Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Tips to Get Sephiroth Early
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just wrapped up its "Battling with Sephiroth" showcase, and there was a lot of information for fans to take in. Amidst new Mii Fighter costumes, stages, songs, and of course the new character himself, Nintendo also revealed a way for players to get Sephiroth early. On December 23rd, Sephiroth will become available to everyone that has purchased the DLC as normal, but a new limited time game mode looks to allow skilled Smash players to unlock him before then. For those struggling with this, read on for some tips on how to do it.
Very few people expected Sephiroth to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable character, and for good reason. Cloud was already added as a 3rd party DLC character back in Smash 4, and it didn't seem likely that another Final Fantasy 7 character would join the roster after that. For this reason, he didn't show up high on any fan polls or anything like that, but a vast majority of fans were still thrilled to see him added to the game. Now that fans know his moveset, that excitement has been increased even more, as he's looking to be a very unique character.
For starters, Sephiroth can be unlocked early in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by beating him in a special, limited-time mode added alongside his showcase. This boss battle pits players against an extremely powerful Sephiroth, tasking them with defeating him on one of three difficulties, Easy, Normal, or Very Hard. Sephiroth will go all out here, and players shouldn't expect this to be as easy as beating a computer-controlled character in the Smash mode. Instead, think of it more like an enhanced Spirit battle, or a battle with handicaps enabled. This is the first chance players have to see some awesome Sephiroth match-ups in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Thankfully, this battle can be fought on any of the above three difficulties and it will still unlock the character. Series creator Masahiro Sakurai mentioned that it was initially planned for players to only have one shot at this fight, but thankfully that idea was scrapped. With that in mind, feel free to try this battle on any difficulty, as players have as many tries as they want as long as they complete the event before Sephiroth's official release date.
This may seem kind of lame to experienced gamers, but the best way to unlock Sephiroth early is to challenge him on easy mode first. As mentioned above, even beating him in this mode will unlock the character, so there's no shame in taking the easy way out at first. This fight will still be challenging to less experienced players, but this will provide a much quicker way for them to unlock him. There are some key differences in the way the fight plays out on Easy mode when compared to Normal or Very Hard.
One of the most noticeable differences in the difficulties is Sephiroth's hit points. On any difficulty level, the player has 150 Stamina, and once that number reaches zero or they are knocked out traditionally, they lose. On the normal mode, the fight is balanced and even, with Sephiroth also having 150 Stamina, but on Easy mode, he is set to 100 Stamina, giving the player a 50 hit point lead at the start of the match. Beyond this, his AI is also significantly easier to handle on this difficulty mode, being more akin to a CPU of level 3 or 4. Players that are able to handle those types of enemies in regular gameplay should have no problem dealing with Sephiroth on Easy mode.
For those players that are just too stubborn to try the boss fight on Easy first but that still want to unlock him, it's vital to understand Sephiroth's weaknesses in order to defeat him on Very Hard. Sakurai did a great job of pointing these out during the showcase, and they are demonstrated even further during this fight. Notably, Sephiroth leaves himself wide open for retaliation anytime he finishes his smash attacks and even some of his specials, making this a great time to strike. Additionally, he is tall and relatively light, meaning most attacks should connect and they'll send him away.
The best thing for players to do is to learn how to use this against him. Instead of playing aggressively, hang back for the most part and wait for him to start charging up a smash attack. Aside from the down smash, these can all be blocked with a full shield, allowing plenty of time for players to run in and punish. Ranged attacks also work well, as the AI isn't particularly great at dodging them. Examples of this include Byleth's bow, Fox or Falco's pistols, Link's many long ranged options, or any projectile. Just be sure to keep an eye on Sephiroth if he starts to advance.
When he takes enough damage, Sephiroth sprouts a singular dark, feathered wing. This enhances his attacks and speed, but more importantly, it gives him super armor during his smash attacks. This means that Sephiroth can't be interrupted once he starts a smash attack, making trying to hit him before he gets it off unwise. The damage will still be dealt, but Sephiroth won't stagger and will likely hit back for much more.
On Easy mode, this triggers at around 40% health, while on Normal mode it seems to be around 60%. On Very Hard, it triggers at around 70% instead. These numbers aren't exact as extensive testing hasn't been done yet, but it's something to watch out for. On harder difficulties, players will probably have to change up their tactics a bit once the wing comes out. That said, it doesn't make him invincible by any means, and players should still be sure to capitalize on any openings that they happen to see. Players that manage to beat him will get to see Sephiroth slash his way into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate early.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
Post a Comment