Install Tech

Grimnir's install is broadly considered meme-tier, but believe it or not, it DOES give several serious and unironic advantages that can warrant pressing, especially in matchups where U skills aren't as necessary.

It opens up the ability to throw bait from anywhere, safely buffer full combos behind your lights, and move around in ways that are harder to predict. You can threaten airdash counterpoke from any position, and you can convert any hit into a corner safejump.

Install can be particularly worth pressing when the enemy is one hit from death, but super won't be enough to kill; or, when you get reset to neutral and one more confirm will win.

Install Setups

Combo routes that activate install in the middle. This isn't necessary, or even necessarily encouraged. You could just save your meter and pop install if you get reset to neutral - it's unpunishable as long as you aren't point-blank. But if you know you want to install in advance (for the defensive properties, or maybe just for fun) the following are several different ways to activate.

Install Setup Safejump

The easiest install safejump combo with the fewest restrictions. Common starter, doesn't require seal cooldown, and activates at the very end so meter is more lenient. The only real "downside" is that it doesn't set up seals, but it's a super consistent route if you want to preserve your seal cooldown or can't route into anything else.

623H Install Seal Setup Safejump

Install safejump route that leaves three seals in the corner. The starter being more specific is the main downside. You also need your seal cooldown pretty early in the combo, so if you're a serial 22H presser you probably won't be able to do this much.

Install Seal Tornado Setup

Install tornado setup, particularly useful against parry characters. Unfortunately it's also the most difficult route on this list - the seal dash pattern is very awkward. This combo is useful as a meterless tornado setup even if you don't want to install, and the dash pattern also makes an appearance in an optimal super combo, so if you've already learned it for either of those you can transfer the muscle memory to this very easily.

623H Install Setup Safejump/Empty Low

An alternate to the first install safejump listed. Depending on the tornado followup you can either do a safejump or an empty low.

Install Combos

Install Midscreen

The only midscreen install combo you need to know. Takes you corner-to-corner with only two dashes and sets up seals. Don't do more 6U > autocombo repetitions than you need to reach the corner - if you do too many, you'll get pushed out of range of autocombo and drop. Also, if you're too close to the corner, 236H will only hit twice and the combo will drop. At closer ranges, you can just do the standard corner bnb (listed next).

Install Corner Safejump

Literally just a typical meterless safejump. If you were hoping for an install-specific route you might be disappointed, but this combo is great, and you shouldn't be spending your install juice any more than strictly necessary. If you have seals setup somewhere midscreen, the 5U will send you on a grand journey, so do 8U for the safejump instead.

Realistically you aren't likely to use this very much. If you're popping install, your enemy is probably one hit from death, and you'll just use the next combo instead.

Install Cashout

The combo you do to kill. Disappointingly it's less damage than a regular super combo, but chances are by the time you've popped install the enemy is in range to die to this. Depending on how long you've been in install, you might build the 25% for a raging chain at the very end for an extra 200 damage.

The (starter) at the beginning doesn't explain as much as I would like so I'll leave additional notes here. On standing hit, you can do three full autocombos and one 2M. On crouching hit, you can do four full autocombos and the first hit of f.H. If you have a different starter it can slightly change the pushback so be aware; when in doubt, play it safe and cut one of the autocombo reps.

Bonus Routes

Meme combos with extremely varying degrees of practicality.

Install Corner Steal

Funny corner steal. Reactable, but most people aren't ready for Grimnir to steal the corner and are not holding the block button so it hits a decent amount. You're +3 so even if they react they can't mash. Can also occasionally bait a reversal by crossing up the opponent's input. Fairly easy to execute since the muscle memory transfers directly from other combo routes. You can also go into this from the standard install midscreen route, which is shown in the latter half of the video.

Install Ball Loop

Your optimal* (in terms of mental damage) combo out of j.214M throwbait. Spends four juice for a really stupid safejump. Also, it's almost certainly not a safejump anymore.

Install Backward Ball

Cool 1-juice j.214M throwbait conversion with a backwards airdash. Does respectable damage and sets up seals. If j.214M had meaningful merit as a throwbait this combo might actually get used.

Install X Ball

Slightly difficult, but looks cool and only spends two juice so it's borderline usable.

Install Spin Loop

Install-exclusive midscreen (un)safejump. Unfortunately it spends three juice just for the setup, does poverty damage, and doesn't even carry to the corner. Effectively zero merit. But if you know it'll kill anyway, you can swag on them with this.

Install j.M Loop

Even cooler install-exclusive unsafejump route. This one spends FOUR juice for the setup, which definitely means it must be better, yup. Again, zero merit. You could have just taken them to the corner instead. But isn't having zero merit kind of a merit in itself?

Install j.M Loop Empty Low (+3)

Funny variant on the previous setup. Your opponent probably doesn't know the combo limit for install combos, so you have good odds on catching them sleeping with this dastardly install-exclusive empty low.

Install Midscreen Crossup

Spends two juice for a very reactable midscreen crossup. Your opponent is probably holding the guard button anyway. You could have just taken them to the corner instead.

Bonus Bonus Routes

Install Loop

Funny install loop. Only works on characters Zooey-height or taller. Slightly awkward but not difficult. You might be able to hit this in a match if you really fish for it.

Install Midscreen Overhead Reset

Install-exclusive midscreen overhead reset. All inputs need to be performed as early as possible. The combo itself isn't too bad, but the resulting conversion is a little challenging to pick up. You must hit the 66M exactly as soon as possible (thank you buffered dash normal patch) then walk forward and delay 623L. Common drop points:

- The crossup 2M whiffs. This means you didn't hit the first 5H soon enough so the opponent lost too much height.

- The crossup 2H goes the wrong way. This means you pressed 2H too late.

- The tornado doesn't hit the opponent after the overhead, or only hits once instead of three times. This means you were too late on the overhead.

- The tornado hits the opponent three times but you can't walk forward enough to connect with 623L. This means you were one frame too late on the overhead.

- You hit the 623L, but the 6U after whiffs. This means you pressed 623L too early. You needed to walk forward for longer so the opponent fell lower.

One other note because this wasn't hard enough to hit in match as is: counterhit changes the bounce you get on overhead hit and causes the opponent to fly past the tornado, so you can't convert at all if the opponent mashes on wakeup.

Something Stupid

Yeah.

Removed in 2.10

Never forget what they took from you.