Patch v1.6

Another net buff. Drift multipliers have been adjusted to make Epinel's ladder combos more reliable. D-Special has been buffed to KO earlier based on fall distance, to incentivise making use of said ladder combos. D-Tilt has been overhauled, and now has more obvious uses than it did before. Expect a patch following this to tone down any areas that were dialled too high.

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Cosmetic changes
-*5* new palettes, including palettes contributed by Equinox, Jblockman1 and Supersonic.
-By request, palettes 2 (dark blue) and 7 (light blue) have been swapped again.

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Stat changes
-Air Accel when rising: 0.15 -> 0.16

Platform Changes
-Platforms no longer break into projectile shards when Epinel loses a stock or gets parried.
-Dash Attack now interacts with platforms.

Inertia Changes
-Performing a ground tech now removes Inertia.

General Move changes
-UAir, DAir, UTilt, Dash Attack and Jab3 now have a drift multiplier of 0.5x (mostly changed from 0.65x).
Jab2 and NAir now have a drift multiplier of 0.75x.

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Ground D-Special
-Floor projectile hitboxes now reach higher up from the ground
Now more reliable for stopping incoming projectiles and ground approaches.

Air D-Special
-Platform hit damage: 14% -> 13% per platform
-Final hit minimum damage reduced
-Final hit damage and knockback growth now increases with fall distance
-Final hit (without platform hits) stun multiplier: 0.8x -> 0.9x
-Final hit (without platform hits) base knockback: 3 -> 3.5
Now gives much better reward when ending ladder combos, but less reward when used low to the ground.

B-Air
-Sourspot hitbox enlarged at the base of Epinel's arm (same reach at maximum distance)
-Throw stun multiplier: 0.8x -> 0.9x
-Reduced Epinel's horizontal speed influence after throwing an opponent (1.2 -> 1)
-Sweetspot size increased
Slightly easier to option select at low percents.

D-Air
-Reduced forward momentum on startup (0.5 -> 0.25)
-Can now pass through platforms even after hitting an opponent.
This change allows D-Air to more easily catch opponents who have DI'd behind Epinel mid-combo.

D-Tilt
-Has been reworked
-Can no longer be jump cancelled
-Endlag: 7 -> 8
-Ground hit 1:
---Damage 6% -> 3%
---Now always flinches
-Ground hit 2:
---Damage 6% -> 3%
---Angle 90 -> 110
---Stun multiplier: 1x -> 0.9x
-Aerial hit:
---Angle 345 -> 275
---Knockback growth: 0.35 -> 0.6
---Extra hitpause: -10 -> -6
D-Tilt is no longer a 'crouch punish', and is no longer his easiest setup into sweetspot UStrong. The new knockback angles give it more versatile uses for positioning and comboing opponents.

F-Tilt
-Early sourspot angle: 34 -> 35
-Late sourspot angle: 34 -> 40
-Late sourspot damage: 4% -> 5%
Was still too punishing for opponents who DI'd out.

U-Tilt
-Front hitbox angles: 78 -> 79

F-Strong
-First active frame: 19 -> 18
-Sweetspot hitbox slightly enlarged towards Epinel's center

D-Strong
-SDI multiplier before final hit: 1x -> 0.5x

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Bugfixes

Fixed Ground D-Special cancelling itself while on a platform when a hard down press is input.
Fixed Ground D-Special sometimes not cancelling itself when a platform breaks from beneath Epinel.
Fixed Air F-Special sometimes not breaking a platform in its path.
D-Air and U-Air no longer restore Epinel's air-dodge if they touch the floor during the attack.
The new palettes may fix a bug that caused the game's Online modes to crash when switching from a base character's alternate/special palettes, to a workshop character who has fewer palettes.

Patch v1.5

This patch fixes a few major bugs before Frostbite, and finally brings Epinel's Strong Attacks up to par. I think Epinel is now in a good spot compared to the base cast and similar workshop characters. Fingers crossed, this will be the last significant change for a while.

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Cosmetic changes:
-Updated a couple animations.

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F-Strong
-Base knockback: 8 -> 7.5
-Sweetspot knockback growth: 1.05 -> 1.1
-Sweetspot hitbox size slightly reduced
-Sourspot knockback growth: 0.85 -> 0.9

D-Strong
-Final hit knockback growth: 0.9 -> 1
-Final hit angle: 48 -> 46

Air F-Special
-Can now be jump-cancelled (along with every other cancel) after bouncing off of a platform.

D-Tilt
-Reduced time between 1st and 2nd hit (6 frames -> 5 frames; 1 frame shorter animation overall)

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Bugfixes:
-Fixed a bug where D-Air's first hit would sometimes have zero hitstun or knockback, if the attack connected late while Epinel was touching a floor or platform.
-D-Special now has normal parry stun when the attack's floor projectiles are parried.
-Platform shard projectiles are now reflected as intended when parried.
-Air D-Special's initial grab now consistently deals 2% damage.

Patch v1.4

This patch revises Epinel's combo tools once again, rebalances his damage output, and improves the uses of his platforms. Most notably, his aerial attacks' have had their recovery times 'fixed' and are no longer as sluggish as before.

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Cosmetic changes:
-Reordered Epinel's palettes for online play.
-Some sprites adjusted for clarity.
-Epinel fidgets more and sleeps less.

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Stat changes:
-Knockback multiplier: 0.975 -> 0.98 (now lighter than previously)
-Fastfall speed: 13 -> 13.5
-Shorthop velocity: 6.5 -> 6.25
Weight now matches other 'middle-heavyweights' like Archen and Olympia, and keeps his powerful recovery in check. Higher fastfall speed improves his threat from above, while a lower shorthop lets him more easily approach shorter targets with B-Air.

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Platform changes:
-No longer causes pratfall when broken.
-Decay threshold raised to 250/1000 HP.
-Max speed increased while crumbling (3 -> 4)
No pratfall makes it safer for Epinel to use his platforms freely, instead of them posing a danger to himself.

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Inertia changes:
-Inertia no longer restores wall-jumps, except when hit by Up-B.
This fixes a bug where Epinel could recover infinitely by inflicting Inertia on himself.

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Air D-Special
-New tech: Can now snap to platforms by holding Shield during startup
A waveland input while performing Air D-Special allows Epinel to snap to platforms and control them easier than before.

N-Special
-Nspecial1 damage: 4% -> 5%
-Nspecial1 sweetspot damage: 1% -> 3%
-Nspecial1 endlag: 10 -> 9
-Nspecial2 drift multiplier: 1x -> 0.65x
-NSpecial3 damage: 9% -> 8%
-NSpecial now falls slowly during use.
-NSpecial falls faster during use if it has already been used once in the air.
-Now has 2 frames of cooldown on whiff.
Weakens air stalling, and makes NSpecial2 a stronger and more reliable combo tool.

F-Special
-Sourspot stun multiplier: 0.2x -> 0.15x

Air F-Special
-Sourspot stun multiplier: 0.2x -> 0.15x
-Increased threshold for breaking d-special platforms, now more reliable than before
-Superarmor no longer extends until the first active frame of the attack.
This move can no longer freely escape pressure, or completely trump certain characters' recoveries.

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B-Air:
-Throw damage: 0% -> 1%
-Throw angle: 70 -> 72
-Throw stun multiplier: 0.75x -> 0.8x
-Throw SDI multiplier: 1x -> 0.1x
-Throw drift multiplier: 0.75 -> 0.65
-Sour hit angle: 45 -> 50
-Sour hit knockback scaling: 0.65 -> 0.7
-Non-throw endlag: 15 -> 12
B-Air throw is now more rewarding, and both B-Air versions now have more consistent followups.

F-Air
-Endlag: 20 -> 19
-Meteor hitbox made more lenient
-Hurtbox increased to include Epinel's arm mid-swing

D-Air
-Second hit drift multiplier is now always 0.65x, regardless of whether the first hit connects or whiffs

U-Air
-Endlag: 17 -> 15
-Increased whiff cooldown by 2 frames.

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U-Tilt
Early hit angle: 75 -> 78
Epinel now jumps a margin higher than before (3 -> 3.2)
Landing lag: 6 -> 5

F-Tilt
-Early sourspot & late sourspot angle: 32.5 -> 34
Now less punishing when an opponent DI's poorly.

U-Strong
-Active time: 6 frames -> 5 frames
-'Upper' hitbox size slightly narrowed
-'Lower' hitbox active time shortened to 3 frames

Jab
-Jab2 damage: 5% -> 4%
-Jab3 damage: 5% -> 6%

Rest
-Knockback growth: 1.2 -> 1.15

Patch v1.3

This balance patch contains only a few drastic changes, this time in preparation for Frostbite. Epinel's more lacking KO moves have been scaled up, and his combos now reward correct guesses more consistently.


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New Features:
Epinel now has Abyss Runes; a set of modifiers that make him even more powerful than before. Try them out using the Abyss Rune Buddy by Supersonic: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1927636848

Epinel's rune effects include:

Tier 1
(A) DSPECIAL air speed and platform speed increased.
(B) Parrying inflicts Inertia.
(C) BAIR grab can be angled in all directions.
(D) Dash accelerates to top speed 2.5x faster.
(E) DSTRONG Spins 2.5x longer.
(F) NSPECIAL has a near-instant startup.

Tier 2
(G) DSPECIAL Platform size increased 40%.
(H) FSPECIAL deals full damage when travelling through an opponent.
(I) Jump-Cancel any move when standing on a DSPECIAL platform.
(J) Opponents in Inertia take +20% knockback.
(K) Double-jump is restored when an Inertia sweetspot connects.

Tier 3
(L) USPECIAL fields last 2.5x longer.
(M) Hitting an opponent in Inertia extends Inertia time.
(N) Platforms fire shards in all directions when broken.
(O) -25% Gravity.


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General stat changes
-Initial dash speed: 4.5 -> 4.6 (don't ask me for anything ever again)


Platform changes
-No longer decays upon reaching 150/1000 hp. An up-special, or a player landing on the platform is required to make it decay to zero.


Ground D-Special:
-Startup: 22 -> 17 (Projectile FAF: 18 / Melee FAF: 20)
-Endlag: 23 -> 21
-Reduced active time on ground projectiles. (20 frames -> 15 frames)
-Can no longer be cancelled into DStrong on a platform. (Can still cancel into D-Tilt, or jump-cancel -> wavedash)
Was previously too slow to let Epinel utilize platforms in neutral. Now it's more useful.

Air D-Special:
-The 'rising' part of the move can now be shortened by inputting a fast-fall.
-Fall speed accelerates a margin slower.
-Ground impact (without platforms) stun multiplier: 0.7x -> 0.8x
-Ground impact (without platforms) base knockback: 2 -> 3
-Ground impact (without platforms) knockback growth: 1.15 -> 1.1
-Ground impact (with platforms) knockback growth: 1 -> 1.1
-Grab-and-release angle: 25 -> 35

Ground F-Special:
-Main and sweetspot knockback growth: 0.65 -> 0.7
-Sweetspot angle: 60 -> 50
-Sweetspot stun multiplier: 1.4x -> 1.25x
-Fixed endlag: 17 -> 18


U-Air
-Drift multiplier: 0.75x -> 0.65x
-Angle: 94 -> 93
-Epinel can now drift during recovery frames if the attack connects.
Allows Epinel to continue combos after UAir more reliably.

N-Air
-5% damage 'sweetspot' removed; now always deals 4%
-Foot hitbox angle: 82 -> 83
-Epinel now loses less horizontal speed when bouncing off of an enemy (-20% -> -10%)

D-Air
-Horizontal movement boost increased (+10% -> +11%)
-Ground friction increased.
-Second hit, when first hit whiffs, drift multiplier: 0.75x -> 1x
-Second hit, when first hit connects, drift multiplier: 1x -> 0.65x

F-Air
-Meteor hitbox now works on both early and late hit (previously only meteored on a late hit. The early meteor hitbox must 'tipper' hit.)
-Meteor hitbox now matches animation, does not linger 1 frame longer than it appeared to.
-Meteor hitbox damage: 11% -> 10%

B-Air
-Sweetspot stun multiplier: 1x -> 1.05x
-Endlag (non-grab version): 14 -> 15
-The 'grab' version can now be activated by holding the 'Strong Attack' button.
-The 'grab' version no longer activates if holding 'Shield' during the hit.

Jab
-Jab1 and Jab2 hitbox size slightly increased.
-Jab3 angle: 45 -> 50
Now has easier followups for opponents DIing out.

U-Tilt
-Drift Multiplier: 0.75x -> 0.65x
-Now has a minimum jump height on hit. (fixes cases against superarmored and super-heavy opponents)

F-Strong:
-Base knockback: 7.5 -> 8
-Startup friction increased. (0.15 -> 0.18)

D-Strong:
-Final hit knockback growth: 0.85 -> 0.9
-Final hit angle: 50 -> 48


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Bug Fixes:
Epinel can no longer create platforms with D-Special when playtesting. (Credit to Muno)
Fixed bug where Epinel could perform any grounded attack by drop-cancelling D-Special.
Fixed bug where Epinel could not double-jump again after a Gravity Drop. (Credit to Archytas, Spyker and Deos)

Patch v1.2

Hotfix patch that makes Epinel's aerials feel more natural and in line with the RoA base characters. Drastic balance changes will wait until after the Genesis 7 tournament.

Stat Changes:
-Waveland speed multiplier: 1.25x -> 1.225x
Epinel's wavedash speed no longer outmatches his normal dash speed over long distances.

NAir
-Has less upward momentum on startup.
-No longer makes Epinel bounce upwards if the player is holding 'down'.
-Now bounces no more than once per NAir, even if it hits multiple targets.
-Hitbox is slightly less disjointed beneath Epinel.
NAir is now easier to hitfall, and is less punishing when the hitfall window is missed.

FAir
-Has less upward momentum on startup.
-No longer has upward momentum during endlag.
FAir previously had extra upward momentum to help prevent SDs off-stage. This had the side-effect of making the move feel unnatural to use on-stage, so it has been removed.

U-Air
-Has less upward momentum on startup.
-Can now be hitfalled on any frame that the move connects.
-Landing lag increased: 4 -> 9
Previously U-Air could only be hitfalled on a late hit. Now it works like any other aerial would.

B-Air
-Has less upward momentum on startup.

D-Air
-Has less upward momentum on startup.

UStrong
-Damage: 12% -> 11%
Easier NAir and UAir hitfalls make it easier to confirm into UStrong. UStrong's damage has been slightly adjusted to compensate.

Dash Attack
-Initial grab no longer has a screen-shake effect.

Patch 1.1

Epinel's first balance patch in preparation for G7. This update largely keeps Epinel's stengths intact, but lessens some of Inertia's extreme uses, and curbs his ability to stall offstage. His initial dash speed has also been increased a little.

Features Added:
-Two new alternate palettes.

Inertia changes:
-Inertia now has a speed cap of 5 when an affected player is not in hitstun.
-A player with Inertia must now be 250 pixels above the top blastzone to be KO'd, previously 200.
-Inertia now expires sooner when an affected player is using Up-Special.
-Inertia now always returns the player's wall-jump when the effect ends.
-Inertia can now be slightly affected by constant upward velocities (e.g. Absa double-jump).
These changes are aimed to make the Inertia mechanic more fair to a wider variety of characters. In addition, Inertia now has a speed cap to prevent making other characters self-destruct too easily.

Platform Changes:
-Platforms now decay faster when being stood on, while positioned close to the left or right blast zone.
This change lessens now long Epinel can safely stall off the edges of the map.


Stat changes:
-Shorthop velocity: 7 -> 6.5
-Initial dash speed: 4.25 -> 4.5
-Dash speed: 4 (minimum) 9.5 (maximum) -> 4.25 (minimum) 8.5 (maximum)
-Dash now takes a longer time to accelerate to maximum speed.
-Dash acceleration no longer resets when turning.
-Increased fastfall threshold (-1.20 -> -1.24)
These changes are aimed at making Epinel feel more natural to play. Shorthop BAir is now easier to land on normal-height opponents, and his fastfall threshold is more lenient to account for his unusual gravity. his initial dash speed is less crippling than before, and his maximum dash speed both easier to build up and easier to control.


UTilt
-Can now slide off ledges while grounded.
-Now has less horizontal momentum on use.
No longer halts momentum when using UTilt off a ledge. Reduced horizontal momentum balances out the initial dash increase.

UStrong
-Now has less horizontal momentum on use.
Balances out the initial dash speed increase, keeping his DACUS about the same strength.

Dash Attack
-Startup: 11 -> 12 (First Active Frame: 12 -> 13)
-Knockback Growth: 0.7 -> 0.75
Now KOs slightly earlier, and has an increased startup to compensate for Epinel's higher initial dash.

UAir
-Now gains less height and horizontal distance when used consecutively.
This change reduces Epinel's capacity to stall off-stage.

DAir
-Now gains less height when used consecutively.
Same as above.

Air DSpecial
-Escape threshold adjusted. Is now significantly harder to escape when the grab connects at a high altitude. Inversely, it is now easier to escape when the attack is used low to the ground or below the stage.
-Epinel now gains less height when the move is cancelled or escaped.
-Endlag increased when the move is cancelled or escaped. (20 -> 23 frames)
These changes make DSpecial significantly more reliable when used on-stage, and when the move connects high in the air. 'Epicides' before 100% are now much less likely without these preresiquites. In addition, shield-cancelling DSpecial is no longer as useful for stalling off-stage.

USpecial
-No longer retains speed from a double-jump cancel.
-During endlag, Epinel now regains horizontal control 5 frames later.
Epinel can no longer abuse tap-jump-protection to gain additional height during USpecial. His horizontal movement has been narrowed to better affirm USpecial's use as a vertical recovery.


Bugfixes:
Fixed Kirby using the incorrect Kirby ability (now uses Kragg ability).
Fixed Epinel being unable to move during certain attacks while his ability has been copied by Kirby.
Fixed Kirby causing Epinel to self-destruct when touching Inhale's windbox during FSpecial.
Fixed DTilt sprite alignment.
Fixed hurtbox desyncs when Epinel cancels Air FSpecial or DSpecial into ground FSpecial or Dspecial.
Fixed hurtbox desyncs when Epinel cancels Ground DSpecial into DTilt or DStrong.
Fixed Air DSpecial landing hitboxes not putting Epinel into Parry stun.

v1.0