Overview
Helix is a very odd character that acts and plays very differently compared to any other fighter, as he is not only a gelatinous humanoid, but he also comes with abilities that no other fighter in the roster can do: being able to manipulate his body by stretching or squishing his form to avoid incoming attacks! Coming from the depths of ARMS Laboratory, here are the notes on what you need to know about this sentient goo. With this guide, you will not only learn the quirks of this specimen but also get a better understanding of how he can be played!
(For clarification, Helix has no gender, but for the sake of not confusing “It” with other terms or ARMS, I will refer to Helix as a “He.”)
Stats and Frame Data
ARM Girth: 3 / 5
Speed: 3 / 5
Jump Skill: 3 / 5
Size: ? / 5
Walk Speed: (From one side of sparring ring to the other.) 5.0 seconds
Grab Damage: 150 Base Damage
(Special Thanks to Augrunga (TheSnowballofCobalt) for the specific Frame Data!)
ARM Charge Duration
Charge Duration from Squishing: 3.5 Seconds
Charge Duration from Jumping: 2.5 Seconds
Charge Duration from Stretching: Unlimited
Default ARMS: Blorb, Ice Dragon, Guardian
Puddle/Squish Mode
Squish Change Duration: 0.083 seconds (5 frames)
Max Duration of Squish Form: 1.45 seconds (87 frames)
Tower/Stretch Mode
Change Duration: (amount of time from standing position to stretch mode)
0.15 seconds (9 frames)
Charge Delay: (amount of time between starting tower mode and gaining charge)
0.233 seconds (14 frames)
Charge Linger Duration: (amount of time charge stays after leaving stretch mode)
0.15 seconds (9 frames)
Abilities
Research shows that while Helix has average ARM Girth, Speed, and jumping abilities, his general size is unpredictable due to his ability to stretch and squish., however, he does not have a good way to dash while walking. Instead, he turns himself into a Puddle that can go under a great amount of attacks. By holding the jump Button, he can stretch his body to not only shift his body around to avoid attacks but his ARMS stay permanently charged until you let go of the jump button. He is one of the most evasive characters in the roster and arguably one of the most difficult characters to master!
PROS
Helix is able to permanently charge his ARMS as long as his body is stretched, He is also able to move his upper body around to avoid attacks.
Helix can duck under attacks allowing him to get a sucker punch or grab easily if the opponent is unable to predict the attack!
When Helix is stretched, or squished, the abilities influence the opponent’s aiming by their altitude. Meaning, once an ARM is launched, the opponent’s ARMS will be locked to the height where his chest/Upper Body would have been!
Helix has an extremely versatile playstyle. There is not just one type of Helix!
During the transition where Helix falls and lands, He has a few frames of invincibility that can help him avoid attacks that would otherwise hit other characters!
When stretched, Helix is not affected by various elements such as Electricity, Ice, or even Blind! This is because Helix gets knocked down when he is struck by an attack!
CONS
Due to using the dash button to squish himself, He is unable to properly dash. This makes it harder for him to dodge attacks without jumping.
While stretched, Helix is planted onto one spot. He may move his upper body around freely, but a Multi-shot ARM or Nunchuck type weapon will make it hard for him to stay in that position.
Helix can only jump to get out of his stretched position. This makes Helix more predictable on jump landings. Curved ARMS, such as a Birds and Boomerangs can pick Helix off easily once he lands as those ARMS angle downwards when launched.
Tower/Stretch Mode
Helix’s Stretch or Tower mode can seem very unsafe, but research shows that it is actually one of Helix’s safest options when on the offensive. Due to how aiming works, most ARMS tend to aim at Helix’s upper body rather than his lower half. He can also lean in a full circular motion, which can allow Helix to avoid attacks that would be more difficult to dodge otherwise.
Here are a good amount of ARMS that are able to be dodged easily through this ability:
Glove Type ARMS:
Most glove ARMS have to be aimed by the opponent, but are harder to curve and hit Helix at times. Shifting from one side to the other is your best chance as the Glove will be aimed at where your position was before you moved.
Curved ARMS:
Leaning back and forth can cause Boomerangs, Birds, Slapamanders and even Rams to whiff Helix. When done correctly, your arms may be grazed by the attack, but otherwise you will be completely unharmed. Be careful however as the bigger the ARM’s Size, the harder it will be to dodge.
This is a bit more advanced, but it can prove useful. You need to use Helix’s forward diagonal movement for the Whammer to whiff Helix. However, it is unwise to try this on a Charged Kablammer as the explosion can hit you while stretched.
Scorpio:
This ARM is easier to avoid than it sounds. When Scorpio is coming towards you, It won’t be affected by your movement until it jumps at you. If you listen carefully to the Scorpio, It plays a sound when it jumps. That’s your cue to move away from the Scorpio by shifting left or right.
Be aware that if your ARMS become disabled from multiple hits, you will immediately revert to your normal state. There are other ARMS that will be harder for you to avoid when stretched, such as Nades, Roasters, Dragon Lasers, Multishot ARMS, and even heavy ARMS. But that’s where the Squish Mechanic comes into play!
Squish/Puddle Mode
The Squish/Puddle Mechanic is very useful both on landing, and on getup or in neutral play. Due to the ARMS aiming mechanics, ARMS cannot go downward fast enough to hit Helix once they are launched at him. When done correctly, you will be able to avoid ARMS that would normally hit Helix if he were stretched or in his normal state! It is even possible to stay in this form indefinitely by pressing the Dash button again quickly. Helix can also attack while squished to protect or attack the opposing fighter!
It’s important to remember that if you are squished when the opponent punches, The ARM will be aimed towards Helix’s Torso. It’s best to wait for the right time to squish under attacks then jump out of the way from further incoming attacks! Be careful to what ARM you’re avoiding as well. An attack that clips your arms will automatically stop Helix’s Squish state and potentially take a bite out of your HP.
Advanced Movement Options
(Special thanks to KirbyGamer for Quick jump info)
Quick Jump:
Helix usually has to stretch to jump. While this is fine to do in most situations,his hurtbox is elongated by a few frames from pressing the jump button. This can potentially harm you if you’re late in trying to jump away from a Bird or other Curved ARM. However, pressing the Dash and Jump Button at the same time will allow you to jump without stretching Helix’s Body. If done right, the sound effect for Helix stretching will not play! Not only will this increase your evasiveness, but you are able to quickly launch aerial punches without the need to stretch!
Insta-Stretch:
Helix cannot physically dash so insta-countering is a bit difficult to do. However, if you press the dash button and then hold the jump button after an attack hits your shield, you can quickly stretch Helix’s Body after a small dash boost from his squish. Helix is also able to quickly jump out of an insta-counter which allows him to quickly avoid follow up attacks from the foe!
It should be noted that Helix can move faster by the combination of Dash > Jump > Air dash > Dash > Repeat.
With these movement and evasion options now disclosed for public viewing, it’s time to talk about the combative side of this gooey fighter, and how his playstyles can differ amongst different test subjects.
Default ARMS (Non + versions)
Blorb: Heavy ARM
Element: Blind
Uncharged Damage: 100
Charged Damage: 100
Blorb is a wacky ARM that bounces along the floor in an arc. Moving back while throwing it will make the arc even higher! It’s a very interesting Mixup/Aggressive ARM that can either pick off foes from a long distance with its bouncy grab or have a more aggressive playstyle in overwhelming your opponent due to it being a heavy ARM. Now one thing to note with the blorb is that the retract time is slow, so you will need to be accurate as well as not to over-commit your attacks as it can leave Helix defenseless if you miss. If you do hit the opponent with the Blorb, it will retract immediately upon impact letting you shoot the Blorb again! During its Rush, the ARM’s element becomes Blind-Explosion, and can cause major damage to your opponent’s Shield. If done right, you can break their shield and cause massive damage!
Ice Dragon: Medium ARM
Element: Ice
Uncharged Damage: 90
Charged Damage: 100
The Ice Dragon is a Zoning-based ARM that focuses its fire as a laser. It can be a great way to force pressure onto the opponent, or can be used to sweep the area under an opponent’s jump. It does however have a slight startup and endlag that can be punished, so it can only work well when Paired with another ARM that can block enemy attacks. I would suggest trying to use the Dragon as more of a punishing tool than a direct attack as the laser can be easily insta-countered and punished due to the dragon’s Endlag.
Guardian: Shield ARM
Element: Electric
Uncharged Damage: 80
Charged Damage: 100
This tactical Shield ARM allows Helix to create safe pressure onto the opponent. Paired up with the Dragon or Blorb, you can punish your enemies by influencing where they go while the Guardian slowly creeps up on them. This also benefit Helix as he is still able to Squish and Stretch while the guardian is still out. This can allow you to be more mobile than most characters if they use the guardian themselves. The Guardian has three phases as well as two inputs when using it.
The First phase and input is the initial launch of the Guardian. This phase can block any ARM upon launch and not take any damage. However, it will get knocked down by a heavy ARM due to it not fully launched.
The Second Phase is the Guardian’s movement phase. It takes three hits from any sized ARM or rush in order for the Guardian to be disabled for a few seconds leaving you vulnerable. Despite that health limitation, the health from the Guardian can be reset if you retract it before it runs out of durability
The Third phase is the thrust of the Guardian. This is where the second input for this ARM comes into play. It’s important to note that the thrust of the Guardian can be blocked by any attack and will retract back to you.
Be wary of shockwave and EMP users! this ARM is very subjectable to their effects!
Advanced Techniques
Shield/Dragon Canceling:
It is possible to cancel the ARM’s attacking animation by jumping or walking into the Guardian or Dragon. This allows you to quickly retract the ARM and use that it again! This can be used for Grab mixups to trick your opponent into thinking you are about to attack.
Forward Canceling:
This technique is a bit more interesting. While Stretched, and leaning back, if you shoot the Guardian or Dragon, then lean forward during its initiation phase, You can cancel out the ARM without changing your position. This can be much more unpredictable as the opponent won’t know whether you are sending your ARM out to attack or mixing up your options.
Playstyles
(Just for clarification, these ARM Combinations are just ideas for future subjects to try out, by no means are you required to stick by these sets.)
Aggressive:
Helix’s Evasion and mobility can be utilized to avoid attacks by constantly jumping and utilizing his invincibility frames to avoid incoming attacks. This allows you to apply pressure onto the opponent. ARMS with quick retraction time are recommended for this playstyle as they can consistently provide a good offense. A Shield ARM such as Clapback can also be used to avoid incoming attacks and repel them back.
Helpful ARM Types/Recommended Elements:
Glove ARMS, Multishot ARMS, Curved ARMS, Clapback, Fire, Explosion, Stun
Suggestion:
Slapamander/Clapback can be used as an extremely aggressive set while having the benefit of defense. If your opponent tries to jump and punch or grab you, The Clapback can counteract their aggression while the Slapamander can be used to punish anyone for evading.
Zoning:
Helix’s Stretching ability can allow a great amount of pressure as well keeping away the opponent from getting close. This can also be used as a way to quickly gain rush if the opponent tries to stall you out. This will force the opponent to try and find a way to get close to you as well as try to stop you from getting the upper hand! Long ranged ARMS and Lasers can benefit this type of playstyle, as can certain Gloves ARMS that quickly gain rush!
Helpful ARM Types/Recommended Elements:
Glove ARMS, (Specifically, Buff, or Toasters), Missile ARMS, Multishot ARMS, Dragon ARMS, Fire, Wind, Ice, Electric
Suggestion:
Popper/Dragon can be used as a way to force your opponent to move where you want them. Using the Popper will force the opponent to jump or dash away from the attack. If they fail to avoid it, they will be blown back to square one, However, if they avoid the Popper, you can use the dragon to predict where they will dash, land or jump to! Do note that the Popper can easily be knocked down by heavier ARMS.
Defensive:
A more uncommon type of Playstyle is a more reactive playstyle. These type of players can react to the opponent and use their ARMS as a way to defend themselves while attacking. A good amount of Heavy ARMS and light ARMS can benefit this playstyle as you can utilize the Heavy ARM as a shield to block incoming ARMS and use the light ARM to poke at the opponent.
Helpful ARM Types/Recommended Elements:
Hammers, Mega ARMS, Shields, and light or Medium ARMS to poke after the Heavy ARM deflects incoming attacks. Fire, Electric, Wind, Stun, Explosion
Suggestion:
Lokjaw/ Phoenix is a good Combo as it is a great way for providing a wall when Lokjaw launches a projectile as well as the ARM itself to provide pressure. Phoenix can be used to catch anyone who tries to dash away from the Lokjaw after shooting the Projectile!
Mix-Up:
This is a more tactical Playstyle where you utilize every movement option that Helix has, but do not stay with that option for too long; this is a style that relies on the unpredictability of your actions. With this Playstyle, the elements you use are more important than the ARMS themselves as you are focusing on how best to approach your opponent.
Recommended Elements:
Different combinations of elemental ARMS such as Ice/Explosion/Electric, or Poison/Blind/stun, can help as they can allow detrimental effects to set up mind-games towards your opponent. The only limit here is what you’re willing to try.
Suggestion:
Brrchuk/Triblast is a interesting combo as you can use Brrchuk to block incoming Medium ARMS and use Triblast to poke at your Foes, you can also use Brrchuk as a way to attack when you jump, further increasing your unpredictability!
Conclusion:
All of this information might be a lot to take in, But there’s a reason why Helix is one of the most technical characters in ARMS. If you can learn to master Helix’s movement options and limits, You may be able to become the most formidable fighter in the ARMS League and surprise your rivals with abilities and tricks that no other fighter is capable of doing. Thanks for reading, and may the knowledge you’ve learned here stretch your limits further than before.
Linkable (@Hatenalinkable)