Nintendo’s recent Super Smash Bros. for Wii U balance patch proves the company still intends to provide current generation Smashers with the best experience moving forward. And what better way to show care for a healthy tournament scene–at least in potential character variety–than to nerf the best characters in the game and buff those who weren’t so great? While Sheik wasn’t the only one who felt the brutal impact of the nerf hammer, she’s definitely the one who has garnered the most attention. But just how much do these nerfs actually affect her? In a recent video, Team SoloMid’s Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios discusses this topic at length.
Perhaps the most devastating change Sheik received was the 20% reduction in her needle range, as it hurts her camping ability and removes some of her stage control power. ZeRo notes that this range nerf isn’t nearly as rough as something like an increase in the move’s recovery would have been, but the reduced range is definitely felt. The patch also affected her kill potential in certain scenarios, which ZeRo demonstrates as well.
But Sheik’s nerfs aren’t the only thing on ZeRo’s mind, as he recently uploaded a similar video discussing the buffs received by Mewtwo in the recent patch. While damage and kill potential were never issues for the legendary Pokémon, survival and general movement options were. Luckily, Nintendo decided to make him heavier and faster, while also offering slight changes in other areas, such as the area covered by his neutral air.
If you’re looking to make sense of some of the recent changes to the game, these videos are a great place to get started.
Source: ZeRo