Roy Guide: Matchup Chart and Combos

This is a guide to using Roy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Roy's bread and butter combos, how to unlock, frame data, alt costumes and skins, as well as Roy's matchups, counters, and tier list placement can all be found here.

Roy Tier and Overview

Stats and General Info

Roy
Game Series	Fire Emblem
Smash Bros. Debut	Super Smash Bros. Melee
Fighter Number	25
Unlock Order	29
Number of Jumps	2
Weight	95 Units (44/87)
Dash Speed	2.145 (14/87)
Air Speed	1.302 (4/87)
Fast Fall Speed	2.88 (13/87)
Special Attributes	None

Tier List Placement

Tier

A powerful swordie with great mobility

Smash Ultimate Roy has powerful hitboxes on his sword, and his high speed makes him great for rushing down opponents. Roy can use fast falling aerial attacks and a number of combos to damage his opponents, and then land attacks with the hilt of his sword to finish out stocks.

While his range is not quite as good as some of the other sword characters, Roy players can make use of his quick movement to apply pressure and rush down opponents to break their defenses.

See Our Tier List Here!

Roy's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	・Very quick movement speed ・Sweetspots on the hilt of sword attacks deal extra damage and knockback ・Very high air speed ・Good horizontal distance in his recovery
Weaknesses	・Recovery is a bit predictable and easy to exploit ・Somewhat poor range for a sword character ・Gets comboed very easily

Roy Matchup Chart

Matchup Chart

-2
-1
0
+1
+2

Notes About Matchup Chart

1. -2 = Disadvantage. -1 = Slight Disadvantage or Even. 0 = Even. +1 = Slight Advantage or Even. +2 = Advantage.
2. The matchup chart was based around both the opinions of professional players of each character, as well as our own experience through playing Roy.
3. Characters within each tier are unordered
4. Pokemon Trainer's individual Pokemon (Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard) as well as Echo fighters with no significant difference than their regular counterpart are not shown.
5. For other characters who are not shown here, we are still investigating the matchup.

Roy Combos

Bread and Butter Combos
Fair→Side Special
Down Throw→Nair
Nair→Up Special (The first hit of Nair only)

Bread and Butter Combos Explanation

Roy Frame Data and Moveset

Best Out of Shield Options

Move	Frames
Up Air	8 Frames
Neutral Air	9 Frames
Up B	9 Frames
Shield Grab	11 Frames
Back Air	11 Frames
Up Smash	12 Frames
Jump > Side B	12 Frames

Roy has some pretty decent out of shield options, with his fastest one (up air) coming out on frame 8. However, it is not the best punish tool unless the opponent hits you from above, so generally up special or neutral air will be his go-to out of shield punish moves. Up B deals a lot of damage and knockback, and has armor on it, so it is probably his best option, although whiffing it can leave you open to a punish.

Jab (Neutral Attack)

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Jab 1 (A)	9/9/5.76	5

Jab

Roy's jab is very quick, and is an important part of his kit. While it is good as a get-off-me tool at close range, it can also be used for ledge trapping, since it can be spammed at the edge without consequence. It sends opponents slightly upward, which can combo into a back air for one of Roy's most reliable KO confirms.

Dash Attack / Tilts

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Dash Attack (Normal) （Dash＋A）	15.6/10.8	13
Forward Tilt (← or → + A)	15/10.8/9.6	8
Up Tilt (↑ + A)	14.4/14.4/14.4/8.4	6
Up Tilt (Late 1)	14.4/14.4/8.4	7
Up Tilt (Late 2)	14.4/8.4	9
Down Tilt (↓ + A)	13.2/7.8	7

Dash Attack

Roy's dash attack has rather slow startup, but great range and knockback. Since Roy's sword does more damage from the hilt rather than the tip, hitting the sweetspot on this move is great for sending an opponent offstage. In most cases, sliding forward tilt is a better option, thanks to its quicker startup, and lower endlag.

Forward Tilt

Forward tilt also has good range, has quicker startup, than dash attack, and can also KO opponents at higher percents, so using the sliding variant of it can often subsitute for dash attack, as it is a bit safer. Hitting the hitbox on the hilt is very powerful, and is one way of closing out stocks.

Up Tilt

Roy's up tilt is very fast, and will cover the entire area above Roy to his back, so it is a good get-off-me tool.

Down Tilt

Down tilt is a very quick move, with very little endlag, so it is one of Roy's poking tools, as it is -3/-7 on shield. Once again, try to hit opponents up close when possible.

Smash Attacks

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Forward Smash (Smash ← or → + A）	24/20.4/14.4	13
Up Smash (Hit 1) (Smash ↑ + A)	1.2	12
Up Smash (Hit 1, Late)	2.4	13
Up Smash (Hit 2-4)	2.4	15/17/19
Up Smash (Hit 5)	12	22
Down Smash (Hit 1) (Smash ↓ + A)	41261	6
Down Smash (Hit 2)	20.4/13.2/13.2	21

Forward Smash

Roy's forward smash has excellent range and will deal great damage when you can hit the opponent with the sword's hilt. Hitting the sweetspot of this move is very important, as landing the tip of the sword only deals about the same knockback as landing the tip of forward tilt would.

Up Smash

Roy's up smash deals decent damage and knockback, and is effective as an anti-air. The hitbox is somewhat narrow, but unlike Roy's other sword attacks, the sweet / sour spots do not matter.

Down Smash

Down smash is Roy's quickest smash attack. It is as fast as some of his tilts, but it doesn't deal as much knockback as his other smashes, and it has the most endlag. It is mostly used for catching an opponent's roll.

Aerials

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Neutral Air (Hit 1) (A + no direction while airborne)	7.2/4.8/7.2	6
Neutral Air (Hit 2)	10.2/10.2/6	15
Forward Air (Hold ← or → in the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	13.2/13.2/13.2/8.4	10
Back Air (← or → Opposite of the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	14.4/14.4/10.8	8
Up Air (↑ + A While Airborne)	10.8/10.8/10.8/7.2	5
Down Air (↓ + A While Airborne)	18/18/12	16

Neutral Air

Roy's neutral air is very quick, and essentially to his powerful aerial game. It is -6/-6/-5/-6 on shield, making it pretty safe to use as a tool for pressuring shields. It has two hits, which cover both the front and back of Roy, so it is good for escaping disadvatage. Landing just the first hit only has a little bit of knockback, making it a great combo starter.

Forward Air

Roy's forward air has great range, hitting the entire area in front of him. Its startup is a little slow compared to some of his other aerials, but it is -4/-5 on sheld, making it very safe and good for pressuring opponents, and can also be used for edgeguarding.

Back Air

Roy's back air is powerful, dealing excellent knockback when the sweetspot hits. It is great for edgeguarding, and when used via a reverse aerial rush (jumping immediately after turning around mid-dash), it is very easy to hit opponents with the hilt, which is a great KO option. Jab with combo into an RAR back air, so this is an important combo to master.

Up Air

Up air is Roy's fastest aerial. It attacks a wide range above Roy's head, so it is great for juggling opponents. It covers the area up to Roy's back, so it can be used low to the ground as well. It can KO opponents at higher percentages.

Down Air

Roy's down air deals a lot of damage, and has a meteor hitbox. It has rather slow startup and endlag, so it is a bit risky for Roy to use offstage, considering his recovery does not go super high.

Specials

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Neutral Special (No Charge) (B)	9.6	21
Neutral Special (Fully Charged)	60/43.2	261
Side Special (Hit 1) （← o r→ + B）	3.6/2.4/2.4	9
Side Special (Hit 2, Up)	3.6/2.4/2.4	4
Side Special (Hit 2, Neutral)	3.6/2.4/2.4	5
Side Special (Hit 3, Up)	4.8/3.6/3.6/3.6	5
Side Special (Hit 3, Up , Late)	4.8/3.6/3.6	-
Side Special (Hit 3, Neutral)	4.8/3.6/3.6	4
Side Special (Hit 3, Low)	4.8/3.6	5
Side Special (Hit 4, Up)	8.4/6/6	6
Side Special (Hit 4, Neutral)	7.2/4.8/4.8	7
Side Special (Hit 4, Low/Hit1-4)	2.4	7/10/13/16
Side Special (Hit 4, Low/Hit5)	6/3.6/3.6	19
Up Special (Ground) （↑+B）	6.6	9
Up Special (Ground, Multi Hit)	1.32	11
Up Special (Ground, Finisher)	9.6	20
Up Special (Aerial)	5.4	9
Up Special (Aerial, Multi Hit)	1.2	11
Up Special (Aerial, Finisher)	7.2	20
Down Special (Counter) （↓ + B）	-	8
Down Special (Hit)	-	4

Neutral Special (Flare Blade)

Roy's neutral special can be charged and released for a powerful strike. Its startup is rather slow, so it is not a move you should use super frequntly, but if fully charged, it is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, making it an ideal shield break punish.

Side Special (Double-Edge Dance)

Roy's side special is a 4 part attack where, similar to Marth or Lucina, you can alter the attack by holding up or down during the 2nd and 3rd strikes, givng it different utility according to the situation. Holding up is good for putting opponents in the air for a juggle, while holding down is good for dealing damage. Simply not holding any direction deals the most knockback, and if used by the ledge, can KO opponents extremely early.

Up Special (Blazer)

Roy's up special is a move where he is lifted upward with a blazing sword strike. He becomes briefly intangible in the initial frames, and will gain super armor when used on the ground. It looks somewhat similar to Marth's up special, but you can change the angle on Roy's up special by changing the direction on the stick before the sword lifts. If the move is angled more horizontally, it will not be able to move as far vertically.

Down Special (Counter)

Roy's down special is a typical counter. The strength of the attack depends on how strong the opponent's attack was, and it works even on attacks that hit Roy from behind. It is mostly used when reading an opponent's attack, or breaking an untrue combo, but it can also be used to edgeguard characters who have a hitbox and no invulnerability on their recovery. When used on the ground, it will deal more knockback.

Grabs and Throws

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Pummel	1.56	1
Grab (Normal)	-	7
Dash Grab	-	10
Pivot Grab	-	11
Forward Throw (Throw) (← or → While Grabbing)	6	15
Back Throw (Throw) (← or → While Grabbing)	6	8
Up Throw (Throw) (↑ While Grabbing)	7.2	13
Down Throw (Throw) (↓ While Grabbing)	6	16

Forward Throw

Roy's forward throw puts an opponent forward, so it it is good for stage control or putting an opponent offstage. It doesn't combo into anything.

Back Throw

Like forward throw, back throw is used for stage control or to put an opponent offstage. It doesn't combo into anything or KO.

Up Throw

Roy's up throw can be used to put an opponent up into the air to try and juggle them with up airs. At around 200%, it can KO an opponent as well.

Down Throw

Roy's down throw puts an opponent upward, allowing him to combo into one of his aerials, so it is a good combo starter.

Final Smash

Attack	How to Use	Effect
Critical Hit	Press B after obtaining the Smash Ball	Charges forward quickly and delivers a powerful blow against the opponent. The move deals extreme knockback to the opponent in front of Roy, usually resulting in a KO. Beware that it may result in an SD if you are not careful recovering offstage after using it.

Roy Balance Changes

Version 3.1.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Up Smash Attack	Made it easier to hit multiple times.

Version 3.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Dash Grab	Increased grab range.
Up Special	Made it easier to hit multiple times.

Version 2.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Down Air Attack	Shortened the landing time after using the move.

Major Changes From Smash 4

	Change
General	Increased size on hitboxes
Jab (A)	Increased range. Buff.
Side Special (← or → + B)	The time between the first and 4th hits hae been decreased. Less likely to be interrupted mid combo = Buff.

How to Unlock Roy

Unlocking Via Smash Mode
29th Fighter Unlocked After unlocking Daisy, let 10 minutes pass OR play another battle in smash after soft-resetting OR return to the menu from World of Light
Unlocking via Classic Mode
Clear Classic Mode 6 times using Mario.
Unlocking via World of Light
The Final Battle

There are three ways to unlock Roy. Completing any of these, then defeating Roy when they appear in the “a New Challenger Appears” screen will allow you to use them afterward.

How to Unlock Characters Fast

Roy Alt Costumes and Skins

Roy Reveal Trailer

Smash Ultimate Character Guides

List of Fighters
Tier List	Unlocking Fighters

Character Stat Lists

Character Stats
Weights of All Characters	Run Speeds of All Characters
Air Speeds of All Characters	Fast Fall Speeds of All Characters