All For One

All For One is a playable character obtained by completing the Hero Story in the game's singleplayer Story Mode. His playstyle favours a calm, calculated approach that uses his wide range of options effectively to open up an opponent and deal large damage with long combos.

## **Moveset**

####  **Target combo (Ground)**

AFO's ground target combo is surprisingly inconsistent at times, but nevertheless retains use as an excellent opener against most opponents. The combo consists of an upwards punch with a small aerial hitbox, a downward swing with his opposite arm, another downwards swing with his dominant hand, and then he extends claws from his fingers towards his opponent. His jab comes out at 14 frames, which is average, but tracks very easily, and covers a large distance once active. It can be used effectively at the start of a match to catch opponents who dash or walk away, and is effective as a dash punish in neutral. The third hit of AFO's target combo is a launcher in which he slams his closed fist onto the opponent's head, bouncing them once off the ground, after which the opponent enters a tumble fall state until they hit the ground. This allows AFO to land a Tilt Attack (TA) in the gap without having to use a Dash Cancel, enabling another launch and an air combo. The fourth hit of the target combo is a straight-line attack with a long disjointed hitbox that pushes the enemy away from AFO. AFO can only follow up from the fourth hit of his target combo in very specific situations, so it is recommended to use a TA instead of letting the target combo play out. It is important to note that because of the direction the second and third hits of his combo travel in (downwards, whereas the initial hit is upwards), the hitboxes on his attacks may not line up sufficiently to combo against an opponent who is in the air. In this situation, the enemy will usually be able to hit you before you can react.

#### **Target Combo (Air)**

AFO's air target combo shares similar properties to his ground combo, with minor differences. His air combo has 3 hits, as opposed to the 4 hits of his ground combo. The first hit of the air combo is a straight punch, followed by a kick which lifts the enemy slightly above AFO and propels them forwards, then for the final attack he spins once and launches claws from his hand, pushing the enemy away from him in a straight line. Once again, this combo can be extended using a TA. The first two hits of this combo can also be used to connect into all of AFO's other aerial moves. The air target combo does not have many glaring inconsistencies, and the only thing that bears mentioning is that sometimes when used against a fast-moving enemy player from too close a range the inital attack will not track to the enemy's current position and will instead move AFO behind where the opponent ends their movement.

#### **Tilt Attack**

AFO's tilt attacks are excellent, both for use in combo and as counters. They deal good damage, are active for long periods of time, and have favourable trades with other medium to long duration TAs. AFO's ground TA is an uppercut, where AFO covers his fist in purple energy then launches the opponent upwards, hitting them with a vertical projectile at the same time. This vertical projectile, although straight-line, has a large hitbox and can in some cases be used as an unorthodox anti-air move. To follow up on his ground TA, a dash cancel is required, and the enemy will stay in a launched state until reaching the top of the projectile's path, at which point they will be able to air recover.

AFO's air TA is a controversial move, which many consider to be a "broken" part of his kit. In this move, AFO extends his knee, then charges towards the opponent, slamming into them and then grabbing them. After they are grabbed, AFO swings his free hand down onto them, launching them towards the ground and firing off a vertical projectile at the same time. The enemy enters a tumble fall state from the moment they leave AFO's hand, and once they hit the ground will bounce, allowing AFO to dash cancel and attack them before they hit the ground a second time. Air TA has incredibly good tracking in almost all situations. It is effective as a dash punish, as a counter to most air approaches, and can sometimes be used to punish enemy projectiles. AFO is also armoured for the full duration of the charge, and the move comes out very quickly. However, this move is not very effective against other armour moves, as AFO cannot dash cancel until the grab animation begins playing, causing him to lose the armour trade without doing very much damage in return. Also, it is completely unsafe against block, so avoid using it against grounded targets unless they are mid attack/dash. It should go without saying that this attack is mainly effective as a tool for punishing the enemy's unsafe options. Against an aware opponent, spamming this move will lead you to being punished more than effectively opening up the enemy.

#### **Unblockable**

AFO's unblockable attack is a short-range move which is slow compared to other unblockables. In the move, he brings his fists together, and swings them down above his head until he reaches the ground, at which point there will be a small flare of black energy. This move has a very small aerial hitbox from the front but generally will not hit aerial opponents. It is generally mediocre, but because of this can sometimes be used to mix up opponents, as it is widely considered an option that AFO shouldn't go out of his way to use.

#### **Quirk Special 1**

AFO's Quirk Special 1 (Q1) is a long-range projectile with three different charging phases. His projectile can be charged by holding down Q1, either in neutral or after/during any of his attacks. The easiest way to charge Q1 is during TQ2, but it can also be done during Q2. The properties of each phase are different, and I will briefly go through each one:

No Charge: Relatively weak mid to long-range projectile. Travels slowly, deals 20 damage, and has practically no hitstun. Low projectile priority.

First Charge: Fast-moving long-range projectile. Deals 35 damage, and knocks the enemy back in tumble fall for the duration of its travel. Is a consistent tool for wallsplats. Low projectile priority

Second Charge: Slow-moving long-range projectile. Deals 60-65 (tick dependent) damage with practically no scaling effect, is multi-hit (6 damage ticks, requires 2 Just Guards to negate). Has the highest projectile priority in the game, and will erase most other projectiles and clash with those it cannot erase, destroying both.

AFO's charged projectiles are excellent on paper, but unfortunately all come with massive endlag, meaning they have almost no practical use as a zoning tool. However, they do have some unique properties which will be elaborated on later and are essential for use in AFO's combos.

#### **Quirk Special 2**

AFO's Quirk Special 2 (Q2) is a multi-hit flurry attack which can be extended by mashing its input. AFO has armour briefly on the initial hit of the move, which can sometimes be used to trade enemy attacks if timed well. At the end of the flurry, AFO delivers a powerful finishing attack, launching the enemy forwards and slightly upwards away from him. This final attack can wallsplat, but is inconsistent. As such, it is common to see AFO players cancelling Q2 with Q1 before the final hit, either to make a wallsplat more possible with a first charge projectile, or to deal more damage with a second charge projectile. On the ground, this move is static, but in the air it has good tracking, especially on the last hit which can sometimes hit from a 180 degree angle. The main drawback of this move is that AFO can only cancel it with Q1 or a Plus Ultra 1, effectively locking him into the move until it is finished. Also, there is a gap between the end of the flurry and the final hit, which makes this move unsafe on block. If cancelled early into a Plus Ultra 1, AFO can break the opponent's guard, but this is often seen as an inefficient use of resources. Overall, this move is far more effective in combo than outside of it.

#### **Tilt Quirk Special 2**

AFO's TQ2 is a long range move in which he pulls his arm back, then thrusts it forwards, extending claws from his fingers towards the opponent. Enemies hit by the claws will be grabbed and immobilised, and AFO can then press Q2 to send pulses of purple energy down the claws to damage them. AFO can hit 5 times with this energy while he is in the air, and 4 times if he grabbed the opponent while he was on the ground. If AFO continues to press Q2, there will be a small explosion of sparks, the enemy player will be hit, and they will drop to the ground in a knockdown state. However, if AFO uses a directional input (back), the enemy will be pulled towards him, allowing him to combo. This move can also be charged, and during charging AFO will hang in the air. Charging TQ2 increases its range, and once it is fully charged it will become an Unblockable attack. This move is very effective at pressuring players who play passively, as it allows you to be very safe while creating an opening on them. However, against aggressive players, the charge time is too long be worthwhile in most cases.

#### **Plus Ultras**

Plus Ultra 1 - Fallen Ruler

AFO creates a large sphere of purple and black energy that hits the enemy multiple times, before exploding in a final pulse that knocks the enemy away from him. During the animation, Supports cannot damage AFO as the entire sphere is an active hitbox. His Plus Ultra 1 can be used on the ground or in the air, and without any scaling deals 70 damage.

Plus Ultra 2 - Symbol of Evil

AFO launches a small projectile from his outstretched hand, which explodes in a dome upon hitting the ground. This has a small aerial hitbox. During the Plus Ultra 2 animation, AFO flies into the air, then increases the strength of his right arm. He then dives down onto the opponent with his fist held out, shattering the ground in a colossal impact. His Plus Ultra 2 deals 110 damage without any scaling.

### **Special Properties**

 An important factor of AFO's combos is his inconsistency in wallsplatting. AFO struggles immensely with wallsplatting, even with a point blank Plus Ultra 1, and this is a major factor in determining how he interacts with the environment and how he manages resources. The easiest way to confirm a wallsplat is with a first charge Q1, using AA-Q1. However, AFO can still interact with the environment in beneficial ways, using wallbounces and slide fall mechanics. AFO's second charge projectile has unique properties when used against walls. From a distance, his projectile will cause the opponent to bounce off the wall, after which AFO can dash up and combo provided his timing is accurate. When used next to a wall, the opponent will slide up the wall, allowing AFO to continue the combo with the help of a support. These unique characteristics make AFO much less reliant on wallsplats to create large combos, and means he is consistent across all maps, whereas some characters may struggle without being able to wallsplat. However, this does not mean he cannot benefit from wallsplatting, as it can lead to massive damage in certain situations.

### **Enemy Supports**

AFO struggles against enemy supports, due to the fact that many of his moves leave him unable to react during their active frames. As such, it is important to know the steps you can take as an AFO player to avoid being punished by enemy supports. If the enemy attempts to interrupt your Q2, you can pull them in early and use the brief armour frames of Q2 to tank the support and carry on the combo. Also, using the tumble properties of your third hit of ground target combo and air TA, you can avoid being punished by the opponent. Unfortunately, you will not be able to continue the combo if you are interrupted during these moves, but the enemy will not be able to punish you either.

### **Economy**

AFO is not completely reliant on his supports to deal viable combo damage, but it goes without saying that he is far better off with them than without. As such, an AFO player should look to save their supports for extensions rather than to interrupt the enemy, and should be careful to manage their resources to prioritise constant support uptime.

AFO's Plus Ultra moves are mediocre, and are ineffective for the most part in performing the jobs that other Plus Ultras are capable of. Therefore, AFO players should look to save their bars and unleash a devastating Plus Ultra 3 in the later rounds of the match to secure their victory.

### **Combos**

AFO has a very deep and varied combo game, and a player familiar with the game's mechanics can find a wide variety of interesting tech to play around with using his kit. As a taster, I will provide some combo videos for AFO, in order of increasing difficulty.

#### **Beginner**

   Basic BNB combo for AFO, no extensions

Input List:

AAA-TA-DC-AA-TQ2-Q2-Q1(Second Charge)

Basic Wallsplat Combo

Input List:

AAA-TA-DC-AA-Q1(First Charge)-AAA-TA-DC-AA-TQ2(Hold Q1)-Q1

#### **Advanced**

Wallbounce Extensions

Input List:

AAA-TA-DC-AA-Q1(Second Charge)-AA-TQ2-Q2(Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge)

Wallbounce into Wallsplat

Input List

AAA-TA-DC-AA-Q1(Second Charge)-AA-TQ2(Hold Q1)-Q1(First Charge)-AAA-TA-DC-AA-Q2(Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge)

#### **Expert**

AFO Support Loops

Input List

AAA-TA-DC-AA-TQ2-Q2-Q1(Second Charge)-Bakugo-AA-Q2 (Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge)-Muscular-AA-Q2 (Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge)-AA-Q2 (Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge, but enemy may daze before)-AAA-TA-DC-AA-Q2-Q1

Optimised Wallsplat Combo

AAA-TA-DC-AA-TQ2-AA-Q1(First Charge)-Land-Jump-Q2(Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge)-Land-Jump-AA-TA-DC-AA-Q2(Hold Q1)-Q1(Second Charge)