Introduction
Sceptile is a speed class character in Pokkén Tournament and Pokkén Tournament DX. As a trapper and mix-up fighter, Sceptile's playstyle focuses on the following:
- Restricting the opponent's options with traps and punishing escape attempts on reaction
- Opening up opponents with frame traps, pokes, armored options and long combos
- Applying fast movement speed and feints to bait and punish opponents
Sceptile has average HP and slightly below average damage output. Sceptile requires higher than average execution in order to deal significant damage, maintain advantage, and avoid his weak disadvantage state. The best Sceptile players specialize in smooth movement, consistent execution ability, and reaction speed.
Sceptile is among the fastest characters in the game. Sceptile has access to top tier jump speed and counter attack dash cancel speed. In addition, many moves can be cancelled into quick dashes for mix-ups or combo follow-ups. By holding R while in the air, you can use Hang to halt your momentum instantly in mid-air and catch your opponent off guard. As Sceptile's attacks are not as fast as his movement speed, make good use of spacing, traps, dash cancels, and other tools to cover yourself after you attack.
For duel phase, Sceptile excels in neutral and advantage with long reaching pokes, traps, and a great bait and punish game. Sceptile's damage output can be enhanced by using 8Y to guarantee a minimum 6 second defense debuff. On knockdown, Sceptile can lie bullet seeds on top of the opponent for a scary 50/50 mix-up on wakeup, where the opponent must either block bullet seed, or throw crush if Sceptile cancels the bullet seed into a grab. However, in duel phase disadvantage state, Sceptile is hindered by his large hurtbox, lack of a grounded frame 11 attack (outside of grab), and riskier than average grab crushes. Sceptile's disadvantage state risks becoming predictable as Sceptile overwhelmingly favors jumping to escape, using 4X to crush throws and avoid highs, and relying on a strong CA that leads into a corner swap for an extended combo.
For field phase, Sceptile has great tools available including a low profile move, anti-airs, dash cancels, and trap setups. However, Sceptile's moves are more sluggish in this phase, either having increased startup or increased cooldown when compared to duel phase. Characters like Shadow Mewtwo and Braixen perform well against Sceptile in field phase thanks to their quick long ranged attacks and projectiles. Support picks like Emolga or Snivy can be useful for gaining the upper hand in field phase.
Sceptile's Burst Mode is one of the strongest in the game and benefits from versatility. It can be used offensively while in advantage to secure a round, or while in disadvantage to escape Sceptile's weak disadvantage state. Some unique Burst Mode benefits include but are not limited to increased Y+B grab damage for scarier grab mix-up potential, faster trap activation to apply more pressure, and a powerful CA burst attack dealing extra damage when used against attacks.
Sceptile rewards nimble players that are detail-oriented, express themselves through creative play, and that enjoy the mental-game aspects that come with playing a mix-up character. Sceptile enjoys a strong match-up spread against most fighters. His weaknesses can be mitigated if the player practices strong, consistent execution and smart use of traps.
| Sceptile #PTDX_SCP | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vitals | |
| HP | 570 HP |
| Shield Health | 600 SH (Normal) |
| Synergy Gauge | 200 CC |
| Burst Mode Duration | 840F (14 sec) |
| Movement | |
| Back Dash | FP (29F) / DP (33F), 1-8F Strike/Throw Invuln, Cancelable on Frame 25 |
| Side Dash | 37F 5-14F Projectile Invuln, Cancelable on Frame 25 |
| Forward Dash | 21F (Cancelable on Frame 13) |
| Unique Movement Options | Hang |
| Stances | |
| High Stance | Heal 6 Recoverable HP/60F |
| Low Stance | High Invuln. on Frame 1 |
General Moves
Burst Mode
| Attack Type | Damage | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv. | Block | Properties |
| Burst Wave | 0 | -12 | Mid | BA (projectile) | i18 | 48 | +8 | 0 | 1-48F Total Invuln, Pierce |
sY and Leech Seed now throw double the amount of traps. Faster activation for Bullet Seed, Leech Seed, sY, and field j.Y. Increased Y+B grab damage in field and duel phase, as well as lengthier Y+B grab animations. Gains Access to Dragon Breath: A true mid follow-up attack to Leaf Blade with a wide area of effect. |
Burst Attack: Forest's Flash
| Attack Type | Damage | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Counter (strike) | 190 (50) / 140 (35)* | 12 | Mid Low | BA (strike) | i23 | 76 | Knockdown | 0 | 1-20F Counter Armor, 21-41F Total Invuln, Pierce |
Sceptile quickly rushes forward and strikes. * Landing Forest's Flash from max distance will cause it to not go into the animation. |
j.R Hang
| Recovery | Properties |
| Until landing +28 | Air Actionable on Frame 25 |
Sceptile hangs on a vine from above. Sceptile slowly descends and falls off the vine over time. Pressing R manually lets Sceptile jump off the vine. After jumping off the vine, Sceptile can land in any direction. |
Y+B Grab Attack
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv |
| Y+B Grab Attack | Grab | FP 80 / DP 90 | 12 | Ground Only | 1 | i11 | 49 | FP Shift (0) / DP Shift |
| Burst Y+B Grab Attack | Grab | FP 120 / DP 149 | 12 | Ground Only | 1 | i11 | 49 | FP Shift / DP Shift |
X+A Counter Attack
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| X+A Counter Attack | Counter (strike) | 70 | 60% | 3 | Mid | 4 | i27 | 65 | +8 | -8 | 1-20F Counter Armor, Knockdown on Crit, Forward/Side Dash Cancelable on Frame 9, Back Dash Cancelable on Frame 17 |
| [X+A] Charged Counter Attack | Counter (strike) | 83 | 60% | 3 | Mid | 6 | i47 | 85 | Hard Launch | +4 | 1-40F Counter Armor, Forward/Side Dash Cancelable on Frame 9, Back Dash Cancelable on Frame 17 |
Field Phase Attacks
nY
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (projectile) | 20 each | 10% each | Special Mid | 2 | i23 | 9 | 56 | +5 | -7 | Special/Dash/fY Cancelable on Frame 31 |
Sceptile throws two shurikens to the side that travel in an arc. Holding the input causes the shurikens to stay in place. |
sY
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| sY | Normal (projectile) | 20 | 20% | Low | 1 | i62 | 5-8 | 56 | +76 | +25 | fY Cancelable on Frame 41 |
| sY GR (Growth) | Normal (projectile) | 42 | 20% | Mid | S | i216 / i156 (Burst) | 5-8 | 56 | +251 / +191 (Burst) | +180 / +120 (Burst) | Defense Down (opponent) for 390F on Hit |
Sceptile strafes to the side and throws out a shrub. The shrub is planted to the ground and stuns the opponent on contact. After a period of time, the shrub explodes and stuns the opponent. The Defense debuff lasts for 6.5 seconds. Holding the sY input throws the shrub even further. In Burst Mode, two shrubs are thrown and they explode faster. |
fY
| Attack Type | Damage | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike), Normal (projectile) | 90 | Mid | 4, 8 (projectile) | i11 | 1 | 75 | Shift (+1) | -17 | Throw Blast, Airborne on Frame 11 |
Sceptile does a flash kick motion. Afterwards, fires a vertical arc-shaped projectile that travels straight ahead. |
bY
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 30 each | 20% | Low | 1 | i23 | 1 | 191 | +4 | -39 | Throw Blast, High Invuln. on Frame 1, Dash/Jump Cancelable on Frame 22, Heal 30 Recoverable HP / Gain 14 CC of Synergy once complete. |
Sceptile first ducks. Afterwards, Sceptile surrounds itself with roots. During this time, Sceptile recovers from debuffs faster. |
j.Y
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Recovery | Hit Adv | Block |
| j.Y | Normal (projectile) | 10 each | 10% each hit | Mid | 1 | i19 | 9 | Until landing +27 | N/A | -8 |
| j.Y GR (Growth) | Normal (projectile) | 10 each | 10% each hit | Mid | 3 | i199 / i139 (Burst) | N/A | Until landing +27 | +242 / +182 (Burst) | +217 / +157 (Burst) |
Sceptile spins around and spawns a cloud of leaves. The leaf cloud has no hitstun. The leaf cloud disappears once coming in contact with the opponent, or if Sceptile is hit. After a period of time, the leaf cloud shoots six leaves that home in on the opponent. The leaves have hitstun. |
Homing Attack
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| X Homing Attack 1 | Normal (strike) | 30 | Mid | 4 | i21 | 1 | 55 | +4 | -8 | Throw Blast, Block/Jump Cancelable on Frame 1 |
| XX Homing Attack 2 | Normal (strike) | 10 | Mid | 4 | i53 | N/A | 79 | +8 | -4 | N/A |
| XXX Homing Attack 3 | Normal (strike) | 90 | Mid | 5 | i81 | N/A | 125 | Shift (+8) | -8 | Airborne on Frame 81 |
| XX[X] Charged Homing Attack 3 | Normal (strike) | 60 | Mid | 5 | i101 | N/A | 145 | Shift (+8) | Guard Break (+26) | Airborne on Frame 101, Pierce, Guard Break |
Sceptile homes in on the opponent and strikes with both arms, following up with a tail swipe and finishing with a slash kick combo. If Homing Attack 2 was blocked, there is a 28 frame window to punish a charged Homing Attack 3. |
j.X
| Attack Type | Damage | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Recovery | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 70 | Mid High | 4 | i21 | 4 | Until landing +37 | Shift (Knockdown) | -8 | 4-14F Strike/Throw/Projectile Invuln, Hang Cancelable on ~Frame 15 |
Sceptile disappears, then lands straight to the ground with a multihit slash. Can be canceled with j.R before the attack comes out. |
Duel Phase Weak Attacks
5Y
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| 5Y | Normal (strike) | 20 | 10% | 0 | Mid Low | 3 | i15 | 5 | 47 | +4 | -4 | Special Cancelable on Frame 25 |
| 5YY | Normal (strike) | 36 | 20% | 3 | Mid Low | 4 | i46 | N/A | 80 | +4 | -8 | Special/Dash Cancelable on Frame 50 |
| Charged - 5Y[Y] | Normal (strike) | 80 | 20% | 3 | Mid Low | 5 | i66 | N/A | 100 | Hard Launch | -4 | Pierce, Special/Dash Cancelable on Frame 70 |
A double hit arm swipe. |
6Y
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| 6Y | Normal (strike) | 30 | 0% | 2 | Mid Low | 3 | i19 | 9 | 48 | -5 | -9 | Airborne on Frame 5, Crumple on Crit |
| 6YY | Normal (strike) | 90 | 40% | 3 | Mid Low, Mid | 4 | i43 | N/A | 79 | +13 | -12 | Airborne on Frame 43, Hang Cancelable on Frame 70 |
| 6Y:Y | Normal (strike) | 120 | 60% | 3 | Mid Low, Mid | 5 | i44 | N/A | 80 | Hard Launch | -12 | Airborne on Frame 44, Hang Cancelable on Frame 71 |
Sceptile advances forward and shoves the opponent. Then, Sceptile throws out Its arms and does a curved slash. Invincible against Lows on frame 5. Powered up if the input for 6YY is delayed. If the opponent is grounded, then 6Y only combos into the normal variant of 6YY. 6Y does not combo into 6Y:Y unless the opponent is in mid-air. |
8Y
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 56 | 50% | 3 | Mid High | S+, 9 | i19 | 9 | 51 | +4* / +14** | -8*** / +2**** / +6***** | 5-18F High/Mid High Invuln, Defense Down (opponent) for 360F on Hit |
Sceptile spits out a poisonous cloud that lingers. On hit, gives the opponent a Defense debuff that lasts for 6 seconds. * +4 on hit against Pikachu, Pikachu Libre, Croagunk, Braixen, and Weavile. ** +12 on hit against everyone else. *** -8 on block against Pikachu, Pikachu Libre, and Croagunk. **** +2 on block against everyone else. ***** +6 on block against Braixen. |
2Y
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 40 | 20% | 0 | Low | 5 | i15 | 5 | 33 | +12 | -4 | High Invuln. on Frame 1 |
A low swipe to the ground. |
j.Y
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Recovery | Hit Adv | Block |
| Normal (strike) | 54 | 10%, 10%, 10% | 0 | Mid High | 3 | i11 | 1 | Until landing +13 | +20 | -8 |
Sceptile shoots a vine from its palm. Can be angled upwards by inputting j.8Y. Can be angled downwards by inputting j.2Y. |
Duel Phase Strong Attacks
5X
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| 5X | Normal (strike) | 80 | 20% | 4 | High | 5 | i19 | 9 | 57 | 0 | -12 | Crumple on Crit, Dash Cancelable on Frame 10, Special/Dash Cancelable on Frame 23 |
| Charged - 5[X] | Normal (strike) | 90 | 20% | 4 | High | 6 | i35 | 9 | 73 | Crumple | -8 | Pierce, Dash Cancelable on Frame 10, Special/Dash Cancelable on Frame 39 |
Sceptile steps forward and does a backhand attack. |
4X
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 60 | 40% | 2 | Mid | 5 | i19 | 1 | 47 | Soft Launch | 0 | Throw Blast, 5-35F High Invuln, Hard Launch on Crit |
Sceptile ducks and throws out a tail swipe. This is Sceptile's preferred Throw Blast option in duel phase. |
8X
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 70 | 50% | 4 | Mid High | 4 | i39 | 1 | 67 | Soft Launch | +8 | Throw Blast, Low Invuln. on Frame 5, Airborne on Frame 9 |
Sceptile jumps in the air and performs a flip kick. Can move while active. |
2X
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 80 | 20% | 3 | Low | 4 | i19 | 9 | 59 | Knockdown | -12 / +3* (Far) | High Invuln. on Frame 1 |
A sweeping slide. *Maximum safety on block when spaced perfectly. |
j.X
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Recovery | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| Normal (strike) | 50 | 20% | 0 | Mid High | 4 | i21 | 4 | Until landing +33 | +16 | -8 | 4-14F Strike/Throw/Projectile Invuln, Hang Cancelable on ~Frame 15 |
Sceptile turns invisible, then lands straight to the ground with a multihit slash. |
Pokemon Moves
5A Bullet Seed
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| 5A Bullet Seed: Preparation | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | FP 44 / DP 49 | N/A | N/A | 1-5F Throw Invuln, Low Invuln. on Frame 1, Airborne on Frame 5, Air Actionable on Frame 21 |
| 5[A] Bullet Seed: Preparation | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 44 | N/A | N/A | 1-5F Low/Throw Invuln, 6-30F Mid Low Invuln, Airborne on Frame 5, Air Actionable on Frame 21 |
| 5A~A Bullet Seed | Normal (projectile) | 70 (20) | 0 | 3 | Mid | 2 | i26 | 20 | Until landing FP +17 / DP +12 | FP -16 / DP +4 | FP -20 / DP -4 | Airborne |
| 5A~A GR Bullet Seed (Growth) |
Normal (strike) | 49 (18) | 10%, 10%, 10% | 0 | Mid | BA (strike) | i93 / i83 (Burst) | 20 | Until landing FP +17 / DP +12 | Hard Launch | FP (+41-56*) / DP (+70) | Destroys Projectiles while active |
Sceptile quickly leaps into the air. Can move while active, and can cancel into aerials. Quickly pressing the input causes Sceptile to do a short hop.
When A is pressed again, Sceptile shoots seeds from its hand and plants them into the ground. In Field Phase, the seeds are planted in a line. Can change trajectory. The seeds/vines disappear if Sceptile uses Giga Drain, uses Y+B grab, is hit by a move that launches/crumples/stuns/knockdowns/grabs, or is hit by any move while in mid-air. After a short time, the seeds grow into multi-hit vines that launch the opponent. *Burst Mode Hit Adv: FP +31-46 / DP +60 |
6A Leaf Blade
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| 6A Leaf Blade | Counter (strike) | 50 (13) | 50% | 3 | Mid Low | 4 | i23 | 65 | FP Shift (+4) / DP +4 | FP -20 / DP -16 | 1-16F Counter Armor, FP (Crumple on Crit) / DP (+32 on Crit), Destroys Projectiles while active |
| 6A Leaf Blade (Tip) | Counter (strike) | 100 (25) | 50% | 3 | Mid Low | 4 | i23 | 65 | FP Shift (Knockdown) / DP Knockdown | FP -20 / DP -16 | 1-16F Counter Armor, FP (Crumple on Crit) / DP (+32 on Crit), Destroys Projectiles while active |
| Burst 6AA Dragon Breath | Counter (projectile) | 90 (26) | 0 | 12 | Mid | S+ | i55 | 107 | Shift | -8 | N/A |
Sceptile slashes the opponent with a wide horizontal arc. Deals more damage and causes a knockdown if hit with the tip. In Burst Mode, Sceptile can follow up from Leaf Blade by throwing out a sphere of energy that instantly Phase Shifts on hit. |
4A Detect
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| 4A Detect | Counter (projectile) | 28 (34) | 20%, 20% | 0 | Mid | S | i51 | 51 / 87 (attack) | +60 | -12 | 1-25F Counter Armor Attack: [1-9F Counter Armor, 10-36F Strike/Throw/Projectile Invuln, Airborne on Frame 16, Air Actionable on Frame 36, Defense Down (opponent) for 450F on Hit/Block] |
| 4[A] Detect~Hanging Motion | Counter | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 114 | N/A | N/A | 1-25F Counter Armor, 37-63F Strike/Throw/Projectile Invuln, Airborne on Frame 43, Air Actionable on Frame 63 |
Sceptile is put into a counter state. Countering an opponent's attack causes Sceptile to vanish and leave a log, swinging overhead on a vine. The log shortly explodes, stunning and giving the opponent Defense debuff that lasts for 7.5 seconds. If the input is held, Sceptile vanishes and swings overhead, sans exploding log. |
8A Leaf Storm
| Attack Type | Damage | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Properties |
| Grab | 162 | 12 | Air Only | 1 | i19 | 56 | Shift (Knockdown) | 1-18F High/Mid High Invuln, Airborne on Frame 13,Strike/Throw/Projectile Invuln on Frame 19 ONLY, Low Invuln. on Frame 20, Gain Synergy / Attack Down (self) for 390F on Hit |
Sceptile leaps into the air and grabs the opponent. Some mid-air attacks can be grabbed on reaction, such as Blaziken's Blaze Kick. The Attack debuff lasts for 6.5 seconds. |
2A Giga Drain
| Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Total Frames | Hit Adv | Properties |
| Grab | 57 | 50% | 0 | Ground only | 1 | i27 | 69 | Hard Launch | Heal 30 HP / Drain Synergy Gauge (opponent) on Hit, Dash Cancelable |
Sceptile plants vines in the ground and grabs the opponent from afar. Inputting 1A sets Giga Drain closer to Sceptile. Inputting 3A sets Giga Drain farther away from Sceptile. Can dash cancel by inputting a direction and R before the attack comes out. |
j.A Leech Seed
| Version | Attack Type | Damage | Scaling | PSP | Height | Priority | Impact | Throw Crush Frame | Recovery | Hit Adv | Block | Properties |
| FP j.A Leech Seed | Normal (projectile) | 10 (3) | 0% | 0 | Mid | 2 | i27 | 9 | Until landing +27 | N/A | -22 / -20 (Burst) | Heal 5 Recoverable HP on Hit, 1-17F High Invuln. when landing, Cannot K.O. |
| FP j.A GR Leech Seed (Growth) | Normal (projectile) | 20 (5) | 20% | 0 | Low | 4 | i76 / i56 (Burst) | 9 | Until landing +27 | Crumple | +22 / +2 (Burst) | Heal 20 Recoverable HP on Hit, Cannot K.O. |
| DP j.A Leech Seed | Normal (projectile) | 10 (3) | 0% | 0 | Mid | 2 | i27 | 9 | Until landing +13 | N/A | -10 | Heal 5 Recoverable HP on Hit, 1-17F High Invuln. when landing, Cannot K.O. |
| DP j.A GR Leech Seed (Growth) | Normal (projectile) | 20 (5) | 20% | 0 | Low | 4 | i183 / i121 (Burst) | 9 | Until landing +13 | Crumple | +144 / +84 (Burst) | Heal 20 Recoverable HP on Hit, Cannot K.O. |
Sceptile throws out 2 seeds from above and plants them into the ground. Can change the trajectory of the jump by inputting a direction. The seeds have no hitstun.
After a short time, the seeds grow into plants that crumple the opponent. The seeds/plants disappear if Sceptile uses Giga Drain, uses Y+B grab, is hit by a move that launches/crumples/stuns/knockdowns/grabs, or is hit by any move while in mid-air. In Burst Mode, 4 Leech Seeds are thrown and they grow into the plants faster. |
Combos
Notable Players
- AfroKami (EU): Twitter
- Antwerp (AU): Twitter
- Ghostgodzilla (CL): Twitter
- Leafblade (EU):Youtube
- Momo (JP): Twitter
- Son_Dula (NA): Twitter
External Resources
Sceptile Beginner Guide
Sceptile Full Breakdown Guide
Sceptile Discord
Pokken Arena: Sceptile