Lloyd (Super Smash Flash 2)

Lloyd is a newcomer starter character in Super Smash Flash 2. His sprites, taken from , are the same ones he had in Super Smash Flash — albeit with minor tweaks and modifications — making him the only character to have this distinction. Most of his special attacks involve him using tech artes from .
Lloyd currently ranks 3rd on the tier list, placing him in the S+ tier. Lloyd has very strong combo potential, above average ground mobility, fast attack speed, and disjointed hitboxes in almost all of his attacks. He also possesses one of the longest grabs for its startup time, and good throws that allow for easy followups. He has the ability to immediately cancel his recovery into any aerial attack, which makes him very difficult to edgeguard due to his aerial prowess. He can also increase his horizontal distance in the air with Rising Falcon. On top of this, he has a great onstage edge guarding game, due to the very long active duration on many of his attacks, especially Beast. His down special move, Rising Falcon, is very similar to 's Falcon Kick, in which when used in air, he plunges downward, and regains his midair jump after using it. Unlike Falcon Kick, if used on the ground he will rise up into the air and then perform the move. He also possesses a projectile in Demon Fang, which can chain into itself at low percentages. He also possesses potent killing moves in his down smash, up smash, forward aerial, back aerial, forward tilt, and Sonic Thrust. All of these traits combine to give Lloyd not only an outstanding punish game, but also a great neutral game as well, allowing him to outperform virtually any opponent by utilizing different aspects of his incredibly diverse toolset to his advantage.
However, Lloyd's vertical recovery, Tiger Blade, covers a short vertical distance which makes it one of the worse recoveries in the game. This weakness is further exposed by his greater tendency to end up offstage due to his below average weight. He has some difficulty finishing off his opponents if he allows them to take too much damage. Despite having a long range, very few of Lloyd's attacks actually cover his hurtboxes, leaving him vulnerable if his opponent gets uncomfortably close to him.
Lloyd has good representation in online tournaments, as his strength as a character coupled with his low difficulty curve make him very attractive to competitive players who wanted to succeed with a minimal amount of effort, to the point where many high-level players have him as at least a pocket secondary.
== Attributes ==
Lloyd is categorized as a lightning bruiser, possessing many strengths with few weaknesses to balance it out. He has a very strong offensive game, as the range and speed of his attacks, combined with their long active hitboxes and hitstun duration, gives him great combo-ability with easy followups. He has a good number of kill options which have similarly easy setups, allowing him to score KOs very quickly.
He has an amazing grab and throw game, possessing the longest non-ranged grab that is low in start up and ending lag. He is one of the few characters in the game to have good uses for all of his throws, as his forward, down and back throws can chain grab the majority of the cast and his up throw can be followed up with his excellent juggling ability.
He has a good aerial game with the majority of his aerials having long reach and fast start up.
His special moveset is also very versatile: has an effective camping ability with his ability to halt most approaches just by spamming Demon Fang. Tempest is a quick damage racking option that has KO potential at high percentages, Rising Falcon boasts good KO potential and can be charged to deal more knockback, and Tiger Blade, while not the best recovery in terms of distance, is very difficult to punish, since he can immediately cancel it with any other aerial attack to prevent helplessness.
His weaknesses are very few and far between, but it is enough to prevent him from being the best character in the game. His below average weight leaves him vulnerable to getting semi-spiked to death, as his vertical recovery is average at best and his small ledge sweet spot leaves him vulnerable to edge hogging.
Demon Fang has low priority and can be easily reflected or canceled out by other attacks. Most of his attacks possess hitboxes that do not cover his hurtboxes at all, which makes it difficult for Lloyd to effectively hit his opponent if they are directly on top of him. His recovery is also notoriously weak, as Tiger Blade covers a horrible vertical distance and is very weak in terms of damage, and while his side special, Tempest, can provide him with moderate horizontal recovery, it leaves him helpless in midair if Lloyd doesn't connect with anybody.
The end result is a character with a very strong neutral game, punish game, and adaptability, with a few glass cannon-esque traits that fall drastically short of keeping him balanced. This, coupled with his shallow learning curve, can make him one of the most frustrating characters to fight against.
== Moveset ==
=== Ground attacks ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Neutral attack	Slashes forwards and then upwards with one sword, then performs Sword Rain with the other sword with a flurry of stabs while yelling "Sword Rain!", ending with a stab with the first sword. The player can continue the flurry by repeatedly pressing or holding the attack button after the second hit.	
Neutral attack	Slashes forwards and then upwards with one sword, then performs Sword Rain with the other sword with a flurry of stabs while yelling "Sword Rain!", ending with a stab with the first sword. The player can continue the flurry by repeatedly pressing or holding the attack button after the second hit.	
Neutral attack	Slashes forwards and then upwards with one sword, then performs Sword Rain with the other sword with a flurry of stabs while yelling "Sword Rain!", ending with a stab with the first sword. The player can continue the flurry by repeatedly pressing or holding the attack button after the second hit.	
Neutral attack	Slashes forwards and then upwards with one sword, then performs Sword Rain with the other sword with a flurry of stabs while yelling "Sword Rain!", ending with a stab with the first sword. The player can continue the flurry by repeatedly pressing or holding the attack button after the second hit.	
Forward tilt 	Swings forward with a sword. Slow but has considerable knockback and launches at a low angle. 	9%
Up tilt 	Swings a sword over his head in an arc. Can KO at high percentages. The end of the move has a weaker hitbox. 	
Up tilt 	Swings a sword over his head in an arc. Can KO at high percentages. The end of the move has a weaker hitbox. 	
Down tilt 	Sweeps out in front of him. Can be used to start combos, though the moderate ending lag makes this risky. 	8%
Dash attack 	Performs Sonic Thrust, stabbing out in front of him. Deals very strong knockback for how quickly it comes out, though it has high ending lag. 	11%
Forward smash 	Performs Beast by spin slashing forward, yelling "Beast!" as the face of a lion appears in front of him. It has a lingering hitbox, but has relatively low knockback growth. 	
Forward smash 	Performs Beast by spin slashing forward, yelling "Beast!" as the face of a lion appears in front of him. It has a lingering hitbox, but has relatively low knockback growth. 	
Up smash 	Stabs upward with both swords, yelling "Take this!". Lacks horizontal range, but has great vertical range. 	
Up smash 	Stabs upward with both swords, yelling "Take this!". Lacks horizontal range, but has great vertical range. 	
Down smash 	Slams a sword onto the ground, dealing multiple hits to nearby opponents. Fairly easy for opponents to SDI out of, since it has a very short hitbox. Based on Demonic Circle, although without the spin. 	
Down smash 	Slams a sword onto the ground, dealing multiple hits to nearby opponents. Fairly easy for opponents to SDI out of, since it has a very short hitbox. Based on Demonic Circle, although without the spin. 	
=== Aerial attacks ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Neutral aerial	Performs a quick cross slash with both swords. A strong combo tool with considerable range that can be comboed into his aerials and special moves. 	8%
Forward aerial	Slashes a sword in front of him. Has strong knockback and is useful for edgeguarding, although it is not completely reliable due to its slow start up. 	11%
Back aerial 	Swings both swords diagonally upwards behind himself. Very quick, and has great knockback. 	13%
Up aerial 	Swings a sword over his head while flipping backward. Very useful for juggling. The end of the move has a weaker hitbox that knocks opponents forward and can be used for combos. 	
Up aerial 	Swings a sword over his head while flipping backward. Very useful for juggling. The end of the move has a weaker hitbox that knocks opponents forward and can be used for combos. 	
Down aerial 	Drills below him with a sword, hitting multiple times. The last hit is much stronger than the others and does horizontal knockback, with the initial hits dealing downward knockback.	
Down aerial 	Drills below him with a sword, hitting multiple times. The last hit is much stronger than the others and does horizontal knockback, with the initial hits dealing downward knockback.	
Down aerial 	Drills below him with a sword, hitting multiple times. The last hit is much stronger than the others and does horizontal knockback, with the initial hits dealing downward knockback.	
=== Grab and throws ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Grab 	Drops a sword momentarily and reaches forward with a hand. 	
Pummel 	Stabs the opponent. 	2%
Forward throw	Stabs his opponent with each sword once. 	
Forward throw	Stabs his opponent with each sword once. 	
Back throw 	Slashes the opponent backwards behind himself. 	7%
Up throw 	Slashes the opponent over his head and then stabs them upward. Can be used as a combo starter.	
Up throw 	Slashes the opponent over his head and then stabs them upward. Can be used as a combo starter.	
Down throw 	Stabs at the opponent's feet four times, knocking the opponent forward with the final hit. 	
=== Other attacks ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Floor attack	Swings a sword in an upwards arc around himself.	6%
Ledge attack	Rolls up and slashes forward. 	7%
=== Special moves ===
Attack 	Name 	Description 	Damage
Neutral special move	Demon Fang 	Launches a small, fast projectile with a sword that travels along the ground and is affected by gravity. Though weak, its upward knockback and very low ending lag makes it very useful for starting and extending combos, as well as pressuring opponents. Pressing the special input two times quickly uses Double Demon Fang, which fires two projectiles in quick succession at the cost of more ending lag.	4%
Side special move 	Tempest 	Lunges forward while flipping, holding out both swords. On contact, Lloyd delivers several hits to opponents while rising. However, if Tempest does not hit an opponent, then Lloyd will be put into a helpless state. Its distance makes it his most useful horizontal recovery tool. 	
Side special move 	Tempest 	Lunges forward while flipping, holding out both swords. On contact, Lloyd delivers several hits to opponents while rising. However, if Tempest does not hit an opponent, then Lloyd will be put into a helpless state. Its distance makes it his most useful horizontal recovery tool. 	
Up special move 	Tiger Blade 	Jumps and slashes upwards. Given its predictability and short vertical distance, it is regarded as a rather poor recovery. Lloyd can use one of his aerial attacks within the short duration before he is left helpless. 	7%
Down special move 	Rising Falcon 	Rises into the air and dives downwards with both swords at a diagonal angle, then slashes both swords around him. The diving attack has great knockback. Lloyd has an active hitbox while rising, which sends the opponent up with him, and he rises higher if the special input is held. If used in the air, he does not rise, but it can restore his midair jump. 	
Down special move 	Rising Falcon 	Rises into the air and dives downwards with both swords at a diagonal angle, then slashes both swords around him. The diving attack has great knockback. Lloyd has an active hitbox while rising, which sends the opponent up with him, and he rises higher if the special input is held. If used in the air, he does not rise, but it can restore his midair jump. 	
Down special move 	Rising Falcon 	Rises into the air and dives downwards with both swords at a diagonal angle, then slashes both swords around him. The diving attack has great knockback. Lloyd has an active hitbox while rising, which sends the opponent up with him, and he rises higher if the special input is held. If used in the air, he does not rise, but it can restore his midair jump. 	
Final Smash 	Falcon's Crest	Traps nearby opponents and proceeds to fuse his Material Blades into the Eternal Sword, attacking with rain-like energy from the ground before finally smashing down with great knockback. 	
Final Smash 	Falcon's Crest	Traps nearby opponents and proceeds to fuse his Material Blades into the Eternal Sword, attacking with rain-like energy from the ground before finally smashing down with great knockback. 	
Final Smash 	Falcon's Crest	Traps nearby opponents and proceeds to fuse his Material Blades into the Eternal Sword, attacking with rain-like energy from the ground before finally smashing down with great knockback. 	
=== Misc. ===
Misc. 	Description 	Description 	Description
On-screen appearance	Teleports using the Eternal Sword. 	Teleports using the Eternal Sword. 	Teleports using the Eternal Sword.
Taunts 	Neutral 	Takes a battle pose, holding both swords out saying, "Come on, bring it!". 	
Taunts 	Side 	Takes a battle pose, holding both swords out saying, "Come on, bring it!". 	
Taunts 	Down/Up 	Takes a battle pose, holding both swords out saying, "Come on, bring it!". 	
Idle poses 	colspan="3" 	 	
Victory theme 	Remix of the victory fanfare from . 	Remix of the victory fanfare from . 	Remix of the victory fanfare from .
Victory pose 	Swings his swords around while saying, "It just wasn't your day.", then laughs.	Swings his swords around while saying, "It just wasn't your day.", then laughs.	Swings his swords around while saying, "It just wasn't your day.", then laughs.
== Changes from v0.9a ==
Lloyd has received nerfs even though he was considered a mid tier character last demo. He mainly has received nerfs to his KO options, his grab & throw game. However, Lloyd is seen as a more effective character this demo due to advances in his metagame. Lloyd also benefits from this demo's lower hitstun which makes him less susceptible to combos while being one of the few characters who can combo like last demo.
=== Aesthetics ===
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=== Ground attacks ===
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=== Grab and throws ===
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=== Special moves ===
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== In competitive play ==
=== Match ups ===
=== Notable players ===
==== Active ====
*Chaos0
==== Inactive ====
=== Tier placement history ===
Initially, Lloyd was seen as a mid tier character, ranking 4th overall (tied with ) on the first tier list for demo v0.6. He remained in mid tier up until demo v0.7's release, in which he ranked 13th, putting him dangerously close to the dreaded Kirby Tier. Lloyd remained a low tier character until demo v0.9a, where he became a mid tier character again. Then, in v0.9b, the ability to play online gave Lloyd an outlet for showing his true colors at last, allowing him to rise up to 4th on that demo's initial tier list. He currently stands at 3rd place, where he is seen as a top tier character on the second tier list for v0.9b.
== Gallery ==
=== Costumes ===
=== Artworks ===
Lloydbig.gif|Lloyd's first art in the DOJO!!!.
Lloyd0.7.png|Lloyd's first art, used in-game from v0.5a to v0.8b. Taken from Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3.
Lloydv0.8.png|Lloyd's second art, used in-game from v0.6 until v0.8b. Taken from SOULCALIBUR Legends.
Lloyd 0.9a.png|Lloyd's second artwork, used in v0.9a.
Lloyd v0.9.png|Lloyd's third artwork, used from v0.9b to Beta 1.1.
=== Screenshots ===
LDSmashT.png|Lloyd using his down smash to attack and on Crateria.
Lloyd 1.png|Lloyd using Rising Falcon and using Falcon Kick in the air on Sector Z.
Lloyd 2.png|Lloyd and taunting on Hyrule Castle.
Lloyd 3.png|Two Lloyds jumping near Mithos Yggdrasill on Tower of Salvation.
Lloyd 4.png|Lloyd getting damaged by Mithos while starts the Demon Fang animation.
Ball - Lloyd.png|Ball version.
=== Early designs ===
LloydTaunt.png|Lloyd taunting on Tower of Salvation.
Lloydpic1.png|Lloyd using Beast to hit Kirby on .
Lloydpic2.png|Lloyd using his down aerial Rising Falcon on Hueco Mundo.
Lloydpic3.png|Lloyd fights with on .
Lloydpic4.png|Lloyd crouching on .
=== Designs ===
Old Design - Lloyd.png|Lloyd's first early design, used from demo v0.1a to v0.9b.
New Design - Lloyd.png|Lloyd's new design, used from Beta 1.0 onwards.
=== Misc. ===
SSF2 - Classic mode - Lloyd.png|Lloyd's congratulations screen on Classic mode.
SSF2 - All-Star mode - Lloyd.png|Lloyd's congratulations screen on All-Star mode.
image1-2.png|Winged Lloyd in the SSF2 Beta intro, referencing the ending of where he gets them.
== Trivia ==
*Lloyd is the only character returning from Super Smash Flash to not get a sprite change for SSF2, instead simply being recolored. Lloyd uses his sprites in both games.
*Prior to version 0.2b, Lloyd's Falcon's Crest worked very differently. When using it, Lloyd would create a series of explosions that came from the ground and radiated out to either side of him.
*Throughout the demos, Lloyd has had numerous changes to his side and down special moves. In the earliest versions of the game, Lloyd's side special was Sonic Thrust, and his down special was Guardian. In versions 0.5a and 0.5b, Lloyd's side special was changed to Beast. During these versions, a weaker version of Sonic Thrust was his third jab hit. In v0.6, Sonic Thrust became his side special again, while Beast became his forward smash. In v0.8, his down special went from Guardian to Grave Blade. Finally, in Beta, his side special became Tempest and his down special became Rising Falcon. Sonic Thrust was moved to dash attack, and Grave Blade was removed entirely. He is the second most changed character moveset-wise, losing only to .
*Lloyd is the only swordsman in Super Smash Flash 2 so far to wield two swords in battle, those being the Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword. He is also the only character whose weapons do not flip hands when he changes directions; Currently, Flamberge will always be held in his right hand and the Vorpal Sword will always be held in his left hand.
**Ironically, his current sprite has him wield the swords in the opposite hands. This is likely because his swords actually were in those respective hands before Beta 1.0.3. His current Classic congratulations screen has also not been updated to account for this change.
*Lloyd, along with , , and are the only characters so far that wear their default costumes in team battle when they are on the red team.
*Lloyd, , , , and are the only characters that don't clap for the winner of a match.
*In SSF2 Beta, several of Lloyd's new moves are based on the Mii Swordfighter from , who has a costume of Lloyd purchasable as DLC. His down aerial is taken directly from it, Tempest is based on Airborne Assault, and Rising Falcon is based on the aerial Power Thrust.
== External link ==
*Lloyd's page at Smash Flash DOJO!!!
Category:Newcomer characters
Category:Starter characters
Category:Third-party characters
Category:Super Smash Flash 2
Category:Super Smash Flash series
Category:BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment