Brawler Arsenal

Grounded Attacks

Neutral Attacks

Neutral Attacks

With the Bronze Sword, Robin delivers a swift slash upward followed by a backhanded slash, finishing the two-hit sequence with one of two magic-based attacks: a flurry of potentially infinite Elwind blades or a burst of Arcfire. The wind blades knock the enemy up into the air, while the fiery explosion knocks them far away.

To perform the wind blades finisher attack, press the second and third Attack inputs quickly in succession. For the fire-based finisher, slow your inputs down.

Neutral attack is an uppercut-like hitbox, excellent for deterring approaching enemies as well as those coming down from the air in front of you. Like most neutral attacks, it’s one of your primary out-of-shield options for retaliating after blocking an opponent’s laggy attack.

Robin’s rapid Elwind jab is best used against low-percentage foes, while the Arcfire explosive finisher is ideal for creating space to charge up your Thunder spells.

Each of the magical finisher attacks consumes its respective Tome Gauge. If you expend all of a specific gauge, you can’t perform that particular attack until the Tome is restored (over time).

Dash Attack

While dashing, Robin extends his Bronze Sword, using his momentum to empower the attack. Robin’s dash attack is conventional in its speed and knockback effect. It has an average start-up time and, on hit, knocks foes up and away while not providing enough hitstun to guarantee a follow-up attack.

The start of the active period launches the enemy farther away, while the rest of the active window pops foes more vertically.

Defensive Attacks

Tilts

Side Tilt

Robin leans forward and delivers a direct slash in front of him. While it appears to have an upper arc, it’s not effective for striking foes in the air or above his head.

It’s recommended that you use this attack sparingly since Robin’s down tilt and dash grabs are generally more useful. They’re faster and less committal.

Up Tilt

With a bit of leg power, Robin performs a slight jump into the air while swiping his Bronze Sword at the area above him.

Up tilt is a decent, conventional anti-air with a hitbox that extends well past his hittable limbs. Against grounded foes, it can combo into another up tilt at low percentages. At around 30%, you can combo up tilt after down throw.

Down Tilt

Robin leans down low and quickly strikes at his foe’s feet with his Bronze Sword, causing them to lose their footing for a split-second.

Down tilt is incredibly fast and, along with your neutral attack, is used largely to defend yourself from aggressive opponents. It’s particularly effective as a follow-up after an auto-canceled jumping attack like forward air.

Smashes: Levin Sword

Smashes: Bronze Sword

Side Smash

Robin performs a heavy forward thrust with the Levin Sword, blasting foes a long distance. The Bronze Sword variant has lower range.

Both the Levin Sword and Bronze Sword versions of this attack have high start-up times, making them tough to use effectively in your neutral game. It has a lot of shield knockback, but leaves you at a major frame disadvantage, giving the enemy a chance to dash in and hit or grab you.

Side smash is best used if you can make a hard read on your opponent’s ledge-recovery or air dodge.

Up Smash

Robin throws his spinning Levin Sword above him, launching foes above into the air. The Levin Sword variation has a much larger vertical effect and starts with a brief horizontal hit effect near Robin’s body (whereas the Bronze Sword version does not).

Up smash is stronger than up tilt, but leaves you vulnerable in most neutral-game scenarios. It’s best used to poke at enemies standing on platforms above you.

Down Smash

Robin slams the Levin Sword into the ground in front of him, launching enemies into the sky. The Levin Sword version of this attack has an added launching hitbox effect near the ground.

Down smash is Robin’s most useful and effective smash attack. It deals a massive amount of shield damage with its secondary hit and can be used to punish mistakes like mistimed rolls and ledge recoveries. Additionally, it’s essentially a clear-out move thanks to its rear hitbox, potentially KO’ing foes who end up behind you (for instance, if you’re edge-guarding and a hanging opponent rolls past you).

Grabs

Grabs

Robin’s almost-slow grab has a decent amount of range due to the whirling magic effect in front of him. However, there’s a significant amount of lag on whiff, making it punishable by attentive opponents.

Robin’s up throw launches the enemy sky-high. It provides little follow-up, but gives you a chance to trap the enemy with “shark” attacks (using anti-airs to continuously juggle the foe).

Forward and back throws are used to KO enemies at high percentages while they’re near a lateral blast zone. Back throw deals less damage but throws farther, providing additional space and allowing you to charge your Thunder spells longer.

Down throw is your main damage source off of a grab. It can combo into up air attack from low- to mid-percentage ranges.

Robin’s grab is essential to his game, both offensively and defensively. Thanks to its impressive reach, you’re more likely to punish aggressive foes with it.

Aerial Attacks

Aerials: Levin Sword

Aerials: Bronze Sword

Neutral Air Attack

While airborne, Robin executes two consecutive slashes: a downward slash in front of him, followed by a rear slash behind.

Neutral air attack fills several roles, including defensive aerial zoning, KO’ing foes off ledges, and damaging shields safely. As a ground-based tool, it’s strong used off of short hop. If timed correctly, you can auto-cancel your landing with short hop into neutral air. At certain percentages on hit, it puts enemies in a tech situation, giving you an opportunity to attack or set up Thunder and Arcfire projectiles.

Forward Air Attack

Robin delivers an extended aerial uppercut slash with the Levin Sword in front of him, sending struck foes flying away. With the Bronze Sword, he performs a similar attack, but with considerably less range.

Forward air attack is a staple attack. It’s an incredible spacing attack that can be used aggressively, defensively, and in combos. Deep (low-altitude) forward air attacks are one of your primary attack sequences. If you can condition your opponent to shield them, you can follow up with potential mix-ups. For instance, if they try to retaliate with an out-of-shield option, you can potentially beat them out with a well-spaced neutral attack (thanks to its great hitbox). If you think they’ll stay in their shield, you can go for a dash-in grab attempt, or simply hit them with Nosferatu.

Forward air is an effective attack for getting back onto the stage. While hanging, input back+Jump, then immediately forward air attack and drift back onto the stage with your forward air extended. If done correctly, you’ll limit your landing lag while giving yourself some breathing room.

Back Air Attack

Robin turns around and thrusts the Levin Sword behind him, blasting back foes. With the Bronze Sword, the range of back air is reduced.

While forward air attack is overall a more useful attack in most situations, back air attack can potentially KO at lower percentages. Back air attack is best used for edge-guarding purposes, or to extend a deep aerial attack against an enemy behind you.

Up Air Attack

Robin delivers a high-reaching upward swipe above him, launching foes high into the air with his Levin Sword. With the Bronze Sword, the range and damage are greatly diminished.

Up air attack is your main anti-air for air-to-air combat and for juggling purposes. It’s also used as a finisher for down throw and up tilt combos. It can start combos when performed as a deep jump-in attack, naturally linking into up tilt and up smash.

Down Air Attack

From above his foe, Robin thrusts the Levin Sword below him with meteoric force, sending his victim plummeting. This attack doesn’t have a meteor effect with the Bronze Sword.

Down air attack is a niche attack that can be difficult to apply in most practical scenarios. It’s incredibly slow compared to other down thrust-type attacks, and its low-persistence hit effect can leave you vulnerable. Save down air for when you can guarantee a meteor smash KO.

Special Moves

Special Moves

Neutral Special: Thunder (Thunder Tome)

Robin channels his Thunder-type magic, potentially charging it to four separate power tiers. Each level of charge is denoted by the color of your summoning energy (blue for Thunder, yellow for Elthunder, and purple(?) for Arcthunder).

While charging, you can roll, jump, or shield in order to cancel the charge. Your charge progress is “stored” once you reach a new power level, but if you fail to charge to the next power level, you have to try again, starting from the first frame of your current power level. Basically, always aim to charge at least a whole power level before jump-canceling.

Thunder

Thunder is a high-velocity projectile that travels medium range, costs 1 spell stock, and requires no charge (this can be thrown out quickly by double-tapping neutral special). It deals low damage but can be difficult to react to. Use Thunder to pester enemies, and to force them to react to your annoying jolts.

Elthunder

Elthunder takes around two-thirds of a second to charge and costs 3 spell stocks. Elthunder is similar to Thunder but deals much more damage and offers double the range. Its travel speed is slightly lower, but it packs much more killing power, able to KO foes off ledges in Battlefield stages at high percentages (~140%). Its main drawback is that it clashes and dissipates against other projectiles, potentially wasting your charge time, so keep that in mind when fighting fighters with good instant projectiles.

Arcthunder

Arcthunder requires roughly 1.3 seconds of charge and costs 5 spell stocks. Robin releases a mass of electricity that begins slowly but quickly accelerates and hurtles forward. Upon impact (whether colliding with an enemy or opposing projectile), it transforms into a multi-strike storm, devastating foes caught in its X-shaped effect.

Much of your game plan revolves around charging up to this attack. It deals high damage, sets up combos, and when shielded, provides offensive opportunities as the enemy is stuck briefly shielding its jolts.

Thoron

Thoron requires about two seconds of charge and costs 8 spell stocks. Robin unleashes a persistent beam attack that extends across the entire stage, dealing almost 18% damage to anyone caught in the blast and knocking out those around 130%.

Side Special: Arcfire (Fire Tome)

Robin casts a fireball spell, triggering a pillar of flames when it connects with an enemy or the floor.

Arcfire is a remarkable edge-guarding tool. If timed and placed accurately against a ledge-hanging opponent, it covers several of their recovery options and sets them on fire if they just hang on to the ledge. It can be special-reversed (i.e., instantly reverses your momentum), giving you an extra air-mobility trick.

Up Special: Elwind (Wind Tome)

While airborne, Robin summons a magical wind that propels him upward, dealing damage and boosting him into the air twice.

Elwind is your primary recovery tool and should be used carefully, since Robin’s mobility is lacking otherwise.

Elwind doubles as a finisher attack in edge-guarding scenarios, thanks to its meteor smash effect the moment it’s released. When Elwind hits the ground, it creates a gust of wind that pushes foes back.

Down Special: Nosferatu (Dark Tome)

Robin conjures up a dark curse that siphons the life force out of his enemies.

Nosferatu is a powerful “command grab” (unshieldable special grab) that recovers health (reduces your damage percentage), but it can only be used three times in a row, with its Tome requiring about 30 seconds to recharge.

Nosferatu has considerable range for a command grab and can be set up off of ranged spells like Arcthunder and Arcfire. Since you can use it in the air, you can grab opponents standing on platforms above you. So if you can bait foes into a shielding posture above, you can go for a hopping Nosferatu for some free damage and health restoration.

Final Smash: Pair Up

Chrom dashes forward, and if he lands a hit, Robin joins him for a flawless combination of attacks that launches the opponent. After the attack, the Levin Sword and each Tome become fully charged. Make sure to hit an opponent with that initial dash.