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

[Sobia6464]

How often does dair prove efficient in edge guarding? It may just be me, but I tend to SD when I dair of the stage. But T-jolt and nair for edge guarding... never thought of that. I just need some combos to practice. That's perfect thank you

 

[M15t3R E]

How often does dair prove efficient in edge guarding? It may just be me, but I tend to SD when I dair of the stage. But T-jolt and nair for edge guarding... never thought of that. I just need some combos to practice. That's perfect thank you

You won't SD if you perform dair as you are ascending with your double jump. I usually opt for nair as it's quicker. Sometimes I'll use dair to descend if I am recovering back to the edge because simply FF'ing towards the edge is less exciting to me.

 

[Sobia6464]

Save the dair for the ascent... this is making insanely good sense to me. Thank you

 

[M15t3R E]

Save the dair for the ascent... this is making insanely good sense to me. Thank you

It is the same as using double jump > thunder while off-stage for edgeguarding- another fun edgeguarding tool. Just don't abuse it. Pikachu has so many reliable combos, many of which are good at lower, mid, or higher percentages.

 

[Sobia6464]

I'm actually worse at combos at high percentages mainly because the knock back gets so high it gets difficult to aim.

 

[M15t3R E]

I'm actually worse at combos at high percentages mainly because the knock back gets so high it gets difficult to aim.

At high percents, there won't be as many combos but there should be more reading and more tech chasing.

 

[Sobia6464]

I love T-jolts and I use them all the time. But once it gets into the higher percentages I never force the kill, but certain combos and stuff don't work at that point. The most difficult part of the fight for me is, ironically, once they get into the higher percentages. Any advice?

 

[FourStar]

does anyone here use bair at all? cuz i don't find a use for it in anything

 

[M15t3R E]

I love T-jolts and I use them all the time. But once it gets into the higher percentages I never force the kill, but certain combos and stuff don't work at that point. The most difficult part of the fight for me is, ironically, once they get into the higher percentages. Any advice?

I know what you mean. I typically get the kill from punishing something the opponent did. I find this easiest if I stay close to the opponent as much as possible. When the opponent is at kill %, don't force the kill per se, but stay close and wait for your opportunity. If you're like me, your 6th sense should kick in and tell you when to pounce. Do you typically have a hard time punishing opponents?

does anyone here use bair at all? cuz i don't find a use for it in anything

I used to think it was a crap aerial, and I still think it is far inferior to the 64 Pika back kick, but it is a lot safer than what I believed it to be years ago. Especially if used in the air, you are unlikely to get punished for it. When to use it is simple- when u-tilt/u-air are not easy options but the opponent is still behind you.

 

[Sobia6464]

I know what you mean. I typically get the kill from punishing something the opponent did. I find this easiest if I stay close to the opponent as much as possible. When the opponent is at kill %, don't force the kill per se, but stay close and wait for your opportunity. If you're like me, your 6th sense should kick in and tell you when to pounce. Do you typically have a hard time punishing opponents?

I actually play rather aggressively, even in the higher percents. I love keeping the pressure up. I don't have a problem punishing opponents, but I'm usually the aggressor.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

I use bair a lot. It is a long lasting hitbox (essentially) that stretches pikachu's hitbox/hurtbox horizontally so it covers more ground than dair and also comes out much faster.

For dair edgeguarding, just learn the spacing on the stages where you won't die. I've definitely jumped off stage and FF daired somebody and not died. Just learn how far down you go~

At high %s, grab becomes an amazing option. At high %s people want to shield more since they don't want to get hit and die, so just grab them out of it. Once you start doing that, people tend to shield a little less or will choose a shield option (such as sidestep/roll) and then you start another reading game.

So yeah, FH T-jolts or ground T-jolts are the best IMO. SH t-jolts I pretty much only use when I mess up a FH T-jolt. In most circumstances, special moves (B moves) have the same animation on the ground and in the air, which is why the are ground independent and the same thing happens in both animations, and it's why you can't land and do something immediately (thunder would be SUPER OP)

As for favorite combo, I like CGing a MK, dash nair for the follow-up and then punishing their DI up/in with another uair nair. it's like a 16-70 combo.

 

[M15t3R E]

I actually play rather aggressively, even in the higher percents. I love keeping the pressure up. I don't have a problem punishing opponents, but I'm usually the aggressor.

Good, as long as you aren't getting punished for being too aggressive. At kill %'s, punish the opponent with one of your kill moves (namely nair, but thunder when applicable).

 

[FourStar]

I use bair a lot. It is a long lasting hitbox (essentially) that stretches pikachu's hitbox/hurtbox horizontally so it covers more ground than dair and also comes out much faster.

but isn't it punished very easily too? that's my main concern with it. like i love how it hits multiple times but it can get punished if it misses or if the players reacts well. you know what i mean?

 

[Angiance]

B-Air, one of Chu's best moves; uses: Platform pressure, OoS defense (foe is behind Chu), recovery mix-up (Chu's back towards stage)

B-Air never misses ;3

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

In a Q/A thread...please don't post things that are blatantly not true, regardless of how cute you want to sound...

You should never really be using bair OOS since uair is almost always a better option. Off-stage it's also bad since people can just hit you for it unless they went SUPER HARD on the edgeguard and got hit by it.

@4star technically almost every move every character has is punishable. There are times in Brawl where you just don't throw moves out. If you aren't going to use in in the certain situations you find that works for it...don't use it. Bair is one of those moves that you should only throw out if you KNOW it's gonna hit (or you are trying to abuse the fact that when you land on the ground with it you are ****ING TINY LIKE HOLY **** MVD WIFFED A GRAB ON ME BECAUSE I BAIRED INTO THE GROUND).

 

[Angiance]

The opponent hits Chu's shield from behind > OoS B-Air...isn't a good option? B-Air OoS is easier to land compared to U-Air OoS; although B-Air won't setup into anything, at least the opponent is off of Chu's tail.

The B-Air mix-up is like: go a little offstage, air-jump B-Air back onstage

D-Air offstage = No

Main edge-Guarding tools: T-Jolt, F-Air, U-Air

 

[HoldeN HoT FiyA]

The opponent hits Chu's shield from behind > OoS B-Air...isn't a good option? B-Air OoS is easier to land compared to U-Air OoS; although B-Air won't setup into anything, at least the opponent is off of Chu's tail.

The B-Air mix-up is like: go a little offstage, air-jump B-Air back onstage

D-Air offstage = No

Main edge-Guarding tools: T-Jolt, F-Air, U-Air

Noooo b-air OoS should be a mixup at best, if your opponent just hit your shield from behind then you should have no problem hitting with u-air.

You can't just rule out d-air offstage and not have a reason. It can surprise a lot of people who aren't expecting it and at high percents potentially kill. Its also a good way to knock Snake out of his cipher.

If you only use jolt, f-air, and u-air to edge guard you're gonna be the easiest pikachu to get back on stage against. You didn't even list the move that sets up a vertical wall that makes your opponent wait to get back to the ledge putting them in a worse situation thus allowing them to have less options and become more predictable. You also didn't say n-air, which is our best killing option off stage especially since your so close to the blast zones

 

[Angiance]

Ground-jolts work on an opponent recovering from below the ledge; Air-Jolts can make the opponent air-jump or go lower

F-Air sets up for U-Air or N-Air

U-Air sets up for N-Air

D-Air offstage can work, but it doesn't flow as well as the other aerials

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Dair offstage is amazing, dafuq you talking about. It is a strong constant hitbox and Pikachu's recovery is good enough to make it back with ease.

The only time I'll use bair instead of uair for an OOS punish when they are behind me is at super super super low %s (talking about between 0-10) because uair is minus on hit. Either way i would probably just uair and pull back and start some pressure.

Air jolts are really situational for edgeguarding and it's like...in front of the ledge but farther our or SUPER low. Sure, they are good when they hit, but thunder is still the best edgeguarding move Pikachu has overall. They have to wait or get hit by it unless they are wario/yoshi and they can just airdodge through it. Sure, it isn't always the best option, but it is almost always better than T-jolt or anything other than jumping up and trying to force an airdodge. The move is broken. THe fact that it can combo into itself as well is super nice...

Fair is pretty terrible for edgeguarding. If not everything hits they are above you and plus so they can jump towards the stage for free and if all the hits connect they are just above you assuming they know how to DI. Uair, nair, and dair are all better options.

 

[HoldeN HoT FiyA]

In what world does f-air set up into n-air or u-air? Lol

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

h0w d00 i QAC??!!!!!11!oneone!!

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

What I like to do (as a mixup) is jump down and follow them back up with a Bair. Only if you get a ledgejump read though. Usualy you can mindgame them into going right in to thunder. Reversal thunder going right down the ledge is also good.

Holden, I ran off>Naired you like twice at smashcon when you just sat on the ledge and lost your invincibility frames...#edgegaurd?

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

I almost know what you are saying...if you are saying like fall down with them and DJ bair afterwards...they can just hit you. Either way, DJ dair would be better since it is constantly strong.

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

Yeah that's it. But I stated that it only works if you read that they're going to ledge jump (Jump button while on the ledge. not fall Fall>Aerial shenanigans), jump down once they're on the ledge and follow them back up with a Bair when they ledge jump. Like I said, it's just another option and would ONLY advise it if you know they're going to ledge jump. I only suggested it because I can consistently get it with a guy that I play with that only uses getupattack and ledge jump for recovery. I dair offstage a lot, but it's kind of a leap of faith for me because it just makes me feel so uncomfortable hanging off the ledge with your hurtbox easily accessible from the top or side. It DOES efff Snake up though.

Hey ESAM something happened to me at a tournament I just came back from. I'll see if I can get a video of it, but what [had] happened was: Thunder connected with this guy's Marth on the edge of a BF platform and he got hit by like every hitbox of thunder taking NO hitlag just hitstun and then after the last hitbox he took the hitlag...what the heck happened? It's like he was caught in a multihit move.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

I mean, you could also just dair in the situation you described. literally no reason not to.

THe end of thunder has a lot of concurrent hitboxes near the base so if you are stuck in it you kinda eat a ****.

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

Just saying it's another option; a mixup. So, I really should just trust in the Dair? It just makes me seem so vulnerable putting myself out there with only a hitbox under me.

Thanks for the info. How many times have you gotten that in tournament?

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

The hitbox is your entire body elongated vertically as opposed to horizontally. There is one hitbox as opposed to many (read: SDIable), and dair at any point will do the same amount of damage that isn't decided based on hits.

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

I guess I'll start Dairing of stage more then lol

 

[Sobia6464]

I know the acronyms and such... but... You Dair to down-air off stage?... This is how I read it. Yes, I'm sorry.

On a related note: Dairing off-stage has been working marvelously.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Dair is just the move. If I dair offstage, I am offstage and dair (normally with a fastall)

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

advanced pika discussions right here folks, sigh. Let's talk G&W. ESAM sorry for missing the stream today.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

G&W is a bad character who has 2 moves that are scary and kill moves that are actually impossible to land assuming you don't air dodge into him

 

[M15t3R E]

advanced pika discussions right here folks, sigh. Let's talk G&W. ESAM sorry for missing the stream today.

^^
No, let's not write up an entire match-up with follow-up discussions in this thread. Do you have something particular to ask about the MU? Back in the day I wrote MU's for Pika vs. at least half the cast, mainly for other character boards.

 

[Angiance]

What do y'all think about using the front part of U-Air?

 

[HoldeN HoT FiyA]

Really?????

 

[Angiance]

Like, is the front hit of U-Air useful for anything, and should it be used often...

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

It's useful for a lot. Since it is later in the attack it can true combo into a few things. Hell, if you space it right you can do uair into U-smash at low %s. The hitbox is also really good when it comes to Pika on the edge. It drags them off and you can actually get an edgeguard because of it.

 

[M15t3R E]

It's useful for a lot. Since it is later in the attack it can true combo into a few things. Hell, if you space it right you can do uair into U-smash at low %s. The hitbox is also really good when it comes to Pika on the edge. It drags them off and you can actually get an edgeguard because of it.

That Melee Pika uair... ;-)

 

[TxB | Ramsaur]

^^
No, let's not write up an entire match-up with follow-up discussions in this thread. Do you have something particular to ask about the MU? Back in the day I wrote MU's for Pika vs. at least half the cast, mainly for other character boards.

Yeah I do, gracias for offering help. My friend who plays G&W constantly shuts me out. I can only get little Uairs and dtilts that I can't follow up. The biggest problem I have is gaining momentum. He constantly shuts me out, I can't gain any. I'm forced to approach because I can't use Tjolt. And when I do aproach I get pushed away when he hits me in shied, my moves get out prioritized by his insane smash moves , he forces me out in the air with Dair (That move is flawless), I can't put up any antiair because Dair has a ground hitbox that pokes becase it just devours Pika's tiny shield. His punishes are HUGE and he kills me at like 90% with Fsmash. I just can't get in.

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

There is no such thing as Priority. There are only disjoints, transcendent property, and damage differences. If move does 9% more than another move, it will win if they "clash." If it does less, they will tie (barring some moves like MK glide attack and ZSS nair).

****ing **** **** **** ******

Anywho...you don't need momentum in this game. Just one or two hits are fine. G&Ws moves are laggy. You can punish bair with dash attack (i think) or at least run in and start a guessing game (will he up-b, smash attack, shield option). Dair is far from flawless. You can punish it on the ground assuming you don't get shield poked (and you won't unless you've taken a few bairs). How are you getting killed by smashes at 90%? Are you doing something obvious to approach? Are you air dodging into him? G&W has to try so hard to get a kill, you shouldn't give them to him ever.