Smash 4 Shulk Revised Wishlist/Changelist:

Shulk Revised Wishlist/Changelist:

The objective of this list is to try to mitigate some of Shulk's key shortcomings to allow him to perform really well at high level.  Key weaknesses will still remain, however the changes will expand his repertoire of useful options, allowing him to be more unpredictable in both his neutral and punish game.  For reference to Shulk's frame data currently, see here: http://www.kuroganehammer.com/Smash4/Shulk

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Jab 1 - Startup reduced from 5 to 3.  FAF from 26 to 24.  Hitboxes lowered slightly and made a very tiny bit larger.
Shulk's jab currently deals good damage but it's pretty unsafe and more importantly it's too slow for a non disjointed jab.  Frame 3 puts it in line with other jabs of its type and the lowered hitbox prevents it from whiffing vs smaller/lowered opponents.

Jab 2 - Startup reduced from 5 to 4.  FAF from 34 to 30.  WBKB lowered from 52 to 42.
This is again to help make this move slightly safer.  The WBKB reduction is to allow this move to link more reliably into Jab 3 vs floatier characters.

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Dash Attack - Startup reduced from 15 to 10.  Angled lowered from 60 to 30.
Currently this move stands as one of Shulk's worst moves.  High risk, 3rd slowest startup in the game, mediocre reward for how much of a commitment it is.  Reduced startup allows it to function better as a long range punish and the lowered angle grants Shulk more stage control upon successfully landing it.

UTilt - Startup reduced from 11 to 9.  FAF from 40 to 36.
Reduced startup allows it to serve as an even better anti air and anti pressure option on reaction.  Reduced endlag makes it a little more rewarding on hit, giving Shulk stronger mix-ups after confirm.

DTilt - Startup reduced from 10 to 7.  FAF from 34 to 31.
Shulk currently lacks a fast ground poke which other sword character have.  Reducing the startup of DTilt massively improves his ability to zone at ground level and grants him safer air to ground pressure options.

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FSmash - Hit 1 changed to be unclankable.  Hitboxes extended closer to the hilt.  Angles adjusted of hit 1 of FSmash Down from 78/10/40 to 68/10/30.  KGB increased on FSmash and FSmash Down from 115 to 125 to match FSmash Up.  FAF from 68 to 60.
Shulk's FSmash currently clanks with moves it really shouldn't due to the nature of its hitboxes.  Charged FSmash first hit clanks with weak projectiles and jabs.  Making it unclankable forces clank on these moves for the opponent without Shulk clanking himself.  Hitboxes being closer to the hilt prevent it from blind spotting point blank.  The other changes are for consistency.  FAF reduction allows the move to be safer on block when properly spaced.

USmash - Hit 1 changed to be unclankable.
Same reasons as mentioned above.  This move is great otherwise.

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NAir - Startup reduced from 13 to 9.  FAF from 71 to 66.  Autocancel from >80 to >60.
Startup reduction allows NAir to serve as a better anti pressure and out of shield option.  It's already a central move to Shulk's neutral game so change it too drastically may make it too good.  Autocancel window reduced to still be late but no longer absurd.

FAir - Startup reduced from 14 to 10.  FAF from 45 to 47.  Damage increased from 7.5/6 to 9/8.  KBG reduced from 100 to 96.  Autocancel from >57 to >45.
Again allows for it to be a stronger anti pressure option.  Increased damage allows it to be more rewarding on hit and a stronger zoning option on shield when spaced.  Increased endlag means it's a requires a little more commitment to use in the air.  Autocancel window reduction allows it to autocancel on short hop in Monado Jump.

BAir - Autocancel from >79 to >52
Allows full hop BAir to autocancel.  Currently Shulk still suffers landing lag even after having put the Monado back on his back which quite frankly is unacceptable and unpolished.

UAir - Startup reduced from 14 to 10.  Second hit from 24-25 to 17-18.  Beam sourspot damage increased from 7.5 to 9.  Lingering hitbox from frame 19 to 24 added (6%, angle 88, 35 BKB/100 KBG).  KBG on second hit reduced from 100 to 90.  Autocancel from >79 to >48
Many improvements for this move.  Reduced startup allows this to serve as a better anti air and the lingering hitbox allows it to serve as a more effective frame trapping tool.  Initial hit beam hitbox buffed to give the attack greater consistency overall.  Autocancel window again adjusted to allow for the move to autocancel on full hop.  KBG reduced to make it a less potent kill move considering its vast improvements.

DAir - Startup reduced from 14 to 10.  First hit aerial hitbox removed, ground hitbox made to also hit aerial opponents.  Second hit from 23-24 to 18-19.  Lingering hitbox from 20-25 added (6%, angle 85, 20 BKB/100 KBG).  11% hitboxes on second hit BKB increased from 10 to 20.  Autocancel from >78 to >57.
Similar to UAir, serves as a better frame trapping tool and a more effective offstage option.  Removal of the aerial hitbox on first hit means first hit will always consistently do 7%.  Increased BKB on 11% hitboxes means it has greater potency at lower percents.  Autocancel window reduction allows to move to autocancel from rising full hop, giving the move greater potency as an onstage tool to cross-up opponents' shield.

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Monado Shield/Decisive Monado Shield - Damage reduction reduced from -30% to -25%.
Makes Monado Shield more threatening offensively and defensively.  Attacks are slightly safer on shield and more rewarding on hit, allowing Shulk to more easily shift momentum of the game in his favour while opting for this art.

Monado Smash/Decisive Monado Smash - Knockback increase for default increased to match current Decisive.  Decisive knockback increase increased to a middle ground between its current increase and Hyper Monado Smash.
Monado Smash currently is the least useful art unless you're opting for Hyper Arts.  It's no where near rewarding enough for how many cons it offers.  For instance currently fully charged Smash FSmash kills a fair later than most of the hardest hitting FSmashes in the game yet is just as heavy a commitment due how unsafe on block all of Shulk's moves become.  Consequently this helps to balance out the risk/reward ratio of this art a little better by making his attacks more potent killers.

Back Slash - Damage increased from 10/9/16/14 to 14/14/25/25.  KBG reduced from 100 to 96.
For how heavy a commitment this move is it's painfully unrewarding.  A damage buff in this way allows it to be a more worthwhile long range punish option vs zoning characters as well as a much more rewarding hit off of a hard read.  In Xenoblade Chronicles Back Slash is one of Shulk's most potent arts and as a result it should better reflect that ingame, now become his most powerful kill option.  Similar adjustments would also apply to his custom Back Slashes.

Air Slash - Hit 2 damage increased from 5.5 to 7.  BKB increased from 35 to 45.  KBG reduced from 170 to 150.
Damage and BKB increases designed to make this move a more rewarding combo ender particularly at lower percents (currently it can be unsafe on hit).  KBG reduction to compensate for increased damage and BKB though the move should still kill at similar percents.  Similar adjustments would also apply to his custom Air Slashes.

Vision - Attack now fully intangible until hitbox appears.  Horizontal momentum adjusted on aerial Vision to allow for greater consistency.  KBG reduced from 84 to 70.  KBG of Forward Vision reduced from 94 to 80.
Currently this counter is too rewarding on hit, but it's also frustratingly unreliable.  These changes serve to round it out overall, making it a more consistent yet less powerful move overall.  Similar adjustments would also apply to his custom Visions.