SSL Neera Li
Credit to Dimpsuu for the base sprite and Snolid for bit crushing the sound effects
Neera Li from the Freedom Planet series, right hand woman to the Royal Magister of Shang Tu and known as the "Frost Knight", downsizes to the 8 bit pixel world of SSL and joins Lilac. She is a master of the Naginatajutsu fighting style and wields a Cryo Staff, a piece of Earth Dragon technology capable of distilling pure energy and turning it into ice. The wielder of the Cryo Staff can then shape this ice into any shape that they like making it easily mistakable for magic, but the energy consumption of this thing limits it from being too powerful. She did however pick up some new tricks from her trip to Eden/
This is a different take on the character compared to the Rivals version and some mechanics work slightly differently. Moveset is as follows:
Jab/Nair: Neera channels her staff’s energy into her body and activates a Focus mode, indicated by a rotating sigil behind her. While in this mode, Neera moves faster and her physical attacks have less startup. It drains the staff’s meter while using it and her Focus and ice moves will go on cooldown while the staff recharges. It charges slowly but hitting opponents with physical attacks will recharge the staff quicker. Or you can attack to extend the duration of Focus.
Alternate Jab/Nair: Ice Lasoo: While in Focus mode Jab and Nair changes to Neera’s Signature Frost Art Ice Lassoo. As someone who frequently rounds up criminals, Neera uses ice powers to take them into custody by swinging the staff in an arc to generate a circular wave of frosty energy that instantly freezes anyone it comes into contact with. Frozen opponents will remain stunned in place for a short period of time but can instantly be broken out by Neera attacking frozen opponents with her staff.
Ftilt and Fair: Spear Drive. Second move varies depending on whether you are in the ground or in the air. Neera will poke forward with her staff. Pressing the attack button again while in this mode will see Neera thrust forward at a faster rate than she can normally move while growing huge icicles out of the staff. In the air Neera will spin around like a corkscrew and drill into the opponents with her staff, reshaping the ice for lethal effect. This move hits about seven times in a row!
Dtilt: Sniper Drive: Neera crouches and stabs the spear low. This is a fast poke which can be followed up by pressing the attack button again to shoot an ice shard from the tip of her staff.
Utilt: Baton Drive: Neera Spins her spear above her head and hits opponents up to a total of two times. The second hit has high scaling and can be used as a kill option.
Uair: Tundra Ray: Neera’s Main recovery option is unconventional. She spins her staff so fast above her head that she hovers in place doing so and the staff’s ice powers kick in to create a huge blizzard above her head. This blizzard blows enemies who are already in hitstun upwards while damaging them, but won’t do anything to opponents who aren’t in hitstun, so opponents wishing to contest her recovery can take a bit of extra damage to compete with it. This move completely drains Neera’s Focus meter but she can still use an alternate recovery where she uses the spear like a helicopter to fly upwards while its recharging.
Bair: Snow Cone: Taken from Duelists of Eden, it turns out Neera’s staff was capable of a lot more than what she had used it for before. She was able to take one of those Ice spell cards and recreate it as a Frost Art. Neera shoots a series of icy whirlwinds out of her staff that cover a large area. This drains the Focus meter completely and this move is on cooldown whenever Neera’s staff is recharging
Dair: Hammer Drive: Neera slams the spear downwards and a large icicle envelops it. This is a powerful move that spikes early and hits hard in the late hit, making this her best aerial kill option.
Neera is a very slow character with poor recovery but makes up for that with strong moves with a lot of knockback, a lot of range with her spear and ice powers and the ability to stun opponents to make closing up to them quickly. Take on this panda if you dare!
