Lucas Pitfalls

[Spice]

Hello everyone,

I have been playing Project M for about 6 months, and I can play all characters comfortably in casuals. I play Diddy Kong pretty well in tournament, as he is the character I have devoted most of my time to learning. Recently I picked up Lucas and I am now working to make him my second main, and eventually the one that I put the most time and effort into learning. He is an incredibly fun and complex character, and the more I learn about him the more I like him.

My question is: What are some pitfalls/bad habits to avoid while working on Lucas? For instance, I would give advice to Diddy players not to just throw out bananas continuously, but rather focus on using them as an approach option and to shut down opponents that rely too much on shielding. Some tips and tricks would be appreciated too (ones that aren't already highlighted a million times in previous threads).

I know it's a bit of an odd question but I've found it's a lot easier to learn new tech than it is to get rid of bad habits, so I'd like to start off right with him. Any input is appreciated.

 

[Spice]

No replies here, so what about some unique tech that only Lucas can do or is especially helpful?

Obviously DACUS is solid, tether grabs are crucial, magnets/reverse magnets for stalls and momentum, and DJC aerials/PK fire are all good. Also I just learned about WD out-of-magnet yesterday, seems really good for ground combos but I'm sure that's already common tech.

Any other techniques that I should work on that are unique to Lucas?

 

[MysteryRevengerson]

Mix up your Recovery angle you get to the ledge at, how long you magnet stall, the time you spend in an airdodge before cancelling with Zair, and the way you get off the ledge. Never recover the same way.

Make sure to master DJC (Perform by hitting a jump button > Up > C-stick) I would suggest looking at 8adge's videos/gifs for the knowledge behind the tech which will definitely help you in the long run. Also make sure you can do Jump Cancelled grabs.

 

[Spice]

Mix up your Recovery angle you get to the ledge at, how long you magnet stall, the time you spend in an airdodge before cancelling with Zair, and the way you get off the ledge. Never recover the same way.

Make sure to master DJC (Perform by hitting a jump button > Up > C-stick) I would suggest looking at 8adge's videos/gifs for the knowledge behind the tech which will definitely help you in the long run. Also make sure you can do Jump Cancelled grabs.

Where can I find these videos and gifs?

 

[MysteryRevengerson]

Where can I find these videos and gifs?

All credit @8adge

Video on the mechanics and input for DJC:

And a post on it in words:

Spoiler

Like Ness in previous Smash games, Lucas has a special double jump, that allows him great control over his aerial momentum. Normal double jumps are momentum based: They give a certain upwards momentum when used and then stop affecting the character. Lucas' double jump on the other hand is animation based and sets his vertical momentum throughout the animation.

Using any aerial cancels the double jump animation and leaves Lucas with the vertical momentum he had at this point.
This is called a Double Jump Cancel, abbreviated as DJC. Holding a jump button during the aerial will suppress the cancel and allow Lucas to use aerials in conjunction with his full double jump. Tap jump counts as a 1 frame jump input and will never cause your aerials to not DJC, which is very useful for quick cancels. Releasing the jump button within the first 6 frames of an attack will make the DJC occur at that point. Holding it for 7 frames or more will result in a full double jump.

As Lucas' double jump resets horizontal momentum, DJCs also allow instantaneous horizontal momentum shifts. The term "DJC" usually refers to canceling your upwards momentum, in particular for near ground level aerials. Still you can use the same mechanics to increase your DJ-height by canceling it near the apex. In contrast to Peach's float canceling, DJCing an aerial has nothing to do with landing lag. L-Canceling is still required.

You'll primarily want to practice performing FAirs, UAirs and initial hit DAirs at ground level.
The motion consists of a shorthop followed by a double jump as soon as possible, which is then instantly canceled by an aerial.
Using standard controls, the ideal button combination is:
X/Y → Tap Jump → C-Stick → L-Cancel
C-Sticking the aerial makes it much easier to influence the direction of your double jump.
Using Tap Jump for the DJ has multiple advantages:

1. It gives time to move your thump in position for the C-Stick.
2. It automatically makes your aerial cancel the DJ instantaneously as you're not holding a jump button.
3. It makes the timing for instantaneous double jumps more lenient - simply holding up on the Control Stick when becoming airborn will initiate the DJ as soon as possible.

Using these tricks, this is what you'll have to worry about:
Press your jump button, then press the Control Stick up and into the direction you want to move in as soon as possible while simultaneously positioning your fingers for flicking the C-Stick.
-> Perform your aerial of choice using the C-Stick as soon as possible.
-> L-Cancel using your preferred method.

Note that DJC aerials do profit from fastfalling, if they're not right at ground level. You'll want to fastfall right after initiating the attack. If Lucas rises during the aerial, you didn't initiate it fast enough. Delaying your double jump can serve as a compromise until you've gotten faster. In case you're not using the recommended controls, rising aerials may also mean that you're holding the jump button for too long.

Once you've mastered this, most variations thereof including DJC DAirs can be performed by simply delaying some of the inputs. DJC NAirs require significantly different inputs (I use Y->Y->A), but are also much less important to learn.


To give you an idea of what this technique is used for, these are some common applications for DJC aerials. Note that this list is in no way comprehensive:

• DJC Aerials are in theory one frame slower to come out than their shorthopped counterparts, but land and in extension end much sooner, making them perfect for combos.
• The same reasons also make DJCing very benefical when pressuring shields. Additionally the ability to control horizontal momentum allows for safe spacing.
• DJCing DAirs to avoid the final hitbox can be used to keep grounded opponents stunned for extended periods of time. With perfect execution this is a 0-death on a large portion of the cast that can only be escaped via SDI to the ledge. It's hard to do though and will be even harder once people learn to SDI.
• While Lucas' special double jump makes many of his ledge options slower, it also allows landing on the stage sooner when using aerials from the ledge.