Orcane Guide
By Starbos.
Orcane is a high-damage, high-mobility trickster with tools for every trade. His strong area denial, fast buttons, and unique physical properties make him a versatile character that rewards technical knowledge and conditioning.
With the transition to the Rivals II engine, Orcane’s recovery received massive improvements. Access to the ledge provides Orcane with a convenient method to refresh resources, and his long waveland makes ledge dashing a strong option to catch opponents off guard.
Orcane can more than dish out damage after landing the right hits, but suffers a lot from his starters being very susceptible to crouch canceling and floorhugging. It takes some experimenting to determine what defensive options your opponent prefers in order to change your combo routes and continue your strings.
Unique Mechanics (Gimmicks)
Low Friction
Being made of water, Orcane doesn’t stick to the ground as well as other characters. His low friction makes his wavedash travel far, which contributes to his tricky movement.
Short
Orcane’s stature causes a lot of aerial attacks to miss, especially while crouching. Other moves like Down Tilt can often low-profile moves.
Puddle
The mechanic that makes Orcane so special. By shooting a droplet with Neutral or Down Special, a puddle can be placed anywhere on the stage. This puddle can be consumed by teleporting to it with Up Special, detonating it into a column of bubbles with Down Special, or empowering Side Special as well as your Strong attacks, increasing their range and damage. Good puddle placement is essential for Orcane.
Notation
| Notation | Description |
| CC | Crouch Cancel |
| HF | Hitfall |
| SDI | Smash DI |
| ASDI | Auto SDI |
| up/d/f/nX | Direction + Attack Input (e;g FTilt, NSpecial, DStrong) |
| DA | Dash Attack |
| SS | SweetSpot |
| ss | sourspot |
| Xn | Nth hit of attack (e;g BAir2) |
| BD | Babydash |
| RAR | Reverse Aerial Rush |
Definitions / Techniques
Various general and Orcane-specific techniques and mechanics will be defined here for ease of understanding.
Crouch Cancel
Crouching decreases knockback taken when attacked by 20%, making weak or laggy attacks punishable on hit. A successful crouch cancel is indicated by yellow downward arrows when hit. Crouch canceling does not work against multi-hits, such as Orcane DAir, unless a downward input is pressed for each individual hit. Crouch canceling becomes less effective as percentages rise.
Hitpause (A.K.A Hitlag)
Hitpause is the short window when an attack lands where both characters freeze in place. Many offensive and defensive mechanics make use of this window.
SSDI
Single Shift Directional Influence. Inputting a direction during hitpause will shift your character in that direction after hitpause ends. This is indicated by white arrows in the direction of your SSDI input.
- ASDI, Automatic SDI, is a similar technique that does not require a manual input but is less effective. Instead, it takes whatever your current DI direction is and shifts your character slightly in that direction
- Shield SDI is the same idea; by inputting a direction during shield stun, your character will shift slightly in that direction
Floorhug
Floorhugging is using SSDI to shift into the ground after hitpause. At low percents, this allows players to stay grounded and often act before the attacker can. At high percents, this creates the opportunity to tech strong hits and survive longer. Floorhugging can be used in conjunction with crouch canceling to improve its effectiveness for longer.
Hitfall
The cornerstone of aerial strings in the Rivals series, hitfalling is inputting fastfall during the hitpause of your attack to fastfall, even if you were traveling upward. Normally, you would be locked out of fastfalling until you had no more upward momentum. Hitfalling allows quick shorthop aerials to be used in combination with quick tilts and even more shorthop aerials.
Platboost
By falling through a platform while running and immediately double jumping, a burst of speed is added to your jump. Mileage may vary depending on character.
Needleboost
Originally a Ranno-specific technique where Ranno could achieve high air speed by charging needles while sliding off a ledge or falling through a platform. A system change allows any character to perform this, including Orcane.
Babydash
A 2-frame dash input that leaves you actionable sooner than a wavedash.
Ledge Dash
Let go of the ledge and immediately waveland onstage. Useful to make it through attacks at the ledge, as your ledge invincibility will linger if done fast enough.
B-Turnaround
Input a reverse direction before a special to change your direction before performing a special.
B Reverse
Input a special then a reverse direction to change your direction and reverse your momentum before performing a special.
Wavebounce
Input a reverse direction, a special, and then another reverse direction to reverse your momentum while performing a special in the direction you are currently facing.
DACUS
Dash Attack Cancel Up Smash; input Up Smash within a few frames of initiating a dash attack to cancel it into an Up Smash, retaining the speed of the dash attack.
Orcane-Specific
Hydroplane
Orcane’s run turnaround provides him with a burst of speed before turning around. Various attacks and inputs can make use of this momentum for unique interactions.
- Hydroplane strongs are an excellent way to cover ground with powerful attacks
- Hydroplane shield is a safe way to slide through pressure (Hydroshield)
- Hydroplane spotdodge sends you flying while invulnerable (Hydroslide)
Hydroslip
Orcane’s version of Needleboosting. By performing a B-Turnaround NSpecial during run turnaround and sliding off a ledge, you can gain a lot of speed. This is mostly used for deep offstage edgeguards.
Nairbounce
By holding the attack button during NAir and touching the ground, Orcane will bounce off, refreshing the attack. This is a strong tool to beat quick out-of-shield options like grab, but you aren’t actionable until you touch the ground again, making it a bit risky.
Bubble Angling
Orcane can influence the direction of any bubbles spawned from attacks or throws. This is most important for UpThrow and FAir; UpThrow is much less consistent if bubbles aren’t angled in the direction the opponent is DI’ing, while angling FAir bubbles is your best option for resource-free area denial.
Droplet
Shorthand for the projectile created with Neutral Special and Down Special (if puddle hasn’t been placed). Commonly used in reference to Neutral Special.
Empowered Attacks
Strong attacks and Forward Special can consume a placed puddle, increasing damage and hitbox size. Often referred to as a “Puddle” attack.
- Empowered Up Smash reaches many mid-height platforms, including max-height tempest platforms
- Empowered Down Smash pokes through some lower platforms, such as on Hodojo
- Empowered Forward Special also gains a knockback increase!
Recovery
On the surface, Orcane’s recovery seems pretty linear and weak. Either side special to the ledge or use up special to teleport to your puddle. But dive into the water and you’ll find he has one of the most unique, mixup-heavy recoveries in the game.
We’ll start with the basics: What are his options, and what’s the recovery gameplan?
While Orcane’s recovery is full of depth, it requires smart use of his resources. Saving your double jump and airdodge until you reach the wall is the main priority for low recoveries. Double jump can be used for high recoveries in combination with bubble butt to avoid dangerous spaces.
The Options
Forward Special: Orcane, shipped priority
A solid horizontal teleport that can be used to grab the ledge or reach the wall to walljump. Orcane has no hurtbox from frame 15 to frame 37, and the hitbox appears on frame 44-46, leaving a small window where Orcane is vulnerable.
- Hold forward to teleport at max distance
- Hold back to teleport in place
- Stay neutral to teleport half-distance
- Hold down + any of the above to teleport slightly lower vertically
Up Special (teleport): Situational free recovery
If a puddle has been placed onstage, you will teleport to the puddle, consuming it. This is a situational but solid recovery option; it should only be used when the opponent is not in a situation to punish the teleport’s high endlag. The teleport hitbox is very powerful and there aren’t many visual queues associated with it, so you can occasionally catch opponents off-guard with it.
Up Special (cancel): Useless..?
Holding shield right before the Up Special teleport will cancel the teleport, putting Orcane into freefall. If you’re already by the wall, you can use this to gain a bit more height than by using Side Special. But there’s another interesting property to this special:
Orcahop: The interesting property
Orcane’s Up Special will take any upward momentum and increase it. I mean any.
- Double jumping before pressing Up Special is the original “Orcahop.” Inputting Up Special 7 frames after an aerial jump nets the most height before any falloff occurs
- Inputting Up Special after a walljump is a solid way to gain height if you don’t have or don’t want to spend your double jump
- Unlike most up-specials, Orcane can wall-jump after using his Orcahop
Bubble Butt (FAir): Orcane, drop shipped
One of Orcane’s best ways to travel horizontally, if given the opportunity to turn around. The attack’s knockback scales with speed, and the attack’s speed can be controlled by the player.
- Use a b-turnaround Neutral or Down Special to turn around mid-air
- Down-special will temporarily halt aerial momentum, whereas Neutral-special will not, however Down-special will consume your puddle if one exists on the stage which removes one of your recovery options (teleporting to puddle)
- Hold forward to add speed, hold back to decrease
- Bubbles can be angled to spread out further
- Excellent for high recoveries, situational for low
Double Jump: The quintessential resource
While not necessarily a specific option, Orcane’s double jump enables a majority of his mixup game. His double jump is one of the highest double jumps across the cast, so saving it by using the aforementioned recovery options is important.
The Wall
Using the basic recovery options, you’ve made it to the wall with your double jump and airdodge saved. What now? We’ll go over a list of options that make up Orcane’s mixups:
Pre-walljump
Before using your wall jump, you have several options:
- Up Special (cancel)
- Gives a small height boost
- Side Special
- Allows you to stall a bit longer before committing to a full recovery
- Airdodge
- Gives a larger height boost, can be angled, can be combined with Up-special and side-special to mix up timing
- Immediate wall jump
- Using none of the above, can be used as a mixup to get to the ledge or stage quickly
You can also go straight for the Orcahop to grab the ledge if there aren’t any immediate threats from the opponent.
Post-walljump
With his back facing the stage, Orcane gains access to a lot of strong recovery mixups.
- Using double jump
- BAir at ledge
- Orcahop to ledge
- FAir at or above ledge
- B Reverse Droplet
- Nairbounce onstage (whiff punish mixup)
- Situational options (saving double jump)
- Up Special to ledge
- Side Special to ledge
- B Reverse Droplet
The Ledge
Once you’re at the ledge, you have a few more options to consider. Normal getup and Roll getup are solid options based on the situation, but his best options lay elsewhere.
Getup Attack
A 2-hit attack that can catch opponents off guard. Has a tendency to hit offstage if the opponent is too close.
Getup Special
Hold special to swim through the stage, fully invulnerable until popping out with an attack. Will automatically exit once at the edge of the stage. Can consume puddle to obtain some useful properties.
- Normal version is inactionable until you land and is very punishable on shield
- Empowered version is larger, pops up higher, and is actionable in mid-air. Still unsafe on shield
Letting go of ledge
Pressing back allows you to let go of the ledge instantly. Pressing down lets you fastfall off of the ledge if you hold the input. Various options are available using these two mechanics:
- Ledge dash: Let go of ledge fast enough and you can waveland onstage while retaining your invincibility from grabbing the ledge. Good for attacking through ledge setups
- Walljump: Gives you access to BAir, reverse FAir, and B-reverse droplet
- Aerials: Letting go of ledge fast enough allows you to jump onstage with an aerial while retaining some ledge invincibility. Good for attacking through ledge setups
The Air (High Recoveries)
While Orcane’s low recoveries are pretty varied, his high recoveries are plain strong with not that much variation. There are mixups and options all the same.
Droplet
If you want to jump back onstage, covering ahead of you with a droplet while jumping in is a safe bet.
Nairbounce
If you’re able to land onstage, mix up regular landings with nairbounce to keep your opponent guessing on your landing timings. Nairbounce is risky if both hits are shielded, so mix it up with tomahawk grabs and other aerials!
Bubble Butt
This is the fun part. If you get launched high enough from an attack, you can perform a B-Turnaround Neutral or Down Special to turn yourself around and use FAir to fly back to stage. Setting Grab or Parry to NSpecial when in midair can make the turnaround input easier!
- Be careful using DSpecial while a puddle is onstage, as the bubbles can be parried. Parrying bubbles puts Orcane into parry stun!
- If you’re too low for FAir to be safe, you can double jump to gain more height or perform a slow bubble butt to stall and determine what the opponent wants to do before committing to a height
- High-speed FAir is strong and can catch opponents off guard. It is also safe on shield if they don’t back up
Bubble Butt + Up Special
One of the most interesting synergies in Orcane’s recovery. UpSpecial retains horizontal momentum as long as a B Turnaround or B Reverse is not performed. In combination with the slight hop that UpSpecial has, you can get some extra distance with it.
On the other hand, UpSpecial will completely override any horizontal momentum if input with a direction opposite of your current momentum. This can be used to mix up where you’ll land, but can be risky without a platform to edge-cancel off of.
Stalling
Orcane has multiple ways to stall or slow his descent through the use of FAir and DSpecial. By shortening a FAir, you can stay in the same spot while gauging what the opponent will try to cover. DSpecial can be used to detonate bubbles while puddle is off-screen, drop droplets from high up, and turn yourself around to change FAir direction. Just be careful, the droplet and bubbles can both be parried!
Throwing Hands
Everything listed above was simply methods to make it back onstage. However, Orcane thrives in offstage scenarios! Here are some tips on if your opponent decides to attempt an offstage edgeguard.
Get Lower
If your opponent is trying to hit you offstage, make it a real risk by stalling before coming back up. Most characters can’t handle super deep edgeguards without spending resources or forcing themselves into a linear recovery.
- FAir, as mentioned in the high recovery section, is great for stalling at the cost of some vertical height. The bubbles close off some angles of attack as well.
- If a walljump would put you into range of attacks, wait a moment before walljumping. This gives you some time to see where the opponent is and plans to go before committing to an option.
NAir: It’s frame 3!
One of Orcane’s greatest boxing moves. If your opponent is close, feel free to spam. It’s fast with little endlag and can disrupt edgeguard attempts.
We Tech Those
There are two forms of wall tech that accomplish separate things.
- Neutral Tech keeps you in place on the wall for a moment
- Up Tech gives you some height and sends you a bit away from the wall
Both of these have their own use-cases. Neutral Tech can keep you in a good position to NAir and disrupt the opponent’s edgeguard/recovery while Up Tech can give you some more height to finish your own recovery.
Combo Theory
Orcane’s combos are very free-flowing but can vary heavily depending on the opponent’s defensive options. We’ll be laying down some basics here, but feel free to experiment and get saucy with it!
Note: While there are some true followups, many are dependent on reading the opponent’s DI to continue longer than one or two hits.
Note: The listed followups may not work at every percent. There are too many factors to accurately provide percent ranges for followups. Keep your followups in mind and experiment with what works at what percents!
Starters
These attacks can consistently start Orcane’s combos. Keep in mind that many of these moves can also be used mid-combo to continue the offensive.
DownTilt
- Pros
- Inner hit sends perfectly for combos
- Inner hit breaks CC/floorhug at mid percents
- Cons
- Little to no combo potential without the inner hit
- Followups
- UpTilt, NAir, DAir, UpAir, Throw
A shadow of its former glory, DTilt is still pretty strong for starting combos if you can land the inner hit. The middle and tip hitboxes are weaker and much better for pokes/spaced shield pressure.
UpTilt
- Pros
- Fast
- Strong hit breaks CC/floorhug early
- Perfect angle for combos
- Chains into itself
- Cons
- Followups
- UpTilt, FTilt, NAir, BAir, UpAir, DAir, Throw
Right next to DTilt in terms of usefulness, this move trades range for more followups. It can chain into itself multiple times until the opponent begins SDI’ing away, at which point you can go for other followups.
NAir
- Pros
- Fast
- Hitbox gets weaker over time
- Strong hit scales knockback nicely
- Weak hit combos into strong hit
- Nairbounce can provide some additional damage
- Cons
- Some precision required
- Weak hit needs to connect low to the ground for followups
- Nairbounce ends the combo if not hitfell
- Followups
- BAir, NAir, UpTilt, Jab, FTilt, Throw
The quintessential aerial. Starter, filler, and finisher, you can probably put this move anywhere in your combo and it wouldn’t be a bad option. Some precision/spacing is required to make sure you hit on the right side; NAir will send left or right depending on the opponent’s position relative to the center of Orcane.
Nairbounce will refresh the hitbox, which can make it an interesting combo tool. Given its endlag, however, hitfalling the second hit is the only way to really capitalize on it.
Hitting this move backwards gives you access to BAir as a strong finisher.
UpAir (spike)
- Pros
- Cons
- Low hitstun and knockback
- Predictable
- Followups
- Jab, DTilt, UpTilt, FTilt, Throw, NAir, DAir
A unique starter that can break CC due to its spike properties. This move keeps the opponent grounded for a while at low percents, but eventually starts popping them up. Use tilts/throw to continue combos at low percents and introduce aerials at higher percents.
Fillers
Attacks that are better off mid-combo than when starting a combo. While combos can be started, landing the attack is either difficult or not worth the followups.
Jab
- Pros
- Strong combo filler
- Signature jab reset button
- Links to tilts
- Cons
- Weak to shield
- Weak to CC
- Followup tilts can be shielded at lower percents
- Followups
- Combos from
Best used when the opponent is already in midair. Using jab on grounded opponents can be risky, as followups can be shielded until higher percents.
DAir
- Pros
- Multi-hit breaks auto CC
- High damage if all hits connect
- Cons
- Low knockback
- Low hitstun but scales fast
- Limited followups until higher percent
- Awkwardly high endlag
- Followups
- Combos from
- UpTilt, DTilt, UpThrow (read)
The anti-CC move, due to its multi hits, though unfortunately your only real followup at lower percents is a grab. Other followups can be shielded or CC’d until much higher percents.
Finishers
Attacks that typically end a combo. These are good when they can send an opponent offstage or create space to control more of the stage.
BAir
- Pros
- High knockback
- First hit has some followups if second hit doesn’t connect
- Good disjoint
- Cons
- Second hit takes precision
- Need to be facing backwards
- First hit can send inward if too close
- Combos from
- NAir, BAir, FAir, UpThrow, UpTilt
One of Orcane’s best finishers due to its knockback and followup potential even if the second hit fails to connect. Often catches opponents off guard, killing early. In some scenarios, the second hit can combo into another BAir or FAir.
If the second hit does not land, it’s possible to connect NAir, UpAir, or another BAir depending on the opponent’s position.
UpAir
- Pros
- High knockback on sweetspot
- Followups possible on sourspot
- Easy to connect
- Cons
- Sweetspot takes precision
- Combos from
- DTilt, UpTilt, NAir, BAir, UpAir, UpThrow
With some precision, this move turns into a very strong finisher. The sweetspot is at the top of the spout, with the sourspot hitting inside and just above Orcane. Shorthop UpAir is the perfect height for the sweetspot to connect at higher percents following Dtilt, UpTilt, and UpThrow, depending on the opponent’s DI. Other aerials can link into UpAir on the right DI or other circumstances.
FTilt
- Pros
- Breaks floorhug early
- Kills on DI mixup
- Good angle for edgeguards
- Cons
- Combos from
FTilt has some solid knockback and can send at a nasty angle if the opponent doesn’t properly DI. Use FTilt in conjunction with DTilt as a DI mixup to condition the opponent to DI poorly for either move!
Throws
UpThrow
- Pros
- Any followup possible on DI read
- Cons
- Bubbles need to be angled in the direction of opponent’s DI for move to function
- Followups
Orcane’s most unique throw. In order for the move to actually work, bubbles need to be directed towards the opponent based on their DI. If successful, you can land just about any attack desired. BAir and UpAir can kill or otherwise create space, while NAir and DAir can be used to try and start a combo. Get creative!
DThrow
- Pros
- Leads to techchases
- Leads to jab resets
- Links to empowered strongs on bad DI
- Cons
- Need to choose between covering no tech or tech roll out during tech chase
Orcane’s techchase throw. Minimal followups, though puddle FStrong and DStrong can sometimes connect if the opponent has poor DI. Wavedash, dash, or babydash forward with a jab to cover tech in place and no tech.
FThrow:
- Pros
- Good knockback scaling
- Consume puddle for higher knockback
- Cons
A positioning/kill throw. Special pummel will teleport Orcane to his puddle, or create a puddle below his feet if none exists, giving you the ability to use it for a stronger throw.
BThrow:
- Pros
- Solid knockback
- Startup is similar to FThrow
- Cons
- No followups
- Less knockback than FThrow
Same story as FThrow, though mostly just used when your back is facing the ledge.
Combo Gameplan
A general idea of what to do at general percent ranges. Mileage will vary depending on the opponent’s character, so use this as a stepping stone and get creative!
Low Percents
A lot of Orcane’s starters need some extra help before his damage output kicks up. Build percent with droplet, throws, or stray strong hits until CC and Floorhugging stops working against DTilt and UpTilt.
Anti-CC
At lower percents, a lot of Orcane’s combo starters will lose to CC and Floorhugging. If you find your opponent crouching a lot, go for DAir>Throw as a way to start your offensive. Stray hits like the tip of DTilt may lead to the opponent mashing a low attack or holding shield; DAir can cross up shield or high-profile lower attacks.
FTilt is also excellent at breaking floorhug’s advantages, typically grounding the opponent at around 20-30%.
Launchers
Using attacks like UpTilt or DTilt to launch the opponent will get your damage really going once the opponent can’t floorhug your starters.
Hitfalling
Hitfalling NAir is the cornerstone of your offensive. By hitfalling NAir, you can follow up with another aerial or UpTilt. Repeating this can tack on a lot of damage fast.
Mid Percents
Orcane’s starters begin linking into aerials and other tilts cleanly. There’s a lot of combo potential here, so get creative!
DI Scares
Around 50-70%, certain attacks can start killing or sending far offstage on bad DI. Look for the opponent attempting to DI offstage and hit them with NAir chains or BAir, then start your edgeguard. FTilt starts sending opponents at a nasty angle on DI out as well.
Hitfalling
Much like lower percents, hitfalling NAir is still one of your greatest combo extension tools. At these percents, NAir begins following up cleanly into BAir if hit in reverse, or empowered strongs if the DI is right.
High Percents
Orcane’s signature combos start falling off, leaving you with 2-3 piece combos. Start working towards your kill moves or finishers to initiate edgeguarding sequences.
PositioningIf you land an attack but can’t go for a kill, choose your next attack to improve your current position or stage presence. NAir is an extremely safe attack with good knockback at higher percents if you can’t connect an UpAir or BAir.