Pika Q&A/FAQ Thread: Ask a Quick Question, Get a Quick Answer!

[Jimmyfosho]

I'm pretty sure that 0% CG is wrong because you can footstool out of it if you start at 0%.

I don't even use this character so I'm not 100% positive.

 

[Gunnermaniac]

It starts NO EARLIER than 16% on metaknight. It will get footstooled earlier. You d-throw 3 -> nair or sometimes go for u-air footstool (I get more qac locks with this setup than any other).
But yeah, fighting MK is fun. My favorite matchup by FAR.

Edit: Oh yeah it's worth adding that both hits of d-air on MK's fresh stock gets him to a perfect 16%!

 

[infiniteV115]

That's because a fresh dair does 12% and the little shockwave thingy on the floor never stales and always does 4%.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Yes it is.

So yeah, if you grab them between 10-14 and they don't footstool the first one, you get 4 throws to follow-up. If you grab them between 15-19 (They can footstool at 15) you get 3 d-throws to follow-up. If you grab them from 20-24%, you get 2 d-throws to follow-up. If you grab MK from 25-50, you get 1 dthrow and follow-up.

 

[infiniteV115]

Ok, thanks a bunch.
I plan on actually using Pikachu in tournament soon...it's just that everytime I think about it, I go with ZSS cause it isn't really a gamble with her.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

NP, bro. Any other questions?

 

[infiniteV115]

Not for now. I may come back with some more after my next tourney.

 

[Cassio]

Wow Im glad you posted that. Ive been meaning to look up that info forever, I keep screwing up when I get MKs in that 30% area.

I think theres a lot of characters we get dthrow follow ups on at mid%s (besides dthrow > dash > nair since that works on pretty much everyone), even ones we cant CG, but only Prime knows the specifics

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

I just have a vague % list in my head for the dthrow uair, which is pretty much between 35-50 on characters, so that's the only thing I really worry about.

 

[infiniteV115]

Might need someone with debug mode to help me with this one...

If we get an uair footstool offstage (or, I suppose, just a footstool), can we get a guaranteed ff dair on the opponent after the footstool?

 

[Stealth Raptor]

i dont think we get anything guaranteed out of a footstool other then a buffer nair on some chars

 

[Pikabunz]

Might need someone with debug mode to help me with this one...

If we get an uair footstool offstage (or, I suppose, just a footstool), can we get a guaranteed ff dair on the opponent after the footstool?

It might not be guaranteed, but if not, it would still be hard for them to avoid. I used to test a lot of off stage footstool stuff. You could try to QA to the ledge right after the footstool and that may give you some extra frame advantages to follow up.

 

[infiniteV115]

Ooh that makes sense!
Footstool-->QA to ledge--> drop off and jump-->bair/nair/dair

Thanks Metroid Prime!

 

[Gunnermaniac]

So I'm going to my first largeish tournament with OOS this weekend, and I really want to step up my game before then.
What are some good things to practice in training mode?
Can you explain how to do pika scarring in detail? I can't get it more than 1 or 2 times even with the awesome video.
Rainbow/Brinstar is going to be legal, but it usually isn't, so I don't have much experience there. Should I still CP it?
Uhh I'll probably think of some other stuff before Sunday.

 

[Stealth Raptor]

you going to sktar? :O

 

[Jimmyfosho]

you going to sktar? :O

Did you even read his post? Lmao... He said RC and Brinstar WILL BE LEGAL.

 

[Gunnermaniac]

TASOL in Louisiana. Doubt you've heard of us...

 

[Stealth Raptor]

wow i am dumb. welp carry on, was hoping to meet another pika pal :D

 

[Ayce God]

anyone know how or could point me to a thread that tells how to do quick attack to nair and quick attack to ledge hog. thank u

 

[Pikabunz]

QA Nair:

1. Quick attack towards the ground
2. Press jump when you touch the ground
3. Press A

QA edge hog:

1. Quick attack towards the ledge
2. Let the control stick go back to neutral before reaching the ledge

 

[infiniteV115]

Make sure that when you QA to the ledge, you QA in the direction that goes TOWARDS the centre of the stage, and not away from it.

The reason for this is that if you miss the edge and end up above it, if you're facing the edge/centre of stage you'll simply fall and grab the edge, but if you're facing away you'll drop right past it and die unless you're WAY above it.

 

[Fire!]

Do you guys have images of Pika's Hit/Hurtboxes?

 

[Pikabunz]

Yep.
http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=255734

 

[infiniteV115]

Would I be out of line in saying that PS2 is a great stage for Pikachu? It seems like he does well on all the transformations. Especially the wind phase.

Edit: And obviously the main phase is good for him too.

 

[Cassio]

Ive realized that pretty much no one understand this move or how to use it correctly. So Im gonna finally write-up what I know about it. This is a work in progress, so Im going to keep editing it until its done then maybe separate it into another thread.
Quick Attack
1-14: Start up
15-19: Hitbox
20-29: Intermission
[collapse=Hurtbox Extension]22-24: Hurtbox stretched (vertical long)
25: -
26: Hurtbox stretched (horizontal small)
27: Hurtbox stretched (horizontal long)
28: Hurtbox stretched (horizontal small)][/collapse]
30-34: Hitbox
35-44: Intermission
[collapse=Hurtbox Extenstion]37-39: Hurtbox stretched (vertical long)
40: -
41: Hurtbox stretched (horizontal small)
42: Hurtbox stretched (vertical long)
43: Hurtbox stretched (horizontal small)][/collapse]

The initial

-Movement over a large distance
-Occurs over a very short period of time
-Normal small hurtbox
-Hitbox that outranges, outprioritizes, or clashes with most attacks (including many smashes) and beats many projectiles


-Completely static
-Hurtbox extended
-Occurs over a long period of time
-Can QAC at the intermission

*I guarantee you 90% of the time you get hit out of QA its because you positioned yourself poorly at startup or intermission

 

[Stealth Raptor]

you can go more then 8 direction initially, i thought it was like 16?

 

[infiniteV115]

Definitely more than 8. 16 sounds correct.

 

[M15t3R E]

Let's be as frank as we can be.
No one cares to know the fine details about the hitbox/hurtbox of Pikachu's QA.
It's not a standalone attacking move, if used for offense.
Anyone who is experienced in using QA in battle understands this data on muscle memory, anyway.
What needs to be discussed further are the applications of QA and especially QAC in battle.
I feel too many Pikachus shun Pikachu's Up+B for no good reason when it does nothing but help the yellow wonder.

 

[Cassio]

H8 u all

Spoiler

Im not done yet -_-

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

QA is still *** in offense most of the time due to the fact that it doesn't actually combo into anything until like...95% (When the dair shockwave will combo). It is too risky and inconsistent to be used more than like...once a match or for catching far away air dodges.

 

[Cassio]

Quick attack is a method of movement and positioning, maybe the most comparable thing is a dash dance or wave dashing, treating it as an outright attack option is why any mid-level player will see the air start up and have plenty of time to react and punish. Recognizing this is just the beginning of being able to use it correctly. Im still working on the whole thing though.

 

[M15t3R E]

QA is still *** in offense most of the time due to the fact that it doesn't actually combo into anything until like...95% (When the dair shockwave will combo). It is too risky and inconsistent to be used more than like...once a match or for catching far away air dodges.

Your words betray your actions.
You personally utilize it more than you realize.

EDIT: Besides, QA into T-jolt and QA into Thunder is highly effective and impossible to punish if you aren't a complete moron when it comes to knowing when to use those techniques.
Hmm... it seems no one plays Pikachu like I do. All technical and whatnot.

 

[chillbologna]

Is B air good to DI with? I was watching the SKTAR stream and saw ESAM using it a bunch...is it better than U air?

 

[aqua421]

on a basic level, how is pikachu supposed to be played at a competitive level? Pikachu is one of the characters i kinda screw around with in friendlies so i somewhat know what I'm doing but at the same time i feel like i have no idea what to do at the mid and long range besides use t jolt.

 

[M15t3R E]

Is B air good to DI with? I was watching the SKTAR stream and saw ESAM using it a bunch...is it better than U air?

I'm sure that ESAM would tell you that the B airs were coming out on accident.
U air is the tried and true best momentum canceling attack to limit your knockback when launched by an opponent. Use that.

on a basic level, how is pikachu supposed to be played at a competitive level? Pikachu is one of the characters i kinda screw around with in friendlies so i somewhat know what I'm doing but at the same time i feel like i have no idea what to do at the mid and long range besides use t jolt.

Pressuring with T jolts is a basic skill, hopefully not going too far to say Pikachu's bread and butter.
Good spacing consists of staying at mid-level range from the opponent and intimidate. Wait for your opening and don't force it.
You can also stand back a little further and pressure with T jolts, as aforementioned. (But, tbh, this is a bad idea against several characters.)
DO learn Pikachu's chaingrabs and chaingrab combos.
DO learn Pikachu's ground and aerial combos.
DO learn Pikachu's edgeguarding techniques, of which thunder is mighty useful.
DON'T spam thunder (stereotypical thunder spamming Pika is bad)
DON'T try to force grabs on a good opponent.
DON'T attack the opponent while descending down from above them. It never works.

We'll gladly answer any specific questions if you have any. Admittedly, your question was pretty vague. But I hope this helps. Watch some video replays in our Volt Tackle Videos thread for a more visual answer and be sure to check out the critiques of the Pikachu player if there are any.

 

[infiniteV115]

In Pikachu's case (along with many other characters) it doesn't actually matter which aerial you momentum cancel with if you're at risk of dying off the top...maybe ESAM is bairing because it puts the centre of Pikachu's body (iirc the location of this determines whether you've passed the blastzone or not) at a slightly lower position?

If you're getting sent off the top it doesn't matter which aerial you use as long as you FF it ASAP, but if you're getting sent off the side/into the corner you should use uair, FF it immediately and fall/jump/sideB towards the stage.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

I wasn't bairing accidentally. I haven't tested it this so I don't know if it is true...but

When you DI a vertical move, you are trying to move to the corner of the screen to the best of your ability. When Pikachu Bairs his body moves slightly backwards and then back forwards at the end of the animation. If this happens in momentum cancelling as well, it can send Pikachu closer to the corner, which is advantageous in surviving.

 

[M15t3R E]

That is true. B air does that for you.
But its animation takes so long... I think (not claiming to know for a fact) that due to how quick U air is, it'll reduce your momentum quicker as you can use more of them while flying from the knockback.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

The uair itself doesn't do anything to your momentum. Inputting an aerial allows you to control your character more because that is the way the game was designed (You can move while using an aerial). THe only reason it is better to use faster moves when flying horizontally is so that you can jump/use a momentum braking move such as G&W's bucket, DK's up-b, or Pikachu's skull bash. For vertical ****, it really doesn't matter unless you have vertical brake moves (Yoshi egg, and the first two from the other list).

 

[Alphicans]

What he said. I usually just mash dair so I don't have to think about fast falling.. I just do it.

EDIT: Sometimes I mess around with bair and it at least appears to help with DI. Someone should really look into this lol.