Alright. *knuckle crack* *neck crack* It's boom time.
The idea for this moveset came to me a few months ago while playing Awakening. Lucina had proc'd an Aether, and as I saw the animation I realized that the first hit of Aether was identical to Wolf's side-smash, but with a sword.
Wolf's Side-Smash with a disjoint.
Wolf's side-smash with a disjoint.
WOLF WITH A SWORD
Marth was all about proper spacing, reacting to DI out of his wonderful grab game to land an early tip and an early kill, plus low-percent kills with his amazing edgeguard game and infamous Ken Combo. Ike in Brawl was all about slow, measured advances and reading your opponent to land a big move at just the right time. (Which is completely unfaithful to canon, but was a very interesting fighting style. I tried to play him rushdown anyway, hehe).
Lucina is intended as a straightforward rushdown Fire Emblemnier. No sweetspot on her sword, no sudden bursts of damage, just a powerful combo game and juggle game. Good run speed, good airspeed and a strong focus on keeping your opponent in the air to rack up steady damage before landing one of her potent finishers. Much inspiration is taken from Wolf, both the Brawl and P:M iteration, as well as aspects of P:M's Fire Emblem character tweaks.
With that explained, let's talk moves.
Jab - Singular. No jab combo, one hit like Ganon or P:M Charizard. It's a quick forward horizontal swipe with sizeable knockback, but not really approaching a kill or gimp move - the angle it sends people is too high for a semi spike and too low to continue combos. Think 25 degrees. It's a good spacing and poking tool slightly on the slower side of her moves, but is perfect set-up for a dash attack. Almost a true combo at sufficient damage (and thus sufficient hitstun).
Dash Attack - Lucina has a very fast initial dash, the kind that lends itself to a great DACUS (should the mechanic still exist) and transfers momentum well to a short hop, allowing her good reach with her aerials. The dash attack itself is an uppercut. Falchion starts pointed at the ground and is slashed upwards in a long stroke that ends with Falchion pointed skyward. This is by itself a powerful juggling tool and there is no good escape with DI, as it sends at a near 80 degree angle and Lucina always has a guaranteed follow-up provided her player reacts properly. It's similar in Wolf's to function and speed, but is much safer when spaced properly due to the disjoint and is thus much harder to punish on shield.
Up-Tilt or Up+A - Lucina stabs straight up. It has good reach, a deceptively wide hitbox, quick start-up and low endlag as well low knockback and growth. Good follow up to certain DI of Dash attack, can combo into itself if opponent is not paying attention and at low percents, even if they are. It sends almost directly vertically up, but not much, and is pretty much another 50/50 DI trap.
Side-Tilt or Side + A - Lucina stabs straight ahead. Amazing reach and great spacing and poking tool, pathetic combo tool. Not enough knockback to kill, too much knockback to combo. Amazing edgeguarding tool, however (one of her only options) and it can be angled. The angle it sends at is also much more favorable for gimps than her jab, sending almost exactly horizontal (so not a true semi-spike, but stuffs a lot of recoveries well.) It would knock Ike into his dead-zone, and Falco would be boned if knocked out of his Phantasm. Similar in animation but different in function to Roy's P:M F-Tilt.
Down-Tilt or Down + A - One of Lucina's few non-disjointed moves, and one of her flashier ones. Lucina stabs Falchion into the ground and uses it as a pivot as she does a leg sweep. The endlag of the move is low in spite of the animation, and the attack pops people up for a strong follow up with Fair, USmash, Utilt, FTilt or even jab. It lacks shield stun, as much reach as her sword moves and a disjoint, however, and so is pretty unsafe on block. The move must be carefully spaced and carefully used.
Up Smash - This is an interesting, double hitting move. Lucina sweeps Falcion in an arc over her head, covering the area in front of her, above her and behind her, an arc taller and narrower than Ike's own up-smash. The move continues however, as Lucina carries her momentum into a second arc, spinning a full 360 degrees to complete the move. The first hit is a weaker pop-up that links into the second, strong hit. Up-smash is good for beating spot-dodges and the strong hit has considerable shield pushback and stun, but a poorly spaced USmash can be punished with a well-timed grab right after the weak hit. It functions as a good vertical killer at above mid percents, but at high percents the weak hit sends opponents too far out at an awkward, 45 degree angle without too much stun, letting people both DI out of and react to possible follow-ups. It's a versatile move than needs to be used only in the right instances.
Side Smash - The move that started it all. Lucina slides forward a considerable distance with Falchion in front of her and parallel to the ground, smiting her foes with probably one of the most ridiculously good side smashes in the game. Safe on shield when properly spaced, good power and amazing reach. The 45 degree angle it sends at is ideal neither for gimping nor killing, but it's a potent combo finisher and good kill move at high percents.
Down Smash - A ludicrously fast move with oddly short range. Lucina rests Falchion on her left shoulder for a moment (I'm assumig she's right-handed) then whips it down in a blisteringly fast diagonal cut, the blade striking the area in front of her leg. The move does not strike behind and thus does not punish rolls like most down-smashes; it is a close range "get off me" move than can follow a spot-dodge to punish a whiffed grab. Closer to Lucina the move knocks the opponent quite far at a 60 degree angle (too much knockback for a confirmed follow-up) but at its farthest point from Lucina, the move has a strong meteor. A properly spaced DSmash can cover a ledge sweetspot and end a recovering opponent's life very early. It is of course marvelously difficult to land.
Up Air - Think Meta Knight, or P:M Wolf, but more range. A quick move with low knockback and a wide arc above Lucina's head perfect for juggle strings. The end lag on the move is low enough to allow a waveland after a shorthop in a P:M-esque environment (so not SSB4, but just a note). Can lead into an aerial finisher if DI is followed well.
Down Air - Lucina pulls her legs up to her torso and sweeps the Falchion below her, front to back, in a mirror image of her up-air. The backwards arc of the move sends the opponent at a semi-spike angle, making Dair her best edge-guarding tool and great option for covering the ledge, as well as her best ledgedrop option to gimp low recoveries. One of her laggier moves and not too valuable on stage besides escaping the juggle combos of her enemies, it is still fast enough to allow a Lucina that jumps off the stage backwards and dairs to grab the ledge with a double jump.
Forward-Air - This is the most pathetic combo move Lucina possesses, but that's because it's her best kill option. Lucina spins around in the air once, building up momentum into a sweeping horizontal swing in front of her. The power is comparable to Ike's bair, with the hitbox reaching a little farther and the move having more start-up and so requiring better timing and commitment.
Back-Air - Lucina sweeps Falchion behind her, down to up to cover a wide arc. The move is a weak hit that pops up and continues combos, good for catching opponents that DI behind her but absolutely pathetic at edgeguarding. Ledgedrop bair may actually SAVE your opponent due to the vertical momentum you provide them.
Neutral Air - Lucina does a somersault with Falchion held out ahead of her, remeniscent of Ike's Aether. The move hits in front of her twice: Once when it begins and second when it comes back around at the end of the somersault. The second hit of the neutral air is a strong semi-spike, much like Sheik's fair in Melee. Neutral Air being one of her slower moves must be timed and spaced right. The first forward hit knocks people away and does not link into the second forward hit, but can continue some combos. Nair hits behind Lucina as well.
Up-Special - This was one I struggled with. I saw the idea elsewhere and liked it: The animation is a lot like Marth's Dolphin Slash but without the kill power in the initial frames (she doesn't need it). If she strikes an enemy, however, she does not go into special fall (maximum once per airtime, needs to land again to refresh this. A second Up-B always sends Lucina into special fall.) The initial frames also have a strong windbox, making it a good anti-pressure option, a good OoS option if you could jump out of shield and a lulzy situational edgeguarding option. Name: Galeforce.
Neutral Special - Lucina concentrates with her eyes closed, as Falchion glows held in front of her, revitalizing her as it slowly heals her. Referance to Falchion's use in-game, looooong end-lag to only really make it viable to use between stocks (though with Lucina's ability to keep opponents in the air and knock them off-stage, she probably can find enough opportunities to use it.) Rate of healing: Slow but continuous.
Side-Special - Aether. Except, not Ike's. Lucina glows bright gold as she dashes a considerable horizontal distance on the ground or in the air (about 75% melee final destination) with her sword held out, similar to her side smash. She goes into special fall at the end of this move. Additionally, it must be noted that the sword cannot sweetspot the ledge, not being her hand, and so recovering Lucina must aim for a bit above the ledge in order to grab it. This makes her more vulnerable to edgeguards.
HOWEVER. If Lucina strikes an opponent, she has a window of opportunity to press B again. This instantaneously activates the Luna hit, which involves a semi-teleport behind the person faster than the eye can follow, striking with a powerful slash that is a strong meteor. Hitting with the Luna hit also prevents special fall. This makes going out to edgeguard Lucina dangerous. Additionally, meteors have disproportionate hitstun on grounded opponents that they pop up, so Aether is actually a perfect set up for a kill move, like fair. Getting past defenses indeed. This move is also hilariously safe on block because of the Luna putting Lucina behind shielding opponents.
This just leaves grabs and taunts, which I will finish later because I am late for lunch.
FlareHabanero
: I've been intermittently writing in a doc between my stats homework and dance class (well, I didn't get any writing or homework done during dance class). This is a moveset I've been thinking about for a while and am just committing to paper, so expect to see it by midnight. 
). All they need is some filler between the games (just summarizing the jump in time and how many of them have fallen) and you've got yourself a sad moment. 
)
