Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Lucas can clog the direct lane with PK Fire, fair, Z Air, and down tilt, and offstage he can layer PK Freeze, PK Thunder, and bair on top of that. If Lucina tries to force contact with big jumps from too far out or straight-line dashes, she gets pushed back before she ever starts her own advantage. The matchup gets much worse when you keep moving forward at the same height.
But Lucas is not especially strong in close-range scrambling or out-of-shield defense, and his real threat range is shorter than it first looks. The frame table shows that Jab 1-3, up tilt, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, nair, dair, Side B, and Up B (2) are all punishable by Up B (5f) or OOS Uair (8f), with forward tilt and down tilt also punishable if you are close enough. Lucina is much more stable when she walks and shields around the PK Fire line, steps one pace inside sword range, and then collects the punish or whiff punish from there.
By contrast, fair, bair, uair, Z Air, and some Neutral B charge levels are very safe. If you swing in place after blocking all of those, Lucas can escape with his strong air drift and double jump almost for free. After the safer aerials, it is more important to track the landing or back drift and force the second touch than to insist on an immediate punish.
Your most reliable kills come from cornering Lucas and covering jump, roll, neutral getup, and tether recovery landing with fair, uair, bair, and up smash. Deep offstage chasing is much riskier because PK Freeze, PK Thunder, and bair all create reversals, so keep the edgeguard shallow and value ledge control first.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Lucina 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
- Do not jump straight into the front of PK Fire, fair, and Z Air. Use walk and shield to take one step inside and start your touches from fair, nair, and down tilt range.
- Punish Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, nair, dair, Side B, and Up B (2) on shield with Up B (5f) and OOS Uair (8f) as your main answers.
- After blocking fair, bair, uair, Z Air, or safer Neutral B charge levels, do not force an in-place punish; place the second sword at the landing or retreat path and deny the reset to center.
- Once Lucas is airborne, read the high double jump and horizontal drift early, then use uair and grounded movement to narrow the way down and keep carrying him to ledge.
- At kill percent, prioritize ledge control over deep edgeguards: uair for jump, up smash for roll, and fair or bair for tether recovery landings.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping from too far out or dashing straight into the lane where PK Fire and fair are already waiting.
- Throwing out a big punish every time you block fair, bair, uair, or Z Air and whiffing while Lucas drifts away.
- Letting Lucas reset to center after the first stop instead of following the landing and forcing the second interaction.
- Chasing too deep offstage into PK Freeze, PK Thunder, or bair reversals and giving up the ledge trap.