Fawful (Clash)

Fawful
Coming Soon
Universe	Super Mario Bros.
Appears in	Clash
Debut	Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003)
Availability	Unlockable
Tier	B / B (13/14 (tied with Zoroark) / 12)

Fawful is an unlockable playable character in Super Smash Bros. Clash. Previously serving under Cackletta, Fawful is an insane bean who can't seem to speak proper English. After Cackletta's defeat, he served as a shop owner before starting his own army to get revenge on the Mushroom Kingdom. In the Dark Tournament he serves as Master Hand's right hand man, entering the tournament to control and use the Master Weapon to conquer this world.

Fawful as a fighter is an extremely defensive character most offensive characters have problems dealing with. However, when someone gets in on him he can fall apart extremely quickly.

Fawful's metagame has been explored since the last Tier List, and players have found him to be a very solid defensive character although he has a number of holes in his close game plan. It's very difficult for another defensive character or a grappler to win against Fawful, and as such, he finds himself at 12th on the Tier List. (tied with Zoroark for 13th and 14th with Secret A).

Pros & Cons

Fawful is the token defensive summon character. If you've played as Blackheart or Doronjo in the Capcom vs. games, you know the drill. For others, Fawful revolves around summon characters, utilizing long-range hitboxes and keeping his foes head guessing to quickly tromp the foe in mindgames.

Fawful's defensive game is something else. Fawful can be very difficult to get in on with his high priority, good range on his gun attacks, amazing air dash diverse and powerful (especially for Midbus / Blizzard Midbus attacks) summon attacks, and great jump-in counters to really stomp slow characters flat.

Fawful doesn't live long at all if he doesn't stomp them flat, though. Fawful is by far the most extreme defensive character in the game; it's almost impossible to win against Sonic or Captain Falcon with him. He also doesn't pack a lot of offensive power and sucks hard at combos.

He's a coin flip, really. It requires a ton of time to play him well, but a well-played Fawful can be one of the most annoying characters to fight.

Pros

• Really difficult to get in on due to his defensive game.
• His minions are great defensive tools.
• Lots of good anti-air options.
• Good air game.
• Very small size and his pedestal let him avoid many attacks.
• Dodges are fast and have very little lag.
• High priority moves.
• Due to his style of play, builds up Clash Attack Meter quickly.

Cons

• Probably the most difficult character in the game to learn how to play well.
• Gets stomped on by fast offensive characters like Sonic, as mentioned.
• He's really slow, mobility wise, without his air dash or flying ability at least.
• Final Smashes can be difficult to connect with.
• Recovery can be easy to deal with.
• Ground game is terrible, outside of summons.
• Throws aren't very good.
• Sucks at combos.

Moveset

Notes

• Fawful flies on a pedestal that does not count as part of Fawful's hitbox, meaning a few very low attacks, when used on the ground, miss him completely such as Meta Knight's Down Strong.
• Fawful is the only character in the game without a double jump.
• Fawful's normal jump has noticeable start-up lag.
• Midbus stands in the background whenever Fawful is in a match, like the Pokémon Trainer and his Pokémon.

Ground Moves

Normals

• Neutral Attack: Fawful does a right kick and then a left kick. The range on this is absolutely terrible, but it's pretty much Fawful's primary way of starting up combos. Still, with Fawful combos aren't exactly your biggest thing to worry about. Probably not a move you'll be using too often.
  • Damage: 3% (right), 3% (left), 6% total
• Side Strong Attack: Fawful does a quick overhead right punch that much be blocked high. Extremely fast, but again, barely any range. An alright combo move though and is actually pretty strong. Priority is alright too. Overall, not a bad move, but you'll mainly be using it when you're up close which is where Fawful does not want to be.
  • Damage: 7%
• Up Strong Attack: An anti-air elbow attack. Incredible priority on this move; it's one of the best anti-air normals in the game. Alright power is good as well. Also functions as a launcher like Captain Falcon's Raptor Boost, meaning Fawful can pursue after landing this to go into air combos. Overall an excellent move and one of Fawful's best jump-in counters.
  • Damage: 8%
• Down Strong Attack: Fawful fires a low shot from his gun. Functions like Joe the Condor's Crouching Hard in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Amazing range, but pitiful damage and knockback. Still makes an alright camping method since you have to block the energy shots low, though.
  • Damage: 5%
• Dash Attack: Fawful's pedestal spins around. Yeah. Good priority and damage, but very high lag if you miss with it or have it blocked. Works well in combos, but again, you don't really need to be doing combos often with Fawful.
  • Damage: 11%

Smash Attacks

• Side Smash Attack: Fawful spins his gun around and shoots out a pellet of ice energy. The pellet extends to about 1/5th of Final Destination at maximum charge and 1/7th at minimum. This comes out fairly fast and has good priority and knockback, making it a fairly decent killing move for Fawful. Also does good damage, but is very punishable if blocked or whiffed. The pellet has sex kick properties.
  • Damage: 13% (uncharged), 19% (charged)
• Up Smash Attack: Fawful spins his gun around, points it upwards, and fires three yellow / pink rings. Each ring has long hitlag, allowing all of them to usually combo into each other. A great anti-air and comes out quickly, also works decently in combos and juggle set-ups. Like your Side Smash though, you need to be very careful with this.
  • Damage: 3% per ring (uncharged), 6% per ring (charged)
• Down Smash Attack: Fawful creates a ball of darkness from his hand and orders it to spin along the ground, twice forward and twice back. Your slowest Smash Attack, but it has great range and priority, and if you don't hit it's a bit safer than the other two.
  • Damage: 11% (uncharged), 15% (charged)

Aerial Moves

• Neutral Attack: Fawful's does a 90 degree spin, so Fawful's head faces the monitor, and the pedestal spins with bursts of fire. Very similar in appearance to R.O.B.'s Nair. This move starts, ends, and lands slowly, but it does GREAT knockback, damage, and has a ton of range and priority. One of Fawful's best finishers.
  • Damage: 14%
• Forward Aerial: Fawful leans on his pedestal and stretches his arm out, spinning his gun around while doing a bunch of shots with it. Just about no range, but this move has incredible priority and does good damage. Knockback is quite bad though. Starts and ends quickly, so you can use this in combos, I suppose.
  • Damage: 14 hits worth 1% each, then a 3% hit
• Back Aerial: Fawful hops off his pedestal real fast and does a backwards kick. One of Fawful's stronger moves, but again, barely any range, although this doesn't have the priority to back it up. It starts quickly, but ends slowly so be careful.
  • Damage: 10%
• Up Aerial: Fawful does his Up Smash in the air. Yeah. Basically, same properties as the Up Smash version although it has barely any ending lag.
  • Damage: 4% per ring
• Down Aerial: Fawful fires a beam of darkness downward. Similar to Mewtwo's Up Aerial, except downward and different element. Great range and priority, and is also a powerful Meteor Smash. Good for edgeguarding and has to be blocked high.
  • Damage: 11%

Grabs and Throws

• Grab: A quick one hand grab. A bit safer than most grabs on whiff, but absolutely terrible range. Fawful has a really good dash grab and pivot grab though.
• Pummel: Fawful pinches his foes head. Fast.
  • Damage: 1-2%
• Forward Throw: Fawful grabs the foe by the head and smashes them forward. Surprising such a little bean can do that, right? Anyway, this is a good move to get your foe away, start combos and other things.
  • Damage: 7%
• Back Throw: Basically the above but backwards. Very few different properties.
  • Damage: 7%
• Up Throw: Fawful throws the foe up and and orders a four Fawfloppers to jump up and attack the foe. Does great damage if they all hit, but that's... no guarantee. At all.
  • Damage: 16%
• Down Throw: Fawful puts the foe on the ground and grinds on them with his pedestal. Does decent damage and can be used to tech chase, making it vital for Fawful's mix-ups.
  • Damage: 9%
• Air Throw: Fawful sticks a Bob-omb in the foe's mouth and makes it explode. Great knockback, but very little range like Fawful's normal grab.
  • Damage: 11%

Special and Super Moves

Standard Special Move: Star Bullet

Fawful spins his gun around and launches a blast of pink, star-shaped darkness energy from it. You can angle the shot with the Control Stick and hold down the Special button to delay the shot.

Big hitbox on this projectile, and the recover is pretty good. Travels full screen distance of Final Destination. Being able to angle it is nice, too.

This attack does 6%. If blocked, it deals 1% chip.

Side Special Move: Minion Attack

Fawful poses with his right arm pointing out. A small portal pops up, and what comes out of it depends on the button you press. Take major note of the fact you can't summon stuff in the air. You can summon a minion every 9 seconds.

Pressing Attack gets you a Fawflopper who... jumps. Yeah. Decent anti-air from a distance. Deals 6%.

Pressing Special again gets you a Magifoofa. It winds up and then launches a projectile that looks like a huge triangle, square, and circle clumped together. Good damage if it hits. Deals 8%, 1% chip.

Pressing Jump gets you a Mechawful. It appears, and then jumps into the air and crashes into the ground with a punching attack. Does good damage and knockback but requires proper set-up to get it to hit consistently. Deals 12% and 3% chip.

Pressing Shield gets you a Fawful Guy. Once it comes on screen, a... thing sticks it's tongue out from somewhere and grabs it, throwing it. It'll land at about 3/4th's Final Destination distance, and does good knockback. Deals 7% and 1% chip.

Pressing Taunt or nothing will get you a Crawful. It appears, and then dives into the ground and starts biting Pac-Man style. Does A LOT of chip damage, but only decent if it actually hits. Does 6 hits, each one doing 9%, but it's rare you can actually get to combo them into each other. Each hit does 1% chip.

Basically these are all tools to stop your foe from getting in. They do that fairly well, though.

Up Special Move: Flying

Fawful gets his pedestal in fly mode. Yeah.

This is more like Fly Mode from the Marvel vs. Capcom games than R.O.B.'s Up B though. During this time, your air speed is much faster, but you can't air dodge or use your Final Smashes. Makes for a fantastic recovery move due to how much distance you can cover, though. Lasts for about 4 seconds, but needs to recharge like R.O.B.'s Up B.

Down Special Move: Midbus Call

Fawful yells "Come, Midbus!" and Midbus appears from the background. When Midbus is here, Fawful can not jump. You can do the various commands below to have Midbus do an action and you can regain your jumping ability. Midbus can be summoned once every 13 seconds, but his assists generally hit harder than your Side Special Minions.

Pressing Down + Special again will get Midbus to spin around in a typhoon-esque fashion for 2 seconds. Range is awful, but priority is good and is an ok anti-air. Also combos after landing a tech / knockdown. This does 10 hits for 1% each, and then a 4% hit. Does 1% in chip for every two hits and the final hit also does 1% chip.

Pressing Down + Special + Jump will get Midbus to roll into a ball, and from there...

• Do nothing or press what would get you your side taunt to get him to roll sideways, half of Final Destination distance, for 13% and 2% chip. Good in combos.
• Press what would get you your up taunt to get him to rise in the air, travel a little horizontal distance and then body slam for big knockback and damage. Does 15% and 3% chip. Ok-ish punisher, I guess.
• Press what would get you your down taunt to get him to rise in the air and do a homing attack. Be warned as it's not that accurate. Does 12% and 2% chip.

Pressing Down + Special + Shield will get Midbus to do a rushing uppercut, which works decently as an anti-air and to start juggles with. Does 13% and 2% chip.

Pressing Down + Special + Attack activates Blizzard Midbus. Requires Clash Attack Meter to do. See below.

Midbus will stand in place for about 5 seconds and automatically goes back into the background if you don't tell him to do something in those 5 seconds. However, he'll leave some food (a chocolate sprinkled donut, cake, or a chicken leg) behind if he wasn't damaged in those 5 seconds. Donuts recover 2%, cake 4%, and chicken 6%. Appearance rate is about 8-3-1 for donuts/cake/chicken.

Clash Attack: Blizzard Midbus Call

• Consumes 2 levels of Fawful's Clash Attack Meter. Take note of how it's 2 levels, not 1 like just about every other CA.
• Done with Down + Special + Attack when you have Midbus out.

Fawful fires a beam of ice energy at Midbus, turning him into Blizzard Midbus for 20 seconds. After those 20 seconds are up, you can't use this again for 7 seconds. Blizzard Midbus can be summoned every 5 seconds during those 20 seconds and has different attacks, though. Note that if Blizzard Midbus gets hit by fire, the time is lowers by 3 seconds.

After activating this, Blizzard Midbus is still on-screen so you can use one of his attacks right ahead. His move list is:

Pressing Down + Special will get you a powered up version of his Down + Special + Jump -> Up Taunt body slam attack that deals 17% and freezes for 4 frames on hit, allowing you to rack up further damage.

Pressing Down + Special + Attack will get Blizzard Midbus to fire 6 snowballs at horizontal 0, 20, 45, 60, 75 and 90 degree angles. Each snowball does 6% and no chip damage.

Pressing Down + Special + Shield will get a BIG snowball to fall from the sky that rolls along the ground for 6 seconds, exploding at that point. Explosion deals 20% and is unblockable, although the hitbox for it isn't very big. It also causes 37 pieces of snow to fly across the screen the deal small stun, but no damage.

Pressing Down + Special + Jump will get you a dashing punch that goes further than your uppercut from regular Midbus and deals more damage, also has higher priority. Deals 15% with 3% chip.

Overall it's a pretty decent use of levels, although you may want to use it for other things. (namely, Clash Bursts)

Final Smash 1: Dark Star Nightmare

• Requires at least half his Super Smash Meter to be filled.
• Done with Down, Down Forward, Forward + Special + Attack.

Fawful causes the weather to become stormy, and a few rain drops of darkness fall from the sky. If any of them hit foes are trapped inside bubbles and cannot escape the final part of the move. After it stops raining, it becomes windy, thunders and Fawful disappears. Then Dark Bowser comes onto the stage and starts charging a blast of dark fire that covers almost all of the stage. This takes about 4 seconds, but if Dark Bowser is hit during this he'll stop the move and Fawful crashes back onto the stage and takes 9% damage.

A beautiful looking and fairly effective move. It's powerful and can be good for catching someone high in the air. (like Sonic after a missed Spring Jump combo) The raindrops have very high priority (although a few attacks can break them) and the chip damage on the fire is very good, although you aren't going to actually get it to chip often due to being able to be stopped.

Still, not bad.

This attack does 66-93%, depending on how much the Super Smash Meter was charged. It can do 17-24% in chip.

Final Smash 2: Dark Star Explosion

• Requires at least half his Super Smash Meter to be filled.
• Done with Down, Down Back, Back + Special + Attack.

Fawful summons two Dark Fawful Guys who go off to fetch "The Weapon of Fury". During this time, the arena slowly darkens. When the arena is completely pitch black, the Dark Fawful Guys drop a bomb with a Dark Star design on it with a massive blast radius that has the Dodge Break property, although it can be blocked. The process takes about 10 seconds.

There's a catch, though. If Fawful takes any non-chip damage during this, this move finishes without the bomb. It's very risky, but oh so worth it considering what the payoff is.

There's another catch, though. If Fawful gets grabbed or hit by any other unblockable/undodgeable move, the arena still darkens and the bomb still goes off. Makes it a lot easier to land against some characters.

A decent Final Smash. Both are situational, though. Pick what you like.

This attack does 93-130%, depending on how much the Super Smash Meter was filled. It can do 29-40% in chip.

Competitive Tactics and Advice

Combos

Fawful is NOT a combo character, although there are a few small chains that come in handy.

Basic

• 1. Down Strong, cancel into Star Bullet
  • Damage: 11%
  • Notes: Anytime you connect with a Down Strong gun shot, you can cancel into Star Bullet for slightly more damage. It's not much, but it is something!
• 2. Up Strong Attack (anti-air), jump and follow up with Neutral Aerial, Forward Aerial, Up Aerial (2 hits), Back Aerial (Flying Screen)
  • Damage: 51%
  • Notes: Fawful's Nair starts slow; press Attack as soon as possible. Aside from that pretty straightforward air combo. One of Fawful's few high damage combos that you'll really want to land.