Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Lucina’s top-tier walk speed and long sword let her force Forward Air, Back Air, Neutral Air, and Up Air at ranges where Pikachu cannot simply challenge head-on, and Dolphin Slash still protects close landings. If Pikachu keeps trying to break through from the air, he gets pushed back by both spacing and reversals.
The tradeoff is that Lucina has no projectile and her grounded pressure is much easier to punish on shield. Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, and Side B are all clear answers for OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (7f), OOS Bair (7f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (10f), while Down Tilt also loses to OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (7f), and OOS Bair (7f). The stable plan is to slow the walk-in with Thunder Jolt, then only swing when Lucina commits on the ground.
By contrast, Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, and Up Air are rarely real shield punishes. Forcing a button immediately after blocking them often runs into Lucina’s drift back or Dolphin Slash. Do not try to finish every interaction on the first stop. Use Pikachu’s low profile and Quick Attack movement to chase the landing and retreat, then win on the second landing trap or ledge sequence.
For kills, it is more repeatable to send Lucina offstage and collect with Back Air, Thunder, and ledge traps than to fish for raw Up Smash in center. Still, deep edgeguards straight in front of Up B or Counter are the wrong trade, so the edgeguard should stay angled from above or outside the recovery line.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pikachu OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -16 |
|
|
| Jab 2 | 4 | -19 |
| |
| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
|
|
| Up Tilt | 6 | -19 |
| |
| Down Tilt | 7 | -8 |
|
|
| Dash Attack | 13 | -21 |
| |
| Forward Smash | 10 | -31 |
| |
| Up Smash | 13 | -41/-35 |
| |
| Down Smash | 6/21 | -42/-24 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -4/-3 |
|
|
| Forward Air | 6 | -6 |
|
|
| Back Air | 7 | -5 |
|
|
| Up Air | 5 | -3 |
|
|
| Down Air | 9/11 | -9/-9 |
|
|
| Neutral B | 19—79 | -23 to Shieldbreak |
| |
| Side B | 9 | -26/-16 |
|
|
| Up B | 5 | — | ||
| Down B | 6 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Thunder Jolt and Pikachu’s low profile to disrupt Lucina’s walking sword range, then pre-cover the landing or ledge route once she is forced to jump or swing on the ground.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, or Side B, punish immediately with the reachable option from OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (7f), OOS Bair (7f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (10f) so Lucina’s grounded turn ends there.
- After blocking Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air, do not mash in place. Track the drift-back landing and escape route first, then convert the second landing into Back Air or Grab pressure.
- At kill percent, do not increase random Up Smash attempts in center. Push Lucina offstage and finish through Back Air, Thunder, and ledge reads while respecting the immediate reversal threat of Up B and Counter.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeatedly jumping into Lucina’s sword tip and letting Forward Air, Back Air, Neutral Air, and Up Air control the same height over and over.
- Blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, or Side B but still giving Lucina time to reset her walk spacing and landing pattern.
- Swinging immediately after blocked Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air and getting clipped by drift-back spacing or Dolphin Slash.
- Chasing the edgeguard too deep from directly in front of Lucina and trading into Up B invincibility or Counter before Pikachu can return safely.