Dream Smasher: Master Chief (Guest Article)

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(Courtesy of Voyager)

(Courtesy of Arbok-x)

A UNSC drop pod would crash onto the stage. Master Chief would then kick the door wide open and prepare for battle as the drop pod disappeared.

Master Chief would have the special ability to switch between two variants of his special moves by inputting the up taunt. You can tell which set of specials he has based on his active weapon in hand; either the assault rifle or the magnum. The Assault Rifle (Specials 1) moveset would encourage close quarters interactions and to pressure the opponent to approach you, whereas the Magnum moveset (Specials 2) is more about zoning and ledge trapping to keep characters out. True mastery of this character would be to be able to master both special variations of the character and changing accordingly to suit the scenario. The weapon swap would be a frame one swap.

Chief would reload the weapon currently in his hands.

Master Chief would lower his current weapon and cautiously walk forward.

Master Chief would charge forward head first with his weapon in hand, referencing how he runs in Halo: Reach. He would use both hands to carry the assault rifle, but only one for the magnum.

Master Chief would perform a knee tuck jump for both his regular and double jumps.

Master Chief would use the bubble shield to block attacks, striking a pose that would reference the Armor Lock ability while inside the shield. Like Yoshi’s egg shield, the bubble shield would darken to indicate its weakening and prevent shield poking.

Master Chief would swing the handle of his current weapon in front of himself.

Master Chief would swing a fast sucker punch. This move is seen in the Halo games when a player has a free hand and inputs a Melee attack.

The Energy sword would be used for a quick and powerful slash overhead that would cover low profiling characters and knock nearby airborne opponents away. The move would have electric properties and make Master Chief slightly lunge forward upon using it.

Master Chief would stab forward with a close quarters blade. This blade would be very short and thus lack range, but come out very fast. The move couldn’t kill, but when successfully landed, the opponent would fall to the ground like with Ridley’s Skewer. This attack would allow Master Chief to move after the opponent gets up again, making followup attacks possible by reading the opponent’s get up option. At higher percentages, it would allow for a guaranteed followup attack. Overall, this move takes inspiration from Halo assassinations.

Master Chief would do a shoulder tackle propelled by the rockets behind him. It would serve as a great burst option. The dash attack would have a clean hit and a late hit.

Master Chief would pull out the Spartan Laser and shoot a powerful laser beam forward. While it would take a while to come out, the laser would travel a great distance, have a useful fire effect, and leave a weak lingering hit box in its wake.

Master Chief’s fastest smash attacks, a volley of energy shots would be unleashed from Master Chief’s plasma rifles at an upward angle in quick succession. The attack would be best at covering aerial approaches and to hit airborne opponents with its long reach. Whiffing the move however will leave you vulnerable for an extended time.

Master Chief would swing the gravity hammer in the direction he is facing with a motion similar to Byleth’s down special. The down smash would have a strong meteor effect when released, and would also have a splash effect when contact is made with the ground, covering the backside of Chief.

Inspired by the Halo 5 finisher for the Liftoff assassination, Master Chief would simply extend his knee, functioning just like Mario or Link’s neutral aerials.

Master Chief would pull out two Needlers, then fire a multitude of needle shots that stun opponents. The needles would also explode if they don’t make contact with anything after being shot. The needles would be able to be lodged onto the stage. The more needles inserted into an opponent, the stronger the explosion and knockback.

Master Chief would pull out the Brute Shot and fire a powerful projectile behind himself that’d travel slightly less than half the length of Final Destination. The brute shot would serve as an effective recovery tool like R.O.B.’s back aerial.

Master Chief would perform a bicycle flip kick like the one seen in the Halo 4 prologue trailer.

Master Chief would launch downward with his thruster pack and strike the ground. Like other stall-and-falls, this move would be extremely risky offstage, leading to a self-destruct in most cases. However, this move would have a meteor effect throughout its duration like Zero Suit Samus, thus sometimes making it worth the risk of using it offstage.

Master Chief would pull the opponent closer and put them in a tight chokehold like Snake’s grab, then spartan kick them forward, inspired by Nicole 458’s similar attack in Dead or Alive 4.

Master Chief would strike the opponent, making them collapse. The Chief would then stick a plasma grenade on the opponent’s back and fling them forward like Incineroar’s forward throw. While the throw would be capable of killing on its own, the detonation from the grenade would launch the opponent even farther if they are unable to air dodge in time, making this one of the most destructive back throws in the game.

Master Chief would suplex his opponent, slamming them into the ground backfirst like Snake’s up throw.

Master Chief would throw the opponent into the ground then land a heavy punch on their head, like Ryu’s down throw.

Neutral Special 2: Magnum

Master Chief’s assault rifle would fire a rapid fire disjoint that’d cause flinching in close proximity, like Joker’s Gun Special when Arsene is active. During this attack, the Chief could jump, crouch, and move left or right, like with Banjo & Kazooie’s Breegull Blaster.

The Chief would simply fire a fast and powerful bullet from his magnum. The bullet would be most effective up close, but lack range and lose power the farther it travels. It serves as a great “get off me” tool.

Side Special 2: Rocket Launcher

Master Chief would take aim before firing a bullet from his sniper rifle that would have mediocre damage, but tremendous knockback and extraordinary range. This move could be angled and has enough knockback to KO opponents at early percentages, especially upon sniping opponents near the blast zone. Additional damage and knockback would be dealt if the bullet hit the opponent’s head (or between the eyes in cases like Kirby and Jigglypuff). A special zoom effect would appear with every “headshot,” like with other powerful specials. The Chief would be able to shoot up to four rounds while on his knees by pressing the special button before having to stand back up. While taking aim, Master Chief would be left vulnerable against nearby foes, like with Snake when he uses his Remote Missile.

Master Chief would pull out the rocket launcher and fire a highly-explosive charge missile. The missile would travel slowly, but trigger a large explosion upon impact. You can walk back and forth, and slightly adjust the angle of the Rocket launcher by moving the control stick up and down. The missile will drag down the further it travels overtime. Only one explosive can be out at a time.

For Master Chief’s up special, it would not change based on the moveset currently in use, as it would be consistent across both variations. The jetpack would function similarly to R.O.B.’s Robo Burner when Master Chief uses his up special in the air. Aerial attacks and special moves could be performed while on the jetpack as well. The flames exhausted in flight would have a small hitbox and the fuel would be restored passively while on the ground.

Down Special 2: Frag Grenade

Master Chief would throw a powerful plasma grenade forward that would stick to opponents it lands on and explode a few seconds after being thrown. The grenades could be thrown at three angles (forward, upward, and at an arc) and up to three plasma grenades could be out at once. If a grenade is placed on an opponent, the grenade cannot be transferred. It is possible to stick multiple grenades at once to cause a chain reaction. This is especially useful during a shield break, because the plasma grenade does not make you flinch upon being stuck.

Master Chief would throw a much simpler frag grenade forward that detonates after about 2 seconds. Chief has two throw angles similar to Inkling’s splat bomb but the grenades cannot be cooked. The grenades function similarly to Snake’s hand grenade and Duck Hunt’s can as a combo breaker. Only 2 grenades can be out at once.

Master Chief would either say “It’s time to finish this fight,” “Light it,”or “I thought I’d try shooting my way out” upon activation. When used, Master Chief would hop on a Warthog driven by the Arbiter and drive across the battlefield. Anyone hit by the Warthog would be flung into a cinematic where they would be attacked by a fleet of iconic Halo vehicles like the Mongoose and Prowler with a flurry of bullets rained upon them. As the Arbiter floors the Warthog, Master Chief would get on the turret and start shooting the opponents as well, launching players out of the cinematic. Overall, this attack is loosely inspired by Halo 3’s last mission and the Halo Reach MCC launch trailer.

Master Chief would utter his famous line “I need a weapon” and swap out his arsenal.

Master Chief would pull Cortana’s chip out from the back of his head and briefly project her. She would then say “You look nice” before returning to her chip.

Master Chief would put the assault rifle over his head and look up. This pose is based on Halo 3’s promotional render.

Master Chief would valiantly hold the UNSC Flag before placing it down as it waved in the air. Master Chief would then say “This is Spartan 117,” “It’s finished,” or “Lucky me” upon placing the flag. This taunt would obviously reference the capture the flag game mode.

Master Chief would ride atop a Warthog before making a quick stop and getting out. He would then roll forward and strike a similar pose to his Halo 2 cover art pose with two submachine guns in his hands.

Master Chief would leap into the air and perform a ground pound before striking a similar pose to the one seen in Halo 4’s cover art.