Pokemon: Close Combat/Slither Wing

Slither Wing slashes forward with a mandible.

• A relatively fast, safe, and long reaching normal, making for a good poke
• Leads to an autotimed 2A/throw mixup on C-Cancel
• Confirms into 3A on CH
• Strings into 5B, 6A or (on CH) Silk Shot, though none of them can be hit confirmed

Slither Wing slices its wings together, slashing any aerial opponent out of the skies.

• Slow but large anti-air, best used preemptively
• Sometimes juggles into Silk Shot, reliably combos on grounded counter hit
• Always strings into 6A
• Can be made safe by cancelling into Sunspot
• Spacing traps after 5A against most abare options

Slither Wing lunges forward with a powerful armored kick.

• Armored callout, high damage but vulnerable to being blocked or getting caught in its startup
• Highest damage finisher, though you generally won't be able to confirm into it
• Neutral skip when C-Cancelled, though the long startup makes it tricky to use effectively
• Juggles into Sunspot on C-Cancel for a semi-reliable counter hit launch

Slither Wing claws forward twice, moving forward slightly.

• Quick, combo-starting low
• Primary stagger pressure option; rather minus without its Sunspot cancel, but fast & threatens tick throws
• Fastest mash option
• Poke that covers a lot of space due to the first hit vacuuming in, though unsafe on whiff and fails to combo at range
• Solid check to the opponent's dash after they parry Dormant Flame
• Cannot hit airborne opponents
• Leads to an autotimed, parry-safe mixup between another 2A and throw on hit
• Hits twice for an easy confirm into Eruption

Slither Wing sweeps its tail forward, knocking any unwitting opponent off their feet.

• Slow but long-range sweep, good for catching the opponent walking in the midrange
• Punishable even at max range due to Slither's extended hurtbox
• Callout for opponents back jumping out of your midscreen pressure
• Use the cancel to meaty a Dormant Flame at close range or set one up for zoning at long range

Slither Wing performs a massive spinning tail strike through the air.

• Large jump-in
• Practical way to land 5A x 6A
• Solid option after Wingbeat
• Deals 2 endurance, useful in block pressure
• Slither's low jump arc and the move's vertical range make for a relatively quick overhead

Slither Wing descends from the skies in a massive stomp, either onto an opponent's head...

• Smaller than j5A and doesn't combo but does 4 endurance damage & can cross up
• Wing hitbox launches, making it a fast, formidable air-to-air
• Gives poor oki on hit, ending your offense

...or to create a shockwave on the ground below.

• Aerial low, solid mixup option
• Low reward on its own, but combos into Proto Flare's blasts for high damage
• Unsafe on block and does less guard damage
• Greater advantage on hit than the aerial hitbox, allowing you to meaty a Dormant Flame in the corner

Slither Wing calls forth a lingering stationary fireball that hits multiple times.

• Initially does 1 damage before spitting out a 2-hit projectile
• Explodes at the end of its duration, when hit by Silk Shot, or shortly after being hit with an enemy projectile
• After it absorbs a projectile, Silk Shot will pass through it for a tricky knowledge check
• Primary combo ender, confirmable out of 5A
• Links into 3A in the corner
• Oki tool, late cancellable out of Slither's best knockdowns and leaves it rather plus on meaty
• Somewhat risky in neutral due to its long recovery, but can create advantageous RPS scenarios at midrange once established
• Easy to set up at fullscreen or off midscreen knockdowns, allowing Slither to stand its ground and progress towards the corner
• Has two unique follow-ups that cost 1 bar each

Slither Wing spews binding silk from its maw, holding an enemy in place on a successful hit.

• Mediocre frame data-wise but highly rewarding on hit, trapping the opponent in silk for a full combo
• Breaks apart when Slither Wing is hit
• Calls out slower options and conditions the opponent to stay away
• Too slow to carry your zoning on its own, must be supplemented with normals and Dormant Flame
• Silk state lasts longer on air hit
• Whiffs on air opponents past the second hit of a combo

Slither Wing unleashes the flame from within itself, scorching any opponent near enough to feel the heat.

• Blockstrings & combos out of 2A
• Frametraps 2A on delayed cancel, though this situation is hard to hit confirm out of
• Is considered a projectile, meaning it has no extra hitstun on counter hit
• Reliable launcher on aerial opponents (such as after CC 6A)
• Alternative anti-air, trading range for speed; good for stopping jump-ins on defense
• Back hit makes it an answer to left/right mix
• Can't hit grounded opponents in hitstun for its first 4 active frames, though its advantage remains fixed

Slither Wing soars through the air in any of the eight cardinal directions.

• Key neutral tool, allowing Slither to mix up its otherwise sluggish jump-ins
• Cancels out of j5A for unique air pressure, though Slither is vulnerable to anti-airs
• Holding no direction defaults Slither Wing to the upward (8) direction
• Useful for fullscreen Silk Shot follow-ups
• Used to dodge anti-airs during Proto Flare oki

Slither Wing sends Dormant Flame forward with a wave of its mighty wings, burning all in its path.

• Solid neutral tool that destroys other projectiles and gives a good knockdown
• 1 bar combo ender midscreen, resetting to a good zoning situation
• Leads to juggles in the corner
• Getting interrupted can lead to wasted meter

Slither Wing draws Dormant Flame inwards, absorbing its power and causing a burst of flame.

• 15-second install that boosts Slither Wing's damage, frame data, and mobility
• Boosts walk, jump and back dash speed
• Makes forward dash jump cancellable
• Certain boosted moves shorten the timer:

• Dormant Flame: +2 damage, (+4 on detonation), -2.5 seconds on initial startup, -2.5 on successful connect
• Trailblazer: +2 damage, -2.5 seconds
• Wingbeat: -11 startup, -1 second
• Eruption: +3 damage, -12.5 seconds, see its entry for details

• Alternative to Trailblazer, far worse in the corner but has comparable midscreen reward in the form of its buffs
• Not recommended raw due to its lackluster frame data and inconsistent hitboxes

Slither Wing emits an even more powerful pillar of flame.

• Large, fully invincible reversal, but rather slow making it easy to safejump
• Confirms into Sunspot or 4A

Slither Wing calls upon the essence of the sun, creating a stationary turret that fires three blasts before disappearing.

• The last of the 3 blasts launches grounded opponents and deals an extra 5 damage to airborne opponents
• Explosive hitbox on the flare itself prevents opponents from jumping over the beams
• Formidable zoning tool, though a full approach will generally put the opponent out of range
• Metered oki threatening a high/low mixup where j2A leads to high damage & rising reversals will be punished by the flare itself
• Leaves you very plus and can continue your pressure from midscreen
• Juggles well off 3A/low j2A for high-damage metered combos

Slither Wing unleashes three devastating gusts of flame from its wings, leaving naught but destruction in their wake.

• Expensive but highly damaging finisher or whiff punish
• Not invulnerable to any projectiles that move during the super freeze
• Higher damage is used against air opponents
• Final hit does 1 less damage than listed due to scaling, so hitting on the ground does 20 damage and hitting in air hits do 26

Slither Wing grabs the opponent to deliver a flying body slam, traveling a significant distance across the arena.

• Distance is proportional to Slither's remaining health
• Slither Wing is at an extreme advantage after the throw, with immediate access to meter, Dormant Flame oki and possibly the corner
• Landing this move is often your main goal midscreen

Slither Wing grabs the opponent and heads in the opposite direction, slamming them under its bulk after flying a long distance across the field.

• Distance is proportional to Slither's remaining health

Slither Wing lashes out with its tail, sending the opponent flying.

• Unique among parries in that it sends the opponent full screen, resetting to neutral and allowing Slither Wing to resume zoning
• Important zone-breaking tool due to Slither's relatively laggy C-dash