Tiger Blade

Tiger Blade
Lloyd using Tiger Blade.
Universe	Tales
User(s)
Effect	Lloyd jumps up and slashes a sword upward.

Tiger Blade, known in Japan as Tiger Fang Breaking Slash (虎牙破斬) is Lloyd's up special move in Super Smash Flash 2.

Overview

When performed, Lloyd jumps up and shouts "Tiger Blade!" as he slashes a sword upward. Opponents hit by the slash are dealt 7% damage with somewhat weak upward knockback. Lloyd can then use one of his aerial attacks within a short duration after slashing, after which he'll enter a helpless state.

While the move does not slow his momentum, it is regarded as a rather poor recovery overall, due to its predictability, lack of vertical distance, and the fact that it leaves him helpless afterward.

Origin

Lloyd using Tiger Blade in Tales of Symphonia.

The Tiger Blade arte was first introduced in Tales of Phantasia and has been a staple in the Tales series since then. It is one of the most well-recognized Swordsman artes, used by characters including Lloyd Irving in Tales of Symphonia. When using Tiger Blade, the user slashes upward while jumping, then slashes downward while landing. In SSF2, the downward slash does not appear, though it may be referenced in how Lloyd can attack directly after the first slash.

This arte is effective for hitting any opponents in the air, further allowing the user to force their target to the ground. In some of the games, there is also a third hit that can be added between or after the slashes, sometimes involving a shoulder charge or punches that simulate the standard movement patterns of this arte, though this has never been referenced in SSF2.

Gallery

Screenshots

The right version of Tiger Blade being performed on Tower of Salvation.

Lloyd uses Tiger Blade at Samus on Clock Town.

Early design

Tiger Blade's early design.

The scrapped second hit of Tiger Blade.

Trivia

• Prior to v0.6 of the SSF2 Demo, the move was erroneously called "Rising Tempest".
  • As of Beta 1.2, the move is still called "Rising Tempest" in the game's code.
• Introduced in v0.6, Lloyd could previously perform a second hit with Tiger Blade by pressing the special input again, which would slash downward with a meteor smash effect, referencing the downward slash in official Tales games. As of v0.9a, it has been removed.