___ ___ ___ _____ ____ _____
( ) ( ) ( ) / ___ \ / \ / ___ \
| | | | | | / / \/ / /\ \ / / \/
| | | | | | | | / /__\ \ \ \____
| | | | | | | | | ____ | \____ \
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| |____/| \ \___/ / \ \___/\ | | | | /\___/ /
|_______| \_____/ \_____/ (___) (___) \_____/
A Guide by PK Dray
__________ Version 1.0 - 9/12/08 _________
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/ | Table of Contents | \
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I. Introduction
II. Why is and why play Lucas?
-Pros
-Cons
-Lucas vs. Ness
III. Terms to Know
IV. Move List
-A button moves
-Aerial moves
-B button moves
-Throws
-Defensive moves
-Miscellaneous moves
-Final Smash
V. Techniques
-Approaching
-Combos
-KOing
-Spiking
-Edge-guarding
-Recovery
VI. PSI Abilities: An In-depth Look
-PK Fire
-PK Freeze
-PSI Magnet
-PK Thunder
VII. Advanced Techniques
-Reverse Aerial Rush
-PSI Dashing
-Zap Jumping
-Wavebouncing/B-sticking
-Magnet Pulling
VIII. Toughest Matchups
-Marth
-Metaknight
-Mr.Game&Watch
-Snake
IX. Items
-Strategies
-Helpful Items
-The Smash Ball
X. Stages
-Strategies
-Advantageous Stages
XI. Conclusion
XII. Legal Stuff
XIII. Credits
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/ | I. Introduction | \
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Hello Gamers! My name is PK Dray and this is my first FAQ ever! Although this is
my first, it doesn't mean that I'm a total nOOb. I've been playing the Super
Smash series for over 10 years and many consider me to be a formidable opponent.
I have L33t mad skills! (Okay, okay, enough dorking out...)
Even before Brawl came out on March 9th, I specifically chose Lucas to
specialize in, mainly because I found that he was easy to use and his up smash
is just plain evil. I won the Brawl Tournament that Gamestop hosted on the night
Brawl was released and eventually went on to win the Round 2 Tournament as well.
I did pretty well in the Round 3 Tournament, but lost in the final round due to
being outmatched by a Metaknight who ended up making it to Round 4 in San Jose.
But... I'm not bitter or anything...
I play pretty casually, though, i am looking for tournaments to join in the
future. As of right now, i mainly just play with my friends who are also pretty
good. They constantly keep me on my toes and improving my game by taking
advantage of me when i get predictable and force me to come up with new stuff.
All of this to let you know that i know what i am doing and what i am talking
about.
I hope this FAQ is comprehensive and easy to use. My purpose in writing this FAQ
is to better Lucas players everywhere and to inspire Brawl players to play as
Lucas as well.
This FAQ is written with the Wiimote & Nunchunk control scheme as well as the
Gamecube controller in mind. All calculated damage and test purposes were
performed on Mario on Final Destination.
I would like to dedicate this FAQ to all the Lucas players out there.
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/ | II. Who is and why play Lucas? | \
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Lucas is the main protagonist from Mother 3. He is a timid young boy who
eventually learns PSI Powers. Lucas is the son of Flint and Hinawa, and the twin
brother of Claus. He lives in Tazmily village with his family and dog, Boney. He
learns his PSI powers from Ionia, one of the seven Magypsy. Because Lucas knows
PK Love, he is able to pull the seven needles and wake the Dragon which is
sleeping under Nowhere Island.
In Smash Bros. Brawl, Lucas is a fierce fighter that fights with a branch, as
well as his incredible PSI abilities, and uses Duster's rope snake for grabs and
throws. His final smash is PK Starstorm, the same as Ness' final smash, which is
a punishing storm of meteors that rain down vertically on the screen.
Enough with background. I personally love playing Lucas. He combos foes easily
and can switch from offensive to defensive strategies easily and vice versa. His
Up Smash is devastatingly powerful and is the biggest disjointed hit box in the
game. He has great versatility in that he can handle just about anything. His
jumping may seem a bit weird at first, but it's necessary to attack and evade.
Also because he uses PSI powers that i wish i had. Yay for living vicariously
through video game characters!
------------
~ Pros ~
------------
- High priority aerial attacks
- Two spikes
- Several powerful projectiles
- Incredibly powerful Up and Down Smashes
- Small
- Deceptive range
- Fast ranged grab
- Tether recovery
- PSI Magnet can absorb damage and heals twice the amount of damage of the
attack
- PSI Magnet can damage
- Can Zap Jump, Magnet Pull, and PSI Dash (see Advanced Techniques)
------------
~ Cons ~
------------
- Light
- Weird jumping
- Slow Up and Down Smashes
- Grab has a long lag time if you miss
- Predicable recovery
- Easiest character to chain-throw
----------------------
~ Lucas vs. Ness ~
----------------------
If you guys think that Lucas is a Ness clone, I'm going to find out where you
live and destroy your copy of Brawl. With that said, Lucas has many many
differences from Ness:
-Lucas' and Ness' PK Thunder are completely different. Ness' disappears on
contact while Lucas' can score multiple hits. Also, Ness' is much faster and
loops wider than Lucas'.
-Lucas' neutral B is PK Freeze that travels much faster and farther, but does
less damage than Ness' PK Flash.
-Lucas' PK Fire explodes on contact and can be spammed much easier than Ness'.
-Lucas' PSI Magnet deals damage to opponents caught within the field when its
dispelled.
-Lucas' Bair is a powerful spike while Ness' Bair is a normal PSI powered back
kick.
-Lucas' Nair can score multiple hits while Ness' only hits once.
-Lucas' Fair is a PSI powered kick while Ness' is a weird PSI powered attack
that scores multiple hits.
-Lucas' Dair is PSI powered and scores multiples hits with the last hit being a
less than useful spike while Ness' is a powerful one hit spike.
-Lucas' Forward smash is a stick and much faster than Ness' bat.
-Lucas has more PSI powered attacks including the Up and Down smashes that do
more damage and kill more easily than Ness' yo-yo powered Up and Down smashes.
Well, the list can go on and on, but the main difference between Lucas and Ness
is......Drum roll please!
Lucas is mainly a *ground character* that has a decent air game while Ness is an
*aerial character* with a decent ground game. So overall, they are polar
opposites when it comes to play style (though I do believe that Lucas is more
versatile than Ness...).
So anyway there you have it!
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Here is a list of term that should be known by most of the Smash community.
These terms are something that you should keep in mind as you read this FAQ as
i tend to use them when i talk about Brawl in this FAQ.
SHFF- This is an acronym meaning "Short-hopped, Fast-falled." It is basically
the most effective way certain aerial attacks can be pulled off, and is a must
in competitive play.
Shield grab- Hitting A or Z while shielding. If someone tries a SHFF aerial, or
any attack, use this to counter.
Shield shifting- Using the control stick to angle the shield to prevent shield-
stab, or provide extra protection in a given direction.
Shield-stab- Attacking a shielded opponent where the shield's leaving a part of
the character vulnerable, allowing them to bypass the shield's defense.
Teching- When you are tumbling in the air after being hit, you can press L, R,
or Z near the ground or a wall/ceiling, with or without a direction, to recover
faster than usual. Holding left or right on a ground tech will result in a roll
in the direction.
Knockback- Refers to how far a character is sent after being hit by an attack.
Priority- If an attack has a lot of priority, and if it hits another attack at
the same time it will over power the attack and the opponent will be the only
one to receive damage. The more priority the better.
Sex Kick- This term refers to any aerial A kick that does damage after
the actual movement of the foot is over. The attack gets weaker and has less
knockback the longer it is out.
Tilt attack- Holding any one of the four control stick directions, and hitting
A. Some <, > tilt attacks can be aimed to the diagonal.
Smash attack- "Smashing" any of four directions on the control stick plus the A
button. The C-Stick is used for smash attacks too.
Wall-jump- Hitting the opposite direction when your character is near a wall,
and not tumbling.
Chain-throw- Continually throwing another character in such a manner as to
prevent them from landing.
Dash-cancelling- During a run, pressing down will stop the run.
Dash-Dancing- Quickly alternating left and right on the control stick, so the
character only does the opening animation of the run. This is to be used for
mind games, or feinting the opponent.
C-Sticking- Used to describe the act of using the c-stick to do aerials, smash
attacks, and other things in multiplayer mode. Can only be performed with the
Gamecube controller.
Edge-guarding- Using attacks to prevent the enemy from recovering to the stage.
Edge-hogging- A character holding onto an edge will not permit another character
to do the same. This is useful in preventing an enemy's recovery. The best way
to edge-hog is to short-jump backwards onto the ledge.
Edge-hop- A jump quickly following a press of down or back from an edge-hang
will let characters do a short edge-hop. Most, if not all characters can do
attacks out of this. Generally back is better to use, since it requires no fast
falling, and allows more range.
Fast-falling- Pressing down while in the air will make your character fall
faster than usual. You can fast-fall out of aerial attacks, air dodges, and
failed ^B attacks.
Power Shielding- Shielding at the exact instant an attack or item hits your
character. Will result in a white flash and the attack not hitting.
Directional Influence- holding left or right on the control stick while falling
or going up to change the direction at which you are falling. (Abbreviates into
"DI")
Crouch Canceling- If you are crouching and you are attacked, you do not go
flying and recovery from the attack almost instantly, it is a good way to allow
yourself to counter attack the opponent by using down tilt immediately
afterwards.
Hitbox- Refers to the part of the character that does the damage when the
character attacks. Sometimes, hitboxes meet and that's when priority comes into
play.
Disjointed hitbox- Refers to hitboxes that are separate from the character. The
most classic example is Ness and Lucas' PK Thunder. All projectiles are
disjointed hitboxes as well as all sword attacks. A disjointed hitbox typically
has more priority than a normal hitbox.
Stall then Fall- Certain characters have down aerials that stop their momentum
and shoot them straight down. Examples of characters are Toon Link, Sheik, and
Sonic.
Dodging- Pressing down on the control stick while shielding will result in the
character doing a dodge. In the air, you can press Z, R, or L and you can dodge
multiple times in the air.
Sweetspot- This refers to the part of the attack that does the most knockback
and damage.
Tripping- The most annoying thing in the game! Can turn the tides in an instant,
but a good smash player will learn to use it to their advantage.
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/ | Iv. Move List: The Basic Breakdown | \
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This section is the layout of ALL of Lucas' moves along with a little bit of
information on each one. I go into more detail on the Smashes as well as the
B button attacks in the Techniques section under KOing and the PSI Abilities: An
In-Depth Look section. All the damage calculate is the maximum amount of damage
that the attack will ever do. Keep in mind that the more you do an attack, the
less damage and knockback it will do over time.
----------------------
~ A button moves ~
----------------------
Neutral A
Damage: 3%
Knockback: Low
Speed: High
Range: None
Lucas swiftly kicks his opponent. Good for interrupting combos.
A combo
Damage: 3%, 3%, 4%
Knockback: Low-mid
Speed: High
Range: Low
Lucas quickly kicks hit opponent twice before finishing with a roundhouse kick.
This little combo is a must for Lucas' ground game. It's really fast and the
knockback makes it a good attack to use in a tough situation. Despite its speed,
your opponent can still counter attack if they are fast enough inbetween the
second and third kick.
Dash attack
Damage: 10%
Knockback: Medium
Speed: Medium
Range: Mid-High
Lucas charges with PSI energy. Unlike most Dash attacks, Lucas' is a disjointed
hitbox. It does, however, have a considerable amount of lag, which is bad. The
knockback is completely horizontal which allows for many different follow up
attacks.
Forward Tilt A
Damage: 9%, 11% sweetspotted
Knockback: Low-mid
Speed: Mid-high
Range: Medium
Lucas whips his opponent with PSI energy. This attack is also very quick and has
some really good range. This is the first of Lucas' attack to have a sweetspot,
but it's really easy to hit. The sweetspot is in the PSI energy, but it's okay
if you don't hit it. It's only a 2% difference and the knockback is pretty much
the same.
Down Tilt A
Damage: 6%
Knockback: None-low
Speed: High
Range: Low
Lucas sweepkicks his opponent. The sweepkick is Lucas' tripping attack. It's
extremely quick and can be comboed onto itself. It's high probability of
tripping your opponent sets up for combos so watch for when your opponent trips
and take advantage of it.
Up Tilt A
Damage: 3%-8%, 11%
Knockback: Medium
Speed: Medium
Range: Medium
Lucas performs a PSI powered flip, kicking his opponent into the air. This
attack is just amazing. It not only hits above Lucas, it also hits to the sides
of him at the beginning of the attack adding a few extra percents. It's great
for getting them into the air and following up with an aerial.
Forward Smash
Damage: 15%-21% depending on charge
Knockback: High
Speed: Medium
Range: Mid-high
Lucas swings a branch at his opponent, sending them flying. (See the KOing
section for specifics)
Down Smash
Damage: 17%, 14%, 11% - 23%, 19%, 15% depending on charge
Knockback: High
Speed: Low
Range: Medium
Lucas shoot three bursts of hexagonal PSI at his feet. (See the KOing section
for specifics)
Up Smash
Damage: 21%-29%
Knockback: High
Speed: Low
Range High
Lucas releases a huge blast of hexagonal PSI energy that spreads out above him.
(See the KOing section for specifics)
--------------------
~ Aerial moves ~
--------------------
Neutral Aerial
Damage: 17% in 8 hits
Knockback: Medium
Speed: High
Range: Low
Lucas performs a series of flips, releasing PSI energy as he turns. This attack
sucks people in. The eight hit of the attack does the most knockback. You can
prematurely end this attack by landing before it finishes with no landing lag.
Meaning that you can combine it with another nifty attack for a nice little
combo.
Forward Aerial
Damage: 8%, 12% sweetspotted
Knockback: Medium
Speed: High
Range: Low-mid
Lucas does a PSI powered jumpkick. This attack is amazing when it is SHFFed. It
has a considerable amount of stun that can be abused. You can chain it on itself
if you time it right pulling off as many as four hits in two jumps. This attack
makes for a great approach and is good for edge-guarding or if you need that
extra umph to KO your opponent when they are getting back on stage. This attack
also has a sweetspot. Just watch your spacing.
Backward Aerial
Damage: 7%, 12% sweetspotted
Knockback: Mid-high
Speed: Medium
Range: Medium
Lucas does a mid-air backflip, damaging his opponent with the PSI energy at his
feet. This is by far one of my favorite attacks. Not only does it spike, but
Lucas looks cool while spiking them. This attack has two sweetspots and only
the sweetspots spike. I highly suggest a great deal of practice so you can spike
consistently.
Down Aerial
Damage: 20% total, 5% per hit, 4 hits in all
Knockback: Low-mid
Speed: Low-mid
Range: Low-mid
Lucas kicks PSI energy under his feet. Okay, now this attack is just amazing.
20% for a single aerial attack is just unheard of. The only downside is that you
have to hit them with all four hits. The good news is that it sucks opponents
into it if they are close enough. You can even chain the attack on itself on
slower and heavier characters alike. Make sure that you NEVER land before the
fourth hit or else you are in for a world of lag.
Up Aerial
Damage: 13%
Knockback: Mid-high
Speed: High
Range: Low
Lucas does a mid-air headbutt. The Uair is Lucas' fast aerial move. It has great
knockback and has a lot of potential to KO at higher percentages. It's a good
anti-air attack if you SHFF it as it often it's quickness surprises opponents.
----------------------
~ B button moves ~
----------------------
Neutral B - PK Freeze
Damage: 10% - 19% fully charged
Knockback: Low
Speed: Low
Range: High
Lucas sends out a charge of PSI energy that freezes enemies when released. (See
PSI Abilities: An In-depth Look)
Side B - PK Fire
Damage: 3% - 8%
Knockback: Low
Speed: Medium
Range: High
Lucas shoots a bolt of PSI energy that bursts into flames upon contact. (PSI
Abilities: An In-Depth Look)
Down B - PSI Magnet
Damage: 9%
Knockback: Low
Speed: Mid-High
Range: Medium
Lucas creates a field of PSI energy that absorbs and turns energy projectiles
into health and damages opponents caught within the field when Lucas dispels
it. (See PSI Abilities: An In-Depth Look)
Up B - PK Thunder
Damage: 10% from the ball, 1% damage per tail hit
Knockback: Low-Mid
Speed: Low
Range: High
Lucas releases a charge of electrical PSI energy that he controls to hit
enemies. (See PSI Abilities: An In-Depth Look)
Up B - PK Cannonball
Damage: 43% in 12 hits if all hits land
Knockback: Medium
Speed: Medium
Range: High
Lucas hits himself with his PK Thunder launching himself in a direction hitting
all in his way. (See PSI Abilities: An In-Depth Look)
--------------
~ Throws ~
--------------
Grab Punch
Damage: 3%
Knockback: None
Speed: Medium
Range: None
Lucas punches his helpless foe before he throws him. I highly suggest that
when you grab, that you punch them a few times before throwing them. It just
might add that extra damage that you needed to KO them.
Forward Throw
Damage: 10%
Knockback: Mid-high
Speed: Medium
Range: None
Lucas throws his opponent forwards. This throw is good for getting people off
of the stage. I don't recommend it for KOing as it doesn't have the power for
it.
Back Throw
Damage: 10%
Knockback: Mid-high
Speed: Medium
Range: None
Lucas throws his oppoent backwards. This is my favorite throw for KOing. The
trajectory occasionally changes to more horizonal than vertical and it has the
most potential to KO.
Down Throw
Damage: 10%
Knockback: Medium
Speed: Medium
Range: None
Lucas throws his opponent into the ground. This is my favorite throw to start
combos off with. It leaves your opponent in the pefect position for the Up
Smash, the Uair, or the Nair.
Up Throw
Damage: 10%
Knockback: Mid-High
Speed: Medium
Range: None
Lucas throws up opponent upwards. I hardly ever use this throw. I would say
that it's useless, but i'll you decide that for yourself.
---------------------------
~ Miscellaneous Moves ~
---------------------------
Ledge attack below 100%
Damage: 6%, 8% sweetspotted
Knockback: Low
Speed: Medium
Range: Medium
Lucas somersaults onto the ledge hitting those that are too close. Yes, this
attack also has a sweetspot. Again, the sweetspot is away from Lucas.
Ledge attack above 100%
Damage: 10%
Knockback: Low
Speed: Low
Range: Low
Lucas punches as he gets back onto the stage. This attack is slower than his
other ledge attack, but surprisingly it does more damage.
On the floor attack
Damage: 5%
Knockback: Low-Mid
Speed: Medium
Range: Medium
Lucas PSI kicks both sides of him then gets back up. It's quick and simple.
-----------------------
~ Defensive Moves ~
-----------------------
Shield - Shielding is the most basic of defenses. It depletes the longer its
held and when its hit by and attack. If timed right, you can power shield
attacks resulting in a white flash with no shield depletion.
Rolling - The second and probably most useful of defensive techniques. Rolling
can help you get away from opponents fast or get you in a position to counter-
attack.
Side-step dodge - While a bit more advanced than shielding or rolling, side-stop
dodging lets you dodge grab attempts and puts you in a position to counter-
attack faster than shielding and rolling does.
Air Dodge - Air dodging is a must for aerial combat, especially if you know that
the character you are fighting is better than you in the air. It lets you dodge
edge-guarding attacks and it helps you get back to the ground when you are
fighting aerial characters. Air dodging is your only defensive move while
airborne.
Ledge Roll - While not immensely useful, ledge rolling is one of the three
options for ledge techniques.
Ledge Hop- The third option for ledge techniques, ledge hopping can get you into
a position to counter-attack edge-guarders with a more powerful attack than the
typical ledge attack.
---------------------------------
~ Final Smash: PK Starstorm ~
---------------------------------
Lucas' final smash is PK Starstorm. PK Starstorm, while immensely powerful,
isn't the most reliable way to KO. Lucas rains down 20 meteors that rain
randomly from the top of the screen in a vertical pattern. While the final smash
is being performed, Lucas can't move until right before the finale when the
final meteors group together. The meteors are slow and can be easily dodged by a
seasoned veteran. Each meteor does about 14% and when an opponent is hit, they
are most likely to get hit by a few other before being KOed by them. I've seen
PK Starstorm kill every single one of my opponents one round, and kill none the
the next.
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/ | V. Techniques | \
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|_____________________________________________________________|
-------------------
~ Approaching ~
-------------------
Approaching is the most basic and the most useful technique in your entire
arsenal and it is a must for competitive play. Every character in Brawl follows
the basic patter of approach: find an aerial attack that's fast with good
priority then SHFF it. Lucas has three good options for approaching: the Fair,
the Nair, and the Dair. The main thing to remember when approaching is that you
don't want to land right in front of your opponent. It leaves you in the perfect
position to be shield grabbed, which can be detrimental when fighting some
characters because of their ability to chain grab.
Always remember to NEVER SHFF the Dair, although it is very tempting. The Dair
hits four times. If you land before the fourth hit, you will experience a
considerable amount of lag and be completely vunerable.
--------------
~ Combos ~
--------------
As I mentioned earlier, Lucas mainly operates in combos. This list is most of
the combos that I use. They can be strung together pretty flawlessly although
Marth is the only character I found that can break them with his counter. The
key is getting to know what you can do and when you can pull them off and being
able to string several combos together to completely control your opponent.
Before you know it, your opponent is at 90% and can be killed easily by one of
Lucas' smashes!
Nair -> A combo
Nair -> Down Tilt -> A combo
Nair -> Up Tilt
Bair -> Side Tilt
Dair -> Up Tilt
Dair -> Side Tilt/Forward Smash
Dair -> PSI Magnet
Fair -> Fair -> Fair
Up Tilt -> Nair
Up Tilt -> Up Tilt
A combo -> Dash Attack -> Fair
Down Tilt -> Side Tilt/Forward Smash
Down Throw -> Uair
Down Throw -> Up Smash
Down Throw -> Nair
Fair -> PSI Magnet
This is one of my favorite combos. It's hard to break at it completely controls
your opponent. It's most effective when your opponent is at 0% to 20%. Here it
is:
Start with a Dash Attack, if they don't fly high enough you can add another
Dash Attack. Follow up with a Fair and drag them back down with a Nair. From
here you can Up tilt into an Up Smash or an Uair, or you can Down Tilt into an A
combo and follow up with a Fair. It's takes some practice but it's effective.
This is just one that i have found and like pulling off. There are others that
i like to use, this one is just my favorite.
-------------
~ KOing ~
-------------
Lucas has three main kill moves, two spikes, and two reliable aerials that can
KO at higher percentages. His smashes can kill at 70%-ish, aerials attacks at
120%-ish, and his spikes at just about any percentage. His PK Thunder can also
be used to gimp opponent's recovery. Lucas' PSI Magnet can also be used to kill,
but i'm going to cover that in a different section. In this section, i'm going
to focus on the three main kill moves, his smashes.
The side smash is Lucas' most reliable way of killing. It's speed makes it one
of the fastest smashes in the game and it's range makes it that much more
incredible. It's mainly a horizontal killer and is capable of killing at around
70%. It is also capable of reflecting many projectiles, both energy and
physical. The angle of the knockback depends on what part of the branch they get
hit with. If you hit them with the tip of it, they will fly more vertical. If
you hit them near the base of the branch, the more horizontal they will fly.
The up smash is Lucas' most powerful way of killing. It has ungodly range
vertically and it protects him both sides of him by clanking with most attacks.
The vertical range is so high that it even reaches the top platform of the
Battlefield Stage. You can even make it last longer by hitting things with it,
surprising opponents that try to dodge through it. The up smash can kill at 40%
fully charged and around 80% uncharged. Keep in mind that it hits twice with the
second, hexagonal part doing a majority of the damage and knockback. There have
been a few occasions that i've only hit with the first burst so be prepared
for it to happen every now and then.
The down smash is Lucas' longest smash. It's main use is for edge-guarding or
for hitting opponents that like to dodge a lot. It had three main bursts with
the first burst doing the most damage and knockback. It hits a little behind
Lucas as well, making it hard for opponents to roll behind you. It also hits a
little bit below the ground, making it able to hit taller opponents when you are
on a platform above them. When your target is in the air, it also has the
potential to hit multiple times when they get pulled into it resulting it at
least 30%.
---------------
~ Spiking ~
---------------
Lucas has two spikes, the Bair and the Dair. The Bair is the best way to spike
because it has two hitboxes that send opponents straight down, the beginning
of the attack and the end of it. With enough practice, you can spike pretty
much anybody. Keep in mind that with the introduction of multiple air dodges,
this move is hard to pull off considering that many opponents see it coming.
The other spike, the Dair, is more useful for racking up the damage rather than
spiking. The fourth hit spikes and with enough practice as well, it makes a
decent alternative to the Bair, though it lack the power of it.
---------------------
~ Edge-guarding ~
---------------------
Lucas is a great edge-guarder as there are several options for him: The Down
Smash, PK Thunder, both spikes, and PK Freeze (yeah, that's right!). And, due
to his great recovery, he can also WALL OF PAIN!
The Down Smash is by far your best option. If you can time it just right, you
will hit your opponent right before he grabs on to the ledge. Keep in mind that
it doesn't work on characters that have a tether recovery, but there are better
options for that, i.e. the spikes. As a bonus, the Down Smash hits three times,
giving you multiple chances to hit your opponent. On the down side, your
opponent has a chance to grab on to the ledge in between bursts so it all comes
back to timing!
To edge-guard with the PK Thunder, you have two options: Looping and the
Uppercut. Looping is great when you know the character you are fighting has bad
recovery. It cancels momentum and keeps them in place and interrupts most forms
of recovery. As for Uppercutting, you can use it to push your opponent off
even farther and gimp their recovery.
If you think that edge-guarding with PK Freeze is a joke, then i'm on board with
you. If you want to add insult to injury, then the PK Freeze is the way to go
for you. While highly unreliable, you can ledge spike opponents with the PK
Freeze leaving them to wonder what the hell just happened. It's quite hilarious.
----------------
~ Recovery ~
----------------
Lucas has the best non-multiple-jump recoveries in the game. He has both, what
i will call, a "normal" recovery and a tether grab. And also two handy dandy
advanced techniques that are incredibly useful which i will share with you in
the handy dandy Advanced Techniques section.
** "Normal" Recovery **
Lucas' "normal" recovery is one of the most unique ways to recover in the game.
It consists of hitting himself with the PK Thunder which then launches himself
in a direction determined by the angle of which he hit himself with. There are
several advantages to this unique form of recovery but it is not without it's
disadvantages as well.
As far as advantages go, Lucas becomes a deadly projectile that scores multiple
hits and can go in pretty much any direction as long as you are good enough with
the PK Thunder. And, on top of that, Lucas flies quite a long way. It can also
kill at the beginning and at the end of the attack and the middle part of the
attack racks up quit a bit of damage.
As unique as this recovery is, it has quite a few down sides... First off,
sometimes when you are trying to sweetspot the ledge, you end up bouncing off of
it, making you enter into the so called helpless state and falling to your doom.
That's right, doom. On top of that, Lucas' PK Thunder is a projectile... Which,
if you know your Smash, can be reflected, absorbed, or cancelled... Ouch. Which
will, once again, make you fall to your certain doom. Which brings me to my next
section...
** Tether Recovery **
Tether recovery is a good alternative option to getting back to the stage
safely. Just perform Lucas' grab close to the ledge, his snake will whip out
and cling to the ledge for dear life. As with Lucas' "normal" recovery, the
tether recovery also has its ups and downs.
The tether recovery is a great way to mix it up instead of using the PK recovery
every time. It's great to keep your opponents guessing what form of recovery you
will use and it also helps against those nasty spikers. It's great stay away
from opponents that like to edge guard with charge up attack i.e. Ike Forward
Smash.
The disadvantages are few. For one, you are completely vulnerable the entire
time you are hanging by the snake. There are no invincibility frames 'til you
grab onto the edge of the stage and your jumps don't reset until then either. If
you wait too long down there, you leave yourself wide open for an attack that
can push you underneath the stage or worse, ledge spiked. Also, if you are too
close to the ledge when you do it, there is a chance that you will get hit by
somebody edge guarding, especially by Snake's Forward Smash. It has a huge
hitbox that hits below a little. I myself have died tether recovering right into
it and i've definitely have learned my lesson.
** "Normal" Recovery vs. Tether Recovery **
Well, the choice is really up to you. It really depends on your play style as
well as how well you know your opponent. I, for one, prefer the advanced style
of recovery as it adds even more versatility to Lucas! But that comes later in
this FAQ. For now, just use your best judgment and keep your opponent guessing.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | VI. PSI Abilities: An In-depth Look | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
In this section i would like to take a closer look at Lucas' PSI abilities.
---------------
~ PK Fire ~
---------------
PK Fire is your friend. It is Lucas' most easily abused attacks and it's good
for keeping opponents at a distance or for adding extra damage when you complete
a combo. The PK Fire can also be SHFFed for a nice surprise attack. You should
watch out for reflectors as a reflected PK Fire can do almost 20%. If you like
to play with items (which i don't), PK Fire is great for setting off those pesky
exploding crates. If you like SHFF in the PK Fire, you really need to learn the
timing. If you time it wrong, you have a great chance of it not working and you
lag when you hit the ground. I have even died to a Dedede side smash due to my
bad timing.
-----------------
~ PK Freeze ~
-----------------
I consider PK Freeze to be one of Lucas' most useless attacks. It has decent
damage and immobilizes your opponent, but they take half damage while frozen.
To add to the uselessness, it even sends your opponent vertically, making it
almost useless for edge-guarding. The only two things i found it useful for are:
1) Freezing my opponent then running over and fully charging an Up Smash, timing
it just right so that they experience the full force of the attack right when
they break out of it.
And
2) Timing it so that when your opponent is hanging on a ledge and hitting right
when their invincibility runs out and ledge spiking them. (though i've only
pulled it off a handful of times)
------------------
~ PSI Magnet ~
------------------
Okay. The PSI Magnet is just amazing. It can be used defensively to recover life
and offensive to damage and even kill opponents! The PSI Magnet kills at around
150%, which is quite amazing and the knockback is completely horizontal. It can
be used as an alternative to the Forward Smash. There are even some advance
techniques, like PSI Dashing, that are incredibly useful that i will cover in
another section.
Defensively, the PSI Magnet is great for recovering percentage. Lucas holds it
out a little in front of him. If your opponent tries to hit you from the back
with an energy projectile, Lucas automatically faces them while the PSI Magnet
is out.
Now for a list of things the PSI Magnet can absorb:
Character Attacks
- Aura Sphere (Lucario)
- Blasters (Fox, Falco, Wolf)
- Blizzard (Ice Climbers)
- Charge Shot (Samus, ZSS)
- Chef (Mr.Game&Watch)
- Din's Fire (Zelda)
- Final Cutter Wave (Kirby)
- Fireballs (Mario, Luigi)
- Fire Breath (Bowser)
- Flamethrower (Charizard)
- Force Palm (Lucario)
- Ice Shots (Ice Climbers)
- Landing Stars (King Dedede)
- Palutena's Arrow (Pit)
- PK Fire (Lucas, Ness)
- PK Flash (Ness)
- PK Freeze (Lucas)
- PK Thunder (Lucas, Ness)
- Robo Beam (ROB)
- Thunder (Pikachu)
- Thunder Jolt (Pikachu)
Item Attacks
- Flames (Fire Flower)
- Lasers (Ray Gun)
- Stars (Star Rod)
- Shots (Super Scope)
Pokemon Attacks
- Fire Spin (Entei)
- Ice Beam (Suicune)
- Sacred Fire (Ho-oh)
- Swift (Staryu)
Assist Trophy Attacks
- Blasts (Ray, Saki Amamiya)
- Shots (Tank&Infantry)
Stage Attacks
- Blasters (Arwing, Wolfen)
- Blaster Cannon (Great Fox)
- Beam Cannon (Halberd)
Boss Attacks
- Hand Bullet (Master Hand)
- Rapid Fire Shots (Duon)
Keep in mind that PSI Magnet only heals from ENERGY projectiles.
Characters with no energy projectiles:
- Diddy Kong
- Ivysaur
- Olimar
- Peach
- Sheik
- Snake
- Toon Link
- Yoshi
Characters with no projectiles:
- Captain Falcon
- Donkey Kong
- Gannondorf
- Ike
- Jigglypuff
- Marth
- Metaknight
- Sonic
- Squirtle
- Wario
Although you can't absorb any projectiles from a character, you can always turn
it back on them with the Forward Smash if you are good enough with the timing.
------------------
~ PK Thunder ~
------------------
PK Thunder is the only fully controllable disjointed hitbox in the game. It adds
a great deal of versatility to both Lucas and Ness, though Ness uses the PK in
a different way than Lucas. Here are a few techniques to show you what you can
do with it. Remember that you are completely defenseless while you are
performing PK Thunder. If you miss or get into a sticky situation, you can
prematurely end the attack by running it into the ground.
** Looping **
Looping is a basic technique. Lucas' PK Thunder can score multiple hits and can
rack up some damage if you do it right. That's where looping comes into play.
If you immediately start to loop the PK Thunder back into your opponent once you
have hit them, you can immobilize your opponent until the PK Thunder disappears.
Like i said, it's very basic but useful. You can even create shields by circling
the PK Thunder just about anywhere.
** PK Thunder Uppercut **
This technique is a little more advanced. Instead of hitting with the tail of
the PK Thunder, you only want to hit your opponent with the head. To perform,
while your opponent is in the air, sent out the PK Thunder and aim a little bit
underneath them, then, at the last second, turn it upwards! This is great
for edge-guarding and also ledge spiking. It can give you that little bit of
umph you needed to keep your opponent from recovering. Be careful with it
though, it takes a bit of practice to fully master the technique. Sometimes,
if you aim it wrong, you will send you opponent the wrong way and help them
get back to the stage.
** PK Cannonball **
The PK Cannonball is Lucas' main recovery and it is also great for racking up
damage and killing opponents. To perform, just hit yourself with a PK Thunder
to send yourself flying. The direction which you fly depends heavily on the
angle with which the PK Thunder hits you. The PK Cannonball has two hitboxes
that kill: The first when you hit yourself with a PK Thunder, and second at the
very end of the attack. There is a bit of lag when the move is over and if you
are in the air when you lose momentum, you will enter the helpless state,
disallowing you to attempt any other forms of recovery or attack.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | VII. Advanced Techniques | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
Now this is officially my favorite section. This is the section where i get to
teach you how to do all that fun stuff that they show you on the internet that
you have no idea how to do. It takes a lot of practice to perfect them and i'll
admit that i have trouble Zap Jumping consistently. Without further ado, here it
is!
---------------------------
~ Reverse Aerial Rush ~
---------------------------
The Reverse Aerial Rush (RAR) allows you to turn around quickly before jumping
without making you lose your forward momentum. It allows you to use your Bair
quickly. This is especially good for Lucas considering that his Bair is a spike.
RARing is a much better and faster option to turn around instead of shield
rolling like i used to do. To perform, dash in a direction, then right before
you jump, turn around. You should still be jumping in the same direction in
which you started but faced the opposite direction. It's a pretty nifty trick
and is a much if you plan on spiking with Lucas.
-------------------
~ PSI Dashing ~
-------------------
If you remember Wavedashing from Melee, then kudos to you! PSI Dashing is Lucas'
own little form of it. It utilizes the PSI Magnet to cancel your vertical
momentum while keeping your horizontal momentum pushing you in a direction.
To perform, just shorthop in a direction then immediately go directly into a
PSI Magnet. The result should be Lucas sliding across the ground with the PSI
Magnet out in front of him. It's great for surprise attacks as the PSI Magnet
actually does damage when it's dispelled. It's also good for gaining ground on
energy projectile spammers i.e. Wolf, Falco, etc. and it can be used as an
approach as well.
-------------------
~ Zap Jumping ~
-------------------
Zap Jumping is a new technique that a few characters have. It's typically a
combination of jumping while performing a special move at the same time. With
Lucas, you use PK Fire. To perform, I highly suggest that you use the C, X, or Y
button to jump. Just press the button you use to jump at the same that you
perform a midair PK Fire. The result should be Lucas jumping really really high.
This technique has a variety of uses, from killing opponents at the top of the
screen to recovering from near the death barrier. I highly recommend mastering
Zap Jumping as soon as you can.
-------------------------------
~ Wavebouncing/B-sticking ~
-------------------------------
Wavebouncing, or B-sticking (i'm going to stick with wavebouncing), is a
defensive technique that any character can use. Lucas, however, has the most
noticeable wavebounce of all characters. To perform, you will need a Gamecube
controller and assign the C-stick to perform B button moves. Then, just jump in
the air and perform the PK Fire using the C-stick. The result should be Lucas
performing a PK Fire and flying backwards with much more force than normal. This
move comes in quite handy as it sends the PK Fire farther than normal and
creating a greater distance between you and your opponent.
----------------------
~ Magnet Pulling ~
----------------------
The Magnet Pull is my favorite and my most used technique in the game. It get's
Lucas back to the stage without even have to use his other recovery moves and,
on top of that, gets him back farther on to the stage than his other recoveries
would as long as you are high enough in the air, that is. To perform, i highly
suggest that you have a friend hit you off of the stage then practice using it
to get back. While airborne, use PK Fire in the opposite direction that you want
to go then immediately perform the PSI Magnet. The result should be Lucas flying
backwards at an odd angle and fairly fast while holding the PSI Magnet out. I
have used this technique for quite a few surprise attacks while getting back on
to the stage and have even killed with it. This is perhaps the easiest to master
and the most useful.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | VIII. Toughest Matchups | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
Unlike most FAQs, i'm not going to include a full list of characters and how to
fight them. I believe that some of the best things are learned through
experience and that you should develop your own play style instead of copying
everybody else. I am, however, going to include some strategies and tips to
fight the four characters that i have the hardest time with. So basically, every
character in the Top Tier as agreed upon by the smash community at large.
-------------
~ Marth ~
-------------
The great thing about Marth in Brawl is that his sword is considerably shorter.
His reach isn't as broken as it was in Melee making it just a bit easier to
fight him. Marth is all about spacing and you really have to watch spacing. You
have to know when you are in danger of being hit. I highly suggest dodging, a
lot. Most Marth players are extremely aggressive and love using his aerials as
approaches. The main thing is to be as defensive as possible til he gives you
an opening, then taking advantage of it and comboing him to death. He is easily
edge guarded and his recovery is easy to gimp. So hardest part of fighting him
is on the stage and close to the ground.
------------------
~ Metaknight ~
------------------
I really really really hate fighting Metaknight. He is just insane and he needs
to be deleted. He is way too fast and has great range and priority. Metaknight
is practically untouchable especially against Lucas. Lucas' range falls way
short of Metaknight's and Metaknight will easily dodge Lucas' projectiles.
Metaknight out-prioritizes most of Lucas attacks except the PK Fire, the Dash
attack, and the Up Smash. I would highly suggest trying to meteor Metaknight
whenever you get a chance since his recovery is mainly horizontal. Play really
defensively against him and rely on grabs to start combos.
---------------------
~ Mr.Game&Watch ~
---------------------
The black ink spot is back and he's better than ever (though i don't like the
improvements they made from Melee). Game&Watch has a ton of priority and his
hitboxes last forever. His aerial game outmatches Lucas' and his ground game,
although a little bit slower than Lucas', has more range with more knockback.
On top of that, Game&Watch can easily gimp Lucas' PK recovery by jumping out
and absorbing the PK Thunder. It's nearly impossible to meteor Game&Watch due to
his great recovery. When fighting him, take advantage of his slow speed and
watch out for basically every attack Game&Watch throws at you, especially those
smashes.
-------------
~ Snake ~
-------------
Snake is by far the most broken character in the game below Metaknight. You
might say that Snake is slow, but that doesn't even make a difference. Snake's
Tilt attacks do as much damage as most character smashes and his Neutral A
Combo kills at around 100%. On top of that, he has quite an array of projectiles
at his disposal making it hard to approach him. The great thing about fighting
Snake is that if you manage to get him off of the stage, he is incredibly easy
to meteor, so definitely take advantage of that. Other than that, good luck.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | IX. Items | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
I don't know about you, but i prefer to play without items. Half the time, when
i play with my friends, it turns into a throwing contest and of course who can
get what item first, And whoever gets the Smash Ball (usually me) ends up
winning the match most of the time. In this section i would like to discuss
some strategies to deal with items as well as some items that help Lucas'
offensive abilities.
------------------
~ Strategies ~
------------------
When it comes to items, Lucas has somewhat of an advantage. He can reflect all
thrown items with his Forward Smash and reflect all projectiles from them with
Forward Smash as well. A few items shoot off energy projectiles which you can
use to heal yourself with the PK Magnet. As far as swords an sword-like items
are concerned, i mainly stay away from them cause i feel that they are much
slower than Lucas' Forward Smash and they definitely don't have as much KO
potential as the Forward Smash as well. The use of items are pretty much up to
you. As i stated earlier, i don't like playing with them because it turns into
who can get the most items instead of a game of skill.
---------------------
~ Helpful Items ~
---------------------
Now that my rant is over with, here are some items that help out Lucas offensive
prowess.
** Timers **
Timers are your friends. This item is officially the best item for Lucas to
abuse. It slows down time and allows Lucas to rack up the damage while your
opponent is helpless. My favorite thing to do is to go up to the nearest
opponent and release a fully charged Down Smash on them. All three bursts of PSI
energy hits them for a total of 58%. OUCH! Another fun thing to do is to release
a fully charged Up Smash if you want to go for the KO. Remember though, that
the timer can backfire, slowing you down instead or slowing everybody down. It
also increases the time it takes to aerial dodge and side step dodge. So use at
your own risk.
** PitFall **
Pitfalls is another item that you can pull the timer strategy of with. Unlike
the Timer, your opponent has no way to dodge to your attacks though they can
escape your attacks much faster than the timer. The Pitfall is also useful for
throwing at your opponents while they are trying to recover. It sends your
opponent straight down making it extremely hard to get back to the stage.
** Fire Crates **
This is one of my new favorite items. When hit with a fire attack they explode
causing massive damage to nearby players. This is where PK fire comes into play.
It is one of the fastest fire attacks in the game and has the longest range of
any of them. Wait for the perfect moment to set one off and watch your opponents
fly.
** Screwball Badge **
This item i'm pretty undecided about. Sure the screw attack part is fun, but it
completely takes away Lucas' second jump, which is bad. The good part is that
you can use it to suck people up into it and Uair or Nair right after your
second jump. A useful item for racking up damage, just be careful so you don't
go flying off of the stage.
----------------------
~ The Smash Ball ~
----------------------
The smash ball is the item that is fought over the most. It grants the wielder
incredible power with the potential to KO at least one person. With the smash
ball in hand, Lucas can perform PK Starstorm: a devastating rain of 20 meteors
from the heavens that are really hard to dodge.
Fortunately for Lucas, he has the best way to get the smash ball without even
getting near your opponents that are fighting over it, the PK Thunder. Since,
the PK Thunder doesn't disappear on contact like Ness', you can knock opponents
away from it with the PK Thunder Uppercut and also hit the smash ball more than
once. You can also keep it in place by looping it on it pretty much guaranteeing
that you will get the smash ball. Also, it's not a bad idea to use the smash
ball's power the minute you get it. The meteors are random so you don't have to
line it up.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | X. Stages | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
------------------
~ Strategies ~
------------------
There are a few stages that Lucas has an advantage on. The more platforms the
better. With platforms, Lucas has a few tricks up his sleeve. For one, the
Down Smash actually hits a little below him as well as out in front of him. If
you hit your opponent from above with the Down Smash it will pull them into the
attack, often hitting them twice. The point of the hexagon is random so you
might hit them with the first or second burst. Another fun thing to do, is
platform hit and runs. If they are on the platform and you are some where else,
you can jump at them, perform an aerial, and land on safe ground on a different
platform than the one they were standing on. You can also use the Up Smash from
underneath a platform to hit your opponent. The Up Smash expands in a V shape
making hard for opponents above him to dodge the attack. Now for a list of
good stages that i prefer to play on.
----------------------------
~ Advantageous Stages ~
----------------------------
** Battlefield **
Battlefield is by far my favorite stage. There are so many tricks that Lucas can
perform. For one, the vertical range of his Up Smash extends to the very top of
the middle platform. You can use this advantage to catch opponents off guard if
they don't know that fact already. You can also use the platforms on the side to
edge guard. Just stand on one facing the ledge and let off a Down Smash when
your opponent gets back onto the stage. You can also surprise people below you
on one of those two platforms with a Down Smash if they are tall enough.
** Halberd **
This stage is just fun. It has cool views of the Halberd while you are flying
around. This stage has one center platform that you can use to Down and Up
Smash opponents as mentioned above. On top of that, you can absorb the Beam
Cannon that everybody else runs from.
** Final Destination **
Final Destination is the great leveling plane for all characters. There's
nothing special about it, it's completely flat. Final Destination really helps
out projectile spammers. Lucas can be one of them. Since this stage has no
platforms, Lucas loses some of his versatility, but your opponents have a really
hard time running from you.
** Smashville **
My second favorite stage, Smashville offers the flatness of Final Destination
with a moving platform. The platform is great for charging up Down Smashes and
hitting your helpless opponents from above or charging up and Up Smash to hit
an opponent that is riding the platform. It's also fun to pop the balloons.
** Skyworld **
Most of my friends hate this stage because of the way i abuse it. When you hit
something with a Smash it extends the attack and you can hit every platform
in Skyworld. Starting an Up Smash in Skyworld automatically extends the attack
making it twice as hard to dodge. The Down Smash automatically cancels early
since the platform can only stand one hit before being destroyed. Lucas' Up
Smash can also reach the top platform and with it being extended, it makes it
really hard for opponents to dodge it.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | XI. Conclusion | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
I hope you found this FAQ helpful. I put a lot of time and a lot of energy into
it. I had a ton of fun sharing my experience and i hope you had as much fun
reading it and learning from it as i did writing it. Hopefully, i have achieved
my goal in writing this FAQ and i really hope that it improves your game and
makes Lucas a force to be reckoned with.
If there is anything you would like me to add, or correct me on things i got
wrong, please email me at [email protected] with LucasFAQ in the header so i know
what i am dealing with and i don't think it's spam and never get back to you. I
would really appreciate it if i didn't get any hate mail. Please realize that i
am sharing my experience and nothing more. Thank you for reading it!
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | XII. Legal Stuff | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
This FAQ is the sole property of Kenneth Burton, A.K.A. PKDray and may not be
used without permission unless given permission by myself. This FAQ is meant for
personal use and may not be duplicated for any reason. All game references and
characters are property of their registered trademarks.
__________ _________
\ (_____________________________________________________________) /
\ | | /
> | | <
/ | XIII. Credits | \
/________| |_______\
|_____________________________________________________________|
I would like to thank God, even though it's cliche. I would like to thank my
mother for giving birth to me, etc. <insert more cliche things for me to thank>
I would like to thank Nintendo for making such a kick ass game that has brought
joy to the Smash community at large.
Mainly, i would like to thank my friends for making me the smash player i am by
trying to one-up me the entire time (*coughmikecough*), cause if they didn't,
i wouldn't be where i am today. I would also like to thank my friends for
teaching me to enjoy playing a game where i don't always have to win. Also,
thank you for the countless hours you guys spend with me playing Brawl and
helping me train to be my best. I love you guys!
I would also like to thank GameFAQs.com for giving me this opportunity to share
what i know by letting me post my FAQ.
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