Official Pikachu Stage Discussion - Rainbow Cruise

[Jupz]

Welcome to the Official Pikachu Stage Discussion!

This thread will be a place to debate how Pikachu performs on all tournament viable stages. After each stage's discussion is complete, I will write a summary based on everyone's input, including a rating from 1-10 (see "Rating System" below for how each rating translates). I will also note which characters have a considerable advantage or disadvantage versus Pikachu on a particular stage to aid people in the counterpick/banning process.

Please contribute whenever you can! Even if a stage is "complete," you may always bring up a detail you think should be added or point out any corrections that need to be made.

Format:

Pros/Cons - Quick list of Pikachu's advantages and disadvantages on the stage.
Stage Mechanics - Any stage hazards or other quirks specific to the stage will be listed here.
Summary - A summary of how Pikachu performs on the stage, including general strategies, useful techniques, and the best places to position yourself.
Rating - See below.
Characters - A list of which characters to bring and not bring to the stage.

Rating System:

1-4: Terrible stage for Pikachu. Should be avoided or banned.
5-6: Neutral stage. No outstanding advantages or disadvantages, but for counterpicking, there are probably better options.
7-8: Pikachu does well here and can use certain techs and/or stage mechanics to his advantage. Good counterpick choice if better stages are banned.
9-10: Pikachu excels here. Should be one of your first counterpicks unless banned.

Current Discussion: Halberd

Final Destination

Pros:

• No platforms or obstacles to hinder Tjolt, Thunder, or QAC.
• Long enough for good fthrow CGs.
• Flat + lots of space = Pika can outcamp most non-projectile characters.
• Pikachu can wall jump on this stage.
• Fairly large, giving Pika room to hit-and-run and escape when necessary.

Cons:

• Characters with better projectiles can outcamp Pikachu.
• Larger stage can make it difficult to kill heavy characters horizontally.

Summary:

FD is a large, wide-open stage with no obstructions or platforms. This allows Pikachu to outcamp most other characters, forcing them to approach and therefore putting you at an advantage. The large size also allows Pikachu to run/QAC away if you're getting pressured, and it lends itself well to Pikachu's hit-and-run, passive aggressive playstyle. If you want to change the pace of the match by camping, Pikachu can easily slow the game down by QAC'ing away and Tjolting to keep his opponent at bay for a while.

There's a lip on either ledge, but with Pika's excellent recovery, getting safely to the edge shouldn't ever be a problem. Other characters (ex: Marth, G&W, Ganondorf) may get stuck under the lip.

Not much else to say. This is the simplest stage in the game.

Rating: 7/10

This is a neutral stage, so no character will have a huge advantage; however, because of his projectile, Pikachu does slightly better than most here. In the stage striking process, it's probably best to aim for getting this stage, although most opponents will strike it against you.

Characters:

Advantage:

Characters who can be camped easily and/or CG'd are good opponents for Final Destination: Bowser, Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, Ike, and DDD are perfect examples. Marth is also a good choice for this stage.... we can camp him here, and the ample amount of space gives Pikachu some breathing room from his range. Without platforms, Wario is a definate to bring here as he loves platforms and you can force him to the ground easily here. ZSS is another character you may want to bring to FD if her platform control bothers you.

Disadvantage:

Characters that outcamp Pikachu (like Diddy, ROB, Olimar, and Samus) are bad FD opponents. Fox and Falco will have an easier time playing keep-away here as they try to avoid the CG.​

Battlefield

Pros:

• Platforms prevent thunder from being reflected back onto you.
• Smaller stage means Pikachu will have an easier time killing.
• Pikachu can go under the stage to avoid edgeguards and ledge pressure.
• Platforms give Pikachu more QAC options.
• Pikachu can usmash through the bottom two platforms.

Cons:

• Short stage, so fthrow CGs won't last very long.
• Small stage = Pika dies earlier.
• Sweetspotted thunders are rare because of the platform layout.
• Characters with good platform game will dominate here.
• Platforms interfere with full hopped Tjolts.

Summary:

This stage isn't good for a defensive Pika.... its small size usually means a high pressure, fast paced game. On the other hand, for a more offensive player, the platforms open up a whole new dimension of approaching when combined with QAC.

Generally, you'll want to stay on the bottom level. Pikachu's platform game isn't superb, and he's vulnerable to attack from below while positioned on a platform. When they're on the platform above you, you can thunder them and be relatively unpunished. If they shield it, they'll likely get pushed off and if they miss the tech you can jab lock them.

Rating: 5/10

This stage can be really good for QAC shenanigans, but since Pika tends to love open spaces and doesn't have a particularly strong platform game, there are better neutrals.

Characters:

Advantage:

DDD can be CG'd, and the platforms limit what he can do to us.

Disadvantage:

Snake's utilt and C4 will kill you through platforms, and his mines and grenades are a pain here as well. The major swordsmen (Marth, Ike, Samus and Link) also do well on BF, because they can hit you through the platforms with their disjointed range. Zelda is dangerous when underneath you, so Battlefield is a poor choice versus her as well.​

Yoshi's Island

Pros:

• Shorter side blast lines - easier fsmash KOs
• Higher ceiling blast lines - easier to live. Doesn't hinder thunder by too much.
• Slopey sides. Good for avoiding a lot of projectile spam while Pika's t-jolts hug the floor.
• Flat sides on the main stage, so you can wall-jump off of them for some cool recovery/edgeguarding tricks.

Cons:

• The main platform can get in the way of pika's fullhopped tjolts
• The ghost platform can often save other characters, while pikachu doesn't really need it.
• Shy guys sometime interferes with Tjolt
• Short, so you can't get many Fthrow chaingrabs in.

Summary:

You can attack the shy guys to refresh your other moves. Not much, but its something to do while your waiting for your opponent to respawn.

Tjolt can be very annoying on this stage. The platform layout creates a "tunnel effect" that forces your opponent to approach from about the platform. Tjolt also travels down the side of the stage, so you can hit characters with strictly vertical recoveries and characters that like to dangle on their tethers.

You can crawl dash on the sloped parts and slide really far...

Rating: 4/10

Despite being a neutral, this stage isn't a very good one for Pikachu.... mostly because of the huge platform in the middle. Try to strike this stage.

Characters:

Advantage:

Ike: If you shield while he does Aether, he will slide really far to his death....You can also CG him here. Falco is terrible here. The bumps screw up his IAP and the short stage makes it easy to approach him. Also when the platform is tilted it can screw up the first laser of his SHDL.

Disadvantage:

Avoid Olimar. He can take advantage of the tunnel effect better than you with his annoying pikmin.​

Smashville

Pros:

• The stage is flat, which means QAC isn't hindered in any way. Plus, the moving platform may offer more QAC potential
• Pikachu can go under this stage to avoid any edgeguarding attempts or just to simply show off.
• While hanging from the ledge, you can wait for the platform to come your way, jump from the ledge, then QAC up then down to land on it.
• QAC means anywhere on the stage is within reach of pikachu. Campy characters aren't a problem on this stage.
• Pikachu can CG on the moving platform while standing still. The direction of the CG and the moving platform have to be the same though.

Cons:

• The moving platform often saves character with terrible recoveries. Pikachu doesn't have that problem though.
• A small stage means pikachu can't camp much.

Summary:

I, along with most pikachu users, love this stage. The ledge, moving platform, and stage size seem perfect for pikachu's QAC game.

It is shorter than FD which inhibits spamming from wolves/pits/etc, while at the same time allows you to play defensively when you need to and be offensive whenever you want, the fact that a double QA gets you across virtually the entire stage is extremely advantageous.

Rating: 6/10

This is one of Pikachu's best neutrals, along with FD.

Characters:

Advantages:

This is one of the better stages against ROB. ROB needs space to camp, but the small stage allows pikachu to pressure him the entire match.

Disadvantages:

Snake often puts his C4 on the moving platform, so watch out for that. Metaknight's downsmash and its horizontal trajectory is a major killer for pikachu. King Dedede can approach you more easily here because its a small stage.​

Lylat Cruise

Pros:

• Other characters seemed to get screwed by this stage a lot more that pikachu
• Pikachu can go under this stage =D
• Platform layout allows for creative QAC

Cons:

• Many characters can abuse platforms better than Pikachu.
• Characters can hit Pikachu with an utilt or usmash, killing pikachu at low percents.

Summary:

Thunder guards work really well here depending on where the stage tilts. I'd say if you can place yourself in the position where you pressure opponents recovery more than they do you, PIkachu's should own. Since QA can recover with near limitless options (under a veteran) and other opponents can't recover in every way possible, thunder walls should be really good. Especially if you have an eye for when the stage will tilt.

1) Opponent is off, you do thunder wall

2) They will mostly likely not sweetspot (or less likely than they would usually do) equals lots of pain.

3) If they stay away from thunder (which is commonly done), then they'll be lower than most character's comfortability height and if the stage tilts away... the opponent's left for dead.

Pikachu's projectiles are great here as they run across the stage and aren't screwed up by tilting unlike several other characters.

Whenever I get stuck with this stage though, I love FH B-airs. Since it autocancels on full hop anyways, it gives me more time to accomodate the cancel wherever the stage decides to tilt. The platforms can be fun if you like platforms--remember it gives people a false safety from thunder, as thunder pikas would use the chance to strike an otherwise-cautious opponent. I love weaving thunders through the SMALL gap in BF, and with lylat its easier. I guess its also some of my preferences. Remember pikachu can still go through the bottom of the stage.

There are decent gaps between the platforms. You'll probably be able to pull off a QAC into thunder for the kill on this stage.

Rating: 5/10

An OK for pikachu. Most characters suck worse on this stage.

Characters:

Advantage:

Characters with strictly vertical recoveries get gimped here all the time: Marth, Mario, Wario, Luigi, and G&W. Fox, Falco, and Wolf get gimped here by the tilting when they try to recover with side B, and the tilt screws up their lasers.

Disadvantage:

Avoid Snake here. It's hard to see his C4's, Mines, and Nades. Also, his utilt can hit you through the platform. I would avoid Olimar here. His Usmash is deadly though the platforms. Also, he doesn't seem to get gimped here as much as he normally does. You want to avoid MK here. He doesn't get gimped by the stage and his dsmash is a pain.​

Pokémon Stadium 1

Normal:

Pros:

• Flat, perfect for CGs
• Lip can gimp many characters, and can also let you attack through them to get away from the pressure
• Platforms encourage combos

Cons:

• Other characters can hit you through the platforms
• A lot of characters can outcamp you here

Fire:

Pros:

• The little notch in the tree is 100% guaranteed jab lock the entire time. If you hit them
• down in there, you jab lock until the stage transforms again.
• 3 places to D-tilt lock
• Many places to QAC to and across
• You can tjolt camp under the tree

Cons:

• If you are losing, you will be forced to approach, which is a position pika does NOT wanna be in
• Characters with disjointed hitboxes hit through trees
• Many Other characters have wall locks

Water:

Pros:

• Platform layout encourages QAC abuse
• Teching off the windmill can save you from killing moves.

Cons:

• Thunder can be blocked by the windmill and the platforms
• Characters with disjointed hitboxes can hit you through the windmill and platforms.

Rock:

Pros:

• Multiple places to jab lock/dtilt lock
• This transformation heavily encourages camping. Pikachu can take advantage of the terrain with his ground hugging tjolts, which can wrap around the entire rock.
• Thunder can hit anyone trying to approach you if you're in the pit.

Cons:

• Other characters with controllable projectiles (Ness, Lucas, Snake, Pit, etc.) can camp if they are winning
• Many other characters can wall lock

Grass:

Pros:

• Creative uses of QAC on this transformation
• Usmash kills early on the platforms.

Cons:

• G&W and Snake love dthrow techchasing on small platforms
• Again, watch out for other characters (olimar) that can heavily abuse platforms

Summary:

This stage heavily encourages camping. Fortuantly, pikachu can abuse this stage to the fullest with his ground following projectile, Tjolt. Pikachu can outcamp almost every character on this stage, given the unique properties of Tjolt. Characters without absorbers, buckets, or reflectors will have a hard time dealing with pikachu on some transformations. Given the layout of most of the transformations, its almost impossible to approach a camping character, so use that to you're advantage. It's crutial to get the lead on this stage, so you can always force your opponent to you, which usually puts them at a disadvantageous position. Beware of the hidden lip on this stage. QA usually doesn't get stuck under lips if you angle it properly. Also, watch out for aerials that can hit you through the lip. You will be using QAC and tjolt a lot on this stage, even more if you play the hit and run style.

The neutral transformation is fairly simplistic. It's flat with two small platforms. CG's are perfect on this transformation. Nothing too special about this part.

The fire transformation is VERY campy. It's almost impossible to approach anyone camping under the big tree. I usually stand on the platform on the branch and FH tjolts to force my opponent to approach, and when they do, I drop down and thunder. If they manage to drop down under the branch with me, I just jab lock or dtilt lock them and fsmash for the kill. If you get your opponent stuck between the two branches, its a guaranteed jab/dtilt lock. You can also dtilt lock at the base of the tree on either side.

The water transformation has a windmill and two platforms. Learn to camp under the windmill when you're at high percents, so you can tech off the windmill if you're hit with a strong attack. Beware of disjointed hitboxes hitting you through the windmill. If my opponent is camping under windmill, I just shoot tjolts at them until it transforms.

The rock transformation is my favorite. Hang out by the cliff on the left side and abuse tjolt. If they start approaching, drop down and thunder, and dtilt lock if they somehow make it down there. You can also QAC up the cliff to the ledge for a quick escape, or just simple to play some ledgegames.

The grass transformation is the closest of the four elemental transformations to a "normal" stage. It's wide open, so there's lots of space to QAC around and CG. This is similar to the default transformation.

Rating: 7/10

If you know how to camp properly, this can be one of pikachu's best stages. Be sure to abuse the multiple locations to jab/dtilt lock, but watch out for other characters than can lock also. Mix it up between defensive play and offensive play, depending on the transhformation, and you'll do fine.

Characters:

Advantage:

I can't think of any specific characters this is good against. Probably against traditionally campy characters with limited projectiles like Olimar, Fox, Falco, Wolf, ROB, Link, and Toon Link. Their projectiles' trajectory is typically in a straight line. The stage severly limits the effectiveness of those projectiles. This stage is also great against Metaknight.

Disadvantage:

I would avoid this against some reflectors (Pit, Zelda), absorbers (Ness/Lucas), or buckets (G&W), since they can easily avoid our tjolt camping. Characters with controllable projectiles like Snake, Pit, Ness, and Lucas can outcamp you on this stage, and you might find yourself approaching more often than you like.​

Luigi's Mansion

Pros:

• Large stage so pikachu will survive longer than normal. Teching off the ceiling can allow pikachu to survive to rediculous percents.
• You can use the pillars to refresh moves (use jab to hit the pillar, it's fast and you don't use it besides jab lock)
• U-throw and U-tilt on the ceiling can create opportunities for QAL and jab lock.
• Ceiling makes comboes really easy.
• The pillars block most projectiles (ROB's laser is a notable exception).

Cons:

• Thunder isn't really effective unless house is destroyed
• Ceiling eliminates QAC game because you can get caught on the ceiling and punished
• Pikachu will have difficulty killing here because the high ceiling hinders thunder and usmash kills. Reliable kill methods do not work (U-tilt to thunder or U-smash to thunder)
• Pikachu WILL be outcamped by several characters
• Tjolt gets absorbed by the pillars.
• Pikachu can stale out his kill moves on the pillars if he is not careful

Summary:

This is agreeably pikachu's worst stage. You should probably ban this stage, but for any reason you happen to find yourself here, you need to be prepared to fight on it.

You need to PLAY SMART on this stage, moreso than other stages. If MK spams his tornado everytime you go to the 1st floor, should you go down there? NO! Be patient. If they are camping on the 1st floor and you get hit everytime you try to go there, try something else such as bringing the house down. If you're playing an extremely campy/gay character like olimar, Rob, or MK, you should try to bring down 1/2 or 3/4 of the house. This will give you more breathing space and allow you to manuver better. Also, if you are in the lead, you don't have to approach. You can just sit on the roof while MK/Olimar/ROB tries to bait you into their death trap on the bottom floor. If your opponent tries to destroy the remaining parts of the house, for the purpose of making the whole house respawn so they can resume camping, stop them. Its free damage. Think of it as a 2 v 1 situation. Pikachu + House vs MK.

Pikachu's Jab lock is a handy trick if the house is not destroyed. Here's a vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R-LIyGnzxs. Learning to tech off the ceiling is VERY useful. It can save you from certain death if you DI and tech. Once you are at high percents, go to the first floor and camp like crazy. Dsmash anyone that goes down there. Also, when you are at kill percent, run around the house and stand by the pillars. You will force your opponent to stale out his kill moves, which is very bad on a big stage like Luigi's Mansion.

The hitbox of an attack stays out longer when it comes in contact with the pillars. Try to use this to your advantage by throwing off your oppoenent's spotdodge. However, we aware that if you dsmash a pillar, the animation lasts forever, long enough for your opponent to charge a smash, so be sure that if you smash a pillar, your opponent gets hit too.

Rating: 3/10

The pikachu community HIGHLY recommends banning this stage, unless, of course, you second MK.

Characters:

Advantage:

G&W might be the only character you want to CP on this stage. He seems to have slightly more trouble here than Pikachu. You can also CP this stage against characters with bad kill moves (Sonic, Peach, etc.), but there are other large stages that pikachu does better in.

Disadvantage:

Ban this stage against MK, Olimar, ROB, and Lucario. MK has the tornado lock, Olimar is unapproach about due to his pikmin camping, ROB's laser goes through the platform and his weight will make killing him a pain, and Lucario will get rediculously strong, since everyone on this stage survives to high percents.​

Jungle Japes

Pros:

• Pikachu's highly versatile recovery allows him to easily recover to the stage with QA or SB
• The six ledges allow for QA tricks
• This stage is wide open, which gives pikachu lots of room to QAC and manuver.
• Tjolt completely raps around the two side platforms.
• Ftilt, fsmash, nair, sweetspotted thunder, and bthrow will be your main kill moves since the side death zones are really close, especially if you are standing on the two outer platforms.
• Correctly positioning yourself and Skull Bash to cancel horizontal momentum will allow pikachu to live to really high percents. The large stage benefits characters with momentum cancelling moves more than other characters.
• Pikachu can gimp characters with bad recoveries here.

Cons:

• Pikachu looses his ability to kill with sourspot Thunder and Usmash, two of his best kill moves. He will have a harder time killing here.
• Thunder does not reach all the way from the top of the stage to the bottom of the stage.
• Pikachu can get outcamped by characters with better projectiles (Falco, Zelda, ROB)
• Lots of characters have good meteor smashes that can spike through the water; Pikachu doesn't.
• High ceiling means Usmash and Thunder don't kill very early.

Stage Mechanics:


Summary:

This stage is huge. QAC -> Tjolt camping is extremely effective here. You can either stay on the side platforms can shoot tjolts on the middle platform, or you can stand on the middle platform and shoot tjolts on either of the side platforms. If you are playing a chaingrabbable character, you should hang out in the middle and force them to approach by jumping on the middle platform and tjolting the sides. There are 6 ledges, so be sure to abuse them with ledge games and QA. Watch out for the klaptrap while your playing ledgegames though.

The water moves really fast to the left, and it can often kill you if you don't jump out of the water fast enough. The klaptrap appears every 10 seconds under the right platform when the seconds timer reads 7 and under the left platform when the seconds timer reads 4. The klaptrap will kill you if you have any damage at all. I think I survived it once which I was at 0%. Be sure to pay attention to the timer. It can cost you a stock if you aren't paying attention; it can also gimp your opponent if you footstool him into the water.

When I'm waiting for my opponent to respawn, I like to stand on the right platform and drop into the water as they approach. I then can jump out of the water onto the left platform and resume camping.

Use ftilt to kill of the side platforms. It's fast and has moderate kill power. Ftilt, Fsmash, and Nair will be your most reliable kill moves on this stage, so be sure to keep them fresh.

QAC shenanigans between all the ledges work so well here. You can easily stall out an opponent if you have the lead.

Rating: 6/10

This stage isn't bad for pikachu, and it can be a really good CP stage if you are familiar with it and accustommed to the water. It can be really good or really bad, depending on the matchup.

Characters:

Advantage:

This stage is good against Ike, Snake, Olimar, and Marth. The water kills all of Olimar's non-blue pikmin, which will generally screw him over. Snake's utilt, his main kill move, isn't as effective here due to the high ceilings. You can CG him on the middle platform, or you can camp him on the side. If you bthrow him on the sides, you can gimp his DJ with uair and force him to recover with cypher, or else he gets pwned by the water. Pikachu can either hit Snake out of the cypher or just grab him. He will have a hard time transitioning from platform to platform. Ike, Marth, and characters with stictly vertical recoveries will have hard time here. I would take characters with bad kill moves (Pit, Peach, Sonic, Yoshi, etc.) here since the large stage will drive them crazy. Characters with primarily vertical kill moves will suffer here as well.

Disadvantage:

This stage is definately worth a ban if you are playing a DK or Falco. These are one of there best stages, since the layout of the stage perfectly suits their recovery, and the water benefits their poor recovery and multiple spikes. Zelda and ROB should be avoided here if possible, since they can easily outcamp you. Kirby does well here too. I wouldn't fight a G&W watch here. He can be extremely annoying with ledgecamping and you will find him living past 160% on every stock with bucket braking.​

Brinstar

Pros:

• Pikachu can go under the stage for more recovery options or to get away from pressure
• Pikachu can wall jump on the wall to the left of the gooey thing on the bottom platform.
• Low ceiling aid pikachu's Usmash and Thunder kills.

Cons:

• Lava favors characters with spikes and poor recoveries. Pikachu has neither.
• The close side death zones hurt pikachu more than they help him.
• Small stage and slopes hinder QAC and chaingrabs.
• More characters can heavily abuse platforms, while pikachu can't as much.
• Lava can stop CG's and save people from pikachu's gimping game.

Summary:

A few things to note about this stage. There is a "wall" under the main platform to the left of the gooey thing on the floor. You can wall jump off of that for a mixup. You can also go through the main platform, like on Delfino. Ledgedrop -> QAC is a great mixup for returning onstage. The gooey pillars and the gooey section on the main platform can be attacked and broken up. Attacking the gooey things will refresh your moves and it will make the hitbox last longer. Be careful when dsmashing the pillars, because if you miss, you will be left open for a long time. The gooey thing in the middle absorbs your tjolt, making it very ineffective on this stage.

I wouldn't bother trying to break up the stage to get more space to fight on. It takes too much time and the stage joins together too quickly for it to be an effective strategy.

Rating: 2/10

This stage really sucks for pikachu...

Characters:

Advantage:

No one?

Disadvantage:

Don't play this stage against Wario or DK. This stage is REALLY good for them. Also, Marth, ZSS, MK, Snake, and ROB will be hard to beat on this stage.​

Norfair

Pros:

• 6 ledges provide unbelievable potential for QAC mindgames and ledgecamping.
• The shape of the stage is perfect for tjolt's diagonal trajectory.
• Pikachu can run away from most characters on this stage due to QAC and his fast running speed. Slower characters will have a hard time catching up to pikachu
• The large stage gives pikachu more time to SB momentum cancel. The size also benefits pikachu's light weight and great recovery.
• Pikachu can implement the dthrow CG on the ledge on many characters

Cons:

• The large stage can make killing heavy characters a pain, especially if they stay on the bottom platform.
• Fthrow CG is useless for the most part.
• Lava can kill pika in the lower 100%'s
• Some characters have better ledgecamping games and platform abuse games than pikachu
• Characters with spikes can spike you through the lava but will get saved by it if they can't recover.

Summary:

A few things to note about norfair. When the pod comes with the giant wave of lava, do NOT get into the pod. If you're opponent gets into the pod, abuse him with Uairs and Nairs. When the lava gets close, either shield it or abuse ledgeroll invincibility. The lava from the bottom is just like the one of brinstar, just stand on one of the upper platforms to avoid it. When the lava from the side comes, try throwing/hitting your opponent into the lava; its always fun.

When you're trying to get the kill, camp on the outer two platforms and shoot tjolts to force your opponent to approach. Usmash, utilt-> thunder kills really early on the uppermost platforms. If you're at high percents, you'll want to hang out on the bottom platform, so you'll have plenty of time to SB momentum cancel.

I love fastfalling through the platform and jumping back through it while using an aerial. It adds a really nice mixup to it. If you've mastered QA->ledge. It will be almost impossible for your opponents to keep up with you. I love playing the tjolt + QAC camp style. This stage is large enough to do it and the angle of the platforms is perfect for tjolt. Ledgedrop -> QAC is a good mixup for returning back to the stage. Be creative with QAC, the possiblities are endless.

Rating: 7.5/10

This is one of the best stages for pikachu.

Characters:

Advantage:

This is one of Diddy's worst stages. His banana pressure game is totally thrown off by the lava and platforms. The lava also disrupts the ICs and their CGs. Slow bulky characters like Bowser, DDD, and DK will have a hard time keeping up with pikachu's speed.

Disadvantage:

Snake can outcamp you on this stage with nades. It's hard to see his C4, nades, and mines laying around on the stage. Snake's dthrow techchase and infinite dthrow grab on the ledges make him a powerful character here. MK is really good on this stage. He has a way better ledgecamping game than pika does. G&W also has a better ledgecamping/platform abuse game than pika. The large stage gives G&W plenty of time to bucket brake as well. I would avoid marth here too. His disjointed hitboxes will destroy you. Ganon also seems to do well here. ROB can totally outcamp you here.​

Rainbow Cruise

Pros:

• Pikachu's maneuverability makes the moving of the stage less of a hazard than it would against most characteres
• People are forced to move up. Pikachu can stay down and get quick thunder gimps if they go too high
• If you feel like going up faster, T-jolts are a semi-effective way to keep the opponent away because of the nature of the stage
• At the part where it resets (You see the big red arrow) you can CG people with down-throw and get easy gimps
• You will never be CG'd here since the level is constantly moving (besides the boat).
• Several walls which allow D-tilt lock and jab shenanigans
• This level seems to be permanent edgeguarding (aside from the boad) and Pikachu is a good edgeguarder
• This level promotes our camping while it hinders most other campers
• Pikachu is one of the harder characters to gimp, and will therefore not struggle to keep up with the stage

Cons:

• Our CGs will be a lot less effective here
• Our little comboes (F-throw U-smash) will be harder to land due to the moving nature of the stage
• Several walls for opponents to wall lock you
• People better at running away from you will try to time you out (The only place you can really catch them is the boat)

Stage Mechanics:


Summary:

Rainbow Cruise is a strange stage. Even people who play the same character have different views on it. If you plan on CPing it, do some research and play with it before hand so you get the feel of the stage. It has it's ups, and it has it's downs. It can be a surprise CP against people who aren't expecting it.

The boat is pretty much its own level. It is completely different from all the other parts. However, the other parts all have something special. When the stage is moving up, the side boundary to the left is extremtly short, so you might get lucky with a nair or F-smash for a low % kill. The part where it is moving to the right (when you are already at the top) the ceiling is really low, so your U-smash and U-tilt will kill relatively early.
Rainbow Cruise is a loop stage which is constantly moving. THe only part that is still is the beginning of the sequence which is a little boat. It moves, but you are stationary on it. This is one of the most unique levels in the game, and most people don't really practice on it unelss their character happens to excel on it. This battle will more likely be determined by whoever knows the stage more isntead of directly in the player's skill.


Rating: 7/10

This stage is pretty good for pikachu, but the player will have to learn it inside and out before it can be used effectively.

Characters:

Advantage:

Falco, ZSS, Diddy Kong, Snake, and characters who can't maneuver well (mostly big, slow characters like Ike, Bowser, and DK).

Disadvantage:

Meta Knight and G&W are the main ones that will be CPing you here. Metaknight just seems to have a bunch of CPs against us huh?​

Castle Siege

First Transformation (Roof):

Pros:

• Little ramp can allow pikachu to get a 2nd grab on some characters that he normally wouldn't be able to
• Prevents camping because this area is so small
• Characters with non-versatile recoveries will sometimes get caught under the little lip on both sides

Cons:

• Characters who are better than pikachu at close range combat will kick the **** out of the rat here
• Platforms are awkwardly placed and pikachu can't really use them that much
• Slope can mess up CG or comboes or QAC

Second Transformation (Statues):

Pros:

• Walk-offs on both edges = Chaingrab heaven.
• Statues in center can refresh moves (jab is amazing for it)
• Pikachu will live longer since the sides are quite large
• Camping is really easy due to the large nature of this transformation
• If people are camping above you, thunder is amazing
• Breaking the statues gives your opponent less places to camp and our T-jolts will no longer be interrupted

Cons:

• Camping exceles on this transformation
• Any fast character and circle camp you (running away whenever you get close and effectively stalling)
• Better campers will force you to approach near blast zones, which can lead to untimely deaths

Third Transformation (Tilting FD):

Pros:

• Decently flat so you can Chaingrab on it
• Tilting of the stage will make the characters with non-versatile recoveries struggle if they recover low
• Large dimensions allow pikachu to live longer, especially with our momentum cancel
• Little bump closer to the left edge will mess up some character's projectiles, but not pikachu's

Cons:

• Tilting can mess up pikachu's recovery if recovering low
• This transformation is large enough to let campers abuse it.
• Heavy characters will survive even longer

Transforming State:

Pros:

• Walkoffs on both ends so if you get a grab, you can bring them near the death-zone
• When it starts transforming you can get saved if you missed the ledge.

Cons:

• Right when the transforming starts, people who were free-falling to their death can be saved
• People can set up shop and camp

Summary:

Castle Siege is yet another transforming level. However, this level has a loop of 3 transformations. The first one is the smallest, the 2nd one is the largest, which has walkoffs on both ends and destructable platforms, and some people consider the 3rd one as a larger Final Destination. Beware the transformations and learn which ones suit your playstyle the most!

Rating: 7/10

This stage is pretty good for pikachu, but not the best. Go to frigate or Delfino if they are available unless the character you are fighting does particularly bad on this stage

Characters:

Advanatage:

Most CG-able characters, people who you can outcamp (without projectiles).

Disadvantage:

Better campers (Falco, ROB), Snake, Meta Knight.​

Halberd

Pros:

• You can annoy people with rising fairs, bairs, and uairs if they are on the small platform
• Short ceiling will allow for earlier U-smash and thunder kills
• Weird edges will allow you to trap opponents down there with good edgeguarding and/or footstooling.
• Large level allows for good camping and at high %s we can camp in the middle so we can survive longer (watch out for those ceiling kills!)
• Long flat bottom will let you CG for basically the whole % that the CG allows.
• Pikachu should never not be able to recover because of how the stage is in both parts (either going through the platforms or Skull bashing to the wall and wall jumping + QA
• Pikachu is good at manipulating positions of characters, so you can easily knock people into the obstacles (laser and the blue ball of death moreso than the claw since it targets)

Cons:

• People with multiple jumps can pressure you from under the stage (floating part)
• Some characters can outcamp you here.

Summary:

This stage has 3 parts. The first part is only for about 10 seconds. You are in a hanger of the ship, and then it basically lifts off. One important thing to remember is that if you are on the floor of the hanger (not the part lifting off) when it takes off, you will die, regardless of %. This part also is a walkoff on both sides, so if you are lucky and land a grab, you can CG them to death (this part of the stage is there for so short a time this will basically never happen). That brings us to another part of the level. This part is reminiscent of Delfino Plaza. Raised edges on the right, a little flat area, and a platform above that flat area. You can recover through the bottom of this part. This will be useful for recovery is somebody is trying to ledgehog you, and it also makes you more creative with your edgeguarding to ensure that they will die. The 3rd part is where most of the fight will be going on. It is a large flat area, with one platform that is the same size as the platform on the flying part. This part of the level has 3 obstacles it can shoot. It can either launch a giant floating blue exploding ball, which is relatively easy to dodge but painful if you get hit; a big laser which can do substantial amount of damage (you can Tap DI out of it fairly easy) with an expanding hitbox at the end; or a claw will shoot out and attack one of the players, which is the hardest to dodge, but the one with the least effect. Learn the 3 obstacles and you will basically learn this stage. This part of the level has a pretty low ceiling, so you can aim for easy U-tilt/U-smash - Thunder kills.

Rating: 9/10

An overall great stage for pikachu. Not really ban-worthy against any character, but against some you will have to play careful. Top 5 stages for pikachu definitely. This is one of the 3 Go-to places if you lose a match.

Characters:

Advantage:

Meta Knight, Ike, Bowser, Peach, Kirby, everybody without a projectile, and people who lose simply because of our chaingrabs.

Disadvantage:

I don't really feel that Pikachu has a disadvantage on this stage against any character in the game, so i renamed this section careful, as in the characters you will have to play more carefully against

Snake, Fox, DK, Marth, and basically anybody with amazing vertical killing potential. Also, ZSS is no slouch here.​

Frigate Orpheon​

Pros:

• Lack of an edge on the right side of the first transformation screws over some character's recoveries
• Rising platform offers a good camping spot
• Fairly low ceiling

Cons:

• Dip can screw up chaingrabs
• Recovery can be punished on the right ledge

Summary:
Even if characters can recover fine here, you should still be able to punish their recovery. The stage is small but not cramped, and pikachu can find space on both transformations to camp. When the stage is flipping, use thunder. It can potentially suck people in and it usually won't be expected or punished. Make sure you're in the air. When the stage flips is completely random, but go here to learn about the stage flipping mechanics. This stage is great if you want to put a lot of pressure on your opponent - pikachu also has great mobility around this stage with QAC.

Rating: 7/10

Characters:

Advantage:

Pikachu does well against characters like Falco, Fox, Wolf, Snake here. This is also a good stage against Diddy Kong, Marth because the slants and platforms help in dealing with his Fairs range. Peach is good to take here because uneven terrain messes her spacing. The right edge also helps against Pokemon Trainer and Ice Climbers.

Disadvantage:

Although it might seem like a good idea, don't take Olimar here. He has a much higher yellow and purple pikmin pluck rate here, the worst pikmin for pikachu. This is also a great stage for Metaknight.​

Thank you to everyone who's contributed so far!
Previous Thread Owners: K-9, Esam, Jupz

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Old OP. Nothing to see here now, move along.

 

[5ive]

First:D

And just to clarify,
we discuss in the other topic,
then you transfer the data onto here?

And btw, the guide and video topic will take a bit longer to do.

 

[K 2]

Yes. I prefer this way because it keeps the main thread nice and organized.

Take your time on the guide and video thing. The whole point of this is to make it up-to-date and really good.

 

[KayLo!]

I love FD for Pikachu. There are no tricks to the stage, nothing stage-related that can kill you, and against characters with no projectiles, camping is always something you can fall back on for a little while if you're feeling too pressured. The stage's large-ish size also means that you can usually run/QAC a good distance away if you're getting pummeled.

QAC is good here. No platforms and such.

The lip bothers me sometimes because if you get stage-spiked against the bottom of it, you probably won't be coming back. It can also interfere with your recovery if you're not good with QA.

Other characters with projectiles can start a camping war on FD, but really, thunderjolt > most projectiles. Never bring a ROB or Diddy here, though, or you'll sorely regret it. ROB has better projectiles, and Diddy can control the stage really well with his bananas. Some people also caution against Snakes on FD, but I don't have a huge problem with them....

That's all I can think of for now...

 

[K 2]

Its really long, so its perfect against characters pikachu can chaingrab. It usually tacks on 40-50% if you get all the way across the stage. Snake falls in as one of the Chaingrabbable characters, so you can use that to your advantage here. 2 QACs will get you across the stage in about a second, so Snake will have a hard time camping you. Plus, he can't crouch under the tjolt's annoying movement pattern.

Should we make a list of characters that can outcamp pikachu on this stage?

Rob, Falco, ....

The lip isn't a problem for pikachu. It bothered me in my early G&W days, but after 9 months of the game being released, no one should get stuck under the lip.

 

[KayLo!]

Should we make a list of characters that can outcamp pikachu on this stage?

Rob, Falco, ....

Olimar, esp. if he has a yellow pikmin in front (I think?).

Even if he doesn't, he can powershield and creep closer until he's in range to throw pikmin at you.

 

[Zylar]

Pikachu loves large open fields, and Final Destination is one of them.

Pros:
No platforms to obtsruct or hinder on-stage thunders, tjolts, QAC, etc.
Long enough to get a good forward chain grab on appropriate characters.
This stage even has the pika only trick, the pikascar.
(Or pikawarping as Silverspark names it.) Not recommended to use.

Cons:
As Kaylo said characters with better projectiles can outcamp pika.
Its large area can make it harder to KO heavies than other stages.
It benefits other characters too.

Summary:
It's a Starter stage for a reason. But as most neutral or starter stages go, both parties will gain advantages. Pika rocks here, but so can others. Regardless it remains one of the favorite stages.

Characters:
Like Kaylo, watch out for Diddy and Rob.

Hope this helped! ^^

 

[M15t3R E]

I had this idea a long time ago, but some of the other Pikas said there's no point in a stage discussion thread.

Can't hurt, I'd say.

 

[K 2]

It's a good reference for new pika players who often ask about pikachu's best stage. This will give an in depth analysis of each stage, strategies for fighting on that stage, and recommended counterpicks/bans. I'm really interested in doing Corneria, since some people say its pika's best stage, while others say its pika's worst stage.

 

[Tornadith]

Pikachu loves large open fields, and Final Destination is one of them.

Well said.

Pros: Open space for thunder jolts and good running space.
No platforms to hinder thunder jolt or thunder
Slanted stage sides for wall jumping attacks/recoveries
Good space to follow up with aerials (Nair)

Cons: Players can out camp Pikachu if they have good projectiles
One of the bigger random stages, hurts Pikachu's KO'ing power (not that much)

Summary: Pretty good stage for Pikachu, yet still kind of neutral

Score: 6-7 for Pikachu

 

[!Boom!]

Lol im not going to discuss such a simple stage that has really obvious pros and cons for pikachu. Instead, this should also be a stage counterpick discussion since the other ones and pretty much dead.

Good Against: (too lazy to insert something here)

Neutral: (too lazy to insert something here)

Bad Against: Diddy

I will discuss when there is a stage that is worth discussing and not as simple as FD.

 

[K 2]

hmm...just the like G&W boards. The discussion for the neutrals always falls flat on its face.

I'll try to make the neutral stages quick and painless...

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Advantage: Bowser (camp +CG), Captain Falcon (camp +CG), Ganondorf (camp +CG), Ike (camp +CG), DDD (camp +CG +CG +CG +CG), Marth (YOU NEED TO CAMP), Snake (CG + he can't camp), Wario (can't run as efficiently than with platforms), ZSS (no armor platform manipulation)
+CG

Neutral: Everybody else

Bad: Diddy Kong (Nanner ****, and pikachu has one of the longest times to get up in the game), Falco (outcamp), Fox (run away and outcamp, try to get a grab), ROB (outcamp), Samus (you don't wanna get in a camping match with her)

Edit: I would gladly start a counterpick stages thread. I could put basic information in it for all of them that i know and then people could add.

 

[neji32]

Pikachu loves large open fields, and Final Destination is one of them.

Pros:
No platforms to obtsruct or hinder on-stage thunders, tjolts, QAC, etc.
Long enough to get a good forward chain grab on appropriate characters.
This stage even has the pika only trick, the pikascar.
(Or pikawarping as Silverspark names it.) Not recommended to use.

Cons:
As Kaylo said characters with better projectiles can outcamp pika.
Its large area can make it harder to KO heavies than other stages.
It benefits other characters too.

Summary:
It's a Starter stage for a reason. But as most neutral or starter stages go, both parties will gain advantages. Pika rocks here, but so can others. Regardless it remains one of the favorite stages.

Characters:
Like Kaylo, watch out for Diddy and Rob.

Hope this helped! ^^

everything he said but the main thing i like about his level is that its a MK **** level. MK will not have the advantage here

 

[K 2]

Advantage: Bowser (camp +CG), Captain Falcon (camp +CG), Ganondorf (camp +CG), Ike (camp +CG), DDD (camp +CG +CG +CG +CG), Marth (YOU NEED TO CAMP), Snake (CG + he can't camp), Wario (can't run as efficiently than with platforms), ZSS (no armor platform manipulation)
+CG

Neutral: Everybody else

Bad: Diddy Kong (Nanner ****, and pikachu has one of the longest times to get up in the game), Falco (outcamp), Fox (run away and outcamp, try to get a grab), ROB (outcamp), Samus (you don't wanna get in a camping match with her)

Edit: I would gladly start a counterpick stages thread. I could put basic information in it for all of them that i know and then people could add.

I'm going to include counterpicks in my stage discussion threads.

Lol im not going to discuss such a simple stage that has really obvious pros and cons for pikachu. Instead, this should also be a stage counterpick discussion since the other ones and pretty much dead.

Good Against: (too lazy to insert something here)

Neutral: (too lazy to insert something here)

Bad Against: Diddy

I will discuss when there is a stage that is worth discussing and not as simple as FD.

This IS a stage counterpicks discussion. It includes pros/cons, a general strategy for fighting on the stage, a rating out of ten, and characters to counterpick/ban on this stage.

 

[!Boom!]

I didnt say it wasnt a stage counterpick thread.

 

[K 2]

Official Pikachu Stage Discussion #2: Battlefield

Please see the main thread here: http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=6125677#post6125677

Pros:

Cons:

Summary:

Rating:

Characters:

Discuss away!

 

[Zylar]

everything he said but the main thing i like about his level is that its a MK **** level. MK will not have the advantage here

OH! You're totally right!

10mkgraves

 

[K 2]

How does MK not have the advantage here? It seems like he has an advantage on every stage...

 

[Zylar]

It's more like you have advantages on this stage, which helps pika keep up with MK's inert advantages.

So it's like lessening them? I dunno, but other stages I'd hate to fight MK on because the stage inhibits pika and not MK. But here it help you and MK doesn't get better or worse because of the stage.
I'm not sure if I made sense.

 

[K 2]

I gotcha. MK is good regardless of the stage, but pika is good on this stage, so the gap between them shrinks. =D

 

[Zylar]

Pros :
Smaller stage - easier KOs.
Smaller stage - little place for people to run away.
Platforms quicker ff-fairs > combos
Pika's able to go under the stage.

Cons :
Smaller stage - easier pika KOs
Short, so smaller CGs

Summary :
Pikachu can take advantage of these platforms through QACs, ff-fairs, and thunder. (Reflectors won't work if the thunder can't hit you!)

Just some stuff to start it. Imma not to knowledgeable about this stage since I hardly ever play there. I tend to lose more frequently here, though the reason has yet to be understood.

 

[K 2]

Con:
Many characters can usmash/utilt you through the platforms (Snake, anyone?). I don't think pikachu can hit through the platforms (maybe a grazing hit from usmash).
The platforms don't let you do full hopped tjolts...

Avoid G&W on this stage. This is one of his best neutrals. Snake is also really good on this stage (I believe its his 2nd best stage).

 

[KayLo!]

This looks really really good so far. You're fast with the updating, lol.

(Also, Corneria is definitely the stage I do best on with Pika.... but I'm a ***** for usmash from playing Melee, so.)

Edit: Ooookay, I guess I got censored.

 

[Stealth Raptor]

you can hit with a sweetspot usmash i you are slightly behind and under them. i really like this stage. the various ways you can qa and angle tshocks and thunders to miss the platforms is really awesome.just avoid this against the good platform punishers like zelda and olimar. otherwise this is a good stage for pika.

 

[KayLo!]

You guys pretty much said most of what I would say... I'm like Zylar... I don't play on Battlefield too much. I suck on it, so I avoid it.

This isn't really a pro, but thunder between the platforms might catch your opponent off-guard if they're expecting the platforms to stop it.

Con: It's too small, imho. If you play a defensive Pika (which I do 80% of the time) or a campy Pika, this stage will probably hurt you a lot, especially against really aggressive characters. It's very easy for your opponent to get up in your face, and there are very few safe places to run/QAC to when you need space.

If you're more aggressive, I guess it doesn't really matter as much.

It's Pikachu's worst neutral, I think, but it depends on your playstyle.

 

[M15t3R E]

You guys are probably less aggressive Pikas than myself. I typically ban this stage at tournaments, as the platforms don't help Pikachu's metagame at all from what I can tell.

 

[Muhznit]

I can turn some disadvantages into advantages here. I like it.

Pros:
•Thunder can't be reflected onto you if you use it under a platform.
•Close platforms give you a lot more options with QAC.
•Thundershock can go a fair distance under the stage. Any character planning on going under without wearing a Franklin Badge should think twice.


Cons:
•Platforms stop you from sweetspotting Thunder unless you're in one of those tiny gaps.
•What everyone else said.

 

[Stealth Raptor]

yes the neturals REALLY depend on your playstyle. i hate Yoshis island, but neji swears by it.

 

[K 2]

The neutrals are always a bit bland, with short summaries. Once we get into the complicated stages, there is a lot more discussion and a lot more info that goes into the summary.

 

[K 2]

What's your strategy for fighting in this stage? Where do you guys think is the best/most advantegeous position on this stage? near the edge? on the platforms?

 

[KayLo!]

What's your strategy for fighting in this stage? Where do you guys think is the best/most advantegeous position on this stage? near the edge? on the platforms?

I don't know where the best place is, but I know for a fact that the WORST place to be is on the top platform. There's really nothing you can do there but... QAC/fall to a better spot, lol. I only ever touch the top platform if I'm running away or chasing someone to try and KO off the top. It's too easy to get hit from underneath.

I like being on the left side in the gap between platforms, facing away from the edge. (The left side isn't better than the right, but for some reason I always feel more comfortable fighting left -> right.) I can hop a t-jolt or thunder if I need to, and if my opponent ends up on the platforms above me, I'm close enough to chase them.

I try not to stray too close to the edges. The platforms get in the way, and the blastlines are too close for my tastes. I usually play defensively, though, so a more aggressive player may actually prefer to be closer to the edge for the same reason.

I've recently started to like fighting from the ledge, so if I get knocked off the stage, I might ledge-camp for a while if my opponent doesn't have a spike. Especially because recovering on BF is so easy.

As for the lower platforms.... too many characters have tilts or smashes that can reach you through them, and you can't really fight back, so. No platforms for me if my opponent's on the ground nearby.

 

[Zylar]

What's your strategy for fighting in this stage? Where do you guys think is the best/most advantegeous position on this stage? near the edge? on the platforms?

If the opponent is above you, under the middle platform. If the opponent is under you, QAC. If the opponent is next to you, under middle platform. That's the most roomy and my fav place to be.

 

[Knubs.]

Pikachu is the best in this stage.
Because its the best place for him to charge up his spirit bomb. Remember to don't let let your guard down so every once in a while slap your opponent silly. In the game and outside of it to.
Then when you have enough ki charged you can go on top of the stage and knock the other player off with a mega kick. While you are doing the kick you at the same time yell out THIS IS SPARTA. Immediately afterwards unleash the spirit bomb. Although if not timed correctly you will not hit him.
As a result of missing, it will say Epic failure in front of the tv and you exploded in to little pika bits.

If its a success you opponent will die and don't be shock when the match is over to see your friend in a coma or blind from pure awesomeness. At moments might might crazily start shouting out the following. "ITS OVER 9000!!"

tat iz yz i thinkz pikaz bezt feild is tat

 

[Piman34]

Pikachu is the best in this stage.
Because its the best place for him to charge up his spirit bomb.
Then when you have enough you can go on top of the stage and knock the other player off with a mega kick and unleash the spirit bomb.

spirit shock imo

 

[neji32]

........................................

 

[Knubs.]

Something you would like to say instead of using your posts for yous dots?

 

[Ussi]

Hmm I'm happy I do a Ike/Pikachu combo.. Ike covers BF and Yoshi's and Pikachu covers FD and SV

I draw a blank here.. I never use pika here since Pika doesn't have an amazing platform game

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Pros
Flat bottom = CG
Pika can go under to escape ledge pressure and continue camping
Platforms slightly help comboes
Pikas U-smash can hit through bottom 2 platforms
THUNAIR (looks at stealths sig)
+what everybody else said
Cons
Small so pika dies fast
Sweetspotting thunder is very difficult because of platforms
Platforms usually don't like pikachu
+what everybody else said

Good against: DDD (platforms eliminate anything he can really do to outspace us + CG)

Bad against: Snake (C4 hits below platform and U-tilt hits above, Can be really irritating to fight. Try to get him to use his cypher under the lip), Marth (platforms = bad news) Sorry i don't really know what characters are good or bad on this level, i normally ban it...
Overall: Good for pika, but not the best neutral for him.