Combo

A combo is a set of attacks in a fighting game that is performed in sequence and very likely, if not guaranteed, to occur if the first attack lands. In Super Smash Flash 2 and Fraymakers, it most commonly refers to a sequence of attacks that does not allow the opponent to break out of hitstun, which is also known as a true combo.
Combos are primarily used to rack up substantial damage on opponents. Many combos are not necessarily guaranteed, as many factors play into their effectiveness, such as DI, SDI, teching, damage, the opponent's weight, and the timing of the attacks. There may also be scenarios where the attacker is able to follow their attacks up despite the opponent not being in hitstun for the entire duration, which is also known as a string.
In both SSF2 and Fraymakers, combos are tracked using an in-game counter that can be made visible in Training. In SSF2, this counter resets after the opponent being comboed escapes hitstun for two frames, whereas in Fraymakers it takes ten frames. The announcer in Fraymakers has various calls for when combos are performed, which depends on how many hits the combo consists of.
== Types of combos ==
=== Kill confirm ===
A kill confirm, also known as a KO setup, is a combo that ends with a KO. It generally starts with a fast or safe move that links into a more powerful move that deals enough knockback to score a KO. It is dependent on various factors, most notably the damage of the opponent, which must be high enough that the final hit can secure a KO while also allowing the previous hits to link into it. This can also be set up in other ways, such as through chain grabs, tech chases, or forced getups, to more reliably lead into the final hit.
Due to the high startup or ending lag often present with strong attacks, kill confirms are often considered a more reliable way to land these attacks by making them more difficult to predict or react to. However, they are not always guaranteed and often require the player to properly read their opponents' actions.
=== Zero-to-death ===
A zero-to-death, also called a zero-death for short, is a combo that starts with the opponent not having any accumulated damage and ends with them being KO'd. The term may also be used to refer to any general sequence in which a player brings an opponent from having no damage to being KO'd without interruption, regardless of there being a combo involved. Full zero-to-death combos are relatively uncommon due to requiring almost perfect timing and placement in order to properly work, as even a single missed or mistimed hitbox can ruin a combo.
In Fraymakers, the announcer will often call out a zero-to-death when a player is KO'd without their opponent taking damage following their previous revival. However, this can occur regardless of whether a combo or string occurs.
=== Juggling ===
Juggling is a combo that involves repeatedly hitting an opponent into the air without letting them recover or hit the ground. It is most commonly performed by repeatedly using up tilts or up aerials, which generally have weak upward knockback and low lag to knock opponents into midair while keeping them in hitstun. This is often used for racking up damage or carrying opponents toward the upper blast line to KO them, which is also known as a ladder combo.
Juggling becomes more difficult as the opponent's damage accumulates, as the increased knockback allows them to escape more easily. Generally, characters with higher weight, falling speed, and gravity values are more vulnerable to being juggled for longer periods of time.
=== Natural combo ===
A natural combo is a single move divided into multiple phases, with each phase requiring a separate input. Not pressing the next input ends the attack prematurely. The most common type of natural combo is a neutral attack, as most characters can perform multiple attacks with the move, with some following into an infinite jab. Some characters have natural combos using other grounded moves, such as 's forward smash and 's forward tilt in SSF2. Certain special moves may have natural combos as well, such as 's Dancing Blade and 's Tiger Blade in SSF2.
=== Infinite ===
An infinite is a combo that can theoretically be maintained indefinitely regardless of the target's actions. Infinites generally take the form of a singular move or a small set of moves with traits such as high hitstun, low lag, and low or set knockback that can be repeatedly used without the target escaping. Examples include using a quick neutral attack against a wall or performing a chain grab that cannot be broken out of. They are generally used to rack up large amounts of damage on an opponent to set them up for an easy, if not unavoidable, KO afterward.
Infinites disrupt the normal flow of the game, allowing players' offensive or defensive abilities to go far beyond those intended, and are generally removed in updates wherever possible. The current official for SSF2 classifies infinites that deal more than 150% damage in one combo or are continued past 300% damage as a form of stalling, and they are therefore banned from competitive play.
== Notable combos ==
=== Ken Combo ===
The Ken Combo refers to an aerial combo which sets up a spike or meteor smash. It is performed by first jumping and using an aerial attack, which is often a forward aerial with low knockback and high hitstun, and then using a midair jump followed by a down aerial with downward knockback. It is often used to KO off-stage opponents at low damages in order for the combo to reliably connect.
This combo is most prominently used in SSF2 by , , and , whose relatively weak forward aerials and large, disjointed down aerials allow for the setup to work. Other characters such as , , and are also capable of using it.
=== Wall of pain ===
The wall of pain, often abbreviated as WoP, is a technique used to wall out opponents with repeated aerial attacks. It is primarily used for edgeguarding by stringing aerial attacks together with jumps to hit the opponent repeatedly and carry them off-stage, leaving them in a disadvantageous position or outright KOing them.
This technique is primarily used by in SSF2, whose multiple midair jumps, high air speed, low falling speed, and large range and hitstun in their back aerial and forward aerial allow them to follow their opponents to the blast line while consistently keeping them in hitstun and then recover afterward. Other characters with multiple midair jumps or fast aerial attacks can perform similar wall of pain techniques, though they generally lack the required air speed or falling speed to be as effective as Jigglypuff's version of the technique.
Category:Game physics
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Category:Techniques
Category:Techniques in Super Smash Flash 2
Category:Techniques in Fraymakers
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Category:Super Smash Flash 2
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