal control weakens considerably and neutral won’t come quite as easy.

Up B Special

Mii Gunner’s up specials give you two great recovery options and one bad one that’s an amazingly strong attack.

Option 1 is Lunar Launch, which is basically a vertical super jump. It covers tremendous vertical distance but allows only minimal horizontal movement. It launches Gunner quickly, which makes it more difficult for opponents to edge guard you. At the beginning of the move, it has a fire hitbox that shoots downward from Gunner’s arm cannon. This hitbox does 8.4% damage and can be used to edge guard opponents who are recovering low (although it doesn’t spike them). But this hitbox otherwise has no use.

Pros: Tremendous vertical recovery distance Quick launch speed makes it more difficult for opponents to edge guard you Decent edge guarding tool



Cons: Little to no horizontal movement, making recovery impossible from further away and more predictable to opponents in general.



Option 2 is Cannon Jump Kick (CJK), a horrible recovery move that doubles as an amazing attack. Its vertical distance is mediocre and CJK allows only slight horizontal drift. But it’s a ridiculously good offensive move. It’s a frame 6 attack, has a large hitbox, does 20.4% damage, is an effective anti-air move, has priority over most opposing attacks, can spike opponents offstage with its initial hitbox, and is one of Mii Gunner’s best KO options. It’s also Gunner’s fastest (and perhaps best) out of shield option. In addition, it can also be used to edge guard opponents. No matter where the opponent is located (ledge or center), it will KO from ground level at 106% and at double jump height at 84%. If you opt to use CJK for your up special, you probably must choose Echo Reflector or Absorbing Vortex as your down special. This is because recovering with CJK often requires B reversing one of these moves and then gun-dashing (advanced Mii Gunner movement technique) until you reach the area near the ledge. Although it’s a poor recovery option because it doesn’t cover much distance, its hitbox does protect you from edge guarding opponents.

Pros: Quick frame 6 attack High priority High damage (20.4%) KO power Good out of shield option Good anti-air



Cons: Bad recovery Requires using certain down special moves that you might not otherwise want



Option 3 is Arm Rocket, a great movement special that has no hitbox. Its launch distance is just a tad shorter than Lunar Launch but this move allows you to launch Gunner a considerable distance in any direction. You can even control Gunner’s movement mid-flight, although Gunner won’t turn in sharp angles like Pikachu’s quick attack. With Arm Rocket, you can recover easily from far away, even with no double jump left. It also allows Gunner to mixup recovery with high, low, and everything in between approaches. In some instances, you can use Arm Rocket on stage to reposition or simply run away (ex. from an intangible opponent that just respawned) because it covers so much distance and has relatively low end-lag on landing.

Pros: Great, flexible recovery that will launch Gunner an impressive distance in any direction



Cons: No hitbox, which can leave Gunner vulnerable to edge guards if you don’t mixup your recovery attempts



Up special recommendation: Arm Rocket is the superior choice. Lunar Launch is also a good option, if you prefer it. Cannon Jump Kick should probably be avoided unless you’re an expert B-reversing, gun-dashing ninja who prioritizes offense over recovery.

Down B Special

Gunner’s down specials include 2 options for neutralizing opponents’ projectiles. The other special is a powerful projectile that can wreak havoc.

Option 1 is Echo Reflector, which is similar to Fox’s reflector. It has a 1.5x damage multiplier for reflected projectiles, which is as good as any reflector in the game. For example, a 10% projectile can be reflected back for 15% damage to your opponent. It activates quickly (frame 3) and has a hitbox on activation that does 2.4% damage (technically Gunner’s quickest attack), but that’s probably not its best use in most situations. The reflector provides some movement benefits to Gunner because it stalls in midair and allows change of direction via a B-reverse (especially together with gun dashing).

Pros: Powerful 1.5x reflector Provides movement benefits midair



Cons: Useless against characters without a projectile, or characters with a projectile that probably won’t do return damage (like Peach’s turnips, Snake’s grenades, etc.)



Option 2 is Bomb Drop, a versatile projectile that controls space in front of Gunner. Gunner drops a small, round, timed bomb that bounces and lands less than a dash distance away. It explodes on contact, after about 3 seconds, or when you drop another bomb. This particular distance is precisely where opponents would land with/after well-spaced aerials, which means that Bomb Drop alters approaches from the air and prevents them on the ground. You can also drop bombs from the air, which causes them to bounce and move further away. It does 13.2% damage (or a bit less depending on how it hits). It’s a good tool while fighting on stage (or in the air), edge guarding, and ledge trapping. And it causes surprisingly high shield damage (nerfed in Version 3.0). Instead of doing a planned aerial attack, if you see the opponent shielding, you can drop a bomb that you can follow up on after you land. For edge guards and ledge traps, the utility is quite obvious: you can drop bombs that bounce or roll offstage or simply place one at the ledge when an opponent is ledge hanging. You can use bombs to cover your landings and protect yourself from edge guarding opponents. Its most interesting use is protecting Gunner from projectiles: it has a hurtbox that interacts with and stops incoming projectiles. It will stop even a fully charged Samus Charge Shot.

But be careful because opponents can hit bombs back at you with melee attacks, causing you to take the damage instead. However, in reality, it’s not a consistent countermove for opponents because the bomb can explode before they hit it, or they can miss, causing them to take damage.

Pros: Versatile projectile that’s useful during all phases of a fight Disrupts aerial approaches and prevents ground approaches Good damage output at 13.2% Blocks incoming projectiles



Cons: Opponents can hit it back to damage you



Option 3 is Absorbing Vortex, which is similar to Ness’s absorb special. It absorbs energy projectiles (and explosions) that then heal Gunner (lowers damage percentage). It heals with a 1.6x multiplier. For example, if the energy projectile causes 10% damage, it would heal 16% of Gunner’s damage percentage. Its initial activation has a low damage hitbox (4.8%) and, similar to Echo Reflector, it allows Gunner to stall in air and change directions with a B reverse.

Pros: Heals with a 1.6x multiplier Provides some movement benefits midair



Cons: Niche use, effective only against energy projectiles. Useless against many characters.



Down special Recommendation: Bomb Drop is your best option because it’s effective against all opponents. Echo Reflector and Absorbing Vortex are niche specials that provide their main benefits against only certain characters. But if you know you’re facing a Belmont, Link, or other projectile character in tournament, you can use reflector instead. Absorbing Vortex has niche use against Snake and certain energy projectile characters, so the same would apply if you know you’re facing such a character in tournament.

Mii Gunner’s Best Movesets

Alright, so we’ve discussed which specials are good individually. But which of these specials have synergy with one another to create a good overall toolkit? [Of course, if you don’t care about synergy, you can simply choose the best individual specials from the analysis above.]

In my opinion, 1332 and 3332 are the best movesets. I personally prefer 3332, but 1332 is quite popular among Gunner mains. I think 3232 has serious potential due to Stealth Burst’s KO power, but I don’t have any experience with it (and I’ve not seen any games where this moveset was used). Pro player, HugS, currently runs 1232, which is the moveset with the most KO power. For specific matchups, you may want to use reflector or vortex instead of bomb drop. And many might use Lunar Launch instead of Arm Rocket–both are good options. As you’ll see, most of our discussion will center on the first two specials. Of course, you should feel free to experiment and use whichever moveset provides the best results (or the most fun).

1132

I don’t recommend the 1132 moveset, but many Gunners like it, so it merits discussion. Charge Blast works nicely with Flame Pillar. As explained above, there is a kill confirm with Flame Pillar leading into short hop charge blast, which will KO at impressively early percentages. From the competitive games I’ve seen, it seems difficult to land Flame Pillar on smart opponents. And even when it does land, players sometimes (often?) miss the follow up Charge Blast.

While this moveset isn’t a bad choice, I think Gunner has better options with missiles instead. With 1132, Gunner lacks control of horizontal space, which is key to Gunner’s success. In addition, Flame Pillar and Bomb Drop are at least somewhat redundant. Bomb Drop serves the same function and controls the same space, except it does it better and serves other functions as well.

1332

With the 1332 moveset, you have 4 powerful projectiles (missiles are two projectiles) and strong control of horizontal space. Missiles and Charge Blast are redundant in the sense that they control the same horizontal space. But they serve different purposes–one is a bread and butter neutral tool and the other a powerful KO blast that is unleashed only at the right time.

Charge Blast has synergy with missiles for a couple of important reasons. First and foremost, if you shoot a super missile followed up immediately by a fully charged blast, it’s a true combo that results in about 49% damage. The combo can KO at 59%. What’s so good about this is that your opponent can’t shield it: the combo results in an instant shield break. So you can condition your opponent to shield missiles and then instantly break the shield. For this reason, I think it’s an even better combo than with Flame Pillar: the Flame Pillar combo works only if you hit an unshielding opponent, but the missile combo works whether your opponents shields or not. The only option to escape it is jumping, but you can capitalize on that as well. (Version 3.0 nerfed shield damage so shielding this combo is an option now)

The second reason the two work together so well is that you can force opponents to react to missiles (by jumping or rolling) and catch them with a well timed Charge Blast (i.e. catching a landing after they burn a double jump). Bomb Drop is a nice additional tool that controls short range space and helps pressure opponents during ledge traps and edge guards.

3332

This, I believe, is Gunner’s best moveset. With 3332, you have 4 powerful projectiles that provide the strongest possible control of horizontal space. And each projectile serves a unique purpose.

Grenades control medium range, provide an active projectile and explosion, and provide easy, safe edge guarding. Missiles are your main neutral tool that control the horizontal space of the entire stage (long range). You can KO with them during edge guards, or even on stage at the right percentage. Bombs control short range distance and provide easy, safe ledge trapping and edge guarding. With 4 varied yet strong projectiles, you can cover the entire stage in explosions that will surely frustrate your opponent. With so much shield pressure between these specials, shield breaks will occur from time to time as a natural outcome of the playstyle. [After Version 3.0’s nerf to projectile’s shield damage, this sentence may or may not still be true]

Notably, all of the projectiles are useful in neutral, ledge traps, and edge guards in different ways. With this moveset, it’s easy to build up damage, and your goal will be to edge guard and KO offstage or near the ledge.

Conclusion

Mii Gunner has many good specials to choose from, and reasonable minds can disagree as to which specials and movesets are best. I personally recommend 3332 and 1332, but try the specials for yourself and see which you prefer.