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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s DLC Fighters are an interesting mix. There are those that many have requested, and those that some people aren’t even familiar with. But there’s a character that, more or less, fits right in the middle. Those would be the two-in-one Blade fromXenoblade Chronicles 2, Pyra and Mythra.
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Bringing back how Zelda and Sheik used to function in earlier Smash titles (and how Pokémon Trainer currently works), Pyra and Mythra can switch between each other mid-battle. This makes it so you’re essentially fighting two different characters; however, unlike how Zelda and Sheik were, both Pyra and Mythra are very good individually. Here’s what they’re made of and how you can exploit their weaknesses.
Pyra & Mythra’s Strengths
Pyra and Mythra’s biggest strength, thanks to their Down-B, is theiradaptability. The difference in their attack properties, physical characteristics, and special moves mean that they can switch in and out of whatever situation suits them. This also means that their overall strengths and weaknesses are difficult to pinpoint as a single character, since one’s weakness can be made up for by the other.
A strength that they both share is how theycan rack up damage quickly on their opponents. For Pyra, this is due to her high damage output and the range of her attacks. Mythra, on the other hand, racks up damage with great combos and speedy attacks. She’ll often be the one to take advantage of this, while Pyra’s moves will be reserved for killing and juggling opponents in disadvantage.
Mythra’s Foresight
Mythra’s unique ability is herForesight. It’s a mechanic thatallows her to dodge an opponent’s attack while maneuvering, lowering the damage she receives as well. This will alsocause the opponent to slow down momentarily(similarly toBayonetta’s Bat Within or Witch Time), allowing Mythra to follow up with an attack. There are even some cases where she’ll have enough time to switch to Pyra and punish with an even more powerful attack.
Pyra’s Sword Spin
Pyra’s unique trait lies in herSide-B.This special has Pyra toss her sword and have it spin directly in front of her. When she throws out her sword for an attack,she’s able to move around and dodge freelywhile the sword is spinning. While this renders her unable to attack, it means that she can potentially avoid punishment from the laggy move. Pyra can even get combos or tech chase scenarios off of it, should the move land and she properly footstools them right after.
Pyra and Mythra’s Weaknesses
Both Pyra and Mythra’s weakness is theirexploitable recovery. If they find themselves offstage, they have very limited means of making it back safely. While Pyra has her Side-B that she can throw out, it renders her unable to use her Up-B, so she needs to resort to airdodging or using her jump. Her Up-B is also very linear and bad at snapping to the ledge thanks to how quickly she rises and falls with it. Mythra’s recovery is a bit better, with her Side-B giving her mobility as well as large hit boxes. That being said, it’s just as easy to exploit as Pyra’s recovery; anyone with a spike can jump above her and send her to the blastzone. Her Up-B gives her more movement, but it’s also easier to gimp thanks to its shorter range and slower movement.
Other than that, they don’t really have any weaknesses that they share.Pyra’s lacking in mobility and speed, with a lot of her moves not being very safe.Mythra’s lacking in range and power, meaning that she’ll struggle to get kills all by herself. However, the previously mentioned strengths of the characters and their ability to swap out means that these individual weaknesses are only in play at certain moments.
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Strategy & Counterplay
Pyra and Mythra are amazing characters. A skilled player will effectively utilize their adaptability to make the best of any situation. As an opponent, you’ll have to do the same with your playstyle;adapt to each character’s strengths and weaknesses. For Mythra, you’ll want to play more defensive and grounded. Her attacks are very fast, so try to beat them with quick out-of-shield options when she makes a mistake. As for Pyra, you’re able to be a bit less careful, taking a more mobile approach and maneuvering just out of her range. Her attacks may have reach, but she lacks the speed to throw them out as freely as Mythra can.
Edgeguarding them can be a bit troubling depending on your character, but it’s not very difficult. The first thing you’ll want to do if you plan on this isbait out the character switch. This will usually be the case if they’re launched offstage as Pyra since her recovery is less reliable, but it’s possible either one with switch for the moment of invincibility it provides. Directional airdodging is also an option, so wait it out in a similar fashion.Be careful when you’re standing at the ledgeagainst either of them since you can get clipped by their Side-B. Put them in a position where they’ll have to use their jump, then hit them with a lingering attack offstage; that will usually spell death for them.
Pyra and Mythra do great against a vast majority of the cast. They are best against characters that are easy for them to catch and attack. This is usually due to a lack of mobility or nothing to contest their range.You probably shouldn’t use characters like Kirby, King Dedede, Jigglypuff, Corrin, or Donkey Kong. They also do well against slow zoners, since Mythra can take greater advantage of her speed and Foresight that way. Be wary of that when playing zoners likeIsabelle, Simon, Toon Link, and Zelda.
Pyra and Mythra don’t have many unfavorable matchups. Some of the worst are characters that are great at whiff punishing. These include the likes ofGreninja, Diddy Kong, Zero Suit Samus, and Sonic. Even Mythra’s speedy attacks can be consistently punished by these characters if they miss. They also have a hard time against characters that can effectively outrange and edgeguard them, either thanks to good zoning tools or range superior to Pyra’s.Consider using characters like Pac-Man, Shulk, Palutena, or Min Min.
