King of the Hill
King of the Hill is Stock Battle with the addition of a “hill” appearing. The hill is the designated zone players have to control in order to gain points. Typically, this zone is Center Stage.
Points can only be earned by controlling the hill. KOs and Falls do not influence Score. A hill can only be controlled while no opposing players are in the hill and the hill is considered contested when opposing players are within the hill. If the hill has no players within it, then no team has control of it.
Victory is awarded in one of three ways:
- A player/team reaches the specified Target Score first
- A player/team has the highest Score when Time expires
- A player/team is the only one with Stocks remaining
Uncontested Control
An Uncontested Control mechanic is also present in King of the Hill. It causes a Master Ball to spawn in the hill (even if items are turned off in the ruleset) when a player/team remains uncontested in the hill for 15 seconds. This Master Ball can only be picked up by the team that had control of the hill when it was spawned.
Notes
King of the Hill is a new objective game mode in Smash 6 that alleviates the pain points players have with standard Stock and Time. It encourages an engaging, faster pace of play because players will be drawn towards center stage.
It's a clear, easy to understand objective that works well for casual or competitive play. The threat of the Master Ball or winning by Score greatly discourages stalling and lame play.