Citricide
JuneauSmashBros Tournament Organizer
Hey guys, I messaged vanguard asking for some advice and he gave me this huge essay about lucario. I hope you guys can find this information useful
GENERAL ADVICE:
Super moves are THE approach tool. But you don't always have them. Still, a lot of Lucario's like to throw out Super nB. Resist. I had to let go of it for a long time and then started to reintroduce it. It's great for option coverage, and for guaranteed hits into it. Don't just throw it out in neutral unless you're confident you're going to punish their response.
Think more along the lines of carefully used DownB or UpB supers. DownB is the one to learn first because you still carry that same intangibility window, and cancel the momentum into an attack. I have noticed a lot of Lucario's using SuperDownB>SmashAttack. Thinking i'll land a sweet hit and be protected. If it's going to kill, sure. Otherwise super into something like Ftilt. You'll get the most distance and speed for the cost of a super and you'll start you OHC string from an earlier point, offering you more options.
*Learn everything about DashA. It's predictable but undeniably useful. Know that hitting with the tip has different stats on hit from the rest of the move. So learn to space this!
*DownB we of course have to talk about. This is another thing to just learn. Get this down pat. Know your intangibility window from front to back so you can safely avoid as much projectile spam as possible. Don't just spam it either unless you need to, otherwise they'll just catch your startup and cooldown without even trying. I like to confuse people with my approaches by using a mix of Dash Dancing, DownB, Moon Walking, Wave Dashing. Sometimes I'll even spam ShortHop>AerialDownB>SH>A.DownB>etc. That may not hold up well, but it's worked out for me somehow. I'm sure people will adapt to that little mixup.
*nB Aura Sphere is underused. Use it to force options. I like to mix up how much charge I put in the sphere before using it so they have more trouble adapting to its travel speed. I'll throw a fully charged one followed immediately by an uncharged one. It'll catch up and start to threaten similar space. E.G. Max Aura Sphere at about Short Hop to Full Jump height, immediate Uncharged Aura Sphere from the ground, and then approach. They're either retreating, in shield, jumping over it, or if they're equipped with disjoint and their own projectiles, maybe trying to clank them out. Doesn't matter, you've just narrowed down their options and you can react to that. MU knowledge comes into play here. Like, put more Aura Sphere at their Jump Height if you don't think you can challenge their aerial game. Put it at ground level if you want to force them into the air or into defense.
*Really learn Fair, it's highly underused and one of your less committal approach tools. (As a tangent learn to Aura Sphere Cancel. Meaning store your NeutralB charge as soon as you can. It sets you back to neutral. Fair>nB>nBCancel>DoubleJump>Fair is actually FASTER than Fair>DoubleJump>Fair if you do it fast enough.
*Dair. I love Dair because of the stall. I like to save my Double Jump that way I can throw Dair out just outside of their threatened space, and double jump or just fall in after they try to punish my Dair. Basically it's a baiting tool in the neutral game.
It's also menacing VS shielded opponents. If you drop on shield with Dair, you can SideB (or reverse SideB depending on spacing) and land the SideB grab every single time. Even vs tiny guys like Kirby.
*Bair. Again just learn the spacing. It's good because Lucario really stretches during this animation and so if you play it smart and space it out, Lucario's hurtboxes are further away from the opponent. It's also strong. Fish for Bair's in neutral at REALLY low % or killing %, otherwise, you'll likely just find yourself back in neutral vs a good opponent. (Aside: learn to Moon Walk. Lucario's is great. I'll approach with Moon Walk > Short Hop > Bair as a mix-up approach.)
*Usmash + Ftilt. Usmash you can control his movement and even reverse it during charge. Ftilt moves you forward. THINK about those movement options in neutral. These are moves I often like to use out of a baited approach. I'll come in and SEEM as though I'm approaching, but I'll get right in their space and either Shield and Usmash OoS, or WD Back > Ftilt.
*Last. UpB. I don't know why this seems to work against a lot of folks. It does. It shouldn't. It's a ton of itty bitty wimpy hitboxes. I'm still learning tricks with this too. Starting to pull up at the end or dragging them down into the ground produces different results. Seems to really confuse their DI when the KB is sending them at different angles depending on how I'm tilting. The % windows on when to use this is very MU dependent.
PROJECTILES AND DISJOINT:
I am of the opinion that these two things more than any other attribute or utility is Lucario's biggest weakness. A bad Link is breakfast, but a Top Level Link is Lucario's worst nightmare. Mario too can be a colossal pain because he can Wall you with fireball spam faster than you can DownB to deal with it. Charged Aura Sphere will eat right through fireballs without stopping, so if you retreat, get it charged, and then carefully throw it out, keeping in mind Mario's retreat options, and how much space/time you'll threaten with that Aurasphere. I find myself approaching Mario with more care than anyone else. Once I get in close on him, it's not really an issue. But mix up charged nB, DownB, and aerial approaches with Dair stalls, as a general rule.
Don't be afraid to approach defensively. Get in there, but don't go too aggro on these folks. Stay juuust outside of range, learn how to play out of shield, and take full advantage of any time you force them into a defensive position.
GENERAL ADVICE:
Super moves are THE approach tool. But you don't always have them. Still, a lot of Lucario's like to throw out Super nB. Resist. I had to let go of it for a long time and then started to reintroduce it. It's great for option coverage, and for guaranteed hits into it. Don't just throw it out in neutral unless you're confident you're going to punish their response.
Think more along the lines of carefully used DownB or UpB supers. DownB is the one to learn first because you still carry that same intangibility window, and cancel the momentum into an attack. I have noticed a lot of Lucario's using SuperDownB>SmashAttack. Thinking i'll land a sweet hit and be protected. If it's going to kill, sure. Otherwise super into something like Ftilt. You'll get the most distance and speed for the cost of a super and you'll start you OHC string from an earlier point, offering you more options.
*Learn everything about DashA. It's predictable but undeniably useful. Know that hitting with the tip has different stats on hit from the rest of the move. So learn to space this!
*DownB we of course have to talk about. This is another thing to just learn. Get this down pat. Know your intangibility window from front to back so you can safely avoid as much projectile spam as possible. Don't just spam it either unless you need to, otherwise they'll just catch your startup and cooldown without even trying. I like to confuse people with my approaches by using a mix of Dash Dancing, DownB, Moon Walking, Wave Dashing. Sometimes I'll even spam ShortHop>AerialDownB>SH>A.DownB>etc. That may not hold up well, but it's worked out for me somehow. I'm sure people will adapt to that little mixup.
*nB Aura Sphere is underused. Use it to force options. I like to mix up how much charge I put in the sphere before using it so they have more trouble adapting to its travel speed. I'll throw a fully charged one followed immediately by an uncharged one. It'll catch up and start to threaten similar space. E.G. Max Aura Sphere at about Short Hop to Full Jump height, immediate Uncharged Aura Sphere from the ground, and then approach. They're either retreating, in shield, jumping over it, or if they're equipped with disjoint and their own projectiles, maybe trying to clank them out. Doesn't matter, you've just narrowed down their options and you can react to that. MU knowledge comes into play here. Like, put more Aura Sphere at their Jump Height if you don't think you can challenge their aerial game. Put it at ground level if you want to force them into the air or into defense.
*Really learn Fair, it's highly underused and one of your less committal approach tools. (As a tangent learn to Aura Sphere Cancel. Meaning store your NeutralB charge as soon as you can. It sets you back to neutral. Fair>nB>nBCancel>DoubleJump>Fair is actually FASTER than Fair>DoubleJump>Fair if you do it fast enough.
*Dair. I love Dair because of the stall. I like to save my Double Jump that way I can throw Dair out just outside of their threatened space, and double jump or just fall in after they try to punish my Dair. Basically it's a baiting tool in the neutral game.
It's also menacing VS shielded opponents. If you drop on shield with Dair, you can SideB (or reverse SideB depending on spacing) and land the SideB grab every single time. Even vs tiny guys like Kirby.
*Bair. Again just learn the spacing. It's good because Lucario really stretches during this animation and so if you play it smart and space it out, Lucario's hurtboxes are further away from the opponent. It's also strong. Fish for Bair's in neutral at REALLY low % or killing %, otherwise, you'll likely just find yourself back in neutral vs a good opponent. (Aside: learn to Moon Walk. Lucario's is great. I'll approach with Moon Walk > Short Hop > Bair as a mix-up approach.)
*Usmash + Ftilt. Usmash you can control his movement and even reverse it during charge. Ftilt moves you forward. THINK about those movement options in neutral. These are moves I often like to use out of a baited approach. I'll come in and SEEM as though I'm approaching, but I'll get right in their space and either Shield and Usmash OoS, or WD Back > Ftilt.
*Last. UpB. I don't know why this seems to work against a lot of folks. It does. It shouldn't. It's a ton of itty bitty wimpy hitboxes. I'm still learning tricks with this too. Starting to pull up at the end or dragging them down into the ground produces different results. Seems to really confuse their DI when the KB is sending them at different angles depending on how I'm tilting. The % windows on when to use this is very MU dependent.
PROJECTILES AND DISJOINT:
I am of the opinion that these two things more than any other attribute or utility is Lucario's biggest weakness. A bad Link is breakfast, but a Top Level Link is Lucario's worst nightmare. Mario too can be a colossal pain because he can Wall you with fireball spam faster than you can DownB to deal with it. Charged Aura Sphere will eat right through fireballs without stopping, so if you retreat, get it charged, and then carefully throw it out, keeping in mind Mario's retreat options, and how much space/time you'll threaten with that Aurasphere. I find myself approaching Mario with more care than anyone else. Once I get in close on him, it's not really an issue. But mix up charged nB, DownB, and aerial approaches with Dair stalls, as a general rule.
Don't be afraid to approach defensively. Get in there, but don't go too aggro on these folks. Stay juuust outside of range, learn how to play out of shield, and take full advantage of any time you force them into a defensive position.
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