****************************************************************************** Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Lucina Character FAQ -Please recommend above if you find it helpful!- ============================================================================== @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@ @@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@ @ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ # ##@@ @@@@@@@@ @ @@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ## @ @@@@@@ @@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @ @@ @@ @@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@ @ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@ @@ @@@@ @@@ @@ @ @@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@ @ ****************************************************************************** By: MKaykitkats ****************************************************************************** ============================================================================== ABOUT THIS FAQ: ============================================================================== I wrote the 3DS Lucina character guide, and it is mostly the same between the two versions. I adjusted some information regarding controls here, and it will feature a few sections unique to the Wii U version (Palutena's Guidance, trophies, etc) This FAQ details everything about Lucina. Her moves, custom moves, general strategies, specific strategies (against different characters), etc. I will try my best to cover everything regarding her. This FAQ is made mostly from my own experience. I welcome any tips or suggestions other players may have for her, feel free to contact me, and I will credit you. Onward! ============================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS [ToC] ============================================================================== Use Ctrl + F to skip to specific sections, simply search for the letters within the brackets listed below. 1.) Table of Contents [ToC] 2.) General Information [GNRL] 3.) Moveset / Custom Moves [MEST] [Has Sub Sections] 4.) General Strategies [SRT1] [Includes Weaknesses] 5.) Specific Strategies [SRT2] [VS All Characters Here] 6.) Closing/Credits/Contact Information [CCC] 7.) Version Info [VIN] 8.) Authorized Websites [ADS] ============================================================================== GENERAL INFORMATION [GNRL] ============================================================================== This section just covers some basics. History, how to unlock her, differences to Marth, etc. --------------------------------Brief History--------------------------------- From the Fire Emblem series. She first appears in Fire Emblem 13, "Awakening." Wielding Falchion, she deeply admires and poses as the Hero King of Legend, Marth. As such, her move set and fighting style are identical. -----------------------------Unlocking Lucina--------------------------------- ---3DS--- She is very straightforward to Unlock. Simply running through Classic Mode as Marth without continues will let you challenge her when done. Beat her to unlock her. This can be done literally within the first ten minutes of starting the game up. Alternatively, you may do 40 VS Matches in Smash mode, which may take a little longer but is a reliable method. When unlocked, the Milestone message states: "Lucina, hero from a doomed future, has joined the battle!" ---Wii U--- You must clear Classic mode on difficulty 5.5 or higher. Alternatively, play 30 VS Matches in Smash mode. -----------------------------Alternate Outfits-------------------------------- All of her outfits are based on various colors of different characters from Fire Emblem Awakening. If scrolling from default to the right, the order is: -Nowi (light green hair, purple outfit) -Cherche (red hair, black outfit) -Cordelia (red hair, whie outfit) -Tiki (dark green hair, pink/red outfit) -Lissa (blonde hair, yellow outfit) -Tharja (black hair, gold and black outfit) -Sumia (grey hair, purple outfit) Obviously, they make no differences to gameplay. --------------------Differences between Marth and Lucina---------------------- As a Marth "clone," Lucina and Marth share the exact same moves. So what are the differences? The most notable difference is that Lucina lacks the "tipper" sweetspot on her sword. However, the trade off is she also lacks the sourspot on the rest of her blade. This means that damage she does anywhere on the blade is the same. Marth does more damage at the tip, but less down the blade. This is the key difference between them. It implies that if one were to master both Marth and Lucina, Marth would likely perform better if every hit was at the tip, doing more damage over time than Lucina would. Other than this, Lucina is slightly shorter than Marth, has different taunts, and is said to be just a bit faster. --------------------------- Trophy Descriptions ------------------------------ Lucina -Unlocked by beating Classic Mode "Chrom's daughter and the future Princess of Ylisse. When she arrives from a doomed future seeking to prevent it from ever happening, she goes by the name Marth before her identity is revealed. She fights much like her adopted namesake, but her entire blade is equally powerful instead of having a more powerful tip." Critical Hit (Lucina) -Unlocked by beating All-Star Mode "In Lucina's Final Smash, she raises her sword high before dashing swiftly forward to deliver a deadly blow to whomever she makes contact with first. Even if their damage is low, this strike is pwoerful enough to take out foes in a single hit. Just make sure you don't dash off the stage when you use it in midair!" ---------------------------Victory Poses / Lines ----------------------------- She has various victory lines. Some are special depending on who she is fighting. I point out the Japanese (that I translated) just to show the slight personality difference it presents her with in English. A small tidbit and somewhat irrelevant, but interesting none the less. General: (English) "The future is not written!" "Father, I won!" "You'll never defeat me." General: (Japanese) "Mirai o kaetemisemasu!" (Watch me change the future!) "Kachimashita yo, otousama" (I won...father.) "Makeru wa ikemasen!" (I cannot lose!) Specific: (English) VS Marth: "This is the Hero King?" VS Ike: "And they called you the Radiant Hero?" Specific: (Japanese) VS Marth: "Kore ga eiyuuou no chikara?" (This is the Hero King's power...?) VS Ike: "Kore ga souen no yuusha?" (This is the Radiant Hero...?) Same meaning, but there is a subtle difference between saying "You'll never defeat me" and "I cannot lose." The second half is less condescending and more in contemplation. Just thought I would add this in the FAQ as trivia. Lucina is quite the troll in English, huh? --------------- Palutena's Guidance Conversation (Wii U) --------------------- Pit: "That lady's moves are awfully similar to Marth's." Palutena: "That's Lucina." "She used to introduce herself as Marth. so certain similarities seem inevitable." Pit: "What? She stole someone else's identity?" Viridi: "Well, it wasn't quite like that." Palutena: "Marth had become a legend by her time --the Hero-King." "So Lucina took that name to bolster the morale of her own army. Think of it as a symbol of hope in the depths of despair." Pit: "That's pretty deep." Viridi: "You can't tell by looking at her, but I hear she's got a great sense of humor." Pit: "I'll try cracking a few jokes and see if that softens her up." Palutena: "The tip of her blade doesn't deal as much damage as Marth's." "But her attacks are more balanced, even if they're not tremendously powerful." --------------------------- Weight Ranking --------------------------------- "Weight" is one of the factors that determines resistance to "knockback." Generally, the higher the weight, the lower you get pushed back by attacks, and less distance sent flying, or harder to KO. It's also harder to land combo attacks on lighter characters as they are sent farther away from each attack, and so harder to line up combo moves. Lucina ranks at lower-middle weight, with a value of 90, or a ranking of 32 (out of 55, which includes Shulk and his various arts changing weight). She is the same as Marth. What this means to you is you get hit fairly far, but it is harder to land combos on you for some characters. It is something to keep in mind as you accumulate damage, as well as when fighting other characters (Bowser, for instance. Keep his weight in mind to determine the sort of strategy you want to take against him). -------------------------------- Misc / Other -------------------------------- On the background screen in the fighting ring, her title is: "Warrior from a Doomed Future." (Wii U) ---------------------- Custom Equipment Types ------------------------------- These are the types of Custom Equipment Lucina can use. The categories are Attack, Defense, and Speed. (A, D, and S). Anything with the below titles in it she can equip (for example: The "Well- Worn Boots" can be equipped as they are in the "Boots" category. "Super Brawn Badge" can be equipped because it is in the "Brawn Badge" category." Attack (Orange): (A+ / D-) Brawn Badges / Sword Defense (Blue): (D+ / S-) Protection Badges / Cape Speed (Green): (S+ / A-) Agility Badges / Boots She has generally good speed already, so upping her defense is more worthwhile. However, it really depends on your strategies that you are taking her into. A generally more balanced Lucina (all positive categories) is the best approach for general usage, as one would imagine. ============================================================================== MOVESET / CUSTOM MOVES [MEST] ============================================================================== This section covers every move she can do. Her Tilts, Smash Attacks. Specials, Grabs, Throws, Final Smash, and customized Special Moves. I describe their damage ranges, as well as some notes on when best used, or how best used in my experience. Use Ctrl F to skip to a specific section: -Standard / Tilt Attacks / Recovery Attacks [M001] -Air Attacks [M002] -Smash Attacks [M003] -Special Attacks / Custom Special Attacks [M004] -Grabs/Throws [M005] -Taunts [M006] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Wii U version can use the Nintendo Gamecube Controller, Nintendo 3DS (as a controller), the Wii U Gamepad, the Wii U Pro Controller, the Wii Classic Controller, the Wii Remote, and the Wii Remote + Nunchuck. Also, the Wii U version has much more controller mapping ability. You can adjust everything down to changing what the taunt buttons do, for instance. The controls I display below are a hard default and you should pay much more attention to what type of attack it is rather than the button itself. I describe the Gamecube Controller and Nintendo 3DS below, but the terminology will apply to all controllers with the respective buttons. Note: I had customized my controls to better fit my play style, but this will assume you are keeping basic controls, so: Gamecube Controller: L = Grab R = Shield X/Y = Jump A = Attack B = Special Attack D-Pad [DP]= Taunts Joystick [CP]= Movement C-Stick [CS] = Quick Aerials / Smash Attacks 3DS (Standard): (You can use 3DS as a controller) L = Grab R = Shield X/Y = Jump A = Attack B = Special Attack D-Pad [DP]= Taunts Circle Pad [CP]= Movement Notes for NEW 3DS: For anyone who has the New 3DS, the second circle pad (C-stick) allows you to perform functions that are the same as using the Circle Pad + Attack button. Unlike the C-stick of previous Smash Brothers games, it allows you to charge your Smash Attacks too. (Hold Up to charge and then release to use). In Lucina's case, the second pad is very useful for performing Aerial Attacks (covered below) quickly and effectively --especially performing a Back-Air with ease. However, this guide will stick with assuming you have a regular 3DS, and indeed it is best to master the standard way before going on to the easier way. It also depends on your play style in the end! --- All damage of the moves is recorded from testing in training mode. Some have ranges that will be noted as ##-##%. Launch is determined on a scale from S (highest) to F (lowest). Notes will talk about usefulness of the moves themselves. Lastly, all the move names are from the official Famitsu Smash Bros Strategy Guide (Japan). They are listed in square brackets []. I still refer to them by the usual name (neutral air, attack, etc), but just for those who are curious. ---Standard Attacks (A button) [M001] Neutral Attack (A Button, no direction) [Slash] Damage: 4-5% (each swing) Launch: D+ <Forward> -She swings her sword in arcs over her head, starting from her front and then going over her head. She can do two attacks consecutively before a brief pause. Notes: This move can hit enemies coming from above, but will not hit enemies behind her. Useful for quickly stopping an enemy from doing an attack with longer set up. Tilt Attacks: (A Button + Direction) -This refers to when your circlepad is "tilted" to a direction, but not doing a charge up "Smash Attack." Up Tilt (CP Up + A) [Anti-Air Slash] Damage: 6-7% Launch: B+ <Upward> -She swings her sword in a longer, higher arc than her neutral attack. There is a brief pause before she can swing again. She starts in the direction she faces, and swings up and around to her back. Notes: Unlike her neutral attack, this one can hit opponents standing directly behind her. In fact, it does 7% damage at the back compared to 6% at the front. Very useful for hitting aerial enemies that may be hopping up from the ledge. It's a little slower than her other tilts, however. Forward Tilt (CP Forward + A) [Hard Edge] Damage: 9/10% Launch: D+ <Forward> -She swings her sword from low to high in an arc from her front. Notes: The move has longer range than her neutral attack, as well as her Down Tilt attack, and is great for going from Down Tilt to Forward Tilt, as well as cancelling an opponent's move. Thanks to the low arc, it can hit enemies who may be ducking in front of her, or coming from on high. An especially useful ledge guarding move. It is easy to go into this move from the Down Tilt as well as her dash attack; and she swings faster than a lot of other opponents' forward tilts as well as decent range, making it a preferred move. Especially useful is if you Down Tilt in one direction, and the opponent rolls behind you, you may simply tilt in the opposite direction and she will instantly turn and execute the attack. Down Tilt (CP Down + A) [Low Thrust] Damage: 8% Launch: C+ <Forward> -She gets low to the ground, and does a quick jab forward. She can attack over and over as you please. She knocks opponents back a safe distance, especially at higher damage. Notes: This is a very useful move for quick opponents who come close or roll often. She can get to the ground and jab very quickly, and so coming from any other tilt move it can be useful. She can dash forward then get low to the ground quickly, executing the attack quickly and possibly confusing an opponent who may have been expecting a dash attack. The quick movement allows her to often hit the opponent and make them flinch before they can strike her. It's very useful near the edge too, often able to hit an opponent who may be just about to grab a ledge. Dash Attack (Run + A) [Raid Chop] Damage: 10% Launch: B+ (Diagonally Forward Up) -She lets out a horizontal slash at the end of her dash, knocking opponents back. Notes: Useful if your opponent keeps rolling backward, just keep running, by the time they roll back again, do the slash and it will usually send them far back enough for you to run up and do a follow up attack. Use sparingly though, as it may become quite predictable after a few uses. It may be more useful to run up and grab, or perhaps go into down tilt. Ledge Recovery Attack (Ledge Grab + A) [Ledge Climbing Attack] Damage: 7% Launch: C+ (Diagonally Forward Up) -She comes on the platform with a stabbing motion forward. Notes: This move is just to clear the platform, it is fairly useful and has good range to knock the opponent off their feet. However, it is generally a better idea to roll back onto the platform, or to clear it over head with a dodge. It does largely depend on what your opponent is doing, however. If you think they will aim upward anticipating a jump, then stab them. If you think they are anticipating a roll and aiming the other way, then stab them. But if they assume you will stab them, then be sure to do a roll or jump! Again, it will largely depend on what your opponents' habits are. Learn them and use which option works best. Recovery Attack (From Floor + A or B) [Face Up / Fall on Behind / Face Down Recovery Attack] Damage; 7%, 7% (Two Swings) / 7% / 5% (Varies on position) Launch: C+ (Forward) -There are several variations: -She recovers from the floor swinging her sword to both sides. (If face down) -She recovers with a quick swing. (If she lands on her bottom) -She recovers with a quick swing. (If she landed on her stomach) Notes: Very useful for when the opponent has a tendency to rush you when you are down for a follow up attack. When they realize you are about to attack getting up, they usually roll, but since you attack both sides, it usually gets them. It is generally a safe option to recover with the attack if you did not tech upon landing. If facing an opponent that is charging a projectile instead, or stays away from you, it may be best to recover with a roll instead. Toward them if projectile, and away if they decide to charge you and it is too late for an attack. Likewise, get up straight if they are not projectile, but are staying away and readying a smash attack in case you roll toward them! There are some variations of the recovery attack, they all do the same damage. It depends on the way you land. Usually, you will be landing face down if your opponent hits you downward to do so. You more rarely land the other ways, such as if Diddy Kong trips you with a Banana Peel. ---Air Attacks (Midair + Direction + A) [M002] -These are attacks done in midair. There are five types, depending on what direction you tilt the circlepad to. -A key to a lot of her air moves is what is known as "short hopping," or lightly tapping the jump buttons (X/Y) so you jump at a shorter height than usual, allowing you to execute these attacks while low to the ground. -The other key is the fast fall, used to return to the ground at quicker speed. She needs this to allow her Neutral and Forward Air to be effective against any height of target, as well returning to the ground quickly after an intercept, so that she may be able to quickly repeat it. -Be weary of her landing lag, sometimes it is unforgiving and leaves you quite open to attack. It would be best to try entering a shield or low tilt as quick as possible, but it can vary depending on who you are fighting to determine what to do here. Up Air (Midair + CP Up + A) [Luna Slash] Damage: 10% Launch: C+ (Upward) -She swings a full arc over her head while in midair. Notes: Incredibly useful when used with short hop. When an opponent is coming down, rather than use both jumps to intercept them high in the air, you can do this close to the ground. It has more manueverability than the normal Up Tilt while doing a bit more damage. When the opponent is very high, doing a quick double jump and Up Tilt will usually end them. It can also be used to intercept those who return from the ledge and choose to jump over you. Forward Air (Midair + CP Forward + A) [Flag Cut] Damage: 8% Launch: C+ (Forward) -She does a full swing from top to bottom in front of her. Notes: One of the most useful for general attacking, when used with a short hop, she can hit even shorter targets. Mix with a fast fall to get to the ground and perform a Down Tilt for any follow up attack your opponent may do. You can hop forward doing this move, sometimes getting opponents to the edge with ease. This is also incredibly useful for off stage combat, as well as ledge guarding. Use it the moment the opponent tries to get back onto the ledge, and be it air or ground, you will hit them if done right. Don't be afraid to do a jump off the map to hit the opponent with the forward air, or even use both your jumps, it will usually K.O. them. Just be sure to hold the tilt toward the stage after you execute the attack, as this will allow her to drift back either onto the stage, or into safe distance to use her Dolphin Slash (Up Special) to return safely. Neutral Air (Midair + No Direction + A) [Double Slash] Damage: 2%, 7% Launch: B+ (Forward) -She swings horizontally around herself in midair. Notes: This move is incredibly useful for ledge guarding, as well as general offensive. She hits opponents both in front, above, or behind her. A useful technique is at the edges of the stage, when the opponent is returning, perform a short hop and do the Neutral Air, so if they were to jump, they run right into your blades. It attacks twice, the first swing (2%) weaker than the second, more important swing (7%). You can short hop forward using it, and then mix it with a fast fall to hit opponents on the ground/hanging onto the ledge, too. One of her most useful techniques. Works well on bigger targets too. Down Air (Midair + CP Down + A) [Half Moon] Damage: 11-13% Launch: B+ (Diagonally Upward Forward) / (Straight Downward [Meteor]) -She swings in an arc below her. Has Meteor Smash effect at tip. Notes: A useful move to perform a Meteor Smash when off the map, but also to hop over opponents and reliably hit them. It's a little slower than the others and has a higher recovery time, but also does more damage. I recommend using it mostly when you can guarantee the opponent will be knocked back or down to avoid the possibility of a follow up attack. Generally I recommend the Forward Air more, but this will have uses for reasons mentioned above. Be careful when using it off map, especially if used with fast fall. Ensure you still have your second jump and Dolphin Slash ready to return to the map as you will have gone a fair distance down. You can do your second jump right after the move earlier than you think. The Meteor Smash point is at the very tip of the blade. Practice using it to full potential. Usually a throw from the ledge is a good set up. Back Air (Midair + CP Back + A) [Upper Swing] Damage: 9-10% Launch: C+ (Backward) -She swings the sword in a quick arc behind her. Notes: A little trickier to use toward the opponent, it usually provides a good escape move. You have to jump facing one way, and use the tilt to start drifting the opposite way, so you approach your opponent facing the other way. Then tilt the control stick to whatever direction is behind you, and push A to execute the attack. The quick swing and approach often catches them off guard. It's also useful if both of you are in mid air, and your opponent behind you. It deals fair damage and swings quickly. For the "Launch," by "Backward," I mean relative to the direction her body is facing. That means "Forward" to where the slash itself is. ---Smash Attacks (CP Direction Tap + A) [M003] -These refer to the charge up attacks that require you to tap a direction with the circle pad and hold A. There are three of them. They are the moves with best launch power, but also longer set up than standard attacks, best used when you have predicted an opponent's move and know exactly where they will be. -Notes: Damage range is lowest (no charge) to highest (full charge). Charges go for about 2 seconds to max. You can release anytime in between the charge, which is where timing can come in to land the attack. Up Smash (Tap CP Up + A) [Justice Sword] Damage: 17-24% Launch: A+ (Upward) -She thrusts her sword straight up, launching opponents upward. It can hit opponents right next to her on either side, too. Notes: A fair ranged upward smash attack. Useful for if your opponent is going to land either next to you or above you. It can out range quite a few of the other characters' Down Air moves, usually allowing you to safely hit them and launch them upward. Be wary of the set up time and recovery time, if you miss, you are vulnerable to your opponent! The Up Tilt is more useful if juggling your opponent. Use this if you can guarantee a hit. You can slide a little into this attack if you do it from a dash. Forward Smash (Tap CP Forward + A) [Dragon Killer] Damage: 14-20% Launch: A+ (Forward) -She slams her sword down from high to low in front of her. Notes: A great launching move, can hit opponents a bit above her as well as in front of her with ease. If used at the very edge of the ledge, it can often hit opponents before they reach the ledge itself. If you can time it well enough to hit the opponent right after their ledge invulnerability wears off, sending them flying. Easier on bigger characters like Bowser. Another thing to keep in mind. If the opponent rolls a lot, but mostly in one direction, simply aim to where they will roll rather than aim at them. Their roll will give you at least a full second to charge, and then you will more likely than not send them flying. If they happen to shield, follow up with a grab. Down Smash (Tap CP Downward + A) [Whirlwind] Damage: 9-13% (Forward Swing) 14-20% (Rear Swing) Launch: A+ (Diagonally Backward Upward) -She swings her sword first in front of her, than behind her. Notes: Great for if the opponent keeps getting around you, or stays low to the ground. Keep in mind she will swing in the direction she is facing first, rather than a lot of other characters who have downward smashes that cover both sides at the same time. The advantage to her doing both sides separately is that if the opponent rolls to the other side of you when you start the attack, they will be hit by the stronger, follow up attack. You can easily follow up with a Down Tilt and vice versa. ---Special Attacks (B Button) [M004] -These are the moves that utilize the B button to unleash special attacks. There are 4 types (Upward, Horizon, Neutral, Downward). Custom moves are also listed here, and fall into the four categories. There are 12 moves total. I will focus most on the Default moves, as I have most experience with them, and "For Glory" does not allow use of the custom moves. Neutral Special Attacks (No Direction + B) 1.) Shield Breaker (Default) Damage: 8-21% (No charge - Full charge) Launch: A+ (Forward) "Thrust the sword forward to pierce through shields. Can be charged." Notes: Just as it says, this is the move I utilize most offensively. She can tear through shields with ease, a no charge shield breaker will reduce it far enough that if the opponent holds shield a little longer, it will break. A full charge one shatters shields. It can be blocked with only a power shield, or shielding at just the right moment. It has great range too, mixed with a short hop it can throw opponents off. Mix up your charge time to throw off opponent timings. Use it coming from the air too. A full charge shield breaker in mid-air will thrust Lucina herself forward, which can throw opponents off sometimes. Be very careful when using it for stage return though --as she goes forward she will not grab the ledge on her own, so be sure to use the Up Special right after. Also if using for return, be weary of the type of map you are playing on. Some are walls, while some have no underside. Sometimes you may slide right down rather than grabbing the ledge, causing the stage itself to kill you. Doing a backward Short Hop with the Shield Breaker will often catch a player off guard. They likely reflexively go into Shield, at which point is your chance to shatter it. However, some are very skilled and will side dodge, or power shield at the exact moment and follow up with an attack. If they are consistently good at doing the above, it may be best to avoid using this move too often. You can do a "Reverse Shield Breaker," much like Captain Falcon's Reverse Falcon Punch, by pushing the button and holding the opposite direction to where you are facing quickly. She should spin and aim the other way. It is very, very useful for those who constantly roll behind you and enter a shield. You can pull it off by holding the opposite direction lightly too and pushing the button. I've tested both ways, and they both work. The second method, however, may lead you into your Side B instead, however! So be careful. It is a tricky maneuver, but will be lethal when mastered. 2.) Storm Thrust (Custom) Damage: 3-10% Launch: C+ (Forward) "Thrust the sword forward. The tip creates a gust of wind that pushes opponents back." Notes: The gust that it creates can be good for shoving opponents off, as well as preventing their return. Distance yourself from the opponent to allow the gust to your advantage. Try it when they attempt returning to the ledge too. It does some damage too if they are up close, but the biggest feature is mainly the fact it sends them flying quite far! If friendly damage is on in Team Battles, you could position yourself behind your partner, making sure the blade won't hit them, but the gust will. They can charge a Smash Attack and be sent toward the opponent fully ready, for instance. 3.) Dashing Assault (Custom) Damage: 5-15% (No charge - Full Charge) Launch: C+ (Diagonally Forward Upward) "Thrust while dashing forward. Deals slightly less damage than normal." Notes: This is my favorite of the three custom moves for neutral, as she can cover almost the entire map at full charge if it's an Omega (flat) map. The weakened power means she won't break shields as easily, but will still do a fair bit of damage to the shield itself. Amazing for return too, as used in mid air carries her incredibly far. Great in custom Team Battles to zip around the stage. Horizontal Special Attacks (CP Forward/Backward + B) 1.) Dancing Blade (Default) Damage: Varies by direction Middle Swings (Red) : 3-3-4-6% Upward Swings (Blue) : X-3-4-7% Downward Swings (Green): X-X-6-13%* Launch: Varies by hit Middle Swings (Red) : E+ (Up) - E+ (Up-Forward) - D+ (Forward) - B+ (Forward) Upward Swings (Blue) : -- - E+ (Up) F+ (Up-Forward) - B+ (Up) Downward Swings (Green): -- - -- - D+ (Forward) - B+ (Forward) *-if all three hits land X = first move is always a horizontal slash. "Attack up to four times. Press up or down to change the combo type." Notes: Great for combos, as said above. The first move is always Red, then after that you can tilt the circlepad upward or downward to influence which move happens next. You can do any combination, red-blue-green- blue, or red-green-blue-green, for instance. Very useful and hard to predict, allowing her to be very versatile and hard to predict. What is predictable though is that she only has up to four hits. Someone who knows this can wait and perform an easy counter attack. The best way around this is to use the final downward swing, which does multiple attacks, as people seem to either forget about the multiple hits, or charge in anyway. There are several different timings with this move. You can do all four moves quickly, or give a bit of a lag between them, great for tricking opponents to lower their shield thinking you have finished. It requires precise timing though, so give it a lot of practice! Upward swing is useful for launching, the fourth move has great KO capability, as does the fourth horizontal swing. You can begin to set it up from mid air. If approaching an opponent, start your first swing in midair so you can follow up with whatever types you like. Be very careful not to use this off stage, as you may accidentally do midair combo that will miss the ledge. You may see some doing the first swing (Red) to stay afloat longer, a tactic from older games, but it is generally safer to not risk it. 2.) Effortless Blade (Custom) Damage: 2-2-3-4% (Red/Middle Only) Launch: E+ (Up) - E+ (Up-Forward) - E+ (Up) - B+ (Up-Forward) "You can't change the combo type, but you can wait longer between attacks. Lower damage." Notes: You can only do the Red combination (middle). It is useful if you want to trick your opponent by waiting slightly before the next move, but lacks the damage building capability of the original version, as the direction cannot be changed to hit upward or downward. I highly recommend the default over this one. 3.) Heavy Blade (Custom) Damage: Varies by direction Middle Swings (Red) : 7-10-10-14% Upward Swings (Blue) : X-9-10-13% Downward Swings (Green): X-X-10-19%* Launch: Varies by direction Middle Swings (Red) : C+ (Forward) - C+ (Forward) - A+ (Up-Forward) - A+ (Up-Forward) Upward Swings (Blue) : -- - C+ (Up-Forward) - A+ (Up) A+ (Up) Downward Swings (Green): -- - -- - A+ (Forward) - C+ (Forward) *-if all three hits land X = first move is always a horizontal slash. "Each strike is stronger but launches foes, making it hard to pull off a combo." Note: Just as it says, each attack hurts significantly more, with greater range and launching power. The only draw back is the timing cannot be changed, and the moves have a timing lag between them (it just "feels" heavier when using). You can do the four instant swings like default. When used right, though, this is a very destructive move, as unlike the Easy Combination, the next hit type can still be changed. Very deadly. Upward Special Attacks (CP Up + B) 1.) Dolphin Slash (Default) Damage: 7-11% (7 at tip, 11 from base) Launch: A+ (Forward) "Strike upward with your sword as you rise into the air. Deals most damage at the start." Notes: It does carry her a nice distance upward, useful for return. It also clears the way of anyone possibly trying to intercept you, as her slash is very fast and so hard to hit when she's doing it. Of course, it can be done, so remain cautious about this. I use it sparingly on the map itself, as it leaves you completely vulnerable after using it until you land. However, it has great launching ability if used right up to your opponent. It works as a last ditch move after your Dancing Blade, too, where their shield may be down as they move to counter you. For intercepting midair opponents, it is generally a better idea to use the air attacks rather than this one, as they leave you less vulnerable to counter attacks. The angle of the Dolphin Slash makes it good for approaching the ledge from below, but not too great from the side. The other issue is if you happen to miss the ledge and dolphin slash a little above it, you are left incredibly vulnerable to your opponent, who may be able to KO you with a smash attack. It is highly recommended you use this to get to the ledge, not above it. Remember that if you are hit during your Dolphin Slash, you can use it again. if intercepted, keep using that Dolphin Slash to get back to the ledge! 2.) Crescent Slash (Custom) Damage: 7-12% (7 at base, 12 at middle) Launch: C+ (Forward) "Rise in an arc while attacking. Deals most damage at the midpoint. Doesn't go as high." Notes: As said, it has less of a height and more of a horizontal jump distance. Unlike the Dolphin Slash, most damage is from the middle. 3.) Dolphin Jump Damage: None Launch: None "Jump really high, but you won't deal any damage." Notes: A great return move, she has great height in her jump, but it lacks any offensive power, making her easy to intercept. It may be more useful for the likes of Smash Run. Downward Special Attacks (CP Down + B) 1.) Counter (Default) Damage: Varies (Base 8%, Enemy Attack x1.2) Launch: Varies (Base C+ Forward) "Prepare for an attack and strike back if hit. The power depends on your enemy's attack." Notes: A very, very useful move in a variety of situations. If you are familiar with how every other character plays, their timings, their ranges, etc, then this will work greatly for you. Most useful is intercepting a combos, or someone returning to the stage, or preventing your return to the stage. The damage is greater for enemy moves that do greater damage, which is useful as some strong attacks have long set ups, allowing you to use this with ease. Some notable uses are, if your opponent attacks from the ledge a lot, stand there and counter. If you are returning to the stage and the opponent keeps hitting you, counter right in front of them to clear the ledge. If your opponent is a big character (Ike, Bowser, Ganon), take advantage of their slower hits to set up counters whenever possible. Just be careful --the set up is only for about a second, if your opponent expects a counter, they may lag their move, or grab you. It leaves you pretty vulnerable if you fail the counter. 2.) Easy Counter (Custom) Damage: Varies (Base 4%, Enemy Damage x0.7) Launch: Varies (Base C+ Forward) "Your counter stance lasts longer, but the attack power is lower." Notes: As suggested, the duration is longer (more than 1 second for default), but will do less damage overall. I recommend the first counter, but this may be a good starting point, or a counter to counter enemies that extend their moves to avoid her default counter duration. 3.) Iai Counter (Custom) Damage: Varies (Base 6%, Enemy Damage x1.4) Launch: Varies (Base C+ Backward) "A successful counter knocks opponents behind you. Faster but does less damage." Notes: As said above, this counter sends the opponents off behind you a fair distance. If used at the edge of the map it will knock them off that way. It has the same duration as the default counter as well, but strikes back faster. Final Smash (Smash Ball + B) [Critical Hit] Damage: 60%; OHKO Launch: S+ (Forward) "Time to change fate!" (Unmei o Kaemasu!) -She lunges forward in a quick, straight line, stopping at the first opponent and sending them flying as their HP drains. Notes: It sends opponents from 0 to 60% damage, and I have never seen anyone survive it. One thing you must be cautious of is if she uses it in midair, she will usually go very far off the map --if not KO'd, then it will be really hard to return regardless. Most safely used while on ground, where she will stop at the edge of a flat map, or any other obstacle in the way. However, you CAN stop the move by pushing Attack or the Grab button. She will stop exactly when you push it and slash there instead. Useful to stop yourself if you miss the target and don't want to go too far off! ---Grabs/Throws (L, or R + A) [M005] -Useful for getting around an opponent's shield. Use these as a follow up to a dash, combo, or hit if you feel your opponent may shield or counter. -You can hit them a few times by tapping A repeatidly while holding them. You can launch them in any direction afterward. -Her general grab range is okay, be sure to be very close to them. -"Pivot Grabbing" (spinning around and grabbing) will add to her grab range a little. Grab + Hit (L/R+A + A) [Grab Knee] Damage: 4% Launch: None Notes: I recommend hitting only once or twice as the opponent may break free depending on their damage. Launch them afterward and follow up with air attacks. Upward Throw (Grab + CP Up) [Casting] Damage: 4% Launch: C+ (Upward) Notes: Useful to KO light characters with high damage simply by throwing them upward. For heavier characters, I recommend down throw to follow up with moves. Downward Throw (Grab + CP Down) [Grab Drop] Damage: 5% Launch: D+ (Upward) Notes: Useful for slightly more damage, and to follow up with Up Airs and other attacks. Great for building damage. You can try to grab them again when they land if you are good enough. Forward Throw (Grab + CP Forward) [Roll Over] Damage: 4% Launch: D+ (Forward] Notes: Standard forward throw, good to follow up with Forward Airs, or for sending the opponent off and following up with a meteor smash. Backward Throw (Grab + CP Backward) [Leg Hooker] Damage: 4% Launch: D+ (Backward) Notes: Just like forward throw, good for setting up an opponent for a meteor smash. In this case, a Back Air is good to do too. Taunts [M006] These do nothing for combat. They are just taunts, or "appeals" in Japanese. Up Taunt (DP Up) Poses, saying "Come at me!" (English) Poses, saying "Kakattekinasai" (Come on). (Japanese) Horizontal Taunt (DP Left/Right) Sheaths sword, "I cannot lose." Sheaths sword, "Makeraremasenkara" (I cannot lose.) (Japanese) Down Taunt (DP Down) Puts on mask. Then removes it. --- To end this section, here are example videos on youtube. These videos are not owned by me, and if the respective owners have any issues with me linking their video, I shall take it down immediately. Here is Lucina's non-custom move set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fgd0n9XF0Y Here is Lucina's move set with custom moves! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8HSNKXYAk0 Please be sure to thank these users for their videos and time! ============================================================================== GENERAL STRATEGIES [SRT1] ============================================================================== These are just some general strategies in different situations. -General- Lucina lacks any sort of projectile, so has to get pretty close to her opponents. She can utilize counter and short hopping and dodging to make her way over to those that do have projectiles. It varies depending which projectile character she is fighting (see section below for more in depth tips). For other non projectile fighters, she does well with her range being able to out do quite a few, and her quick moves and counter letting her hold her own against them. She is more the forward attacker sort in Team Battles, but can shift to a defensive role providing counter and quick moves to protect a teammate that may be setting up their own moves. -Map Types- She works okay on Omega Style maps (flat/Final Destination), but it also puts her at a severe disadvantage versus characters who can use projectiles as well as rack up high combos. As such, she is most benefited by a Neutral Stage (Battlefield) that has some platforms she can utilize to avoid projectiles. Maps that have a lot of changes/movement/hazards may be bad for her, as her jumps and recovery are fair, but severely lacking compared to some other characters, making some maps unforgiving (Paper Mario...) -Free For All (4 Player)- She's not really built to fight in the middle of a crowd, unless you want to jump in and try your luck at countering. What she is good at though is picking off the weakest member quickly and with ease. It is best to avoid the center of the action and attack from the sides, rolling back over when you're done before doing your next attack. The Shield Breaker is very useful on an opponent distracted or shielding from another opponent --take advantage of this. Just be sure to KO them before the opponent does. -1 on 1- With just one player to focus on, she is quite strong here. Generally, you will want to strike fast and avoid being grabbed, as a lot of her moves leave her vulnerable to grabbing. You want to make use of her Dancing Blade for damage, but never feel the need to complete all four moves as your opponent may have shielded or dodged by then. Be sure to mix up your moves as not to become too predictable. It is better to land a few Tilt attacks and retreat rather than complete a Dancing Blade and leave yourself open. Your biggest advantage is edge guarding. You can space yourself from the ledge to avoid the opponent's ledge attack and still hit them with a well placed shield breaker or smash attack. Projectile opponents will require a lot of short hopping and precise countering, especially on an Omega map. On non Omega maps, you may be benefited by any platforms that are around to help you get closer without the constant jumping and dodging. Short hop air dodging is very useful as you stay low enough that they will attempt to fire a projectile at you, but your air dodge will let it go right through, placing you right in front of them for a follow up attack. Again, if your opponent starts to see this pattern, then they may attack you when you come close, using projectiles to lure you instead. In that case, use your second jump to go above them, and do a Down Air onto them while they would be swinging forward to hit where they thought you may have been. Be sure to take advantage of when your opponent is hit off the map to follow up with your own attacks. Just be weary of the specific opponent. (I cover specific fighters below.) -Team Battle- She does great defending projectile support characters (such as Robin). She can keep the enemy at bay with her tilts while the partner charges his/her moves. Another great advantage is hiding behind the mass of a bigger partner (Bowser, Dedede), and charging the Shield Breaker. More often than not, you will smash the opponent's shield, letting you or your partner KO them with a full charged attack afterward. There is a lot going on in a 2 v 2 Team Battle, so your opponent will struggle to keep up with dodging your Shield Breaker while your partner attacks them, too. -Sudden Death- You can do one of three things: 1.) You can rush the opponent and hit them with a quick dash attack or Forward Air, or preferrably a throw. 2.) You can stay back shielding, and if they charge you, simply grab and throw them away. This usually works a bit better than the above. Use a counter too if you feel it, though it is harder to pull off, and if you make a mistake, you will no doubt be sent flying as punishment. 3.) Or, your safest bet is to abuse the Bob Ombs that will drop about 10 seconds or so in. Go to the ledge closest to you, hang off of it. Drop down, jump, then Up Special back to the ledge. If they come after you, you can Dolphin Slash them off the map, or Up Air them. If they stay away, the Bob- Ombs will start dropping and likely send them flying. This usually works, and is best against projectile enemies who will not approach you as well as be difficult to approach. Though it is a little cheap too, this is only if you want to "win" rather than try your own skill with the first two options. -Weaknesses- One must be aware of Lucina's own weaknesses, of which she unfortunately has a few that can really cause problems for players. Here are some points to look out for: 1 Issues with the Forward Air / Aerials The Forward Air / fast fall combination, while it does have a large sweeping range, if missed, will allow the opponnent to set up an attack to which you will be vulnerable. It may take some practice to be able to do a quick forward air, and the quicker you do it the faster you get out of it. In this guide, despite recommending it a lot as a useful move, one must be cautious that if the opponent starts to catch on to you doing Forward Airs a lot, they will likely be finding ways to counter it. The Neutral Air fast drop may work better in your favor as it leaves Lucina in a slightly less vulnerable position upon landing. Aerials in general may end up leaving her vulnerable with the landing lag. I do not seem to run into too much trouble with this, as I manage to move to a quick side or down tilt to knock the opponent that moves in to attack, but it is a word of caution that other players have had difficulty with. 2 Recovery / Dolphin Slash Lucina has decent recovery --if not interrupted. Sometimes even the opponent knocking you slightly back after your second jump will make you be unable to recover. While this is a general rule for all characters, the Dolphin Slash's angle makes it harder to gain sideways movement, and sometimes leads to your death at even lower damages, essentially a waste of a life. You also have to be weary of two things regarding the Dolphin Slash. I covered it in the Dolphin Slash section, but here it is again: The Dolphin Slash has a more upward angle. This is good for coming from under the ledge --but not so great for needing horizontal momentum if coming from far away. I recommend practicing in Training to see just how limited the Dolphin Slash's angle makes it for Lucina to return. The Dolphin Slash leaves you incredibly vulnerable, and has the tendency to miss the ledge invulnerability and leave you open. What I mean by this is, due to how it works, if you come at an angle and miss the ledge, and instead fly over it, the opponent can set up a Smash Attack to likely KO you, as you are completely helpless after this jump. Remember that if hit when doing the Dolphin Slash, you can do it again. This is useful for enemies that keep intercepting you off stage as you attempt to recover. Always come from below the ledge when possible, though of course make exceptions when you clearly see an opponent setting up a meteor smash... but you may not get a choice sometimes. Also, never give up if you think you're too far from the ledge. Sometimes tilting the right way and using your jumps at the right time with the Dolphin Slash makes for surprise recovery. Never give up! 3 Combos Aside from her Dancing Blade, she does not have many combos. You can toss your opponent and land an Up-Tilt and follow it with a Up Air, for instance, but more often than not the opponent will escape this. She can do Forward Airs to Down Tilts, or Neutral Attacks to Side Tilts, but in the end they never seem to go beyond two hits. She seems to be more the type who relies on precise timing and prediction/reading to smash her opponents off the map. Getting opponents to high damage with her relies on quick one-two attacks and then retreating, or dodging/shielding before your next attacks. She is all about patiently building damage, rather than being able to do miraculous combos to get her way up there. 4 Counter The counter, as I mention in the respective section, is incredibly useful, but also incredibly dangerous to you, the user. The brief second you have, if missed, leaves you vulnerable to all sorts of mishaps. The first example that comes to mind is if you Counter Dedede's Side Smash too early, that hammer comes down completely unforgiving. You have to know exactly how your opponent's moves lag, or operate, to get the timing down precisely. Use this for only the most predictable opponents as you start out. 5 Omega Maps For Glory is played only on Omega Maps. This gives her a severe disadvantage against Projectile characters, and others like Little Mac who can dominate the stage without worries of doing much in the air. She has to face an uphill battle approaching projectile opponents, as well as quick/rapid dodging/combotastic ones. In For Glory mode, you will have to jump quite a bit, but this also leaves you quite predictable, unfortunately. In local games and tournaments, more likely than not, it will not be just Omega maps, and maps more beneficial to Lucina (such as Battlefield) will work more in your favor, utilizing platforms with your tilts, air attacks, and especially approaching/projectile avoidance. 6 Close Quarters She lacks any sort of projectiles. She has to get up close to her opponents to do damage. This can be problematic, and is quite problematic, on especially flat maps. Precise countering, power shielding, and dodging helps her approach, but stresses the user to no end compared to the easy time the projectile user has firing at you. This can also be a problem for when she has to face big characters, especially with moves that do not flinch easily. Approaching Ganon and Bowser, for instance. Keep your cool. Be patient. If someone keeps firing projectiles, learn their patterns, their "rhythm." You can shield and wait it out if they insist and wait until they come at you, or you can learn their patterns and approach. Either way, just do not stress out as you will be more prone to making mistakes. Once she gets up to them, she can often do some serious damage. If they attempt to roll away, you will finally have them on the run, and so continue to pursue them. --- ============================================================================== SPECIFIC STRATEGIES [SRT2] ============================================================================== This section will detail specific strategies against every other character in the game, as well as Master Core as a bonus. Please note this is all from my own experience fighting these characters both online and offline primarily in the 3DS version so far, as well as using these characters and exploiting their weaknesses as Lucina. This is a section that will be ongoing in updates as more strategies are discovered. These do not include customized characters aside from Mii Fighters. This is likely to be edited in the future if people send emails about their own experiences with some characters, as well as their own tips. I make a note to say how much I've fought a certain character (Rare,Uncommon,Common). They are in Full Roster order (Top left to bottom right). Use CTRL + F to find their section simply by typing in their character names in full caps (and make sure it is case sensitive). Example: Wendy would be WENDY. Lucina Versus: 01 Mario 02 Luigi 03 Peach 04 Bowser 05 Yoshi 06 Rosalina & Luma 07 Bowser Jr. 08 Wario 09 Mr. Game & Watch 10 Donkey Kong 11 Diddy Kong 12 Link 13 Zelda 14 Sheik 15 Ganondorf 16 Toon Link 17 Samus 18 Zero Suit Samus 19 Pit 20 Palutena 21 Marth 22 Ike 23 Robin 24 Kirby 25 King Dedede 26 Meta Knight 27 Little Mac 28 Fox 29 Falco 30 Pikachu 31 Charizard 32 Lucario 33 Jigglypuff 34 Greninja 35 Duck Hunt 36 R.O.B. 37 Ness 38 Captain Falcon 39 Villager 40 Olimar 41 Wii Fit TRAINER 42 Dr. Mario 43 Dark Pit 44 Lucina 45 Shulk 46 Pac-Man 47 Mega Man 48 Sonic 49 Mii Fighter/Gunner/Brawler ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 MARIO / 42 DR. MARIO Common - Plenty of people use Mario that I've encountered. Note: Dr. Mario is here too as the general strategy is the same. -You want to look out for his Forward Air --it's his Meteor Smash. A lot of the players will be aiming to set you up for this. -His grab and punch ranges are relatively short, so you can focus on out ranging him. Your Forward Tilt among others will be the most useful thing against him. He is relatively short so you will utilize Forward Air more than Neutral Air. -He does jump a lot though, use Neutral Air to deal with this. If he short hops a lot, he is likely trying to set up his Back Air, which hurts quite a bit, too. Be ready to counter if he does this constantly. -Mario's Down Air is rather deadly, allowing him to get a lot of damage onto you and recovery very quickly. If he is approaching from over you, either try to intercept with an Up-Tilt, Short Hop Up Air, or just dodge. He can go from his Down Air to side punches and other moves very quickly! -Watch out for that cape, it may disorientate your combos leaving you open to his attack. -His fireballs can be a problem if they utilize it correctly, the bouncing effect makes them slightly harder to dodge. Make your way up timing your jumps and unleash a counter if close enough. -The FLUDD (Water Jet) can sabotage your return to the map, if you see him charging this at any point, be sure that you do a low approach to the ledge so the water does not send you flying too far where your Dolphin Slash will be unable to save you. FOR DR. MARIO -Instead of the FLUDD, he has a spinning tornado move. It can get damage on you much like Luigi's, and send you flying. --- 02 LUIGI Uncommon - Only seen a few here and there. -Don't let him get too close to you. If they constantly are trying, he is likely trying to do his critical uppercut. -He floats around quite a bit, use air attacks to do him in. His recovery is easy to mess up, so if you hit him off the map, follow up and make sure he stays out there. Forward airs! -Watch out for Luigi's own air attacks. He has quite the range with his air kicks. -His Down Special has the ability to lock you in and do serious damage. -His fireballs fly straight unlike Mario, a bit easier to avoid. Be cautious on the approach as well as when you're recovering that he doesn't intercept you with a fireball. --- 03 PEACH Rare - I haven't got to fight many. -Her Side B is a lot faster in this game, if you see it coming you can set up a quick counter, but you're better off trying to dodge it and follow up qucikly with an attack. -Her Down B projectiles are fairly easy to dodge, you can also catch them in midair with the jump-dodge method of catching. -Her ability to float as well as her Up Special umbrella are two things to look out for, as she may throw off your ledge guard precision by just floating over. Jump up and intercept her whenever possible, keeping her clear of the map. -She has a counter ability in the form of her Neutral Special, Toad. Watch out for this when doing the Danclng Blade, which is predictable for those who know you have a max limit of four hits. Be careful about using shield breaker for the same reason. Try throwing off her timing by adding time between swings from the Dancing Blade, or perhaps just cancelling at two or three rather than going all the way up to four. --- 04 BOWSER Common - Oh dear. -A ton of people use his fire to keep you at bay and add damage. Your counter can't hit him either if you try. The solution is to jump and use a low hit shield breaker, or perhaps a forward air. -All of his moves hurt. A lot. You should use air attacks then back up before you do the next one. -Watch out for his Side Smash attack (where he jumps with both legs out). The timing is a little strange so if you counter at the start of his jump he will still get you. You have to brave it and wait just a second when he actually starts his jump and counter there. It will be worth the reward --but if you mess up you will likely be sent flying very far. -A safe bet is to grab him and slam him to the ground. Usually Bowser follows up with a Down Special (comes slamming down), or a Down Attack, both cause him to fall and do damage. Just dodge to the side when you see him do this, and prepare a side smash or shield breaker. -Don't shield too much, his moves will break it quickly, and his Side B is a destructive grab based attack. You're better off dodging the beast. -If you hit him off the stage, do quick attacks to make sure he stays out there to make him fall victim to his own weight. -Thanks to his height and width, the Neutral Air is a good bet to constantly hit him and drive him back. Just be sure those short hops are down. -If you're both down to your last life, don't let him Side Special you. If he belly flops with you off the map. you get KO'd before he does, leading to his victory. --- 05 YOSHI Common - A lot of Yoshi! -Remember that he has a high jump, but his Up Special is not the greatest recovery. If hit off the map, be sure to land another hit on him after that jump. -Watch out for his eggs. I've seen some very good Yoshis who spam that Egg knowing you can't throw anything back! It also prevents your Forward Air and other air attacks. You may have to stick to the ground. -Yoshi has a Meteor Smash to look out for. When recovering from ledges, try to make sure you come from low to avoid being hit by this. -He has a decent grab range with his tongue, but he does not use it unless you yourself shield a lot, as it leaves him quite exposed if he misses it. -He has a move (down special) that will cause him to rocket down to the ground. Watch out for this, either dodging to set up a Shield Breaker/Side Smash, or a counter if he's right above you. --- 06 ROSALINA & LUMA Common - One of the hardest to deal with. -A player well versed with these two can give Lucina a hard time. The Luma follows Rosalina's attacks. More experienced Rosalina players can space the Luma forcing you to jump right into Rosalina's attacks in order to even hit her. If you don't jump, you're stuck dealing with the Luma anyway. -The floating Rosalina is rather hard to grab, where it seems she can be grabbed she cannot. She also has decent range to her moves not even counting the Luma. -Watch out for her Neutral Special, where she can charge and launch Luma. It's especially deadly if you are attempting to recover from the air. Remember that even if you dodge the Luma projectile --the Luma can still attack you right after! -If you manage to Shield Break Rosalina, be very careful. Just because she is stunned does not mean the Luma cannot attack. In fact it can attack quite aggressively! Be sure to dodge roll behind Rosalina where the Luma can't hit, and then do a full charge Smash Attack or Shield Breaker. -Focus on Rosalina. As tempting as it is to eliminate the Luma, you will take more damage for just a few seconds without it, considering Rosalina recovers her Luma fairly quickly. -You have to use a lot of jump attacks and grabs. The Dancing Blade often only ends in Rosalina's favor. You have to jump right between Rosalina and Luma, making this pretty deadly if Luma attacks you from behind. -Be wary of intercepting her off the map, her recovery is great enough that she can take her time to counter your counter. -Use Counter more than any other attack to get rid of that Luma, as it does a better job of destroying it than conventional moves while protecting yourself. -If you hit Rosalina off the map and decide not to follow up, and her Luma is left behind, go ahead and attack it while you can. -They often dodge to make use of the teleport style dodge. This can throw you off in the sense that you can't see which direction they are dodging too. This will depend mostly on the player. If they go behind you often, make use of the Down Smash. If they go away from you, just run toward where they may go and set up a Smash Attack or grab. -If she does her Up Special recovery, she is completely vulnerable until she lands. She can still alter her direction, but use this as a chance to set up a powerful attack. -More novice Rosalina players I noticed get stuck in doing a combo after launching their Luma. Use this as a chance to get behind them and hit them hard. --- 07 BOWSER JR. Common - He's so cute! Though people often use the other Koopalings. -He has a cannonball projectile move. It's fairly easy to see coming and to dodge, so it is safer to avoid rather than attempt to counter. -The Mecha Koopa (toy that runs around) can be picked up by you. You have to jump-dodge to pick it up from the ground. A lot of Bowser Jr. players seem to be caught off guard when you do this. Just be careful and practice it, as it can be tricky. -Watch out for his Side Special move, which makes the cart drive across the map. It's pretty hard to counter as it comes quickly, try doing a Down Air over it as it passes by. -His medium height makes him vulnerable to both Air and Ground attacks. Mix these up. -Bowser Jr. can still attack after using Up Special, be cautious about that hammer he may pull out if you move to intercept him. -Watch out for his downward smash, as it covers both sides at the same time. It is fairly easy to counter though. -His Side Smash (the twin drills) lasts longer than it looks. Be careful not to approach him until the move is done. --- 08 WARIO Uncommon - Fought a few here and there! -When you see him on his motorcycle, get ready to Counter. It seems to do best against it, destroying the bike and dealing damage to him if he's still on it. -He has deceiving range in his attacks --they strike a lot farther than you think they will. -He is relatively short, so if you utilize the Dancing Blade, always aim low to get the most damage. --- 09 MR. GAME & WATCH Uncommon - A few here and there. -He has his Neutral B (Bacon) moves that shoot random projectiles and will prevent your approach, especially from the air. Get around this by jumping over him or approaching him via rolling. You could try to find holes in the projectiles too, or go low to do a Down Tilt. -Watch out for when he is returning to the map. He has a Down Air that will make him come down fast and hit hard. -His Up Special sends him upward, but be careful when following up as he will deploy a parachute to slow his descent. Adjust for this and counter accordingly! -I have not seen many use his hammer, likely due to the RNG involved, but just be cautious as you would be with anyone if he keeps trying to get close to you. -He is relatively short, so Forward Air will work better than Neutral Air here. --- 10 DONKEY KONG Uncommon - But the few I've met... -Like with any other big character, he is vulnerable to Neutral Airs and Forward Airs. Just be careful about his punches. All of them. -More dodging than shielding against him. He has pretty impressive range to his moves too and can do quick set ups. -He has a pretty easy to use Meteor Smash, so if you see him jumping to get you while you come back to the map, either hit him quickly with a forward air, or get ready to dodge. --- 11 DIDDY KONG Uncommon - But I ran into someone who used him 30 times in a row... -He does not have much to go against you with. His Peanut Gun provides a projectile you can dodge or even grab the bullet for yourself. -His Banana Peel may trip you, but is very easy to see coming. -Watch out for his Side Special, as it counts as a grab, where he will jump on you and deal some damage before flinging you away. --- 12 LINK Common - And deadly. -When properly used, Link can be one of the hardest fights for Lucina. Link has a balance of projectiles and powerful melee attacks. You will have to approach and dodge with great caution. -He stay at one side and projectile you until you approach him. Usually he will use the boomerang followed by arrows, then hit you with the sword when you get close. -You can easily dodge projectiles, but remember the Boomerang will bring you close to him, and he will usually attack. You can use this to your advantage and ride the boomerang to him while preparing a Shield Breaker. -His range is pretty good, so you may have to attack close and get out of there, though he may follow with a projectile. -You can try to grab him more often than hit him. He usually does not utilize his grab as much as it leaves him very vulnerable if he misses. -Remember he will not take damage if he throws the bomb at you at close range. -When he does his forward swing, remember there is a more powerful second swing coming up. Either counter or get out of there! -Try not to approach him from above if knocked upward. He has a three hit Upward Smash that usually ends in a KO, as well as a quicker Up Tilt. You should land a safe distance away, or just far enough to hit him with an air attack to knock him back and secure a safe landing. -You may have to patient; build up Link's damage with Down Tilts among other quick moves. -When he is at the edge, or attempting to recover, it is your best change to attack him. Look out for his Up Special which can easily hit you considering he's spinning. You can get a well placed Down Air on him for a Meteor Smash though, or just wait at the ledge until right after his spin is complete and knock him back off. -Watch out for his Down Air if you move to intercept him in midair. It can be pretty deadly and hit you with great damage when trying to hit him. -Generally doing the short hop Neutral Air against him works well. Be sure to do the fast fall after it to ensure it hits him. --- 13 ZELDA Rare - Only a few times. -Her teleport deals damage in this game, and can be quite troublesome because you can not tell which direction she will be going. You can attempt to either counter the moment she teleports, or sidestep dodge. Just be ready to change direction to grab or attack if she appears behind you. -Her Side Special fireball is pretty deadly, but also easy to avoid. Be sure to roll more away from her, because if you get close, you may be grabbed or hit by her deadly smash attacks. If going toward her, try doing the short hop air dodge. It is a safer approach. Go from this into a Down Tilt attack. -Her Neutral B also can hurt if you're too close. -Watch out for her air moves. They're more deadly than they appear. -- 14 SHEIK Common - Quite a few ninjas! -Sheik has some projectiles, one that deals damage but hardly any knock back, and a newer one that can KO you at high enough damage. Be weary of this, it has an obvious set up time so be prepared to dodge. -I've seen a lot of them use a combo of the Side Special (bomb) followed up by her flip kick. You can either be ready to counter it, or just dodge. Just be careful if the opponent seems to be repeating it often. -Sheik has a lot of trouble hitting you off the map even at high damage. Her most deadly moves are usually her Up Smash and Up Air, so when approaching from the air, she will likely try to hit you. Dodge your way in. Using counter will block her attack, but not really hit her either as Lucina swings upward, not hitting the opponent who is below her. They could follow up with another attack if you do it that way. -Sheik has to get up close to you, so be ready for close quarters combat. She will likely grab often, and is fast. Use the Down Tilt to knock her off her feet, and the Down Smash if she constantly rolls back and forth. -Sheik's returning Up Special does damage if she passes you. It has a shorter range than Zelda's teleport, so you can learn to predict where she will land, setting up a powerful Smash Attack to unleash the moment she reappears. -- 15 GANONDORF Common - And scary. -His moves take long to set up often, but do great damage. You will want to attack him with your own quicker attacks, but be ready to back off if he uses the Warlock punch. -Watch out for his Side Special, as it counts as grabbing and cannot be shielded. You are better off dodging. -The Warlock punch --don't try to hit him when he does this, he will hardly flinch. Instead, if you're stuck unable to dodge or brave enough, wait and deploy your Counter. It will usually deal a massive amount of damage too. It is much safer to get out of the way and get a nice Smash Attack on his back instead, though. -He has a deadly Meteor Smash, watch out for it when returning to the stage. -Don't keep rolling around him, as his Downward Smash attacks both sides much like Lucina's, ensuring he will kick whoever just dodged behind him. -Forward Airs and Neutral Airs will do well against him and his large size. -If you are both down to your last life, then watch out for his Side Special, especially if used in midair off the stage. He will grab you and take you straight down, KOing you first before himself. I've seen many do this attempt, it works if you're at the ledge too, at the corner. He will take you down with him. You have to dodge, because it counts as a grab, so can get you through shield, too. --- 16 TOON LINK Uncommon - But around. -Like Link, he has the good mix of projectiles and melee attacks. Use similar tactics regarding spacing while dealing with him. -Unlike Link, his boomerang will not draw you in. Continue to dodge as you have been. -His Down Smash locks you in, sending you behind him for a second attack. Both deal intense damage, so watch out. -He is shorter than Link too, so using Forward Air will be more beneficial than using Neutral Air. -His Down Air comes straight down and fast, with Meteor Smash effects. You will want to avoid this as much as possible when facing him. -He has a grab that leaves him very vulnerable if he misses. His range is not as good as Link either, so you can use this to your advantage when counter attacking. -Forward Tilt and Down Tilt is recommended when fighting him. --- 17 SAMUS Common - Dangerous. Very dangerous. -She has a mix of hard hitting attacks and great projectiles, often making it very hard for Lucina to approach her. If you stay away too long, she can charge her beam. If you get too close, she can either roll away or make use of her powerful smash attacks. -A lot of Samus players try a triple combo involving sending you up into the air, followed by an Up Air, then followed by an Up Special. The Up Special locks you in and gives intense damage before launching you off when you're at high damage. Watch out! Be ready to counter if you see this pattern, or preferably dodge. -Her grab range is long, and while it makes her vulnerable if she misses, you have to have good timing to hit her or grab her before she rolls away. -The missiles can be hard to hop over as there is usually another following, and she may fire her own plasma blast to follow up. When approaching her while shes charging, be ready to shield as they may fire before it is fully charged. -Try approaching with Short Hop Air Dodges when she keeps abusing her Neutral Special (Plasma Charge Shot). It may trick her into firing (and missing) so you can do follow up attacks. -Watch out when intercepting her in the air. Her air attacks pack a huge punch. -You will want to grab and use your tilt moves more than anything against her. The Dancing Blades work nicely too, but can go bad if she retreats to the edge in order to continue to fire projectiles at you. -Watch out for her ledge recovery, she can dish quite a bit of damage if you mess up in hitting her back off. She can fire from off the platform too to throw off your set up too. -I highly recommend doing short hop air dodges as you approach and jump around her as a harassment method. It is safer in case she fires a projectile, or tries to grab you. You will avoid both. -Various players play in her in many ways. You will have to do some adjustment. If they focus on projectiles, they usually fire in some sort of pattern. You will have to learn it and move to counter it accordingly. --- 18 ZERO SUIT SAMUS Common - Very fast. -She relies on speed and acrobatics to deal damage to you. You'll have to be ready for her to be in your face at one moment and gone the next. Down Tilt and short hop Forward Air can help prevent this. -Watch out for her Stun Gun, it is pretty easy to hop over and hit her with a Forward Air attack, but sometimes she can be tricky with the timing. -Likewise, her power whip will out range your normal moves, so is another thing to look out for. -When in the air, be sure to be ready to avoid follow up air attacks she may do. Try to dodge and land safely before actually trying your own attacks. --- 19 PIT / 43 DARK PIT Common - Lots of Pits! Note: Dark Pit here since strategy is the same. -Pit makes use of the bow for his ranged attacks, but also has the Upperdash Arm for his Side Special that can attack and uppercut you with ease. He often uses it as both a return method and ledge clearing method. You can Counter it if quick enough, but it is much safer to dodge. -He can manipulate the direction of the arrows, so your best bet is to either side step them, or preferably jump and air dodge as you approach him. -He has great recovery, so keep this in mind if you do off stage combat with the intention of knocking him out. You may not make it back to the stage while he does. --- 20 PALUTENA Uncommon - Just a few Goddesses. -She's pretty tall, so Neutral Airs work nicely against her as much as forward Airs. -She has a projectile attack which will fire a volley of shots at you. If you manage to dodge it toward her, then run up to her and attack, as the follow up shots do not home onto you, as they will still be firing at the same place. -She has a counter to look out for, which she may use just as you would use yours. She can deploy it fairly quick, too, so be cautious when using your Dancing Blade and Shield Breaker. -Her Down Smash has incredible range and covers both sides of her, so be careful if up close to her and dodging side to side. -Likewise, her Forward Smash has her grow wings and attack, if out of the damage range, the wind still pushes you back. This can throw off any attack attempt and let her follow up with her own move. -She has a teleporting dodge as well, making it difficult to determine where she is going. As usual, this depends on the player. Adjust to their habit. If they go behind you, be sure to aim there ahead of time. If away, follow up and head toward where you think they may go. Just be careful! -Her Side Special is a reflect barrier. Lucina does not have to worry about this, but I note it here in case you are in a Team Battle and your partner uses projectiles --as it may cause you to end up getting hurt. You can turn it around and counter the reflected projectile, but it may be safer to dodge. --- 21 MARTH / 44 LUCINA Uncommon - Attack of the clones! Note: Lucina is here since strategy is mostly the same. Differences will be noted. I generally dislike mirror matches... for some reason knowing what the opponent CAN do makes it harder, huh? -You will have to watch out for that tipper. You should try to get closer to Marth and use your lack of tipper to attack him, as his moves will be weaker attacking you at that range. -Watch out for Forward Airs/Neutral Airs. You use them a lot, but now they will be used against you. Counter with your own going first, back off to avoid them. -Watch out for the Shield Breaker. Obviously, don't shield, dodge! But, if you must, then time it so you power shield, in which case the shield will take no damage. The best method is to side step dodge though, as it allows a quick Forward Tilt afterward. Or, you can counter them for intense damage, just don't mess up and get hit by it yourself. -When in the air, they may follow up with some Up Airs and Forward Airs. Be sure to be ready to dodge, and counterattack if necessary. -If Marth is returning to the stage, be ready to counter, as he may swing at you before grabbing the ledge with a Forward Air. Doing counter will send him back out. Likewise, it will prevent his Dolphin Slash. -Likewise, if you are returning to the stage and Marth is guarding, do a a counter and hopefully you will send him flying from the edge to clear it for you. -You both may end up countering, the best thing to do is a quick Forward Tilt after that, or a grab. Forward Tilt if they intend to grab you, or grab if they intend to counter you again. It can become pretty complicated! For Lucina specifically: -Keep in mind your own strength and weaknesses. Remember they are playing as the exact same character; but that does not mean you two are playing the exact same way. You will have to learn what habits they made of their own Lucina and counter them with your own. Remember that it will not matter what part of the blade they hit you with, it will do the same damage, so unlike Marth, spacing won't matter as much. --- 22 IKE Common - Lots of friends to fight for! -His moves have a bit of set up time, though his basic Neutral Attack combo is pretty fast. Use this set up time to your advantage --your moves will hit first most of the time. Your Down Tilt, your Forward Tilt, and your Forward Air will attack him quicker than he can attack back. -Remember he has a counter too. It does not seem to do as much as your own counter, but the fact he has one means you should make your moves quick and not too predictable. You could also lag your combos a little to trick his counter and then follow up. You can do the safest approach and grab him right after his counter, too. -Watch out for well, all of his Smash Attacks. They will send you flying. You can bravely counter them, or just avoid them. You can also try to intercept them, but missing the timing even slightly will lead to pretty nasty punishment. -His forward special attack dash is pretty deadly. If you have good timing, you can use your Shield Breaker to hit him as he charges you. But it is generally safest to be ready to dodge and use an air attack, or use a counter. -Ike's Aether (Up Special) is deadly and deals a great amount of damage. Watch out of if he uses it near the edge. It is best to space yourself right outside of his Aether range, and then Shield Break him when he gets back onto the stage itself. -His general air combat is slow, so he is easy to intercept. If off the stage, try to Forward Air him before he uses Aether on you. -You can also guard the ledge by using Counter as he will most often be using an attack to clear the ledge, such as Aether. --- 23 ROBIN Uncommon - I refer to her as her, but know that I am talking about the same character you are thinking of. -Arcfire will force you close to her, and she will usually be charging her Thunder behind it. You can hop over the Arcfire, and the safest approach is to usually counter. If they dodge out of the way, you will have recovered by then to shield. If they try to grab you, you may be in a bit of trouble. If they unleash Thunder or any other attack, your counter will handle it. Alternatively, try to jump into a down tilt and hit them that way. -Thoron is easier to avoid than the Giga Thunder. Thoron is the highest level, which is fast and a straight line. You can jump dodge it, or shield from it. Giga Thunder is the slow orb that does a combo attack when it hits you, which more often Robin goes for. Be cautious of this. -If Robin keeps using Arcfire, remember she has limited uses. When you see her toss the tome, you can go in for the attack. Just watch out, because the tome itself does damage if it hits you. -Watch out for Nosferatu, her Down Special. She will recover damage pretty well with this move, while adding to yours. If she keeps trying to get close to you, she is likely setting up for this attack. Use Down Tilts to keep her away. -Don't roll around her too much. She may do her Down Smash, which uses her Levin Sword to do a electrical attack that attacks both her sides. She also can use this attack if you approach from the air, as it swings down from above her head and will hit you too. -The Levin Sword in general has good range and is a powerful attack. You will want to be ready to counter, or use your quicker Forward Tilt. She will toss the Levin Sword after a few uses. You can grab it in midair and use it as a projectile. -If you get caught in the Arcfire, try to go up and out of it. Robin usually tries to close in with a dash attack which will send you flying otherwise. -If you hit Robin off the map and follow up, just be careful you don't go under her, as her Elwind has a Meteor Smash effect. It is best to hit her in the head with a Forward Air. -She is generally slow on the ground, relying on projectiles to slow your approach. Use your speed to your advantage and make sure she gets no down time to set up her projectiles. If she continues to spam, wait until her energy is out and she tosses her tomes away. --- 24 KIRBY Common - Lots of floating! -He is sent flying easily as the lightest character in the game. His short height makes it hard to hit him with Neutral Airs, so try using Forward Air and quick drops instead. Down Tilts will be very helpful, too. -His side smash has deceiving range. Be careful of this when facing him, and dodge accordingly. -Watch out for his Up Special. It is easy to counter on the ground, but hard to hit with air attacks without getting hit yourself. -Kirby will usually use his Down Special when returning from high up, which can do damage if you're below him. Avoid him and run in for a grab, as that form is also invulnerable from normal attacks. -Kirby's hammer is drawn out before attacking in this game, allowing you to set up a counter to counter it. Some players are tricky and hop around with it out to try and off set your counter. If this is the case, just run to the other side of the map, as Kirby starts to take damage holding it too long. This usually causes the player to put the hammer away and you can resume your attack. -Off stage combat with Kirby is risky, as his return is far superior to you. However, if hit right with Forward Airs, he will have trouble coming back, or be KO'd at high damage. It is safer to guard from the ledge itself. --- 25 KING DEDEDE Common - Dededes everywhere! -As a large character, as usual his moves are slow and easy to see coming, but do a ton of a damage and are risky to approach. You will want to use a lot of fast moves against him, and then stay clear when he tries to counterattack. -Watch out for his Side Special projectile, the spike ball he launches and bounces at you. If a safe distance away, use a Smash Attack to hit it back at him, or use your Counter. -He has good recovery despite his size, and also has a slamming move with his Up Special. It has a larger range than it looks, so be sure to dodge clear of it when he does so. -You will want to utilize Counter for quite a bit of his moves, but you should have an easy time doing so, as they are really easy to see coming. He can be tricky and difficult to deal with though, so use caution as you attack him. --- 26 META KNIGHT Rare - Not too many... -He has quick sword slashes and a lot of combo building moves, so you may want to counter him often, as well as utilize Down Tilts and quicker attacks to get him away from you. -He has great air combat, such as his Up Air that has great launching capability and hits twice. -Watch out for his own sort of counter, as well as his other spinning attacks that can tear down your shield pretty quickly. -He is also rather speedy, and can run up and grab you pretty easily. -With his small height and great air combat, it is safer to stay grounded. -The best thing to do is out range him. While he has a lot of massive combo attacks, his range is rather short. A Forward Smash will usually out do him. If he starts a combo just outside his range and he can't hit you, throw a Smash Attack at him to send him flying. --- 27 LITTLE MAC Common - This guy is a beast. -He is very difficult to fight on the ground. I find the best strategy usually exploits his weakness regarding air combat. You can throw him up in the air and start juggling him with Up Air and Up Tilts. Just watch out for his counter which he will throw out. It acts fast and does decent damage. -Little Mac tries to get back to the center often, as his recovery is terrible. Take advantage of this, and stick to the edges. If he comes close, grab him and throw him off behind you, then follow up with a Forward or Back air to send him out. He will have a hard time coming back, and you can KO him at very little damage. -When he does his hop punch (Side Special), and you are close to the edge, if you side step dodge, he will go off tumbling to his doom, as he cannot recover from it. -If he starts to charge a punch, he will not flinch from the quick moves you can do, so either prepare to counter or dodge. You can also learn the range of his punch, and move to right outside of it and ready a Shield Breaker or Smash Attack. This is risky if you are not too familiar with fighting him, though. -If his KO meter is filled, keep avoiding him or getting behind him. It has the ability to break through shields, so shielding will not work. Once he misses, he is vulnerable to a Smash Attack as he recovers. -While his Air is terrible, he can still do his Up Special to send you flying upward off the map, so watch out. -He is faster than he appears, and has great range with some punches, and every punch as great power behind them. Use Down Tilts to throw him off with Forward Airs. Just be careful about that counter again. --- 28 FOX Uncommon -Surprisingly... -Fox seems to have less going on with air combat this time around, with his jump height and speed seeming off. You can attack him with Forward Airs as well as Down Tilts, both work well. Watch out for his kicking combo that can lock you in to deal damage. Try to get out of it by going up. -His projectile is his blaster, but it does not make you flinch. It will still give damage, so don't let the enemy abuse it too much as your damage will go pretty high over time if he keeps doing so. -He has a Reflector that can damage you if too close, so be sure to do your attack or grab him before he is able to activate it. -His Side Special dash is fairly easy to see coming and does not do too much damage, he may use it to get back onto the stage. -His Up Special is very easy to see coming, but hurts a lot. So watch out for the fire fox. You can set up a move to hit him right at the very end of his move. If he is doing this off map, it is safer to wait at th edge for him to come back before you hit him, rather than trying to intercept him. --- 29 FALCO Rare - Poor guy prefers the air. -He is slower than Fox, and easy to land Forward Airs against. However, his attacks do more damage, so be careful as you approach. -His blaster, unlike Fox, will cause you to flinch. He fires slower though, so it is not impossible to approach him. Likewise, his Reflector he uses as a projectile, making it another thing to look out for. -Regarding intercepting and air combat, it is the same as Fox. Best avoid out of stage interception if he uses the flaming move, and wait at the ledge to attack him. -His air combat is better than Fox. His Forward Air does great damage and has launching capability, so try to avoid being set up for it. -He has an impressive Meteor Smash Down Air that is fairly easy to use. Watch out for this. You would have to time an Up Air carefully to hit him before he does it, so you may be safer dodging. --- 30 PIKACHU Uncommon - Pika! -Speedy and with upgraded Thunder, the bolt will still come down if you hit him when he uses it, unlike previous games. Watch out for this, he will likely try to use it when you are returning from the ledge or coming from the air. -He is very small, so you will have to use very low Forward Airs, or the Down/Forward tilts to get good hits on him. Dancing Blade (green/down) will also work nicely on him. -They may spam the electric attack, and it has great range and bounces, making it really difficult to approach Pikachu without getting damaged. You will have to do a lot of short hop air dodging and dodging in general just to make it up to him. -Watch out for his Downward Smash attack, as his electric spin catches both sides in and gives great damage. Likewise, his side smash has good range and power. You will want to have your Counter ready. --- 31 CHARIZARD Uncommon - That Flare Blitz... -All of his attacks hurt quite a bit and have good range. You will have to do some Neutral and Forward Airs, as well as retreating quickly. He has good recovery too, making air combat with him pretty difficult. -You will know when he is about to do the flame charge move, as there is a sound he makes before he does it. Get a counter ready, or side step dodge to let him keep going hopefully off the map. He takes damage each time he does the move too, so if they keep spamming it, keep dodging it to let them build up their own damage. -Watch out for his Meteor Smash. He does it fairly easily when off the map. Try not to approach from under him. -He has fire like Bowser that can keep you too far from him to counter. You will want to jump and Shield Break him, or Forward Air him, to avoid that flame. --- 32 LUCARIO Uncommon - Aura power! Very deadly. -With the new Aura mechanic, you will want to watch out for Lucario as you deal more damage to him, as he will be more powerful the more you attack. He has great projectiles in the form of Aura Sphere and an extended Force Palm at high damage, as well as a counter, and force Palm up close as a grab move. His recovery is simply amazing at high damage too, and he has the ability to cling to walls that can be used to getting back to the stage. -You will want to be ready to air dodge or shield from the Aura Sphere, as well as dodge away, or sidestep, the Force Palm. He is tall enough to Forward Air safely, but has quick, powerful attacks if you get too close. -He can be intercepted before he uses his Up Special attack, but if you fail he can ram you with it, which may hurt quite a bit. -His moves at higher power from high damage will have range longer than they appear, so be cautious of his forward smash attack as well as his downward smash attack. His downward smash attacks both sides, so be careful if dodging to his other side! -Force Palm at higher damage is very deadly. If too close, it counts as a grab, if too far, it is a projectile. Both are bad for Lucina. However, I have noticed not many players will abuse this advantage that I have seen, despite Lucario being capable of doing so. -He can fire his Aura Sphere from off stage and still safely recover, and likewise constantly fire from the stage when you attempt to recover. This may keep you at bay, and so you will have to jump often and dodge your way up to him, and hit him quick enough before he can hit you with his own move. He may counter, and if he does, you may have a quick chance to shield. If you see him disappear --shield! --- 33 JIGGLYPUFF Uncommon - Puff! -Jigglypuff has amazing recovery and a lot of air, floating attacks. It also has the Rest move that can send you flying, but if it misses, leaves it extremely vulnerable. -Most often people float around and use the Side Special punch to increase float duration. It also has a decent range with that move, so will likely try to hit you with it in addition to other air moves. -Jigglypuff is easy to intercept in the air, but it can be risky due to your relatively weaker recovery. If intercepting, do so over the stage itself. -If Jigglypuff uses sing, it is probably trying to set you up to do it's Down Special Rest on. You can move away from it and charge a Shield Breaker to attack it with while it is vulnerable. -Use quicker attacks on Jigglypuff rather than strong ones. Forward Tilt and Down Tilt will work better than Smash Attacks. However, if you see a good opportunity for a Shield Break, do it. If Jigglypuff shields, and it breaks, it causes it to "pop," going straight up and out of the map. It's actually quite amusing... --- 34 GRENINJA Common - Greninja... -He uses quick moves and has some pretty decent attacks to send you flying. He also has a counter among other moves to throw you off balance. Once you know his moveset it is relatively easy to get around him, but it varies from player to player. -Keep an eye on his shadow. If the player attempts to Shadow Sneak, you will spot the shadow moving. Quickly dodge and set up for a Smash Attack, and strike the moment he appears. -He has a counter, but it's slow enough to shield after you hit him. If he disappears like Lucario, then shield! -He has Water Shuriken as a projectile --be careful! At full power, it does consecutive damage and ends with a launch. Do not counter, as you will only counter the first hit and still be hit by the follow up hits. -I see players sometimes get you off the map and use their Up Special to launch you far away. Be careful if Greninja looks like it's about to set up to do this, as it can push you out of ledge grabbing range. Be ready to dodge, or prevent it from doing it in the first place. -At the ledge, watch out for Greninja's Up and Side smash, as it covers a good range and can often hit you right back out. When dodging around, too, the Up Smash can hurt you on either side of him. You will want to prepare a counter, or a quick Forward Tilt/Forward Air. --- 35 DUCK HUNT Common - Sighhh... -This dog has amazing projectiles and defense when used right. His Can projectile can be manipulated from inside his shield, even! His plate throw and gunner just add to the variety of projectiles. To top it off, he has great recovery and attacks in general. You have to be very cautious against him, and he gives Lucina great trouble. -The short height makes air attacks difficult, and the Can constantly bouncing around can make approach difficult. You will want to dodge and attack fast before it attacks back. Often players use the Can and Plate both. -You want to use more low moves, such as Green Dancing Blade (low), or Down and Forward Tilts. Duck Hunt stays close to the ground, and has decent defense range, so you have to be quick. -When off the map, you may be safer at the ledge than attempting to intercept. It has better air moves than it looks like it will have. -Watch out when rolling behind it, as his down smash will attack both sides. -You can launch it into the air via throwing or doing a Blue Dancing Blade (Up), and keep juggling. Just be careful about any Cans there may be laying around! --- 36 R.O.B. Rare - Rob! -He has a laser projectile, as well as a spinning top of sorts. They are fairly easy to see coming and dodge accordingly. You will want to be most cautious of his air attacks, as they pack quite a bit of punch, especially his side and down airs. He also has great recovery, so watch out for that. -He is pretty easy to intercept when using his Up Special to return, but all the same remain cautious of whether he will utilize a different move while doing so or not. -He has a very easy Down Air Meteor Smash, with a good range too. You can usually tell it's coming by the player moving to set up, and when the thruster goes off for a brief moment. -He has a spinning attack that is really easy to jump in and counter for an easy counter hit on him. --- 37 NESS Uncommon - PK Thunder! -Ness has some deadly moves and is short, so gives a few different problems. Some moves are hard to utilize against him, such as Neutral Air, unless he keeps floating around. But if on ground, you're better off with the Forward/ Down Tilt attacks. -Watch out for his Back air and Forward air moves, as they can pack a punch. He may try to trap you in his PK Fire, in which case getting out as quick as possible before he does a dash attack or bats you would be best. -His PK Flash isn't too much of a problem to avoid, sometimes they can time it very well, but usually it isn't used. -His throws, especially back throw, is very deadly, and so take all precautions to ensure you don't get grabbed by him! -I've seen several players use PK Thunder to keep juggling Lucina. If this starts happening, focus on dodging rather than approaching them. Sometimes they may try to PK Thunder themselves for a powerful attack. Either get out of range, or get ready for a counter. Or, best is to try and intercept it before they get hit. -If Ness is knocked off stage and has already used his second jump, he is really easy to keep away. He will have to rely on PK Thunder to give him a boost. You can either go and hit him farther away with an intercept, or you can do something a bit sneakier and just take a hit from his PK Thunder and recover to the ledge to let him fall to his demise. --- 38 CAPTAIN FALCON Common - Paunch! -One of the most common fighters online, he is fast and powerful, and has a good variety of attacks. His main Falcon Punch isn't actually used too much, the Kick and uppercut, and especially the Forward Air knee I see more often He can run up and grab you pretty easily, so be prepared for close quarters combat. -You can set up your counters pretty easily as his flame moves you can see starting up pretty visibly. It's his quick punches and kicks that are harder to see coming, along with his dash and grab. You will want to use the low tilts (Forward, Down) to keep him at bay, as well as Forward Airs to keep pushing him back. -When off stage, he is safe to intercept. Don't go under him though, as he has an easy Meteor Smash he could do to you. Watch out for his upward special too as it will count as a grab. -He is overall not too difficult to deal with, but again it depends on the player. But the basic moves that do well against him will remain the same. --- 39 VILLAGER Common - Bowling ball... -Villager has quite a few projectile moves. His rocket and slingshot are two to look out for. He also plants a tree that deals huge damage when it gets chopped down, as well as the axe that he uses to chop it. You will have to be used to fighting him ahead of time and be familiar with his moves to start to be able to beat him easily. His short height also adds to the difficulty, and to top it off, amazing return both horizontally and vertically via his rocket and balloons. -Against his rocket, if he is riding it, simply counter, as it will destroy the rocket and hurt him. If he's just launching it, it's easy enough to hop over. Some players use it hoping you jump toward them so they can grab you, so surprise them with a forward air, or dodge up and backward. Sometimes they use the rocket to set up a tree. -If they plant a seed, you can quickly intercept and keep them away from growing it. If they manage to water it, a tree will grow out. If you see them about to water, just stay away as the tree growing will launch you. -If the tree is grown, they will start chopping when close. What you can do is either wait around until they get tired of waiting, or you can jump and arm a Shield Breaker. If done right, it will pierce through the tree and hit the Villager behind it, too. It has worked many times, destroying the tree and sometimes the Villager's shield, or sends them flying. You have to be careful, because if he swings his axe and you're too close to the tree, it will hurt you a lot. Also make sure it is during his first swing or else the second swing will cut down the tree and you will be in real trouble when it lands on you. -Once there was a Villager who did stage edge harassment, hanging from the ledge, hopping up, shooting sling shot (his forward air) and going back to grabbing the ledge. You can move to air intercept when he next comes up, or go down under him and do a Dolphin Slash upward to knock him off. You can also get close enough to counter if he tries again. -If he comes back via balloons, you can pop them. He flies very high, so be ready to intercept just as high. He has enough flight to fly under some Omega maps that allow it. -If you're hanging on the ledge, he will most likely be getting a bowling ball to drop on you. You should quickly drop down then angle a bit away from the edge and then slash back up. If you hop over the ledge he may drop it at the right time. Either way, if coming back to the stage and he's already arming it, he's planning to drop it, so you may want to dodge then quickly Dolphin Slash back up. -If he uses that bowling ball on the ground, you can easily counter it. -His Down Smash traps you into the ground, and is usually followed by a Bowling Ball. Escape and air dodge out of there as quick as you can. --- 40 OLIMAR Rare - Alph is even rarer. -Olimar has low height and deceiving ranges since it depends on his pikmin. They each have their own effects too that one who is not too familiar with him can find difficult to keep track of. His grab range and special range is decent. He also has better recovery in this game. You will want to use the usual lower moves (Dancing Blade green, Down Tilt, Forward Tilt) as well as counter to eliminate the Pikmin when they're thrown at you. -Be weary of his Side Special that throws Pikmin at you. The damage from that accumulates over time and can really add up. -Try and intercept him off stage when possible, but if his recovery is proving to be too much of a hassle, take the safer approach and sit at the edge and be ready to smash upwards or to the side depending on what angle he is coming from. --- 41 WII FIT TRAINER Rare - So much for that. -Wii Fit Trainer has some pretty stiff looking moves, but they pack quite a punch. The moves to look out for are her throws and Forward Smash attack, as well as her ability to heal and use a light based projectile. You will want to intercept her when possible using Forward Airs and other quick attacks so she cannot heal nor use her projectile. -Her Forward Tilt and Smash hit both sides of her, so you have to be careful when you approach. -She has a lighter projectile in the form of a Soccer Ball she hits into you. It is fast so you have to be ready to dodge as you approach. --- 45 SHULK Common - He's really feeling it! -Shulk has impressive range with his sword, and to add to it he has all the different styles to increase his Speed/Launch/Power/Jump/Defense. You will have to learn to keep track of which is which (list provided below). This will help adjust your strategy accordingly --but they do not make too much of a difference overall. He says the name of each style, but I will put the colors below to make it easier for you, too. Other than those, he has an impressive counter with a very long range to look out for. -Jump (Green) - Higher jump, lower defense. Your hits will hurt him more, but his return will be better this way. If he does this, start going on the offensive. -Speed (Blue) - Faster movement, lower jump/attack power. You can go on the defensive here, but even if he gets up to you his general attack will be weaker. As Lucina his speed should not be too much of a problem for you. -Shield (Yellow) - Higher defense, but lower jump, attack power, and slower. I see players use this most when at high damage, for good reason. But at high damage, that increased defense will not save them from being launched. If they use it at the start of the match, keep doing quick moves to slowly give them damage. The effect will wear off eventually, and that accumulated damage will make a difference. -Buster (Purple) - Stronger attacks, but weaker launch and defense. This is the most common one I see people start off with, with the hopes to hit you hard and fast. The weak defense will allow you to use simple moves or Dancing Blade to give him a lot of damage very fast, and simply shield your way from his attacks that have longer set up. Countering will hurt more too, as it is based on the damage they would have done to you, so use this to your advantage. -Smash (Red) - Strong launch, but weaker attack/launch resistance. If they use this at high damage, they will go flying pretty easily with even your tilt moves. Of course, you have to be careful if at high damage yourself. It may come down to a quick Forward Air or Counter to get the best of Shulk this way. -Shulk's counter has a large horizontal range, but the advantage is he can miss you often with it. If you attack from below or above, his swing usually seems to miss. Keep this in mind if the opponent keeps countering. -Shulk's Upward Special is a double hit, so be weary of the second slash. -Shulk has the "Backslash" that he uses often when coming from high, you can dodge and take a swing as he attempts to recover. -Most of his moves you can beat to the punch, as they have long set ups. You can choose to use a Tilt to cancel him, or use a counter. Watch out if you come from above or below him, as his Upward and Downward smashes are quite deadly. --- 46 PAC-MAN Common - Waka waka -He has some decent projectile and ranged moves, and he can be either really easy to deal with or really hard. Most of the time it leans on the easier side, as his moves are easy to see coming and to intercept. His range is not the best, either. -The Hydrant. People use it to clear the ground below them, but some use it to power up a move and let the water carry them to you. The best thing to do is when the hydrant is dropped, get to the side opposite of Pacman and launch it at him with a Smash Attack. He probably intends to do the same with you, in which case get ready to dodge. You can also use the water to charge a shield breaker and head toward him if he ended up farther away. The hydrant will only fire jets of water twice. -Projectiles. He charges up fruit and various projectiles, highest being the key. You will get used to the effects of different projectiles, but they're all easy to see coming, and can be grabbed in midair with a jump dodge. You can easily hit him when he's prepping it too. -His Side Special makes him deploy a power pellet before he launches into an attack. You can hit him with a quick Forward Air when he does so to cancel this move, and even consume the Pellet for yourself to heal damage. He tries this often off stage so is a great intercept move to keep him off the stage. -His Down Smash attack will attack both sides, so be sure to stay clear of this or to attack from the air when he does so. -His Upward Special will see him bounce on a trampoline several times. Often it takes several bounces to make it back to the ledge, so intercept to hit him off course and possibly miss the trampoline. -As you fight him more you will start to see the cues to counter. His large ball shaped size makes it easier to hit him with Forward Airs despite his height. --- 47 MEGA MAN Uncommon - Capcom! -Mega Man has a ton of projectile moves in his smash and special attacks. He also packs powerful melee attacks, making him pretty difficult to deal with depending on the player, much like Samus. You will have to approach him and be ready for quick counters, dodges, grabs, and air slashes. -His default projectiles (like his quick and basic attack) can be dodged by hopping over or just running toward him and taking the damage. The one to look out for is his forward smash, which is a charge beam with great range and incredible power. You can move in for a counter if close enough, or do a sidestep dodge. -His Neutral Attack, Side Tilt, and Neutral Air are all the same mini projectile attacks. It can make it hard to approach him for one who uses these right, often jumping and hitting you. They have a bit of knock back, and hit far enough so your counter cannot hit them. You can Short Hop Air Dodge into them, or try to angle yourself so your Forward Air hits them without you being hit by the projectiles. -If you're hit off the stage, watch out for his Meteor Smash, as it is very easy to pull off, as he fires a shot down below him. Try to come from a diagonal angle if possible. -He seems vulnerable to the Dancing Blade (green), a great way to get a high amount of damage on him. -If you get hit by his sticky bomb, you can just hold shield when it's about to explode, and it won't hurt you. If you touch him too, it will stick to him. -You can catch the gear projectile he throws, but it's easier to just dodge it and attack him directly. -He is pretty easy to intercept in midair, but look out for his flaming blade when he returns to the stage. It is often used. -If you're coming from above him, be weary of his Tornado projectile that can carry you up and off the map, as well as his upward smash which can send you flying. It's safer to not approach him from directly above. --- 48 SONIC Uncommon - Spindash! -Sonic, as you can imagine, relies heavily on his speed and quick but effective attacks. He dashes around the field quickly, and can launch into the air and come back down quickly with all of his moves. More often than not the Sonic players I've run into use the same strategies. -Often they will do a rolling spin that then goes upward into a scissor kick of sorts. Knowing this, simply side step dodge, then follow to where they will be, and intercept in midair. -His Dash Attack can send you flying horizontally at a low angle, very deadly if not prepared for a quick return! -His off stage combat is not too good, so you can feel free to intercept him when he is off the stage. The one move you have to look out for however, is his homing attack, it especially makes your own return difficult. -His Side Smash is easy to see coming, so use Counters accordingly. In fact, Counters are very useful against him in general. -He is pretty short, but Forward Airs often help anyway as he is often off the ground, or close enough by the time you jump that it will hit him anyway. --- 49 MII FIGHTERS Friends/Local Only Mii Fighters are something else. They usually emulate several fighters who are in the same category as them (Fighter like Little Mac, Gunner like Samus, etc). With the above in mind and the fact it is among friends and local, I will only equate the sort of strategies you would need to adjust for their height, but otherwise you will follow a mix of strategies that apply to the above characters. Mii Brawler - Deal with them as you would with Little Mac. Their return is a bit better, but they have a lot of close punches and are pretty easy to counter and take off the map. Watch out for that Shot put projectile though, if they use it. It is easy to see coming, but a hassle none the less. Mii Gunner - Deal with them as you would Samus. Some differences are however in their customization, so it really depends what sort of build you're facing. Mii Swordsman - You should be able to outrange them with your own sword, but be weary of the counter and possible combo moves they may have. It varies a lot, but those ones are usually there. Prepare your own counter for their combos, and grab for their counter. In general, all three always have the same height, and Forward Airs should work fine, Neutral Airs may have a bit more of a problem. Dancing Blade will come in handy, using whatever direction fits what you want to do with them. --- ============================================================================== CLOSING/CREDITS/CONTACT INFORMATION [CCC] ============================================================================== I plan to include a stage section as I explore the Wii U stages more in depth, so likely in a later update. I will include some of the single player modes too, where applicable. Anything else I should add? I was wondering if each character section should also have ways to defeat Lucina, or ways I would assume to defeat Lucina as each character... but I was not sure, as it seems pretty self explanatory how to defeat her by simply doing what I tell players to look out for. Haha! Please contact me below for suggestions. Feel free to send in tips and such as well. I hope this has helped some players who may want to try some more advanced techniques as Lucina, or improved your game in some way. I'm sure someone will eventually write a more "competitive/better" FAQ in time. You may have run into me online as "Lucina," often using her Cherche look and such. :) If not, well you may eventually! Please send any corrections or errors you may see (even something as small as a typo) to me. I'll fix them as quick as possible. Yes, that top ASCII logo did take me forever! Thanks for reading, cheers! -MKay CREDITS: Thanks to user shadethefallen who pointed out that you can cancel Lucina's Final Smash by pushing the attack or grab button! Thanks to Nintendo/Sakurai for another Smash Brothers game! Thanks to you for reading through this patiently. There would not be any other reasont o write this. Thanks to gameFAQs for hosting this. CONTACT: Email me at: [email protected] I read all emails, and respond if necessary. :) ============================================================================== VERSION INFO [VIN] ============================================================================== Version 0.01 [09/12/2014]: The FAQ began from when I started playing the Japanese release. Version 1.00 [11/21/2014]: The FAQ as you see it. ============================================================================== AUTHORIZED WEBSITES [ADS] ============================================================================== If you find this FAQ on any sites OTHER than the ones listed below, please contact me IMMEDIATELY. www.gamefaqs.com [Original submission] www.neoseeker.com www.supercheats.com ============================================================================== @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@ @@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@ @ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ # ##@@ @@@@@@@@ @ @@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ## @ @@@@@@ @@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @ @@ @@ @@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@ @ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @ @@@@@@ @@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@ @@ @@@@ @@@ @@ @ @@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@ @ ~~~~~COPYRIGHT 2014 MKaykitkats~~~~ ==============================================================================