Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup swings hard on whether Pac Man can keep Lucario from living long enough to weaponize Aura, or whether Lucario gets repeated midrange reads with Aura Sphere, Fair, and Grab. Lucario’s mobility and air-dash movement let it alter approach timing after seeing Hydrant or Fruit, so a stationary Pac Man is easy to force into dangerous scramble ranges.
Even so, low-Aura Lucario does not hit especially hard, and the frame table shows that Jab 1-3, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B all give Pac Man clear answers, with Up B (4f) punishing a large part of Lucario’s committed offense. Just shutting down Aura Sphere and the heavier grounded buttons already makes Lucario take far more risks to get in.
By contrast, Nair is mostly safe and Fair often only gives Up B at best, so forcing a big shield punish after every aerial just feeds Lucario air drift resets and scramble chances. It is stronger to cover the next landing or dash path with retreat, Hydrant water, and low Fruit trajectories, then punish the follow-up Down Tilt or Dash Attack instead of the first touch.
Pac Man wins this matchup by ending stocks early through ledge pressure, Bell confirms, Hydrant launches, Up Smash, and Bair before Aura gets out of control. Extreme Speed recovers far, but its return path is still readable enough that ledge trapping is more stable than chasing deep into counterplay.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pac Man OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -16 | -15 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -18 | -18 | -17 |
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| Jab 3 | 9 | -23 | -22 | -21 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12/15 | -12 | -11 | -8 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -22/-21 | -20/-20 | -18/-17 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -9 | -7 | -5 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -28/-27 | -26/-24 | -22/-20 |
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| Forward Smash | 19 | -27/-25 | -24/-26 | -19/-21 |
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| Up Smash | 15/19 | -37/-38 | -34/-36 | -30/-31 |
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| Down Smash | 16 | -28 | -25 | -21 |
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| Neutral Air | 10/18 | -2/-2 | -1/-2 | 0/-1 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -6 | -6 | -5 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -10/-10 | -9/-9 | -7/-7 |
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| Up Air | 10 | -10/-10 | -9/-10 | -7/-9 |
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| Down Air | 4/11 | -10/-9 | -9/-9 | -8/-8 |
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| Neutral B | 9 (+8) | -26 | -25 | -23 |
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| Side B | (9)24 | -24/-30 | -19/-27 | -10/-24 |
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| Up B | 46 | -23/-31 | -22/-31 | -19/-29 |
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| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Vary Fruit charge timing and Hydrant placement so Lucario has to commit first with either Aura Sphere timing or direct forward movement.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, or Up B, prioritize Up B (4f) and extend to OOS Nair (6f), Fair (8f), Dair (9f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (11f) when they reach.
- Do not overforce shield punishes on Nair and shallow Fair; use retreat, water, and low Fruit tosses to cover the next landing or burst path instead.
- Once Lucario is airborne, keep it moving toward the ledge with Hydrant, Uair, and Bair so Aura has less time to matter.
- Finish stocks with Bell confirms, Hydrant launches, Up Smash, and ledge Bair, then trap Extreme Speed’s return point from stage instead of overchasing offstage.
Actions to Avoid
- Letting Lucario live too long in center and passively giving Aura more time to become the real win condition.
- Swinging for large shield punishes after every Nair or shallow Fair and getting reset by air drift or scramble movement.
- Missing obvious punishes on Aura Sphere, Dash Attack, and Side B and giving Lucario free extra attempts to break in.
- Chasing too far offstage and giving up Pac Man’s ledge-trap advantage to Counter or Bair reversals.