Castle Siege
Castle Siege (攻城戦,Castle Siege) is aFire Emblem stage inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,Super Smash Bros. for Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was first revealed forBrawl atE3 2006. It is based upon themes and motifs from the series as a whole, rather than one particular title, due to the stage not resembling any game of the series. The stage takes place at an unnamed castle, transitioning between the castle's roof, its throne room and an underground lava cavern.
InBrawl andUltimate,Marth is fought here in his unlocking battle and, in the latter,Roy andRobin are also fought here in their unlocking battles.
Stage overview[edit]
The match begins on a small section of the roof of the castle, which has two elevated platforms. The castle itself is being bombarded with catapulted fireballs, but these do not affect the match.
After forty seconds, the ground begins to rumble, and the stage transitions into the throne room of the castle. It is awalk-off, as the floor reaches both of the lateralblast lines. There are four platforms, two of which are supported by statues. These statues can be attacked, and each one will break if it takes enough damage, which destroys the platform it is supporting. InBrawl andSmash 4, these statues can be hit byprojectiles, potentially blocking their travel, but inUltimate, the statues areintangible to indirect attacks.
After forty seconds in the throne room, the ground begins rumbling again, and the stage transitions to an underground cavern. It consists of a single large stone platform which balances on a stone spire, tilting in both directions.
After forty seconds in the underground cavern, the ground begins to rumble once more, as the stage transitions back to the first segment on the castle roof, and the cycle repeats.
While the stage is transitioning between segments, it is a temporary walk-off. This can have the effect of saving a character who would have been otherwise unable to recover, as the ground comes from beneath; for example,Bowser players attempting a stalledFlying Slam orGanondorf players attempting a stalled aerialFlame Choke. However, players must make sure to move to the center of the stage if it is not transitioning to the throne room, as when the stage is done transitioning, players that are on the sides of the ground will fall rapidly with the ground, easily causing aself-destruct.
Ω forms and Battlefield form[edit]
InSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, theΩ form is set on a completely flat version of the first segment of the regular form, the castle roof. The stage does not transform.
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Ω form andBattlefield form are set in the first segment of the normal form, and the main platform is similar in design toSSB4's Ω form; however, it does not extend below theblast line, and it is resized and reshaped to matchFinal Destination andBattlefield, respectively. The threesoft platforms of the Battlefield form bear the design seen on the platforms of the second segment, the throne room.
Ω form inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Ω form inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Battlefield form inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hazards Off[edit]
With hazards off inUltimate, the stage never transitions and remains in the first form atop the castle.
Origin[edit]
Throughout theFire Emblem series, the main objective for many chapters is to seize a castle, which is the inspiration for the theme of this stage. TheFire Emblem games typically depict castles as immense fortresses surrounded by woodlands, which provide extra defense for surrounding units. The first segment of this stage depicts one of these castles, where attacks are being launched from a forest in the background.
A common motif throughout theFire Emblem series is that many of the villains belong to a draconian race, or usedragons andwyverns in battle. The flags in this stage depict a dragon; while not identical to any particular flag in the series, it bears similarities to the flags ofDaein andDolhr, the main antagonistic nations inFire Emblem: Path of Radiance andFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, respectively.
In variousFire Emblem games,Ballista appear as ranged weapons. Specific varieties known asHoistflamme andPachyderm are used by a class known asBallisticians inFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light,Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, andFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. These projectile weapons launch flaming or explosive missiles at their targets. The weapons in the background of the stage are presumably similar, but are described as catapults, and are launching fireballs rather than explosives.
The second segment of the stage resembles a throne room; many major chapters in theFire Emblem series involving seizing a throne from a powerful boss, such as aGeneral. In the background of the indoor area, a General can be seen sitting on a throne; theBrawl andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U versions bear a resemblance to theBlack Knight fromFire Emblem: Path of Radiance andFire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, while theUltimate version wears more distinct red armor. Othersoldiers with red armor also appear throughout the indoor area; the opposing armies inFire Emblem games traditionally wear red. These soldiers wear full body armor and wield swords, similar to that of enemyArmor Sword units inRadiant Dawn.
The collapsing statues that appear in the throne room may have been inspired by the destructible terrain in various otherFire Emblem games, specifically being introduced inFire Emblem: The Binding Blade.The Binding Blade also introduced stages that take place in underground areas surrounded by magma, which have become a recurring theme throughout the series. The final segment of Castle Siege is designed to represent one of these areas.
Tournament legality[edit]
InBrawl[edit]
This stage is generally a counterpick, but may be a starter in less restrictive rulesets. Though the stage has mostly unobtrusive hazards, the layout changes can give advantages or disadvantages to certain characters. In particular, the second segment has walk-off blast lines; these can allow easy or early KOs, especially for characters withchaingrabs, such as theIce Climbers. The statues in the second segment also block projectiles, which can limit approach options for characters such asFalco orPikachu.
InSmash 4[edit]
Castle Siege was formerly included in rulesets as a counterpick, due to chaingrabs being non-existent and therefore not being abusable on the walk-off edges on the second segment. However, the second segment still has issues with the statues (which block projectiles and increase hitlag), as well as an unusually high top blast line. Combined with the walk-offs, the stage is seen as unfairly beneficial to characters with poor recoveries, such asLittle Mac; as a result, it was seen as too strong of a counterpick and has been banned in major rulesets sinceGENESIS 3.
InUltimate[edit]
With the introduction of thestage hazard toggle, Castle Siege doesn't transition past the first segment. Because of this, it was proposed as a legal stage during the earlier phases of theUltimate metagame. However, it quickly proved to be controversial due to its asymmetrical layout and small size, as well as the slanted floor giving a disadvantage to projectile-focused characters, and the camera on the bottom right sometimes obstructing the view and hindering recovery and edgeguarding attempts. The stage was legal early on at tournaments such asGENESIS 6, but it quickly fell out of favour with it being one of the least played stages in the tournaments where it is legal.
Gallery[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
Castle Siege inBrawl.
An entire view of the castle. The stage itself is on the lower right.
A view of the castle's moat and entrance.
Yoshi,Donkey Kong,Ike andZero Suit Samus fight on the top tier.
Marth and Ike stand on the top tier.
Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Ike and Zero Suit Samus on the middle tier.
Donkey Kong destroys one of the statues.
The four characters during the transition.
Marth and Ike on the underground tier.
The background of the underground tier.
The flag seen throughout the stage.
The General's sprite, seen on the throne in the background of the stage.
A sprite of a soldier seen in the background of the stage.
A second soldier, balancing his sword on its point.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
Castle Siege inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Fire Emblem Heroes-styled illustration from theSmash Bros. Countdown.
Bayonetta usingAfter-Burner Kick on the stage.
Young Link tossing abomb atWario on the third segment of the stage.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | 攻城戦 | Castle Siege |
 English | Castle Siege | — |
 French | Château assiégé | Besieged Castle |
 German | Die belagerte Burg | The Besieged Castle |
 Spanish | Castillo asediado | Besieged Castle |
 Italian | Il castello assediato | The Besieged Castle |
 Chinese (Simplified) | 攻城战 | Siege |
 Chinese (Traditional) | 攻城戰 | Siege |
 Korean | 공성전 | Siege |
 Dutch | Belaagde Burcht | Besieged Castle |
 Russian | Осада замка | Castle Siege |
 Portuguese | Cerco ao Castelo | Castle Siege |
Trivia[edit]
- Pokémon Trainer stands in the little parapet on the right when he's on the first scene of the stage; if there are 3 or 4 Pokémon Trainers, 2 will stand in the parapet on the right, while the others will stand in the smaller parapet in the background.
- InBrawl, pausing the game while the stage is going through a transition will allow the transition to end more quickly, since the game continues to load the stage while the game is paused. When viewing a replay of a match with such a pause, the game will slow down during the transition to accommodate for the lost time. A similar effect happens with special moves that involve character-switching. This was fixed inSmash 4 by having all segments of the stage loaded at once.
- If a match on Castle Siege goes intoSudden Death, it will begin on whichever segment the match ended on instead of always starting on the first section. This is likely done so the game doesn't have to reload the top level before Sudden Death.
- InSmash 4, there is a visual bug on the regular form of this stage: once the stage has transitioned, the sun in the background of the first scene no longer has its blue glow during subsequent visits, for the rest of the match.
- InUltimate, when playing on the 8-player version of the stage's Ω form, the location and size of the bonfires in the background are affected by the stage scaling, despite background elements typically being unaffected. This results in them being larger and further away than usual, and in particular makes it no longer possible to see the source of the black smoke coming from the castle on the right without utilising camera controls.
- InUltimate, the followingAssist Trophies can only appear on the Battlefield and Omega forms of this stage:Burrowing Snagret,Color TV-Game 15,Devil,Dr. Kawashima, theSquid Sisters, andKnuckles. TheMoon,Andross, andNikki cannot be summoned on this stage at all, likely due to some of the dark backgrounds.
- In theFire Emblem Heroes-styled illustration from theSmash Bros. Countdown depicting Castle Siege, the original flag emblem in the background is replaced with the emblem of theAskran Kingdom.
External links[edit]
| Stages inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl | |
|---|---|
| Starter stages | Battlefield ·Bridge of Eldin ·Castle Siege ·Delfino Plaza ·Distant Planet ·Final Destination ·Frigate Orpheon ·Halberd ·Lylat Cruise ·Mario Circuit ·Mushroomy Kingdom ·New Pork City ·Norfair ·PictoChat ·Pokémon Stadium 2 ·Port Town Aero Dive ·Rumble Falls ·Shadow Moses Island ·Skyworld ·Smashville ·Summit ·WarioWare, Inc. ·Yoshi's Island |
| Unlockable stages | 75m ·Flat Zone 2 ·Green Hill Zone ·Hanenbow ·Luigi's Mansion ·Mario Bros. ·Pirate Ship ·Spear Pillar |
 StarterMelee stages | Brinstar ·Corneria ·Onett ·Rainbow Cruise ·Temple ·Yoshi's Island |
| Unlockable Melee stages | Big Blue ·Green Greens ·Jungle Japes ·Pokémon Stadium |
| Stage Builder | Sample Stages ·CD Factory ·No KO |
| Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary | Midair Stadium ·Skyworld ·Sea of Clouds ·The Jungle ·The Plain ·The Lake ·The Ruined Zoo ·The Battlefield Fortress ·The Forest ·The Research Facility I ·The Lake Shore ·The Path to the Ruins ·The Cave ·The Ruins ·The Wilds I ·The Ruined Hall ·The Wilds II ·The Swamp ·The Research Facility II ·Outside the Ancient Ruins ·The Glacial Peak ·The Canyon ·Battleship Halberd Interior ·Battleship Halberd Exterior ·Battleship Halberd Bridge ·The Subspace Bomb Factory I ·The Subspace Bomb Factory II ·Entrance to Subspace ·Subspace I ·Subspace II ·The Great Maze |
| Stages inSuper Smash Bros. 4 | |
|---|---|
| Both games (new) | Battlefield ·Boxing Ring ·Duck Hunt ·Final Destination ·Gaur Plain ·Midgar ·Super Mario Maker ·Suzaku Castle ·Umbra Clock Tower ·Wily Castle |
| Both games (familiar) |  Dream Land (64) ·Hyrule Castle (64) ·Peach's Castle (64) |
| 3DS version (new) | 3D Land ·Arena Ferox ·Balloon Fight ·Dream Land ·Find Mii ·Gerudo Valley ·Golden Plains ·Living Room ·Magicant ·Mute City ·Pac-Maze ·Paper Mario ·PictoChat 2 ·Prism Tower ·Rainbow Road ·Reset Bomb Forest ·Spirit Train ·Tomodachi Life ·Tortimer Island ·Unova Pokémon League |
| 3DS version (familiar) | Brinstar ·Corneria ·Jungle Japes · Distant Planet ·Flat Zone 2 ·Green Hill Zone ·Mushroomy Kingdom ·WarioWare, Inc. ·Yoshi's Island |
| Wii U version (new) | Big Battlefield ·Coliseum ·Flat Zone X ·Gamer ·Garden of Hope ·Jungle Hijinxs ·Kalos Pokémon League ·Mario Circuit ·Mario Galaxy ·Miiverse ·Mushroom Kingdom U ·Orbital Gate Assault ·Pac-Land ·Palutena's Temple ·Pilotwings ·Pyrosphere ·Skyloft ·The Great Cave Offensive ·Town and City ·Wii Fit Studio ·Windy Hill Zone ·Woolly World ·Wrecking Crew ·Wuhu Island |
| Wii U version (familiar) | Kongo Jungle 64 ·Onett ·Temple ·Yoshi's Island ·75m ·Bridge of Eldin ·Castle Siege ·Delfino Plaza ·Halberd ·Luigi's Mansion ·Lylat Cruise ·Mario Circuit (Brawl) ·Norfair ·Pirate Ship ·Pokémon Stadium 2 ·Port Town Aero Dive ·Skyworld ·Smashville |
| Other | Ω form ·Stage Builder |
| Stages inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
|---|---|
| New stages | Battlefield ·Big Battlefield ·Cloud Sea of Alrest ·Dracula's Castle ·Final Destination ·Garreg Mach Monastery ·Great Plateau Tower ·Hollow Bastion ·King of Fighters Stadium ·Mementos ·Minecraft World ·Mishima Dojo ·Moray Towers ·New Donk City Hall ·Northern Cave ·Small Battlefield ·Spiral Mountain ·Spring Stadium ·Yggdrasil's Altar |
| Returning stages from | Dream Land ·Hyrule Castle ·Kongo Jungle ·Mushroom Kingdom ·Peach's Castle ·Saffron City ·Super Happy Tree |
| Returning stages from | Big Blue ·Brinstar ·Brinstar Depths ·Corneria ·Fountain of Dreams ·Fourside ·Great Bay ·Green Greens ·Jungle Japes ·Kongo Falls ·Mushroom Kingdom II ·Onett ·Pokémon Stadium ·Princess Peach's Castle ·Rainbow Cruise ·Temple ·Venom ·Yoshi's Island ·Yoshi's Story |
| Returning stages from | 75m ·Bridge of Eldin ·Castle Siege ·Delfino Plaza ·Distant Planet ·Figure-8 Circuit ·Frigate Orpheon ·Green Hill Zone ·Halberd ·Hanenbow ·Luigi's Mansion ·Lylat Cruise ·Mario Bros. ·Mushroomy Kingdom ·New Pork City ·Norfair ·Pirate Ship ·Pokémon Stadium 2 ·Port Town Aero Dive ·Shadow Moses Island ·Skyworld ·Smashville ·Spear Pillar ·Summit ·WarioWare, Inc. ·Yoshi's Island |
Returning stages from | Boxing Ring ·Duck Hunt ·Gaur Plain ·Midgar ·Super Mario Maker ·Suzaku Castle ·Umbra Clock Tower ·Wily Castle |
Returning stages from | 3D Land ·Arena Ferox ·Balloon Fight ·Dream Land GB ·Find Mii ·Gerudo Valley ·Golden Plains ·Living Room ·Magicant ·Mute City SNES ·Paper Mario ·PictoChat 2 ·Prism Tower ·Reset Bomb Forest ·Spirit Train ·Tomodachi Life ·Tortimer Island ·Unova Pokémon League |
Returning stages from | Coliseum ·Flat Zone X ·Gamer ·Garden of Hope ·Kalos Pokémon League ·Mario Circuit ·Mario Galaxy ·Mushroom Kingdom U ·Pac-Land ·Palutena's Temple ·Pilotwings ·Skyloft ·The Great Cave Offensive ·Town and City ·Wii Fit Studio ·Windy Hill Zone ·Wrecking Crew ·Wuhu Island |
| Other | Ω form ·Battlefield form ·Final stage (World of Light) ·Stage Builder ·Training |
 Fire Emblem universe | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | Marth (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Roy (SSBM ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Ike (SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Lucina (SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Robin (SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Corrin (SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Chrom (SSBU) ·Byleth (SSBU) |
| Assist Trophies | Lyn ·Black Knight ·Tiki |
| Stages | Castle Siege ·Arena Ferox ·Coliseum ·Garreg Mach Monastery |
| Item | Killing Edge |
| Other | Sothis |
| Trophies,Stickers andSpirits | Trophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits |
| Music | Brawl ·SSB4 ·Ultimate |
| Masterpieces | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light ·Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem |
