Background

In 2020-21, I tried a bunch of different ways to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, using custom stages and rules. This particular ruleset is the one I’ve come back to the most.

The idea was simple: cram as many characters as possible onto a tiny stage, then eliminate as many as you can.

I quickly realized:

• Instead of just 1 player against 7 CPUs, you could go up against 14 Ice Climbers (technically in pairs).
• Home Run Bats are really satisfying when taking out a dozen IC’s in one swing.

Smash Bros meets Statistics

As an excuse to brush up my Excel skills^[1], I began recording my best time and number of KOs:

---

1. Or an excuse to play Smash Bros.
   That said, I did just learn about Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics in a Philosophy class, so perhaps the theme of practicing / perfecting virtues rubbed off, abstractly inspiring me to hone my Smash Bros. skills. (Is recreation a virtue?) ↩︎

In theory, a perfect run would approach 35 (out of 35 KOs), and a few dozen seconds. In practice, 28 KOs or more is excellent, even if it’s only “80%” efficient.

I haven’t attempted every character on the roster. I’ve had the best success with Ganondorf and Ike. Both have versatile movesets which feature:

• Large, sweeping attacks
• Moves with high knockback
• At least one hard hitting attack with superarmor

When fighting 14 Ice Climbers, the concept of “Stage Control” is still valid, but is very different from a standard 1v1 match. In real life, large crowds are often simulated using fluid dynamics. This feels like a partial equivalent in Smash Bros.

Tips and strategy

If you give this challenge a go, I’d love to hear how it went!

I’ve noticed a few general strategies that seem to hold true:

• The Home Run Bat cannot be ignored. This is the only reliable way for instant KOs on 0% damage.
  • It’s easiest to pick them up with a tilt or dash attack.
• Swing carefully. Certain moves can interrupt your swing (like IC’s side-B and down-B).
• Moves with superarmor can absorb many hits. This is your best chance at eliminating a large crowd.
  • Invincibility upon respawn has the same effect. Charge up a powerful move (or grab / use a bat), while you have the chance.
• Keep a good rhythm. It’s optimal to KO opponents that just respawned, then home-run them again. Rinse and repeat.
• When you rack up too much damage you’ll lose a lot of time getting knocked around. (At some point it’s quicker to SD and start fresh).
• Eliminate opponents evenly if possible. It’s a nuisance when only one IC is left, but has two or more stocks.
• Starting on the falling triangles (see the stage layout) is not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve had successful matches that start with an SD, allowing a quick respawn with invincibility.

Enjoy!