Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Lucas wants to hold midrange with forward tilt, forward air, zair, and PK Fire to shift Joker’s entry timing, but his close-range scramble speed and shield pressure are not overwhelming, so Joker can win by repeatedly forcing whiffs just outside that range. The core plan is to use Gun and movement to make those long disjoints miss, then punish the recovery with fair, bair, or grab and roll the hit into landing traps. Jab strings, up tilt, dash attack, side B, and the second hit of up B are all practical shield-punish targets, so it is usually better to cash in those guaranteed openings than to overforce through PK Fire or PK Freeze. Offstage, though, Lucas can still swing the stock race fast with PK Thunder and PK Freeze, so even with Arsene, Joker should finish stocks by squeezing ledge coverage and return routes rather than overchasing.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Joker OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -13 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -13 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -19 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -10/-8 |
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| Up Tilt | 4/7 | -18 |
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| Down Tilt | 3 | -6 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -15/-12 |
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| Forward Smash | 14 | -21 |
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| Up Smash | 28/30 | -54 |
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| Down Smash | 20/29/39 | -12 |
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| Neutral Air | 7…/26 | -10/-9 |
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| Forward Air | 9 | -3/-2 |
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| Back Air | 15 | -5/-4/-6 |
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| Up Air | 7 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 10/18/26/34 | -14/-13 |
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| Z Air | 9 | -2 |
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| Neutral B | 40-92 | -14 to -5 |
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| Side B | 21 | -24 |
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| Up B (1) | 20 | — | ||
| Up B (2) | 1/4/6/8/10/12/14/17/20/23/26/29 | -21 |
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| Down B | 19 (7 is start of absorb) | +0 |
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| Grab | 12 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 15 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Gun and drift to make forward tilt, forward air, and zair miss, then punish with fair or grab into landing traps
- After shielding jab 1-3, up tilt, dash attack, side B, or up B (2), take the guaranteed OOS uair, grab, bair or fair, or up smash
- When PK Fire appears, do not sprint in blindly; mix Rebel’s Guard and jump spacing so stage position is not handed away
- At kill percent, center the stock around Arsene bair and ledge Eiha pressure while covering both tether recovery and PK Thunder return lines
- Instead of forcing early center-stage KOs, stop one midrange poke cleanly and convert that win into a ledge sequence
Actions to Avoid
- Running straight into the tip of forward tilt or forward air and letting Lucas play at his preferred spacing
- Panicking at PK Fire or PK Freeze and giving Lucas free anti-air follow-ups with forward air or up air
- Chasing too deep offstage for Arsene damage and getting reversed by PK Thunder tackle or preemptive back air
- Trying to punish relatively safe pokes like down tilt or spaced forward air every time and getting clipped after shield drop
- Covering only tether recovery at the ledge and giving PK Thunder’s high return a free landing route