Homie stocking in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a more contentious issue than it may initially seem. A player may believe that honoring their opponent with a stock could only please them and make a match more even. However, giving this homie stock could not only offend an opponent but also highlight issues with the game's meta.
Homie stocking is a tradition that has existed long before SSBU, of course. Homie stocking is the act of sacrificing one's own stock for an opponent, typically because they have self-destructed by accident. Ever since the original Super Smash Bros. on the N64, homie stocking has been a part of both casual and competitive play, forcing the choice of sacrificing a stock for an opponent onto players for over 23 years.
However, the homie stocking problem in SSBU can be fixed easily with three simple words: never homie stock. For some, giving away a stock to an opponent who has self-destructed is a fair and kind thing to do. However, some fighters in SSBU don't play fair, and giving them an edge only serves to heighten the game's problem with win factors, zero-to-deaths, and more.
Too Many SSBU Characters Have Win Factors
Something players should consider before homie stocking is whether their opponent has a win factor or not. A win factor in SSBU refers to a move, meter, or mode that enhances a character's stats and/or grants access to strong killing and damage options. An example of a win factor move is Kazuya's SSBU DLC gimmick "Rage Drive" deactivates after taking 40% more damage.
The reason why SSBU players should reconsider giving characters with win factors homie stocks is that these characters' game plans is to activate their win factors and, in turn, limit the amount of interactions that might regularly occur in a game. What is meant by this is that win factors enable players to eliminate their opponent's stocks with very little interactions. An in-joke in the SSBU community is that fighting against Wario immediately puts a player at a one-stock deficit, as "Waft" is designed to obliterate a stock off of one interaction. Since win factors function in this way, the appropriate counter strategy is to prevent them from being activated. Thus, if an SSBU character like Joker self-destructs and in turn limits the amount of times his win factor can be activated, then the opponent refusing to homie stock is simply using the best and most appropriate counter strategy.
In addition to this, a lot of the characters with win conditions simply do not need them. A large portion of the characters with win conditions come from the DLC packs, which are notorious for introducing broken characters. Terry, Kazuya, and Steve can all kill with just one interaction even without their win conditions; giving them another advantage on top of their neutral state simply makes them overpowered. While there is nothing wrong with playing an overpowered character - it is in fact recommended - those facing against one should feel at liberty to take advantages where they can without judgment.
Players Should Not Discriminate When Homie Stocking In SSBU
Choosing one group of characters to refuse to homie stock can lead to serious problems for SSBU, though. Targeting fighters with win factors can make players who use them feel alienated, and for a game that has been out for several years, maintaining a strong and welcoming player base is important. Thus, homie stocking should be avoided across the board rather than just for a subset of fighters.
Being indiscriminate when choosing who should and shouldn't be homie stocked is an especially important point when considering how other fighters have legitimately stronger facets to their kits than win factors. For instance, Luigi is a character built around his zero-to deaths; with a grab, down air, or even an attack on his shield, Luigi can take a stock with one interaction and doesn't need to wait on a win factor to activate while doing it. Even a character as slow and combo-able as Incineroar has "Revenge," which he can activate with just one over extension and become one of the most overpowered fighters in SSBU.
There also win-factors that are really bad and don't warrant any counter strategy against them. For instance, Lucario's "Aura," which lets him deal more damage and knock-back as he takes damage, doesn't function well in SSBU because it doesn't stack with rage like it did in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Even Cloud's "Limit" is not that strong. It grants him access to a few more kill moves, but only one of them allows him to get kills early and it's incredibly hard to land. As a consequence of bad win factors, zero-to-deaths, and toxic community habits, SSBU players should stop homie stocking for all characters.
Homie Stocking Can Be Seen As Rude In SSBU
As a final reason to competitive element of SSBU that makes it fun.
Additionally, homie stocking can be viewed as power posturing. Giving a homie stock away to an opponent can be seen as a player saying, "I don't need this stock to beat you." The excitement of competition can drive the minds of both the homie stocker and the homie stocked to think and do wild things to win.
With all of this being said, there are certainly moments in SSBU where homie stocking is completely appropriate. Giving away a stock in a casual match or to a friend who is trying to learn a new character should not hurt anyone's feelings nor take away from the fun of the game. Still, reconsidering whether homie stocking is the right thing to do in a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate match is always a good idea.
