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Steve

*Note: Most of Steve's frame advantage and data changes with what material he is currently using. Sometimes, all of his material will change it, whereas others will only change depending on whether he has Gold or not. Punch will be this color, Wood will be this color, Stone will be this color, Iron will be this color, Gold will be this color, and Diamond will be this color. In the case that only Punch or Gold changes it, the rest will be standard.

Jab/FTilt/NAir (-10/-9):
NAir (Frame 7)

UTilt (-4/-3/-3/-2/-1/-1):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield)

DTilt (+5):
Unpunishable
(Super safe on shield)

Dash Attack (-15/-13/-12/-12/-10/-10):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

FSmash (-22/-20/-19/-18/-15/-17):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
Grab (Frame 16)
(Grab will not work against Gold when the move is fresh)

USmash (-11):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

DSmash (-34/-16):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
Grab (Frame 16)

Normal FAir (-8/-7/-7/-7/-7/-6):
NAir (Frame 7)
(Can be spaced out)

Normal BAir (-8/-7/-7/-6/-7/-6):
NAir (Frame 7)
(Can be spaced out)

UAir (-4/-3/-3/-2/-1/-1):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield)

DAir (-14):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

Mine/Craft/Place Block (--):
--

Minecart (--):
Command Grab

Elytra (--):
--

TNT (--):
Unpunishable
(Projectile usage)

• Neutral Moves: Jab, Tilts, Aerials, Sword Aerials, Minecart, Blocks.

• Kill Moves: Smash Attacks, Minecart, BAir, FAir, TNT, Block Spike.

• Kill Confirms: UAir ladders > USmash, Jab Strings > FSmash.

• Mining is the win condition Steve works towards. Mining gives Steve resources to use the strong points of his arsenal, such as Minecart and Diamond Tools.

• Steve doesn’t play footsies traditionally. His attributes don’t lend to that, as he’s a slow character with low jumps. Instead, Steve uses Blocks to buy time to Mine, and then overwhelms the opponent up close/punishing approaches.

• Because Steve doesn’t play footsies traditionally, avoid using dashback Fire Arrow. Steve can punish it, and it’s often unrewarding.

• Blocks allow Steve to obstruct the stage with walls, stall in the air, mix up landings, and imply threats. With Blocks, Steve can create ground below him at any time, meaning Steve’s ground game is not limited to the ground.

• If Blocks are not anchored to the ground by other blocks (one unit off the ground), opponents can run through them.

• Minecart is Steve’s main burst option. It has a strong, high killpower hit at the beginning of the move, and traps the opponent in the Minecart while it’s moving. Minecart is a burst of speed in Steve’s slow movement gameplay. This is his strongest whiff punish/projectile read in close quarters combat. With powered rails, Minecart is even faster. Minecart is an option that demands anticipation.

• Minecart is used: From ledge, out of hitstun, at full hop or short hop height as a punish on projectiles, landing option, corner burst option, and landing off of platforms.

• Steve will use his aerials to catch jumps over minecart. Other counterplay options include full hopping backwards, fullhop back b-reverse arrow/bomb pull, roll through the minecart, angle boomerang on reaction to minecart, or hit the minecart with DAir/NAir.

• Visualize Minecart’s range and keep it in mind at ALL times.

• Z-Dropped Bomb stops Minecart, and Grab can outrange Minecart, Grabbing Steve from it and stopping the attack.

• Steve isn’t going to play for Diamond Tools 100% of the time. Steve’s close quarters combat capabilities are still potent, considering how he outranges Young Link. He doesn’t have the speed to capitalize on it entirely.

• Playing footsies vs Steve revolves around his Jab/FTilt/NAir (all the same move), his Pickaxe attacks (FAir, BAir, DA), and burst options (Elytra, Minecart).

• Steve’s FAir and BAir set up for tech chases at low-mid %s.

• Steve’s Dash Attack is used as a disjointed burst option.

• Boomerang’s use in neutral is limited. Not only does it do no damage to blocks, Steve can clank it reliably, and can punish Boomerang with Minecart.

• Keep an eye on how much Iron Steve has specifically. Iron is needed for Minecart, Iron Tools, and Anvil. This signals when Steve can’t use these options.

• When Steve respawns from the Angel Platform, he immediately wants to get to the Crafting Table to craft weapons. This can be countered by walking into Steve as he attempts to craft. Because of bodyblocking in this game, this will push Steve out of range of the crafting table. Steve can attack instead though, anticipate attacks to shield them.

• Elytra allows Steve to overshoot in neutral, low profiling projectiles and setting up into USmash/FSmash on hit advantage scenarios.

Common Block Setups & Counterplay:

• Grab and ZAir do not go through blocks.

• Hitting a Block with a move stales that move.

• NAir is the fastest normal to break blocks, and can hold a Bomb with ZAC NAir. FTilt breaks 2 blocks in front of Young Link while remaining grounded.

• You can dash under block formations that don’t have a grounded block. You only need to break the grounded block to get through, forcing Steve to stop Mining and respect you.

• Boomerang does little-to-no damage against blocks.

• Fire Arrow does damage blocks, and can hit multiple at once, but usually only hits one block.

• Bomb does around the same damage as Fire Arrow to blocks, and can hit multiple.

• If the Bomb is soft tossed, it will bounce off Blocks. It will explode on contact with Blocks when smash tossed.

Steve Setups/Gimmicks:

• Block + Anvil: Using an Anvil on top of a grounded block next to an opponent shielding will instantly break shields. It can be set up from Jab strings. Refer to resources for GimR’s video on this setup.

• BThrow > Block Spike: Steve can place a block offstage and Grab facing towards center stage. If the Grab connects, Steve can BThrow which causes a spike off the bottom of the block. This spike can be teched, but Steve can still follow-up with a FAir spike + follow-up edgeguard on the tech.

• Minecart Cancelling: If Steve places a block one unit off the ground, then when Steve uses Minecart on the ground, the block will cancel Steve’s jump out of the Minecart/momentum while sending the cart forward. This lets Steve act out of Minecart quicker.

• Cart Container: By placing two blocks in between a Minecart, Steve can trap the cart between them. The direction in which the cart travels is the direction Steve buffered the move in/whichever way the Minecart is facing. This can be stopped passively by Z-Dropping a Bomb in the Minecart’s path of travel.

• Anvil Mining: By placing blocks offstage and an Anvil on top of it. Steve can mine offstage on the Anvil for a few seconds.

Boxing

(How do I escape this situation?):

• Steve’s BAir, FAir, and Dash Attack are all disjointed, and since Steve can set the spacing with stage control, there won’t be much room to move around these attacks.

• Understand what the Steve player is looking to intercept. Landing lag, jumps, aerials, certain approaches, etc. What does their movement suggest?

• SDI away from Jab/UTilt to minimize followups.

• Pick Loops (FAir > Jab Loops) that start with DThrow are untrue on YL with SDi + DI out.

Platform Pressure

(What tools do they have? How can we escape this pressure?)

• Steve can attack platforms from below with UTilt, UAir, and USmash; and from the sides with FAir, BAir, NAir, and Minecart.

• Steve can’t chase down opponents due to his low speed. Escaping horizontally from Steve is a good option, though he can cover it on a hard read.

Landing

(How do they cover it? What are my best options?):

• Steve’s USmash places a Magma Block hitbox above him. If shielded, wait until the move ends to punish. His USmash hits platforms.

• Steve’s UAir/UTilt are the same moves in function. Both set up for similar combo potential and are quick, as Steve can do 4 UAirs in one full hop.

• Minecart is Steve’s go-to option for catching landings from afar, especially with powered rails. If he forces a jump, Steve can anti-air with FAir.

• Landing away from Steve is still preferable due to his low attributes, but he can anti-air with kill moves from afar and up close. If you land on top of Steve, he can anti-air with UTilt or USmash.

• Since Blocks are only placed below Steve, he can’t consistently place them above to wall out landings, though he can make it harder to land by placing them around platforms.

Offstage

(How Do I Escape This Position And What Do I Look Out For?):

• When recovering to the ledge, Steve may try to drop Anvil near the edge to edgeguard. There are several ways to avoid this: drift out, double jump, tether cancel, or use the swing from tether to move past it.

• Steve can drop a lingering hitbox near ledge with his DTilt. Use the swing of tether recovery to avoid the hit.

• Blocks allow Steve to stuff out recoveries and extend the range of his grounded options. For example, Steve can place blocks offstage to extend his reach off jumps, or DSmash, which covers the area around the blocks.

• Blocks can wall out some recoveries, but GSA consistently cuts through them.

Ledge:

• Blocks near the ledge instantly break when the opponent uses a ledge option and blocks are in the way.

• Because Young Link’s airdodge is Frame 2, he can avoid an Anvil placed on top of a block at ledge with ledge jump airdodge by a single frame.

• Steve can use TNT and Pressure Plates to setup ledgetraps. By stepping on a pressure plate, the TNT will explode.

• Although there is a friendly-fire hitbox, it’s only horizontal, as the hitbox for TNT is both vertical and horizontal.

• Refer to the video in resources for TNT ledgetraps, but as for counterplay, Bombs and Fire Arrow can be used to break blocks and displace/explode TNT when recovering.

• Steve can anti-air ledge jumps reliably with BAir.

Juggling/Boxing:

• Steve can land with his DAir, (Anvil) which costs 1 Iron. He can choose to get off of the move, or land with it. Anvil has high killpower.

• Because blocks can be placed mid-air, this allows Steve to recover his double jump and airdodge, since he can land on a Block at any time.

• Steve will stall and mix up his landing with blocks. Do not over commit, and avoid Anvil initially. When Steve is above with blocks, focus on positional pressure.

• Steve’s attributes and tools don’t allow him to mix up landings horizontally without blocks and Elytra. Avoid trapping landings with projectiles, and focus on implied threats with position.

• Use Boomerang to cover jumps and landings from the corner.

• Steve often builds block walls in the corner for safety when Mining in neutral. This limits counterplay to two methods: jump over the wall, or break the wall. Steve can anticipate and punish either of these.

• Minecart from the corner is skewed RPS. Steve wants the opponent to jump over the Minecart to win air-to-air situations with FAir/BAir. Minecart is often used as a read to punish a projectile or dashback.

• As a rule of thumb, keep a Bomb in hand when corner pressuring Steve. This allows for z-drop Bomb to block minecart from the corner.

• Space from outside of the range of Steve’s normals using projectiles, bait and punish, and ZAir.

Offstage:

• Using Blocks and Minecart, Steve can forego grabbing ledge reliably if not sent offstage at a low angle.

• Avoid sending Steve at a high angle if the move likely won’t kill. Steve can use blocks to mix up his high recoveries. Remember to not challenge them horizontally in anticipation, but on reaction, since Steve’s attributes limit his horizontal landing potential.

• Since Steve can create ground below him at any time, he doesn’t HAVE to drift to ledge as early. This makes his recovery more unpredictable.

• Use Boomerang/full hop Fire Arrow to pressure Steve for Anvil Mining offstage.

• Similar to how Ike can mix up Quickdraw by landing onstage, Elytra is fast and low-profiling, meaning Steve can get away with landing onstage.

• Steve’s Minecart can also be used for the same purpose while landing with a hitbox.

• Have a Bomb in hand, if possible, to answer Minecart. If unable to close out the stock vs Steve, try to rack up damage and expend his materials. Smash throw Bomb can pressure offstage Block placement, along with Fire Arrows.

• Elytra doesn’t have a hitbox when used to recover after the initial Firework. Steve can glide and shift his hurtbox a lot during Elytra, mostly horizontally. Time a NAir to hit Steve on his way up, as he’s grabbing ledge.

• Steve can use Elytra, Minecart, SFAir, or FAir from a double jump off of the ledge.

• By landing on a block or anvil offstage, Steve resets his ledge intangibility. This allows Steve to stall below ledge and regrab ledge freely.

• Z-Drop Bomb can be planted at roll distance to cover double jump Minecart from ledge, and further back to cover ledge jump.

• Use stage control to ledgetrap Steve, and implied threats to force Steve out of Mining. Dip in and out of his disjointed range, as although Steve has better range, he can’t chase Young Link down.

• Steve can use Blocks, Elytra, and Mining to plank, or time out the opponent by hanging under the ledge and potentially switching between each ledge.

• Young Link can use Bombs to threaten Steve Mining/swapping ledges. Space the Bomb throw to avoid a direct hit from FAir/BAir/Minecart.

• Break the Crafting Table onstage if Steve is planking offstage. This will force Steve to land onstage, as Crafting Table will keep dropping into the blast zone, burning materials.

Ledge Info:

Ledge Coverage vs Steve, labbed by Sachit:

DTilt: Hits

DSmash: Hits

FTilt: Hits

Most Reliable Move: All

Animation Info: N/A

Note: Easy, aim for Steve’s head when spacing moves.

• Steve Kill Throws: UThrow, FThrow

• With no rage or DI, Steve UThrow kills at 157% on FD/SBF/YS/PS2/Lylat, and 165% on BF/Kalos.

• Normals and projectiles can trigger Pressure Plates. This is most effectively done with Bomb, Boomerang, and DTilt.

Information on Steve’s Kit (How Mining Works, How Blocks Work, Interactions, etc):

Crafting Table:

• Crafting Table has 36 HP.

• Breaking Crafting Table drains a little amount of Steve’s Resources. He can always spawn it back though, so it’s value in destroying it is little. Best when Steve is offstage.

• Crafting Table can be broken with normals and GSA.

• 2 DTilts and 1 FTilt is often the fastest way to break the Crafting Table.

• Table Dropping is a tech that allows Steve to bypass 4 frames of Shield Drop lag out of shield.

Sword FAir and Sword BAir (SFAir and SBair):

• Steve has 2 FAirs and 2 BAirs. His Rising (Short Hop Macro) FAir/BAir uses a sword (which is abbreviated to s, hence SFAir/SBAir). This does mean that they can only be done rising.

• The normal FAir and BAir use the Pickaxe.

Anvil Mechanics:

• When the Anvil is on a block, the hitbox is not active. As soon as the block breaks, the Anvil’s hitbox reactivates.

Block Data:

Dirt:

• Block by itself: 400 frames

• Standing on Block(on stage): 70 frames

• Block off-stage by itself: 120 frames

• Standing on Block (off stage): 35 frames

Wood:

• Block by itself: 600 frames

• Standing on Block (on stage): 95 frames

• Block off-stage by itself: 190 frames

• Standing on Block(off stage): 40 frames

Stone:

• Block by itself: 800 frames

• Standing on Block (on stage): 120 frames

• Block off-stage by itself: 240 frames

• Standing on Block (off stage): 50 frames

Iron:

• Block by itself: 1000 frames

• Standing on Block (on stage): 145 frames

• Block off-stage by itself: 275 frames

• Standing on Block (off stage): 55 frames

Minecart Interactions & Mechanics:

• After Frame 7, if Steve is not in the Minecart, it can Grab opponents and essentially bury the opponent while the Minecart is moving.

• If Steve exits the Minecart, he can re-enter it.

• The initial hit of the Minecart (Frames 1-6) are the strongest part of the attack.

• If Steve has Gold, he can use Powered Rails with Minecart. This increases the speed at which the Minecart travels.

• Minecart costs 1 Iron.

• Battlefield:
  Indifferent. Similar reasons as YS, though recovering is more of an issue. Between the two, YS is likely the better pick.

• Final Destination:
  Bad. Although Young Link can force Steve to stop Mining, getting off of the ledge is difficult with no platforms. The lack of landing space presents several problems as well.

• Smashville:
  Good. With the lessened space, Steve doesn’t have as much freedom in Mining, unless he has advantage. Be wary of Minecart and blocks taking up stage control.

• Town & City:
  Terrible. Same reasons as Kalos.

• Lylat Cruise:
  Great. The choice in layout is similar to Smashville. The issue for Steve on this stage is that it gives him too much Iron, and not enough of other materials, which ruins some setups due to blocks being too durable.

• Pokémon Stadium 2:
  Good. This stage allows Young Link to get off of the ledge easier, and trap Steve in the corner more reliably.

• Kalos Pokémon League:
  Terrible. It takes too much time to effectively punish Steve in the corner for Mining. Young Link wants to stuff out Mining, so smaller stages are preferable.

• Yoshi’s Story:
  Indifferent. Small stage size and platforms being higher up help in getting off of ledge, but Young Link has issues landing vs Steve here.

• Hivesteel’s Young Link vs Steve VODs Playlist: Steve vs Young Link

• (SteveCord Resources) Block Frame Data: Block Durability Frame Data

• (SteveCord Resources) UThrow Kill %s: Kill %

• MINECRAFT STEVE'S INSTANT SHIELD BREAKER by GimR’s Lab on YouTube

• (SteveCord Resources): Block Setup Guide

• (@xNaxdy on Twitter) Steve Block grid visualization on all legal stages: Naxdy's Tweet

• STEVE'S 300 IQ LEDGETRAP! by GimR’s Lab on YouTube

• Minecraft Steve's Block Ledge Trap Data Sheet (GimR)