Halberd
Kirby Kirby Super Star   Halberd | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
    The Halberd as it appears inSmash. | |||||||||
| Universe | Kirby | ||||||||
| Appears in | Brawl SSB4 (Wii U) Ultimate | ||||||||
| Availability | Starter | ||||||||
| Crate type | Futuristic (Brawl andUltimate) Normal (Wii U) | ||||||||
| Maximum players | 4 (Brawl and Wii U) 8 (Wii U Ω form,Ultimate) | ||||||||
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| Article on WiKirby | Halberd | ||||||||
TheHalberd (戦艦ハルバード,Battleship Halberd) is aKirby stage introduced inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl and returning inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate as afamiliar stage. It isMeta Knight's airship featured inKirby Super Star, used for combat. It was first unveiled atE3 2006. InUltimate,Meta Knight is fought here for his unlock battle.
Stage overview[edit]
The stage begins in a hangar, which then opens up, lettingMeta Knight's airship take off. Any players still on the floor of the hangar at this time will be KO'd, as the takeoff speedily drops the hangar through the bottom blast line. A platform rises from the center, taking the characters with it. It then proceeds to float around in the sky, with the Halberd flying in the background. One minute into the match, the platform lands on the Halberd itself, in front of the Combo Cannon, a boss fromKirby Super Star that interferes by locking on to one player with 3 attacks. The main cannon shoots a blast of energy which hits multiple times, dealing heavy damage and strong knockback. The arm swings back and forth for a few seconds, and then extends out to snipe a player, dealing weak horizontal knockback inBrawl, and very strong diagonal knockback inUltimate. The giant cannon shoots powerful cannonballs which explode on impact, dealing heavy horizontal knockback inBrawl, and moderate vertical knockback inUltimate. The platform rises above the ship after a while, and returns to the bridge later again. The platform never revisits the hangar. The process repeats until the match ends.
The Combo Cannon[edit]
TheCombo Cannon is a weapon onboard the Halberd. It comes with a beam cannon, a cannon that shoots cannonballs, and a large mechanical arm. It is one of the main hazards of the stage. Unlike in the original game and its trophy description, the arm doesn't hold on to players, but instead collides with them, doing damage and knockback.
Ω forms and Battlefield form[edit]
InSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, theΩ form features a flat platform with similar designs to the normal platform which orbits around the Halberd. Characters can no longer pass through the platform from below. The shipyard is never seen as the platform starts in midair and never lands on the deck of the ship. Star KOs can occur here.
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Ω form andBattlefield form are set on a similar platform toSSB4's Ω form that is resized and reshaped to matchFinal Destination andBattlefield, respectively. The threesoft platforms of the Battlefield form resemble the soft platform of the normal form.
Ω form inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Ω form inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Battlefield form inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hazards Off[edit]
With stage hazards turned off inUltimate, the Combo Cannon does not attack the fighters in any way. The main platform still goes through its usual cycle.
Origin[edit]
This stage is fromKirby Super Star. In the sub-gameRevenge of Meta Knight, Meta Knight attempts to take over Dream Land using an airship known as the Halberd. In order to stopMeta Knight,Kirby must infiltrate the airship and destroy it from the inside. The Halberd inSmash is loosely based on its appearance inSuper Star, though it has a more streamlined design, which would become the basis of its design in laterKirby games.
At the beginning ofRevenge of Meta Knight, a cutscene is shown that depicts the Halberd flying out of a hangar, similarly to the beginning of this stage. The cutscene also depicts the Halberd flying over the ocean at sunset, which serves as the basis for the stage's backdrop.
As Kirby is destroying the Halberd, he comes across the ship's main artillery, theCombo Cannon. As its name implies, the Combo Cannon has two barrels: one that fires cannonballs, and another that fires lasers. It also has an arm that will try to grab Kirby. In this stage, the main platform lands in front of the Combo Cannon. The Combo Cannon has retained its ability to fire cannonballs and lasers, but the arm does not grab players as it did inRevenge of Meta Knight; rather, it will extend and damage players.
Tournament legality[edit]
InBrawl[edit]
This stage is usually a counterpick in most tournaments, because while the Combo Cannon's weapons are generally easy to see coming and have strategic merit, they have extreme power and can turn around a match with no effort by the opponent. The unusually low ceiling also gives an advantage to characters whose best KO moves deliver vertical knockback, such asFox,Snake, andKing Dedede. Fittingly, however,Meta Knight also gains a significant advantage here, as the main platform of the Halberd allowssharking underneath the stage, occasionally leading to the stage being banned from tournaments.
InSmash 4[edit]
Halberd was once again included in major rulesets as a counterpick in the early stages of theSmash 4 metagame. However, the unusually low ceiling and sharkable main platform were still present, and more characters other thanMeta Knight gained an advantage over other characters without good vertical finishers or aerial mobility. Coupled with the stage hazards being able to be taken advantage of, Halberd has been banned in major rulesets sinceMLG World Finals 2015.
InUltimate[edit]
Halberd is often banned inUltimate for similar reasons it was banned fromSmash 4, even with the ability to turn stage hazards off.
Update history[edit]
3.1.0
- Halberd's on-screen appearances and revival platforms locations have been changed.
Role in the Subspace Emissary[edit]
The Halberd is being commandeered as the mothership for theSubspace Army during the story, deploying quantities of Shadow Bugs that form into the army's forces. It also engagesFox in anArwing twice and theGreat Fox once, dispatching the latter with its Combo Cannon as the Halberd crashed intoThe Glacial Peak. In all these cases, the Halberd was too much for its attackers. While commandeered by the Subspace Army, it is piloted by a quintet offalseMr. Game & Watches, which then form intoDuon as a last resort to defend the ship. Near the end of the story, Meta Knight regains control of it and picks up his fellowfighters. The ship is later destroyed when it attempts a direct assault on theSubspace Gunship. Despite this, it still appears as part ofThe Great Maze.
It was later revealed in a post on the Smash Bros DOJO!! website that at some point prior to the start of the game, the Subspace Army stormed the Halberd and captured it. During the fight, Meta Knight was distracted by King Dedede, which allowed the Subspace Army to steal the ship. It is during this incident that King Dedede learns ofTabuu's true motivations. This is what prompts him to invent theDedede Brooches later. According to the DOJO post, this was originally supposed to be shown in a cinematic, but the scene had to be cut due to time constraints.
Trophies[edit]
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
Both the Halberd and Combo Cannon trophies are unlocked throughChallenges. The Halberd trophy is obtained by clearingEvent 3: Pink Ball Repulsion while the Combo Cannon trophy is obtained by clearingTarget Smash Level 5 in under 30 seconds.
- Halberd
Meta Knight's battleship, built to help Meta Knight take control of Dream Land. It's crewed by Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights and is equipped with the Combo Cannon and a shrimplike robot called the Heavy Lobster. In The Subspace Emissary, the Halberd appears and releases a massive horde of shadow bugs. These creatures form Primids and cause our heroes a lot of trouble.
:Kirby Super Star
Meta Knight's battleship, built to help Meta Knight take control of Dream Land. It's crewed by Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights and is equipped with the Combo Cannon and a shrimp-like robot called the Heavy Lobster. In The Subspace Emissary, the Halberd appears and releases a massive horde of shadow bugs. These creatures form Primids and cause our heroes a lot of trouble.- :Kirby's Fun Pak
- Combo Cannon
- The main gun of the battleship Halberd. As the name references, it has two guns--the top one shoots out slow-moving shells, and the bottom one fires a powerful laser. There's a mechanical arm at the base that is used to grab enemies and hold them to be blasted by the laser cannon. It has a wide attack range and once shot downDyna Blade after she aided Kirby.
- :Kirby Super Star
- :Kirby's Fun Pak
InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
- Halberd
- Kirby's rival, the masked warrior Meta Knight, constructed this ship to conquer Dream Land. Just in case you forget who owns it, the ship's bow is designed to look like his mask. How is a small guy like Kirby supposed to defeat a battleship?! Maybe he'll find a way inside...
- Kirby's rival, the masked swordsman Meta Knight, built this airship to take over Dream Land. Just so you don't forget who owns it, the ship's bow was designed to look like his mask. How's a little guy like Kirby supposed to take on such a giant battleship?! Guess he'll just have to find a way inside...
- Combo Cannon
- This giant cannon is the main weapon of the Battleship Halberd. Any invader will think twice when cannonballs and laser beams are brought to bear. You'll have to be really careful around these weapons, since even the platforms underfoot will try to lift you into the path of the beam. Watch out!
- This is the main weapon of the Battleship Halberd. Anyone planning to attack it will think twice when they see the cannonballs and laser beams it fires. If Kirby wants to get past this thing safely, he'll have to stay light on his feet. Even the platforms he walks on are out to get him – they'll try to lift him up into the beam! Watch out, Kirby!
Spirit[edit]
The Halberd appears inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Legend-classsupport spirit. It can only bepurchased atFunky Kong's Shack.
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Cost | Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 330 |  | Halberd |  | ★★★★ | 2 | Armor Knight | Kirby Series |
Glitches[edit]
Drill Rush/Aether glitch[edit]
- See also:Floor glitch
There is a glitch on this stage that involves going "inside" the solid platform on the second portion of the stage (when the flying platform lands on the front of the ship). It is mainly astalling technique, and it can be performed usingDrill Rush orAether. When using Drill Rush, it can be performed more reliable if Meta Knight is angled away from the stage at the end of the move, which Meta Knight will naturally do if thecontrol stick is angled vertically after executing the move. When using Aether, Ike needs to be facing away from the stage and is more consistent if the control stick is angled towards the stage as he ascends.
It is possible to jump back out, or get hit by an attack that knocks the staller up far enough. This technique is heavily discouraged in competitive play, though the large difficulty of performing it and it being extremely situational makes it a pretty minor problem, along with the fact that it can only be done until the stage moves on from that portion.
Performed using Drill Rush.
Performed using Aether.
Egg Lay glitch[edit]
There is a glitch in this stage that involves usingYoshi'sEgg Lay in the transition between the first and second portion of this stage. When used at the perfect timing it causes Yoshi to be the only one to remain visible on screen after both him and the opponent gets KO'ed before Egg Lay finishes. The opponent gets stuck in a glitched state and can still be attacked. If the opponent gets KO'ed then they turn pitch black after respawning and remain as such for the reminder of the match. It also affects thevictory screen.
The glitch being performed.
Ness turned pitch black after being KO'ed.
Ness's victory screen after the glitch.
Gallery[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
The beginning of the stage inBrawl.
Characters on the flying platform as it approaches the Halberd.
The Combo Cannon firing.
The Combo Cannon as it appears inSea of Clouds.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
The Halberd in flight inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U.
The Halberd's deck.
Meta Knight flying alongside the Halberd.
Meta Knight standing on the soft platform.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
The beginning of the stage.
The Halberd's deck.
Piranha Plant shooting a Spiky Ball atChrom on the stage.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | 戦艦ハルバード | Battleship Halberd |
 English | Halberd | — |
 French | Halberd | — |
 German | Halberd | — |
 Spanish | Hal Abarda | — |
 Italian | La Halberd | — |
 Chinese | Halberd | — |
 Korean | 전함 할버드 | Battleship Halberd |
 Dutch | Halberd | — |
 Russian | Алебарда | — |
 Portuguese | Halberd | — |
Trivia[edit]
- The Halberd,Pirate Ship,Luigi's Mansion, andCorneria are the only stages inBrawl to have their owntrophies.
- The Halberd and Combo Cannon trophies only appear in the 3DS version ofSSB4 despite the fact that they only appear otherwise in the Wii U version ofSSB4.
- If the laser targets a character that uses theDragoon, the crosshairs strangely move towards the screen until not visible. Most likely, the character is moved "behind the camera" when using the Dragoon, and the laser is targeting this location, moving in 3D space rather than being purely 2D.
- The Halberd's 3D model fromBrawl is used in the CG cutscenes ofKirby Super Star Ultra for the Nintendo DS. For this appearance,Masahiro Sakurai directly provided the model to the developers atHAL Laboratory.[1] Interestingly, the extending arm of the Combo Cannon is not animated, so it appears in itsbind pose.
- The Halberd's appearance in this stage is similar to how it initially appears in the Subspace Emissary; it is surrounded by dark red clouds, and odd sounds emanate from it on occasion.
- InSSB4 andSSBU, theOrange Ocean instead serves as the backdrop of the stage (It replaces the dark clouds below the ship inSSB4’s part).
- When the laser is being aimed inBrawl, one can see Meta Knight's insignia at each of the four corners after it locks on to a player.
- In addition, the "W" on the "Warning" sign at the beginning of the stage is an upside-down Meta Knight insignia.
- InUltimate, the followingAssist Trophies cannot appear on this stage: theMoon,Andross,Nikki (due to the dark background obscuring her drawings). Additionally,Marshadow cannot be summoned on this stage.
- Nightmare,Devil, and theSquid Sisters can only be summoned on the stage's Battlefield and Omega forms, with the addition of Marshadow as aPoké Ball Pokémon.
- InBrawl'sClassic Mode, Halberd will always be played on for Stage 5, as Stage 5 features opponents and allies from theKirby universe. Halberd is the onlyKirby stage eligible in Classic and All-Star modes, as the only otherKirby stage inBrawl isGreen Greens, which is aMelee stage, and thereby excluded from use in Classic and All-Star modes.
