Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup becomes dangerous for Lucas when he agrees to fight Little Mac at point-blank ground speed, because dtilt, dash attack, up tilt, and smash attacks let Mac turn one opening into a full momentum swing. Lucas needs to keep the fight one step farther out. Use drift, pullback timing, and longer pokes so Mac has to guess between dashing in and jumping first.
The frame table shows that Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, neutral B, and side B are all punishable on block by Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or OOS Fair (12f). The smash attacks plus side B and neutral B matter most, because those are the moments Lucas can convert directly into ledge carry and repeated pressure on Mac’s recovery.
By contrast, nair is basically only checked by Up B here, and fair plus uair still give very narrow in-place answers. That means shield punishing every aerial is not the goal. Catch the landing and the next grounded burst instead, then push Mac back offstage.
The win condition is to keep every punish going. Lucas gets more from fair, tether pressure, and ledge trapping than he does from forcing center-stage damage, so once Mac is offstage, the matchup should stay about the return route instead of resetting to neutral.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Lucas OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 1 | -12 |
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| Jab 2 | 1 | -12 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -19 |
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| Rapid Jab | 4/6/8… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 5 | -25 |
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| Forward Tilt | 4/12 | -17 |
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| Up Tilt | 4 | -18 |
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| Down Tilt | 3 | -14 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -16 |
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| Forward Smash | 14/14/15 | -16/-16/-13 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -23 |
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| Down Smash | 10/17 | -23/-16 |
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| Neutral Air | 2 | -8 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -10 |
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| Back Air | 11 | -13 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -10 |
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| Down Air | 7 | -15/-15 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 4(+32) | -34 to -19 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 123 | -82 |
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| Side B (1) | 8/25 | -39 to -36 |
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| Side B (2) | 8/25 | -32 to -31 |
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| Up B | 3… | ** | ||
| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 13 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 14 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not brawl with Little Mac at point-blank ground range. Stay one step out and make him commit to a dash or jump before you swing.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, any smash attack, neutral B, or side B, punish with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or OOS Fair (12f).
- Treat nair, fair, and uair as limited shield-punish situations. Cover the landing and next grounded burst instead of forcing a late answer.
- Once you win a punish, carry it to the ledge and keep pressing with fair, tether, and ledge hold instead of cashing out early in center stage.
- When KO Punch is active, reduce its chances by shifting position and keeping the range awkward rather than turtling in place.
Actions to Avoid
- Taking a direct close-range ground fight where Little Mac’s frame speed and burst are strongest.
- Swinging after every blocked aerial even though those situations often ask for a landing trap instead of an in-place punish.
- Letting blocked smash attacks or side B end with only a small center-stage punish when Mac’s recovery is the bigger target.
- Staying planted in KO Punch range and inviting the exact kill check Little Mac wants.