Map of the Playground: A Lucas Stage Discussion Thread

[Master WGS]

Basically reserving this post for future consensus stuff. Gonna have a list of stages, MUs they should be used for/what to avoid, etc., but I don't have time to really make it all on the OP now. Will update later after some discussion has occurred.


Anyway, stages are an obvious huge factor in tournaments. What stages do you gravitate towards with Lucas, and which do you think should be avoided? Any specific/tricks certain stages offer? Maybe a specific stage for a specific matchup? Post thoughts here, and as time goes by, I'll add tried and true info to this post for a quick reference.

 

[Burnsy]

For Lucas, I like low platforms for extending combos and walls he can ride up with his up-b. Lucas is hard to kill off the top of the screen and easier to kill off the sides, so he should avoid stages with narrow horizontal blast zones.

The stage size he wants depends a lot on match-up. Lucas can hold his own on large and small stages, in my opinion, but he has more options with a large bottom platform because it gives him more room for his horizontal combo and chase game.

My favorite stages for Lucas:

Pokemon Stadium 2
Smashville
Battlefield
Final Destination
Dreamland (certain matchups)
Fountain

Least favorite:
WarioWare
Yoshis (not awful though)


The rest I just don't feel that strongly about at the moment, but that may change. While I don't think smashville (very popular neutral) is a bad stage for Lucas, something about it bothers me and I would usually prefer something else. I think it's the moving platform.

 

[Master WGS]

I find it very interesting that you're not a fan of Final D or Smashville, as I find those to be two of Lucas' stronger stages. Giving him tons of room to carry foes with short-hop nair, and little area for his opponent to remain safe from djc PK Freeze and stuff is pretty nifty. Also, plenty of horizontal recovery space, considering alternatives. I know you might not have exact feelings on either, but I'd like to get more details on what you don't like, as I might be missing something.

I'd add Yoshi's Story to one of his weaker stages, in my opinion. Though you have the platforms that are fun to chase around on, it's too constricted for Lucas to really do his thing I think. Really tight blast zones are also more of a pain, as Lucas has plenty of power to send people to far-off blast zones pretty early, or at the very least far enough away where they can't recover.

I really can't decide on how I feel about Metal Cavern. I think it might be a very match-up dependent stage, because I only feel like I like it sometimes... just, not sure when quite yet.

 

[No U]

Stage selection is very MU dependent but my favorites in relative order are:
Final D
Battlefield
Pokemon Stadium 2
Pokemon Stadium 1
Dracula's Castle

And stages I miiight still CP but slightly less often, still in relative order would be:
Rumble Falls
Smashville
Yoshi's (brawl)
Norfair
GHZ


And stages I'm more inclined to avoid:
FoD
Yoshi's (Melee)
Dreamland 64
WarioWare

And stages that I don't think should be legal but would also avoid even if they were because the slopes mess with my djcing too much:
Skyloft
Metal Cavern
Kongo Jungle 64
Halberd

 

[Dron]

stages I tend to favor (almost exclusively due to platform layouts):
Halberd (low ceiling, PKT2 through the bottom floor)
PS1
PS2
FD (except against a character with a superior projectile game)
Smashville
GHZ

stages that are pretty good:
pretty much every stage with a tri-platform layout with the exception of Yoshi's Story and possbily FoD
Yoshi's Island (not a fan of the way the platform tilts, just a preference thing)
Dracula's

stages I don't really like:
Warioware (too vertical)
Yoshi's Story (no breathing room, especially against big characters)

no opinion:
Metal Cavern
Skyloft
SSE: Jungle
Norfair

 

[Burnsy]

I made a few changes to the stages I like for Lucas in my earlier post after growing a bit in knowledge and skill. Also wanted to bump this thread to get some more opinions.

 

[Nguz95]

Lucas has a pretty amazing platform game, so most platform heavy stages (BF, Yoshi's Story, FoD, Dracula's Castle) should be in his favor. I personally think Yoshi's Story is not too bad of a stage for him. I'm a Falco main though, so maybe I'm just comfortable there...

 

[Lukingordex]

Yoshi's Story sucks for Lucas,he just can't do crap on that stage.

FD and Smashville are his better Stages imo.

Dreamland,Battlefield,and all others (CP stages included) are MU dependent...

Lucas has a pretty amazing platform game, so most platform heavy stages (BF, Yoshi's Story, FoD, Dracula's Castle) should be in his favor. I personally think Yoshi's Story is not too bad of a stage for him. I'm a Falco main though, so maybe I'm just comfortable there...

If you like platforms,I highly recommend Dreamland,Marth(taking that MU as a example) is really scary in some other platform stages like Yoshi's Story,battlefield or WarioWare,but when the MU happens at Dreamland you can just platform camp him,it's a free win.

I also like FoD,it's a good stage for Lucas most of the time,it's strange how a very little difference is crucial for the things that the stage can offer for you (considering Yoshi's Story and FoD differences)

 

[NeonApophis]

I think Yoshi's can definitely be really good for Lucas against a lot of characters. Yes, he doesn't have as much room to do combos, but he's so good at edgeguarding and killing, especially off the top, that the small stage and close blastzones help him in some matchups. Like I think it would be a good choice against Sonic, Squirtle, Captain Falcon, Luigi, and maybe Jigglypuff and Toon Link.

 

[Eisen]

I have a lot of fun on big stages. Final Destination, Norfair 3.0, Smashville and DL are my favorite stages, with DP kind of growing on me. However I find small stages also mix things up, as certain matchups are really difficult/boring on large stages. Then again, same can be said for small stages, but regardless...

GHZ and WarioWare are two of my favorite stages to play on, actually. I don't know why, but I seem to like BF more than Yoshi's, yet when I think about it, Yoshi's sounds a lot more appealing in theory.

PS2 is alright. I used to be a fan but nowadays the gap between the platforms makes it feel a bit janky.

 

[The_SuperiorTaste]

I hate stages with high ceilings for lucas. Dreamland, Dracula's Castle, etc. I have a hard time killing my opponent with those kind of stages.

 

[SixSaw]

Consider becoming more familiar with ways to combo into fsmash/dsmash/bair. Lucas is really not lacking in kill-power at any angle. Losing your "I win" button in uthrow isn't the end of the world.

 

[T-Cash]

i like small stages with lucas(YS, wario ware) because his smashes are really effective and you can ride the stages. on bigger stages with more room off stage its easier to get gimped and not have enough range to make it back. im also a big fan of draculas castle but i think i just like that stage nothing to do with the character =p

 

[T-Cash]

Yoshi's Story sucks for Lucas,he just can't do crap on that stage.

FD and Smashville are his better Stages imo.

Dreamland,Battlefield,and all others (CP stages included) are MU dependent...




If you like platforms,I highly recommend Dreamland,Marth(taking that MU as a example) is really scary in some other platform stages like Yoshi's Story,battlefield or WarioWare,but when the MU happens at Dreamland you can just platform camp him,it's a free win.

I also like FoD,it's a good stage for Lucas most of the time,it's strange how a very little difference is crucial for the things that the stage can offer for you (considering Yoshi's Story and FoD differences)

lucas will never get a kill on a stage like dreamland

 

[MysteryRevengerson]

Lucas has platforms for extended combos and, to your surprise I'm sure, can kill horizontally and has two moves that send the opponent down. To be honest, I'm not sure which stages I DON'T like as Lucas. FD might be one, I think its large and flat nature give the opponent more room to breath and allows characters with CGs/Good tech chases a great field to do it on.

FoD is still my absolute favorite.

 

[T-Cash]

im pretty familar with combos on platforms and the spikes are pretty easy to hit your right about that. just talking from a gimping point of view i always get the ****ty end of the stick on horizontal stages.

 

[T-Cash]

FoD is an amazing stage for lucas not debating that =)

 

[TheBOSS]

So confused on why you guys think fod is good for lucas; let me tell you why its bad.

Has one of the tallest ceilings (higher percent needed for upthrow kill)
Platforms move and thus disrupt lucas's combos
pk freeze becomes difficult to use due to the low platforms
It's also a very small stage, lucas thrives with some space.
downthrow combos become hard again due to the platforms.

 

[CatcherAndTheRai]

My favorite stages! (In order)
Green Hill Zone
Yoshi's (melee)
WarioWare
~~ I enjoy the smaller stages personally. Yes I get killed early, but the way I play the game just helps me. Because I lose momentum if i wait for my opponent or run away from them.

Stages That I enjoy but really don't bother me: (in order)
Dracula's
Norfair (I really enjoy the platforms here)
PS 2
PS 1
Rumble Falls
Distant Planet
Skyworld
Battlefield
~~ All of these stages aren't too bad for me to play on. I'll usually pick these stages if my opponent uses a character with good OoS options. These Stages don't have anything that hinder my style of play and give me JUST enough breathing room to do my thing.

Stages I really don't like. (in order)
Smashville
Final Destination
Yoshi's Island
FoD
Skyloft
Metal Cavern
Halberd
Lylat Cruise
Dream Land
~~ These Stages are either just too open, or just have very awkward feeling platforms and stage placement. I just don't do as well as a normally do on the above stages.


Again, I don't have much tournament knowledge or experience. So, this list may change in the future but for right now this is where it stands.