Pokemon: Close Combat/Chesnaught

Archetypes:	Bruiser; Charge
Health:	43
Endurance:	16
Endurance Refresh:	5
Walk Speed:	2.4 / -2.1
Prejump Frames:	9f
Fastest Attack:	5A (8f)

Practice is patience.

Introduction

With Chespin on his shoulder, Chesnaught barrels through the opposition with brute strength in numbers. Chesnaught is a relatively straightforward character, playing best at midrange. Chesnaught has two kinds of moves to use in midrange; low-commitment and high-commitment, both with their own strengths and weaknesses. Low-commitment moves like 5A, 2A, and 4A have strong hitboxes and low recovery, and all can be buffered into specials to secure knockdowns and extra damage while remaining safe. High-commitment moves like 3A, 6A and 2B reach further and can open a defensive opponent up, but their long start-up and recovery can cause you to get stuffed out or punished. Chesnaught's moveset has ways to mitigate these risks however, predominantly in Bullet Seed.

Bullet Seed may very well be Chesnaught's character-defining function. Feeding your little buddy a berry with 5B allows Chesnaught to cancel into Bullet Speed (Spit) after a wide variety of normals and specials by hitting 5B again, leading to huge plus-frames on block and hit. This can remove the risk of being punished by cancelling around the recovery frames of the normals/specials entirely, and additionally the massive plus-frames created from the blocked 5B can enable you to use key mix-up tools like 2B without risk of being hit during their lengthy startup. Bullet Seed can also be used to create new optimal damage routes, enabling combos into sweep and cancels from 6B which lead to Chesnaught's most rewarding combos. On top of all these uses, Bullet Seed is by far the fastest projectile in the game once loaded, managing to surprise opponents from anywhere closer than fullscreen into potential combos/guard pressure. While it may seem like spamming Bullet Seed is a recipe for success, often the threat of just having it loaded is enough to change the pace of battle.

While Chesnaught does not build meter particularly well, his options to spend meter are top notch. Guard Berry (24B) is another way to mitigate the risk of his higher-commitment options, adding armor to the startup of 6A and 2B. This armor is not unapplied until the move actually armors through an opponent's challenge, giving you free reign to control neutral until said condition. On top of this effect, the berry will slightly heal you and refresh your guard health. Nothing in this world is more satisfying than winning via time out with some health from your Guard Berry. A potentially even stronger use of your meter is with Thorn Upper ([2]8B), a massive move where Chesnaught swings his arm upwards. This move requires charge to utilize but is fully invincible from frame 1, a combo-starter on counterhit, hard to punish, as well as one of Chesnaught's highest-damaging combo enders that leads to pressure on hit. Successfully hitting a Thorn Upper launches a thorn behind the opponent, forcing them to wake up into it and make a choice between taking more damage or letting you run a mixup on them.

Chesnaught's main drawback is his speed and pressure. Chesnaught is one of the slowest characters in the game, making it a struggle to get in on opponents who prefer to fight at a further range than you. Once Chesnaught gets in, his combo enders will often leave you a half-screen away, meaning you have to fight to get in again rather than staying in and gaining offensive momentum. If Chesnaught manages to close that distance again, his tools for opening up the opponent are generally reactable and offer him no way to continue offensive pressure without C-Cancels and pre-stocked 5Bs. All is not lost though of course, as team work can make the dream work. Chesnaught's 4A is maybe the best anti-air in the game, hitting behind his head thanks to Chespin and dealing massive damage when cancelled. Chespin's Bullet Seed (Spit) allows Chesnaught to deal some of the highest damage in the game meterlessly and with very little risk. Falling Fortress (j.B) allows Chesnaught to take risks in neutral that other characters cannot, punishing the opponent for checking his sluggish jumps and dashes with armor. Patient play, optimization, and effective risk assessment will be sure to land you in the Hall of Fame. Good luck, dynamic duo!!

Playstyle

Chesnaught is a walking tank with oppressive midrange, with berry buffs that can quickly change the pace of battle.

Pick if you like

Avoid if you dislike

Huge Normals: Attacks like 3A, 6A, and 2B cover ranges the opponent may have difficulty challenging from. Strong Antiair: 4A is lightning fast with a great hitbox above Chesnaught's head, which leads into great damage when cancelled into 2B/[4]6B. Bulky: Close to the highest health value, as well as the highest armor value which he can recharge with 24B, means that Chesnaught can take a lot of punishment.

Sluggish Movement: With a lumbering walkspeed, underwhelming forward dash, and larger amount of prejump frames compared to the rest of the cast, it can be difficult for Chesnaught to outmaneuver their opponent. Zoned Out: Aforementioned slow movement along with a rather chunky build and having a fireball you have to load (5B) means that Chesnaught can struggle in projectile heavy matchups.

Normals

5A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 2 1 Mid 4A, Special - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 8 5 20 -2 [0] - Total: 32 Chesnaught sticks out his fist for a far standing jab. Chesnaught's fastest button for challenging Chesnaught's strongest combo starter Solid stop-sign in neutral, can be buffered into 6B for knockdown
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4A you go little man

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3/1 2 Mid Special Upper Body - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 10 14 21 +2 [-3] - Total: 44 Chespin joins Chesnaught in delivering a quick uppercut. Ideal blockstring filler for guard damage Incredible answer to jumps with quick startup, great hitbox, and lots of active frames Can cancel into 2B or [4]6B on air-hit for a combo into knockdown

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6A

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 5 2 Mid C Cancel - Knockdown (Air Hit) Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 28 6 31 +14 [-5] - Total: 64 Chesnaught delivers a forward-advancing backhand. Chesnaught's furthest button, strong for keeping the opponent at bay and checking dashes Combos into 5A, 2A, and 4A. Combos into itself on counterhit. Has armor after consuming a Guard Berry. Removed after absorbing a move.

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2A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 1 0 Low Special - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 9 7 11 +9 [0] - Total: 26 Chesnaught sticks out his leg for a low-hitting kick. Ideal blockstring filler for checking the opponent low Strong for checking opponent's who are holding back/upback, and beating out upper body invulnerability Can be confirmed into itself on hit, once
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3A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 2 1 Low 5B (On Whiff Only), 426B - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 16 7 36 +45 [-25] - Total: 58 Chesnaught swipes at the ground for a low-hitting sweep. Far-reaching normal that builds a bar on hit Can be cancelled into 5B on whiff, potentially punishing the opponent for attempting to challenge
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j5A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 4 0 High - - Knockdown (Air Hit) Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 18 10 7 +27 [+18] - Total: 34 Chesnaught delivers a jump-in hook. Advantage assumes done at lowest possible height High damage combo starter, easily linking into 5A Has a generous cross-up box for pressure
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j8A	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 0 High - - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 9 20 7 +16 [+11] - Total: 35 Chesnaught delivers a jumping kick (with help from Chespin)! Advantage assumes done at lowest possible height Go-to air-to-air for checking approaches Allows for juggles in ideal situations when succeeding as an air-to-air
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Specials

Bullet Seed (Eat) 5B	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property - - - - - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 45 - 36 - - Total: 80 Chesnaught feeds Chespin a berry. Loads a follow-up attack on the next 5B press Safe when cancelled off of juggled 6A, on hit Also safe after landing 6B.

Bullet Seed (Spit) 5B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 1 Mid C Cancel - Projectile Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 9 - 34 +15 [+13] - Total: 57 Chespin spits out seeds. Allows for gapless pressure off of any normal, while easily confirming off any hit cancelled into it Also allows for significant extensions when cancelled from 6B Clashes with other projectiles making it weak in fireball wars, but functions as a decent zoning option Despite being a projectile, moves that are projectile immune (ex. Bewear 2B) will lose to this Additional hits can whiff on shorter hurtboxes (Falinks, crouching Toxicroak, etc.)

Thorn Hammer 2B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 6 4 High C Cancel - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 42 14 39 +6 [-14] - Total: 94 Chesnaught delivers an overhead slam with their forearm. Strong pressure tool, forces the opponent to stand-block and does tons of guard damage Drops a thorn on block that deals one damage when stepped on Goes decently far, can surprise opponents at midrange Has armor after consuming a Guard Berry. Removed after absorbing a move.

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Concussion Rush 6B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3, 2, 1 0, 0, 1 Mid (Second Hit Only) 5B [Spit], (Third Hit Only) C Cancel Projectile Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 11, 6, 9 5, 5, 16 20 29,44,-20 [-16] - Total: 71 Chesnaught charges forward with his shield. Go-to meterless combo ender, decent screen carry Connects for more hits the closer the opponent is when the move starts Great hitbox makes it a pseudo-reversal at midrange, beating out other buttons on prediction

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Falling Fortress jB	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property - - - - - Armor Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 10 ∞ 25 - - Total: 34 Chesnaught throws out their shield mid-air. Functions as a parry, allowing Chesnaught to quickly act upon successfully reading the opponent Can be performed during forward and back dash Refreshes Chesnaught's endurance on successful parry

Air Shield Smash jBB	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 5 - - - - Armor, Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 17 8 10 +70 1 Total: 34 Chesnaught slams their shield for a counterattack. Can only be performed after parrying an attack with Falling Fortress
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Hyper Moves

Shield Smash [4]6B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 1, 1, 1, 6 1, 1, 1, 1 Mid - Projectile Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 15, 6, 6, 16 5, 5, 5, 6 27 +86 [-8] 1 Total: 90 Chesnaught charges forward with his shield and uppercuts the opponent. Chesnaught travels nearly fullscreen, great option when reacting to projectiles Allows enough time to juggle after this move hits at most heights when the final hit connects late, mainly into 6A or 5B Scaling kicks in enough here to reduce the damage of the last hit to 5, so raw Shield Smash is effectively an 8 damage move, not a 9 damage one.

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Thorn Upper [2]8B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 8 2 Mid C Cancel Full Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 21 5 38 +76 [-11] 1 Total: 63 Chesnaught swings his arm in an uppercut, launching a thorn. Chesnaught's most reliable reversal, but requires charge Drops a thorn on block and on hit that deals one damage when stepped on Strong combo ender, as the opponent will end up waking on top of the thorn giving you relatively strong oki Allows for a juggled combo on counterhit

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Guard Berry 24B

Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property - - - - - - Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 37 - 40 - 1 Total: 76 Chesnaught exercises self-care via berry. Heals 3 HP, refreshes endurance, and adds armor to 6A & 2B (2 & 4 hits, respectively) Armor is not removed until those attacks actually absorb a move, allowing you to swing with reckless abandon Removes poisoned status, key tool against Toxicroak

Super

Spike Cannon 426B	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 16 - Mid - - Projectile Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 43 [-15 Super Freeze] 20 89 KDN [-60] 2 Total: 161 Chesnaught launches a huge spike from his back. Huge damage, primarily used after antiairs and guard breaks Can combo from 5B [Spit] in juggle situations (like when cancelled from 6B)
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Throws

Forward Throw 6C	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 - Unblockable - - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 8 2 41 - - Total: 50 Chesnaught headbutts the opponent. Allows enough time to load 5B or attempt to meaty with 6A

Back Throw 4C	Damage Endurance Damage Guard Cancel Invul Property 3 - Unblockable - - Knockdown Startup Active Recovery Advantage Cost 8 2 41 - - Total: 50 Chesnaught grabs the opponent and lobs them behind him. Allows enough time to load 5B or attempt to meaty with 6A.

Combos

(j.A) 5A 2A xx 6B/[2]8B

2A 5A 2A xx 6B/[2]8B

5A 4A xx 2B

[4]6B 6B

[Anti-Air Only] 4B xx 2B/[4]6B/426b

[5b Stocked] 6A 5B microwalk 5A 6B

[5b Stocked] (j.A) 5A 2A xx 6B xx 5B 6A (xx 5B restock)

[5b Stocked, Spaced] 5A/2A/6A xx 5B 3A (6B/[2]4B/426B)

[5b Stocked, Spaced] 5B 6A xx 6B

[CH] 5A/2A/4A 3A

[CH] 6A xx 2B

[CH] 5A/2A 5A xx 6B

[CH] [2]8B 6A

Colors

A

B

C

D

E