Super Smash Bros. Cataclysm (Dingerfish)/Toad

Toad is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Cataclysm. He is a newcomer from the Super Mario universe, and is an unlockable fighter.
Toad is brand new to the Super Smash Bros. series, and thus has a completely original moveset and playstyle. The design philosophy of his moveset revolves around manipulating the stage around him to his advantage, which shows in how his mechanics and his kit revolves around area denial and punishes. This makes players have to use Toad's tools to their fullest potential as well as use them in conjunction with one another in order to succeed. His moveset aims to reflect this design philosophy while also reflecting Toad's history as a character and as a species.
==Attributes==
Toad's movement on the ground is quick and snappy, with his swift initial dash and running speed alongside his high traction allowing for smooth maneuvering across the ground of the stage. This lets Toad navigate the stage around him effortlessly and use its geometry to his advantage against his opponent. Although his aerial mobility, similarly to his attributes in his appearances in mainline Mario games, is quite weak. His low jump height combined with his poor air speed and fall speed makes the air a weak point for Toad, and is the main way to counteract his game plan as an opponent. Toad is also a lightweight, which makes him vulnerable to punishes if he fails to play around his opponent, especially in aerial contexts such as offstage.
(The character names next to each stat shows that the value of the stat the name is next to is equal to the value of the stat that the character named had in Ultimate. For example, if a character's weight stat is labelled as "98 (Mario)," that means that character's weight value is 98 which is equal to Mario's weight value in Ultimate.)
Attribute 	Stat
Weight 	85 (Zelda)
Walk Speed 	1.115 (Samus)
Walk Speed (Item Dash) 	1.302 (Pikachu)
Initial Dash 	2.255 (Marth)
Initial Dash (Item Dash) 	2.31 (Sonic)
Running Speed 	2.006 (Diddy Kong)
Running Speed (Item Dash)	2.42 (Sheik)
Jump Height 	25.37 (Kirby)
# Of Jumps 	2
Air Speed 	0.83 (Ganondorf)
Fall Speed 	1.95 (King Dedede)
Traction 	0.131 (Isabelle)
Crawl 	Yes
Wall Jump 	Yes
Wall Cling 	No
==Gimmicks==
Toad has one gimmick which aids him in manipulating the stage and accomplishing his game plan.
===Item Dash===
When holding an item, Toad's walking speed, initial dash, and running speed all get noticably increased, making him far more mobile on the ground when holding an item, mainly when using Special Moves, most of which make him hold an item. This is useful for Toad as it allows him to use his specials as a more mobile character and get to his opponent alongside using his main attacking moves to apply pressure while moving or as strong finishers when he gets to his opponent. This mechanic is a reference to how Toad would run faster while holding an item in Super Mario Bros. 2. (USA)
== Moveset ==
=== Grounded Attacks ===
* Jab - Fungal Flurry: Toad releases a flurry of punches from both of his arms as a rapid jab attack, ending with a headbutt dealing low damage and decent knockback. This attack serves some use for Toad as a get-off-me tool or as a quick punish to a mispositioned opponent.
* Dash Attack - Shell Surfer: Toad surfs towards his opponent using a Koopa Shell, dealing decent damage and knockback on contact. This attack is very useful for Toad as it both deals decent damage and gives him a quick and safe way to come towards his opponent as he’s surfing a Shell. His upper hurtbox is still active during the duration of the move however, which could lead to some punishes from the opponent if they attack from above Toad. This attack is also a Double Move akin to Link's Forward Smash, where for the second part of the move, Toad can cancel the dash attack while it's happening by kicking the shell while he’s surfing it. This gets Toad off of the shell and launches it in an arc towards where Toad was facing, or towards the direction (Left, Up, or Right) the player inputs during the move. This allows him to zone out his opponent more effectively and get to them easier, or for Toad to pull off unique combos and flashy kills whether by knocking a player into the shell flying in the opposite direction, comboing an attack with the shell falling downwards after being launched upwards, or by simply sniping an airborne opponent with the shell at high percents. The shell itself functions like a Green Shell, albeit weaker. This allows Toad to pick up the shell if it stops moving whether someone jumps on it or gets hit by it. This allows it to be used as an item and to be picked up by Toad which triggers Item Dash and can serve as a decent extra projectile Toad can work with while it is available. If Toad uses his dash attack while there’s a shell of his currently on stage, that shell gets replaced by the one Toad is currently using in his dash attack. This move is a reference to the shell-surfing mechanic from Super Mario 64.
* Side Tilt - Flutter Kick: Toad rapidly kicks forward consecutively with both of his legs, dealing decent damage and low knockback. The move serves as great combo potential for Toad as well as being able to rack up damage very well, albeit with the drawback of low range. It is also a great combo starter to punish with, leading into a combo when Toad actually gets to his opponent. This attack is a reference to Toad's Flutter Jump in the Toad Jump minigame in Super Princess Peach, similarly to Luigi. This flutter jump does not carry over to his jump in-game.
* Up Tilt - Mushroom Headbutt: Toad swings his head in an upwards arc above him, akin to Mario's Up Smash. This move deals low damage and decent knockback, which allows it to serve as a good anti-air option as well as a decent combo extender.
* Down Tilt - Low Sweep: Toad performs a leg sweep in front of him similarly to Mario’s Down Tilt from Ultimate, albeit with shorter range and less damage. The move does see some use through its sweetspot that trips the opponent when it successfully connects, allowing Toad to follow up with a strong punish whether with a combo at early percents or a kill move at late percents.
=== Smash Attacks ===
* Forward Smash - Hammer Smash: Toad swings his wooden hammer from overhead onto the ground in front of him. This attack deals good damage and knockback and has low starting lag, which makes it an excellent combo finisher as well as an effective punish at high percents, especially with the attack's large hitbox. This attack also has a quake effect released by the hammer when it hits the stage, which deals small flinching damage and could serve as way for Toad to follow-up at early percents. This move is a reference to the wooden hammer Toad utilizes across Mario Party 3.
* Up Smash - Fungal Surrounding: Toad makes two Mushroom Platforms swiftly sprout up to his left and his right which can randomly either be red, yellow, or green. The sprouting of the Mushroom Platforms does decent damage and knockback while sending the opponent upwards, allowing it to serve as a great anti-air tool while also functoning as a kill move at late percents. Additionally, for the short duration where the Mushroom Platforms are done sprouting and on the stage before they go back down, the stem of the Mushroom Platform actually functions as a wall and the top functions as platforms that can be stood on. Toad can also keep the platforms up by holding Up while executing the move. This is usually not an ideal action in a 1v1 battle due to the high endlag of the move leaving Toad vulnerable once he lets go, alongside the fact the Platforms can be broken if hit enough times. However, this mechanic can be used as support in a Team Battle where Toad can manipulate the stage and allow his teammate(s) to use the Mushroom Platforms as extra ground to stand on, thus increasing their capabilities on stage. This move is clearly based on the Mushroom Platforms that can be seen all across mainline Mario games.
* Down Smash - Tanooki Pound: Toad dons his Tanooki Suit and braces before jumping up and slightly forward before transforming into Statue Toad then rapidly dropping onto the floor. This move deals gooddamage and good knockback on the sourspot, and when opponents are hit by the initial jump, it sends them below Toad and guarantees them getting hit by the sweetspot which buries opponents, allowing for an easy follow-up with a combo at early percents or a kill at late percents. The drop also has a quake effect when it hits the ground which allows Toad to slightly damage opponents around him if he misses. This is all at the drawback of having a lot of endlag when Toad is actually getting out of his Statue form after he hits the ground. This makes the move serve well as a combo finisher or punish once Toad gets to his opponent, however the forward distance Toad moves when triggering the move can also lead to some mix-ups off platforms and the stage. Additionally, Toad can use this move off fo a Mushroom Trampoline to launch himself into the air as a strong hitbox, which is risky due to Toad having to mash out of the Statue form before dropping into the blastzone, but could lead to an early, flashy kill. Additionally, when Toad is in the Statue Form, he can hold up to stay in the Statue Form allowing for various mixups, and if he’s falling while in the Statue Form (which normally automatically ends when he hits the ground) he can mash out in order to survive. This move is a reference to the Tanooki Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3 and its ability to turn its wielders into statues.
=== Aerials ===
* Neutral Aerial - Star Strike: Toad pulls out a Power Star and holds in to his chest, dealing small flinching damage to any opponent who makes contact. Addtionally, the move has a sweetspot when the Power Star is initially pulled out by Toad, dealing decent damage and knockback. This move serves some use as a decent aerial get-off-me tool alongside as a good combo extender, especially offstage. This move is clearly based on the Power Star collectibles that appear across the series.
* Forward Aerial - Fungal Foot: Toad simply kicks forward in the air. This attack deals low damage and knockback, but has use in applying pressure against Toad's opponent alongside extending combos or as a situational edgeguarding tool. This comes with the drawback of having low range, making Toad susceptible to a punish if he is mispositioned when using the attack. 
* Back Aerial - Hammer Swing: Toad faces behind himself and swings his hammer horizontally. This attack deals decent damage and knockback, with the drawback of having high endlag making it a risky yet effective pressure tool/combo finisher in the air. 
* Up Aerial - Shell Kick: Toad kicks a Koopa Shell upwards from his current position. This attack deals good damage and knockback, and has a disjointed hitbox making it a safe option from a short hop as a strong anti-air option or as a juggle combo extender, especially since the Koopa Shell does not disappear until it makes contact with the ground, allowing Toad to be back on the ground before the Koopa Shell is done landing. This shell is seperate from the shell Toad uses in his Dash Attack and is also not an item, making it unable to be picked up by Toad or his opponent. Additionally, Toad's kick of the shell has a hitbox, allowing him to combo the kick into the shell dealing extra damage and putting his opponent under disadvantage. This move is a reference to the Shell Kick ability originating from Super Mario World.
*Down Aerial - Mushroom Plunge: Toad turns upside-down mid-air and plunges downwards rapidly, dealing decent damage and knockback. This move's damage and knockback does not make up for the attack's poor frame data that leaves Toad vulnerable when used, making it not ideal to use in most circumstances. However, it can serve as a situational fast fall option if Toad is high in the air.
===Grabs & Throws===
*Grab: Toad grabs the opponent with his left/right hand respective to the direction he's facing.
*Pummel - Toad Punch: Toad replicates Peach’s Pummel from Ultimate where he punches his opponent with his other hand, dealing low damage.
*Forward Throw - Thrust Headbutt: Toad replicates Peach's Forward Throw from Ultimate where he thrusts his head forward to knock away the opponent. This move deals decent damage and knockback and can serve as a kill throw near the edge of the stage.
*Back Throw - Shell Whack: Toad holds the opponent behind him and starts surfing on a Blue Koopa Shell before surfing forward to build up speed and then surfing backwards very quickly to hit his opponent. This move deals good damage and knockback and serves excellently as a kill throw at high percents with the drawback of being harder to set up due to the throw sending the opponent backwards.
*Up Throw - Mushroom Sprout: Toad holds the opponent in place as a Mushroom Platform quickly sprouts up from under them and hits them upwards before going back down again. This Mushroom Platform has no collision unlike in Toad’s Up Smash. The throw deals low damage and knockback which lets it serve as a decent combo starter at early percents.
*Down Throw - Drill Spin: Toad dons his Propeller Suit and performs a Drill Spin, rapidly dropping downwards onto the opponent. It deals decent multihit damage and knockback which allows the throw to rack up damage quickly and start combos at early percents. This move is a reference to the Drill Spin ability accessible to the player after consuming a Propeller Mushroom, originating from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
===Specials===
*Neutral Special - Rotten Mushroom: Toad plucks out a Rotten Mushroom item from the ground and holds it in his hands, triggering his Item Dash. Once thrown, it stays on the stage/platform it was thrown on and moves towards the direction it was thrown, changing direction if it reaches an edge. It stays active for five seconds before disappearing, and when it makes contact with an opponent, it deals 5% damage and gives them a poison effect that lasts 5 seconds, racking up 2% every half second. The main point of this move is to be a way to manipulate the stage by serving as an obstacle that restricts the opponent’s ability to move on the stage without making contact with it. This allows it to synergize well with the rest of Toad’s kit and allows him to reach his opponent easier. Toad cannot use this move if a Rotten Mushroom of his is already active on the stage, nor if he’s holding another item. This move is a reference to the Rotten Mushroom item originating from Super Mario Maker 2.
*Side Special - Golden Dash Mushroom: Toad plucks out a Golden Dash Mushroom item from the ground and holds it in his hands, triggering his Item Dash. While this item is throwable, it serves no use when thrown other than a one-time projectile. Instead by clicking the special button while holding it Toad dashes forward in a distance which is a little bit smaller each time he uses it, which can be done twice before the item is consumed. The Golden Dash Mushroom loses its crown when one dash is consumed, to clearly show it has one dash left. After the item gets consumed, he cannot use this move for another six seconds. He also can’t use the move if he’s holding another item. This move’s purpose is to give Toad more options to maneuver around the stage and get to his opponent easier, along with being a decent horizontal recovery option. The dash itself does do low damage and decent knockback, however it is mainly meant for movement. This move is a reference to the Golden Dash Mushroom item in the Mario Kart series, originating from Mario Kart 64.
*Up Special - Mushroom Trampoline: Toad summons a Mushroom Trampoline below him, which works similarly to PAC-MAN’s Up Special with the difference being that it’s wider and overall larger and it only can take 2 jumps instead of 3. This move not only serves the purpose of vertical recovery offstage but also further increases Toad’s movement options on the stage as it essentially gives him another platform wherever he wants on the stage, which allows him to move around in more unique ways to reach his opponent. Once the platform sustains 2 jumps or is active more than 10 seconds it disappears. If a second platform is summoned, the first one disappears. This move is a reference to the Mushroom Trampoline objects that appear in mainline Mario games, originating from New Super Mario Bros.
*Down Special - Mushroom Block: Toad plucks out a Mushroom Block item from the ground and holds it in his hands, triggering his Item Dash. Once thrown, the Mushroom Block deals decent damage and low knockback while simply acting as a relatively heavy object with collision on the stage. There can be up to three Mushroom Blocks at a time, each of them having full collision and each of them stackabl, where they automatically stack on top of each other if one is thrown right next to the other. Mushroom Blocks are incredibly useful to Toad in that they practically serve as movable extensions to the geometry to the stage. This allows Toad to easily create walls, roadblocks, and vertical extensions on the stage using the Mushroom Blocks, with their function spanning the limit of the player's creativity. This move is a reference to the Mushroom Block item from Super Mario Bros. 2.
=== Final Smash ===
* Final Smash - Super Pickaxe: Toad transforms into Captain Toad and gets into a minecart with Captain Toadette before dashing forward in a distance approximately half the length of Battlefield. Up to four opponents hit by it get transitioned into a cutscene Final Smash where the opponents are trapped in the minecart with Captain Toad and Toadette. They both then equip the Super Pickaxe and start swinging it on the opponent, racking up damage before noticing that the minecart is about to hit a pile of Bob-Ombs meant to explode and help with mining, prompting them to jump out of the minecart just before the opponent(s) in the minecart get caught in a huge explosion, serving as the final blow of the attack. Any opponent who is 100% or over when the attack ends gets instantly KOed, while lower percentages fly away with extremely high knockback from the attack. This move is clearly based on various elements from the Captain Toad series.
== Aesthetics ==
=== Alternate Costumes ===
Costume 	Image 	Origin 	Unlock Criteria
#1: Default 	 	This is Toad's default look throughout the series since Super Mario 64. 	Unlocked from the start.
#2: Toadette 	 	This is Toadette's default look throughout the series since Super Mario 64. With this costume on, (and by proxy all Toadette costumes) Toad's name is announced as Toadette and she switches places with Toad during the Super Pickaxe Final Smash. 	Unlocked from the start.
#3: Blue Toad 	 	Based on the playable Blue Toad originating from Super Mario Bros. 2. If this costume performs his Final Smash, he lacks a headlight and instead gains glasses during the Final Smash, which is a reference to the Hint Toad from Super Mario Odyssey.	Unlocked from the start.
#4: Lime Toadette 	 	Original costume. 	Unlocked from the start.
#5: Yellow Toad 	 	Based on the playable Yellow Toad originating from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. 	Unlocked from the start.
#6: Sky Toadette 	 	Original costume. 	Unlocked from the start.
#7: Fire Toad 	(Credits to TJZiomek) 	Based on Yellow Toad's color scheme when he consumes a Fire Flower powerup and turns into Fire Toad originating from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. 	Win a match on Bowser's Castle as Toad.
#8: Ice Toadette 	(Credits to connormkt)	Based on Toadette's color scheme when she consumes an Ice Flower powerup and turns into Ice Toadette originating from New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. 	Win a match on Snowdin Town as Toad.
#9: Penguin Toad 	 	Based on Toad's outfit when he equips a Penguin Suit powerup and turns into Penguin Toad originating from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. 	Win a match on Summit as Toad.
#10: Cat Toadette 	 	Based on Toadette's outfit when she equips a Super Bell powerup and turns into Cat Toadette originating from Super Mario Maker 2. 	Beat Century Smash as Toad.
#11: Wizard Toad 	 	Based on Toad's outfit when playing on Horror Land in Mario Party 2. 	Beat Classic Mode as Toad.
#12: Astronaut Toadette	 	Based on the Astronaut Toadette outfit from Mario Kart Tour. 	Play a match of Home-Run Contest as Toad where the Sandbag is sent at least 200m away.
#13: Strikers Toad 	 	Based on Toad's default outfit in Mario Strikers: Battle League. 	Beat 30 opponents in Endless Smash as Toad.
#14: Aces Toadette 	 	Based on Toadette's alternate costume in Mario Tennis Aces. 	Win a game of Rival Smash as Toad.
#15: Toadsworth 	 	Based on Toadsworth, a Toad character originating from Super Mario Sunshine. With this costume on, Toad's name is announced as Toadsworth. 	Beat Classic Mode on 9.9 as Toad.
=== Taunts ===
* Up Taunt: Toad looks towards the camera and holds up a random Mario item while holding up his two arms. The items he can hold up include: Coin, Star Coin, Super Mushroom, 1-Up Mushroom, Fire Flower, Starman, Poison Mushroom, Rotten Mushroom, Mushroom Block, Frog Suit, Hammer Suit, Goomba Shoe, Super Leaf, Cape Feather, Power Balloon, P-Switch, Yoshi Egg, Mini Mushroom, Mega Mushroom, Blue Shell, Cloud Flower, Rock Mushroom, Boo Mushroom, Spin Drill, Spring Mushroom, Bee Mushroom, Ice Flower, Propeller Suit, Penguin Suit, Super Acorn, Super Bell, Boomerang Suit, Elephant Fruit, Bubble Flower, and Drill Mushroom.
* Side Taunt: Toad spins around quickly on one leg with his arms tucked in before posing with all of his limbs out as a reference to the animation that plays when a character spins excessively in Mario games.
* Down Taunt: Toad playfully kicks around the shell he uses in his moveset before it disappears and he returns to normal.
=== Idle Poses ===
* Idle #1: Toad puts his hand on his forehead and looks far ahead with a curious look on his face.
* Idle #2: Toad gets into a running pose akin to his promotional render in Super Mario 3D World.
=== Victory Theme/Poses ===
* Victory Theme: A remixed version of the Level Clear theme from Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
* Victory (Left): Toad runs around in multiple circles before jumping up and striking the pose he does when he clears a course in Super Mario 3D World.
* Victory (Up): Toad happily skips around before making a V sign with his fingers towards the screen as a reference to Super Mario World.
* Victory (Right): Multiple Toads and Toadettes in different colors gather around the Toad the player chose and throw him up in the air in celebration of his victory.
=== Extra Aesthetics ===
* Stage Intro: A Warp Door appears on stage with Toad entering the stage through it before it disappears.
* Kirby Hat: Kirby simply wears Toad’s mushroom cap, which changes depending on which costume he inhales.
* When running for a long enough time, Toad will begin to splay his arms behind him and lean back a little bit while running. This is a reference to the P-Speed run animation originating from Super Mario World.
* When Toadette double jumps, the particles that appear when she performs a Floaty Jump as Peachette appear as she does it. This does not affect the jump’s functionality.
* Toad’s facial expressions mostly involve playful and confident expressions, however he puts on a struggle expression when jumping or when pulling an item from the floor. When throwing an item and using his dash attack, he gains an even more confident, almost smug expression with angry eyes and a wide grin.