Big Daddy

All-star overview

A Big Daddy’s only goal in life is to protect his Little Sister. Designed to survive in the sub-oceanic depths around the hidden city of Rapture, Big Daddy’s thick armored plating only serves to make him the slowest moving All-Star on the roster. Luckily, his Plasmid attacks can lock down foes until he can get within range of his powerful drill arm. Your focus with Big Daddy is to use his Plasmid traps to lock opponents in place and follow up with Charging Rush, working to build the 750AP needed to activate his Level 3 Super, The Flood.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON USING BIG DADDY’S LEVEL 3?

• The Flood forces opponents to move very slowly as they struggle to swim.
• Big Daddy moves faster than when under the influence of his Level 2 Super, and he doesn’t have to deal with fleeing enemies.
• The Flood can easily add up to six kills to your score, even on the largest maps.

HOW DO YOU BUILD UP THE 750AP REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE FLOOD?

• Use the super armor properties of Charging Rush (hold ) to close the distance with opponents.
• Lock down enemies with Electro Bolt until you can get in range of Big Daddy’s drill attacks.
• Use the incredible reach and area of effect properties of Big Daddy’s attacks to catch multiple adversaries at once for an AP bonus.

Working with Big Daddy can be a struggle on platform-heavy levels, but learning how to use his various traps and drill attacks can keep the AP flowing your way. He may be slow, but a majority of his attacks award big AP on hit, and his Charging Rush attack more than compensates for his slow movement speed.

AT A GLANCE

Costumes

SUPER ATTACKS

OVERVIEW

Little Sister Gather: A Little Sister appears on Big Daddy’s shoulder and leaps forward with her ADAM syringe, landing two character lengths away and killing any opponent she encounters. Despite the large red glow around the Little Sister, opponents must come in contact with her character model in order to be killed. Its limited range makes Little Sister Gather a difficult Super to use effectively at ground level. However, if the Little Sister leaps off the edge of a platform, she’ll remain active until hitting the ground.

AP Level	AP REQ	Name	Duration	Unique Commands	Notes
2	330	Frenzy	8 seconds	unleashes Insect Swarm; Insect Swarm can be directed with , , or	All moves KO opponent

Frenzy: Big Daddy is fueled with rage as if someone had threatened his Little Sister, increasing his movement speed by 25 percent and imbuing all of his attacks with the power to kill. All of his Plasmid attacks are replaced with Insect Swarm, summoning a killer swarm around his body, or a projectile stream when using directional attacks. This Super is extremely useful on smaller stages where enemies have minimal escape options, but on larger maps, you’re better off saving for that Level 3.

AP Level	AP REQ	Name	Duration	Unique Commands	Notes
3	750	Flood	12 seconds	Press / / to charge through water	Enemies can swim

Flood: The entire level is flooded with water for 12 seconds, limiting opponents’ movement to slowly swimming through the aquatic environment. All of Big Daddy’s attacks become a fast charge through the water depths, enabling multiple kills in a short amount of time. If you can kill all three enemies within the first few seconds, it’s entirely possible to score upwards of six or seven kills over its duration.

THROWS

OVERVIEW

Name	Command	AP Penalty	Properties	Hit Effect	Notes
Drill Up Eject	Right Stick	15%	Unblockable; 30AP of super armor	Full launch	—

Drill Up Eject: Big Daddy makes use of his drill arm to launch the opponent into the air. Unfortunately, its slow recovery time makes a follow-up attack impossible, although Drill Up Eject is a useful method of forcing enemies onto higher platforms.

Name	Command	AP Penalty	Properties	Hit Effect	Notes
Drill Forward Ejected	Right Stick or	15%	Unblockable; 30AP of super armor	Eject tornado	—

Drill Forward Ejected: Again utilizing the drill arm, Big Daddy sends his opponent flying away from him in an eject tornado state. It suffers from the same recovery problem as his upward throw in that he can’t follow up on the attack, but when you’ve got to clear some room around Big Daddy or force AP Orbs out of an opponent, it’s not a bad option.

Name	Command	AP Penalty	Properties	Hit Effect	Notes
Slam	Right Stick	15%	Unblockable; 30AP of super armor	Bounce	—

Slam: Picking up his opponent with his only free hand, Big Daddy slams the foe into the ground and inflicts a bounce reaction. It is possible to land a Jab ( ) after the bounce, but the enemy can recover before a follow-up attack can occur. Instead, try laying down Winter Blast to freeze the opponent on wake-up, or start mashing and catch them in the resulting shockwave if they try to dodge roll to safety.

: SQUARE ATTACKS

GROUND ATTACKS

#	Name	Command	AP Gain	Properties	Hit Effects	CI	Notes
1	Jab		10	—	—	,	Repeatable
2	Overhead Palooka		20	Super armor during active period	KD	—	—
3	Uppercut		20	Super armor during active period	Lift	, ,	Repeatable
4	Sweeping Fist		20	Super armor during active period	Sweep	, ,	Repeatable

Big Daddy’s attacks all take advantage of his strong left hand to deliver powerful punches. Jab ( ) is a straight punch worth 10AP and serves primarily as a way to confirm a hit before canceling into for more damage. Although it can cancel into itself, the slow start-up time on Jab means it cannot combo on its own before the opponent recovers. When you need to shut down multiple attackers, look no further than Overhead Palooka ( ) for an instant knockdown with Super Armor properties.

Uppercut ( ) lifts the opponent into the air and serves as one of Big Daddy’s best set-up attacks. It can be linked to , , or (hold) with minimal effort to create a combo, and with its inherent super armor properties, you don’t have to worry about an enemy interrupting Big Daddy’s attack.

Sweeping Fist ( ) serves as Big Daddy’s alternative close-range set-up attack. This Super Armored-sweep lifts your opponents off of their feet, enabling a majority of the same combo attacks as Uppercut. However, Sweeping Fist can cancel into itself so that you can land two in a row to lift the adversary a bit higher and connect with for an eject reaction and 70AP in your character’s Super Meter.

AIR ATTACKS

#	Name	Command	AP Gain	Properties	Hit Effects	CI	Notes
1	Aerial Jab	Air	10	—	—		—
2	Aerial Hard Punch	Air	30	Super armor during active period	Eject spiral	—	Long start-up
3	Aerial Uppercut	Air	20	Super armor during active period	Lift	—	—
4	Aerial Down Punch	Air	10	Super armor during active period	Kneel; KD (aerial foe)	—	—

The aerial attacks Big Daddy has to offer don’t add much to his overall gameplan, other than the fact that they’re his fastest attacks. Aerial Jab can be canceled into if you wish to eject your opponent in the air. Aerial Hard Punch sends the challenger away from Big Daddy in an eject spiral. If connected close to the ground, quickly enter Charging Rush to race near as the opponent recovers, and send out a Cyclone Trap to hopefully catch the foe after their air recovery.

Aerial Uppercut causes a lift reaction on hit, but it doesn’t have the cancel options of the ground version to make it a viable AP-building tool. The same idea applies to Aerial Down Punch, although this attack is a viable shutdown option during air-to-air combat as it can force an instant knockdown. Aerial Down Punch can serve as a jump in combo starter, using its super armor to absorb an attack and taking advantage of the kneel stagger it causes once Big Daddy is grounded.

: TRIANGLE ATTACKS

GROUND ATTACKS

#	Name	Command	AP Gain	Properties	Hit Effects	CI	Notes
1	Drill Punch		20	—	Butt-drop		Repeatable
2	Charging Rush		15, 5	Super armor; hold to rush through foes; press on hit for 5AP attack	Lift; KD (secondary attack)	—	Big Daddy enters butt-drop state if he hits a wall; press during attack to halt
3	Drill Skewer		6~30	—	Eject tornado	—	—
4	Drill Slam		5~45	Mashable; mashing increases area of effect	KD; eject tornado (final hit)	—	—

Big Daddy starts to get really scary when his drill attacks come out. These attacks are your primary AP generators as Big Daddy; they all hit very hard and heavy and typically leave your opponent in a vulnerable position. Drill Punch ( ) thrusts his signature weapon forward, forcing your enemy into a butt-drop state. It doesn’t benefit from the Super Armor properties of other attacks, but its incredible range means Big Daddy is most likely going to strike an adversary before they can hit him.

Charging Rush ( ) is inarguably the most valuable attack in Big Daddy’s arsenal, as it’s his only way to navigate a level swiftly and has super armor properties for protection. Pressing once causes Big Daddy to rush forward, stopping only when striking an opponent. Holding the attack input forces Big Daddy to charge through enemies. Either version of the attack can be forced to stop short with another press of . You can also follow up with an overhead drill attack that causes a knockdown by pressing after hitting an opponent.

Drill Skewer ( ) is a multi-hit uppercut ending in an eject tornado state for your opponent. Two of his attacks can cancel into Drill Skewer to create combos, and it can also be used to catch enemies attempting to assault Big Daddy from the air.

When Big Daddy is surrounded by multiple enemies or needs a way to lock his opponents in place, the Drill Slam ( ) is the way to go. Big Daddy pounds the ground with his drill, creating a small shockwave around his feet that can catch foes on either side of his position. Mashing continues to create bigger and bigger shockwaves, eventually ejecting any challengers caught in its radius.

AIR ATTACKS

#	Name	Command	AP Gain	Properties	Hit Effects	CI	Notes
1	Aerial Drill Punch	Air	20	—	Butt-drop; lift (aerial foe)	—	—
2	Aerial Charging Rush	Air	10, 20	Dives down-forward; active until grounded	Butt-drop (first hit); sweep (second hit)	—	Action OK after Big Daddy rolls
3	Aerial Drill Skewer	Air	10, 20	—	Eject tornado	—	—
4	Descending Drill Slam	Air	10~70	Mashable; mashing increases area of effect	KD; eject tornado (final hit)		Attack becomes active when grounded

The air versions of Big Daddy’s attacks don’t have the combo potential of their grounded versions, but his long range is going to make anyone think twice about trying to get in a melee air battle. Aerial Drill Punch is much faster than the ground version and causes Big Daddy to dash forward slightly, making this attack an viable method of approaching the platforms from the side. Activate the attack before you land on the platform and immediately start the next attack once grounded to continue the combo. The Aerial Drill Skewer also shares the distinction of being faster than the ground version, but its primary uses are for hitting enemies from below, either in the air or through the bottom of thin platforms.

Aerial Charging Rush turns Big Daddy’s entire body into an armored ball of death, flying diagonally downwards toward the ground and entering a roll upon landing. Both the initial dive and the landing roll can hit opponents, the latter of which lifts the target. Big Daddy can act the moment the landing roll is completing, leaving plenty of time to combo your tripped-up adversary.

Descending Drill Slam ( ) forces Big Daddy to drop like a stone from his current position, creating an area of effect explosion at his feet. The opponent enters a knockdown state if left alone, but continue mashing to increase the number of hits. Fully mashed, Descending Drill Slam can earn you 70AP on its own.

: CIRCLE ATTACKS

GROUND ATTACKS

#	Name	Command	AP Gain	Properties	Hit Effects	CI	Notes
1	Incinerate		10	—	Lift	—	—
-	Incinerate (big blast)	(hold)	20	—	Eject tornado; guard crush	, ,	Must be canceled while charging
2	Electro Bolt		10	—	Shock	Any	—
3	Cyclone Trap		20	Travels up-forward; tornado active for two seconds	Full launch	—	Tornado does not become active until it stops moving.
4	Winter Freeze	(hold)	10	Ice active for three seconds	Freeze	—	—

The button handles all of Big Daddy’s Plasmid attacks, mainly used to control space on a stage or incapacitate opponents. Incinerate ( ), a useful tool for opening up enemies, begins with a small explosion that lifts the foe. Continuing to hold produces an even larger explosion that causes an eject reaction or a guard crush against a blocking opponent. The charge time of the second explosion leaves Big Daddy exposed to attack, but he can dodge roll or jump cancel out of the charge if danger draws near.

Electro Bolt ( ) fires a short-range burst of electricity that leaves opponents in a shock reaction. The bolt projectile travels to just outside of the range of Big Daddy’s drill but remains locked in place long enough for Charging Rush to close the gap. This is also the only Plasmid that can be canceled to quickly lay another trap if need be.

Cyclone Trap ( ) unleashes a mini-tornado that travels a short distance and hovers right around standard jump height, staying active for two full seconds. The tornado doesn’t become active until it stops moving so it can’t be used as a reactionary anti-air attack, but it does cover the space where an opponent would normally attempt to jump in on Big Daddy. While not technically a combo, try shocking an enemy with Electro Bolt followed immediately by a Cyclone Trap above their head. Unless your opponent recovers downward, the lift caused by their air recovery forces them right into the trap!

Winter Blast ( ) creates a patch of ice on the ground in front of Big Daddy that remains active for three seconds and freezes enemies on contact. As Cyclone Trap covers the air in front of Big Daddy, Winter Blast covers ground approaches.

AIR ATTACKS

#	Name	Command	AP Gain	Properties	Hit Effects	CI	Notes
1	Air Incinerate	Air	10	Hold to increase duration	KD	—	Descent is slowed while holding
2	Air Electro Shock	Air	10	Fires down-forward	Shock	—	—
3	Air Cyclone Trap	Air	20	Tornado stays active for two seconds	Full launch	—	—
4	Air Winter Blast	Air	10	Ice active for three seconds	Freeze	—	Ice trap doesn’t become active until grounded

With the exception of Air Cyclone Trap, each of Big Daddy’s Plasmid attacks utilize the same power but in a different way. Air Incinerate, for example, produces a steady stream of flame for as long as is held and forces opponents into a knockdown state on contact.

Air Electro Bolt fires at a downward 45-degree angle for a shocking surprise. It suffers from the same range limitations as its ground version but can be used as a viable jump-in attack for interrupting an opponent’s attack or just holding them in place before starting a combo.

Air Winter Blast drops a small stream of ice from Big Daddy’s position, becoming active after slightly less than a second after hitting the ground. As with Air Electro Shock, Air Winter Blast is meant to hold your opponent in place while getting Big Daddy into position for another heavy-hitting combo.

COMBOS

MAIN COMBOS

Note: All COMBOS assume your character is facing the right side of the screen.

I. Against grounded foe: , , ,

80AP

Big Daddy’s combos are not overly complicated, especially his bread and butter, which can be started anywhere within Drill Punch range. The only trick to be aware of with this combo is connecting the first two attacks, which can fail to link if you’re too slow on the trigger. After the first hit connects, mash on so that the sweep comes out at its earliest possible moment. If you need an escape plan, replace the final attack with , to generate the same amount of AP, but with the ability to continue charging into other opponents if need be.

II. Against grounded foe: (air) , land, ,

80AP

An 80AP value combo that starts with Aerial Charging Rush, this set of three attacks is relatively easy to put together. After the first hit connects, your opponent should be caught in a sweep. Allow your adversary to fall and execute a Jab just before they hit the ground, and cancel into CD to finish the job. Note that this combo doesn’t work in the corner, as Bad Daddy advances too close to the foe, and won’t connect properly.

III. Against grounded foe, requires corner: , , , jump, (air)

70AP

This Plasmid-only combo requires that the opponent’s back be against a wall. After shocking your enemy with Electro Bolt, immediately release a Cyclone Trap above their head and another when the original trap scores a hit. Have Big Daddy jump into the air toward the opponent and input the final hit as soon as he’s within range. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done!

COMBO APPENDIX

Combo	+AP	Notes
, ,	60	—
, ,	40	—

ADVANCED STRATEGIES

Don’t hesitate to rely on Charging Rush to chase after opponents.

If you looked at the AP values of Big Daddy’s combos and had a moment of shock wondering how it’s possible to get 750AP in a single match, just remember that Big Daddy is designed to catch multiple opponents with his big AP-value attacks while laying traps to catch any stragglers. You receive a 30 percent AP bonus for attacks that catch multiple foes, and that adds up to big numbers as the match progresses. You can afford to be overly aggressive to get Big Daddy into striking distance, as most of his attacks have super armor properties that prevent him from getting knocked out of his attack animations.

Catching multiple opponents with Big Daddy’s drill attacks is key to reaching your AP goals.

A fish out of water, so to speak, Big Daddy players have to adjust their overall gameplan based on whatever level is hosting the current match. If it’s a level with a lot of unobstructed platform space, like Stowaways, you have to lean heavily on Charging Rush to close the gap with opponents. On smaller stages with lots of thin platforms, the Drill Slam is going to be your biggest AP generator. And no matter what level you’re on, don’t be shy with the Plasmid attacks, and remember to have Cyclone Traps and Winter Freeze puddles out at all times to catch opponents for free AP. Big Daddies are relentless creatures, and your play style shouldn’t be any different.