Q&A Pikachu Q&A Thread (Ask a Quick Question, Get a Quick Answer)

[ElectricBlade]

Hello! Im curious if Pika still counts as crouch cancelling while he crawls? Sorry if thats dumb ^^ heh

 

[A10theHero]

Does anyone have any tips on how to do a short hop dair without hitting the ground? I find that when trying to use the c-stick to do it, I can almost never get it, and when using down a, I can sometimes do it in place, but almost never out of a run. Is it just something that needs a ton of practice, or is there some kind of trick?

If you have tap jump on, it's really easy. Press up on the control stick and down on the c-stick simultaneously. You can do it without tap jump too, but you need to practice. Alternatively, if you have a button on the left side of the controller set to jump, then you can do what the tap jumpers do (press the button and down on the c-stick at the same time).

Hello! Im curious if Pika still counts as crouch cancelling while he crawls? Sorry if thats dumb ^^ heh

Yeah, as long as he's crouching, he's fine. But remember, you can't move while crouching--otherwise, you won't get the benefits of reduced knockback and freeze frames.

 

[draydawg2020]

Does anyone have any tips on how to do a short hop dair without hitting the ground? I find that when trying to use the c-stick to do it, I can almost never get it, and when using down a, I can sometimes do it in place, but almost never out of a run. Is it just something that needs a ton of practice, or is there some kind of trick?

my l button is set to jump. that is what helped me. but to do it all you have to do is dair immediately after the jump.

 

[isaiah :)]

Pikachu's U.Tilt and F.Tilt have high priority, let's just say that

I already told you this a while ago, but Pikachu's U.Tilt can even clash with Marth's F.Smash-you all underrate his tail attacks quite a bit; his tail attacks are the very thing that make
him a cute little top 3 fighter

i really have to agree with this, pika has amazing ability with u.Tilt and F.tilt.

 

[Dee-SmashinBoss]

The way clanking works is when two hitboxes meet and their damage is 8% within each other, they will clank. So an utilt, which does 5%, will clank with any ground move that does 13% or lower. Bowser Jr's fsmash does 1% on the first hit, so pretty much anything will clank with it. So I wouldn't say utilt has high "priority".

So it doesn't have priority over them? Good......he's already irritating to fight.
BTW idk if you knew this but Pika Usmash hits people on the ledge? Apparently it might.

 

[Angiance]

Well, a lot of hitboxes hit characters on the ledge

 

[Pikabunz]

So it doesn't have priority over them? Good......he's already irritating to fight.
BTW idk if you knew this but Pika Usmash hits people on the ledge? Apparently it might.

Move clank wise, no, utilt will never out prioritize another move.

Usmash can hit characters hanging on the ledge, but on most characters it has to be spaced perfectly. On some it won't hit at all. The same goes for utilt, fsmash, and dtilt.

 

[RunawayPanda]

Hello! Im curious if Pika still counts as crouch cancelling while he crawls? Sorry if thats dumb ^^ heh

nope that's only pm and melee
that would be really cool though

Unless you are asking if his hurtbox is the same as when he is just crouching in one spot and I believe they are about the same.

 

[isaiah :)]

nope that's only pm and melee
that would be really cool though

Unless you are asking if his hurtbox is the same as when he is just crouching in one spot and I believe they are about the same.

hurtbox?

 

[Kaladin]

hurtbox?

The area of Pika's body that can be damaged or grabbed.

 

[isaiah :)]

The area of Pika's body that can be damaged or grabbed.

sorry last time i looked up hurtbox it told me that it was a called a hitbox to so i had to actually look it up lol sorry

 

[Zapp Branniglenn]

I just realized through testing move properties that Pikachu's Skull Bash has a Smashed variant, similar to Samus' super missiles. Can anybody indulge me in telling me what changes with the move when smashed? The damage gets increased from 6 to 9%, I can see that. Is there a distance increase? Increased endlag? Do the custom side Bs have Smashed versions? Has Pikachu's Side B been this way in previous games?

 

[Kaladin]

I just realized through testing move properties that Pikachu's Skull Bash has a Smashed variant, similar to Samus' super missiles. Can anybody indulge me in telling me what changes with the move when smashed? The damage gets increased from 6 to 9%, I can see that. Is there a distance increase? Increased endlag? Do the custom side Bs have Smashed versions? Has Pikachu's Side B been this way in previous games?

It just starts off slightly charged. I learned that from the loading screens lol.

 

[phili]

Hey guys, so I have a tournament coming up this Sunday and customs will be on for this tournament. I haven't played around too much with Pikachu's customs, but I do know that I will be using heavy skull bash.

So my question is:

1) What are the most reliable ways that people have found to set up for HSB to net early kills?

2) What are the best set ups for a jab lock situation other than just fthrow and hope they don't tech? I figure that getting a jab lock
is a guaranteed way to land a slightly charged HSB.

If anyone has experience using customs with Pikachu and wants to lend extra advice, feel free to do so.

Side note: I won't be using meteor QA for the infinite because I think the advantages of regular QA far outweigh the slight chance of setting up the infinite with meteor QA

 

[Kaladin]

Hey guys, so I have a tournament coming up this Sunday and customs will be on for this tournament. I haven't played around too much with Pikachu's customs, but I do know that I will be using heavy skull bash.

So my question is:

1) What are the most reliable ways that people have found to set up for HSB to net early kills?

2) What are the best set ups for a jab lock situation other than just fthrow and hope they don't tech? I figure that getting a jab lock
is a guaranteed way to land a slightly charged HSB.

If anyone has experience using customs with Pikachu and wants to lend extra advice, feel free to do so.

Side note: I won't be using meteor QA for the infinite because I think the advantages of regular QA far outweigh the slight chance of setting up the infinite with meteor QA

Jablock setups are late nair, (non tripping) dtilt, and dair. Oh, and footstool if you see an opportunity. Can't help you with customs. I just watch a lot of competative smash and play for glory, so little firsthand experience with them.

 

[Megamang]

I like to use HSB to punish landings, bad rolls inwards, and to sometimes trade with an approach. Use it like a smash attack tbh, its very very much stronger near the beginning so you need to be fairly close for it to be stronger than your smashes... That said, when you are close it is very much stronger than your smashes, lol.


You can begin charging it in the air, sometimes I like to SH at my opponent -> he shields since I usually do an aerial in this situation -> I just start charging HSB right in front of him -> try and release when he goes for the grab/roll/spotdodge. Obviously this doesn't work as well on characters which have good OOS options.


Another good one, similar to that, is to jump at a falling opponent -> FF land -> punish them airdodging your aerial.

 

[draydawg2020]

Hey everyone, what are pikachus worst matchups. As a pika main I am dissapointed I never looked into this topic

 

[Pikabunz]

I personally hate playing against the Mario brothers. They both combo Pikachu really well and they play annoyingly safe. The match-up is really boring too, because you're mostly trying to space while avoiding fireballs. It's so hard to punish anything they do since their smashes and aerials have so little lag.

 

[phili]

I 100% agree with @ Pikabunz on this. I think Luigi is a harder because he has more kill setups, but mario is nearly as bad. On the plus side, get either of them offstage and well..... lol

 

[Angiance]

Against Mario's Fire Ballz you can...

P.Shield and advance

Falling F.Air through the fire ball as he shoots it so that you kill the fireball and hit Mario

sh D.Air through the fireball and hit Mario

Quick Attack through the fireball and hit Mario

It's really not that bad

 

[ZeusGodOfThunder]

I personally hate playing against the Mario brothers. They both combo Pikachu really well and they play annoyingly safe. The match-up is really boring too, because you're mostly trying to space while avoiding fireballs. It's so hard to punish anything they do since their smashes and aerials have so little lag.

Oh thank God, I thought I was the only one who struggled with Mario Bros, I hope they burn themselves in their fireballs.

 

[Thor]

Mario bros (mainly Mario) are a little tricky for me. I don't mind just going Sheik and saying I have needles and a forward tilt.

Also, @ Pikabunz , you gave me some living calucations that indicated bair when I know how I'll be launched [ex Sonic bthrow], or dair [c-sticked] when I don't is the best way to live [ex Luigi bthrow dair or nothing is best]... and you mentioned DI as an option...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnqgfP7vrTs

Does this change anything? If you don't feel like re-testing, then don't, but did you use horizontal vectoring or actually trying to DI it. Also do you know offhand if just double jumping ASAP is worse/better or not [I don't mind recovering sans double jump if it lets me live that few percent longer].

Also if ESAM doesn't know this someone should make him aware this exists, either so he can adapt or tell me why this video is wrong.

 

[Pikabunz]

I did those tests with DI. I think I said it in my post.

 

[Zajice]

Why does Quick Attack absolutely dumbfound everyone on For Glory?

 

[Angiance]

@ Zajice
Because For Glory is played by novice players for the most part

 

[Soul.]

Quick Attack either amazes or makes people want to leave an FG room because the move is good. That, or FG is full of new players as said above.

 

[CURRY]

How many frames of vulnerability are there after a forced getup (after a lock)?
If someone just happens to know the frame data for forced getup animation for Brawl, that would be nice too.

 

[Kaladin]

So, guys, I need help upping my edgeguard game.

My problem isn't knowing what to do, rather is lies in reads/reaction. I've let little macs get back to the ledge because they went low when I was expecting a jump or vice versa. A lot of times I go for a gimp and just... Miss. I know it's a large question, but any help would be appriciated. Also, generally speaking, does pika wan to force someone to go high or low?

 

[Angiance]

@ Kaladin
Well, when it comes to offstage play, it's all about air control and frame traps

F.Air is amazing for it since it has an insane hit radius in general

U.Air is also amazing because hits ~everywhere~ and creates petrifying frame traps

N.Air is AMAZING because it lingers and creates frame traps easily if you aim for the late frames. N.Air covers a ridiculous vertical area, and we can combo the late hit of N.Air into like anything

D.Air covers an opponent coming from low below the ledge since it lingers

 

[Dark 3nergy]

I don't find the Mario Bros. too tricky to fight. But I certainly can see where they can cause problems. With the Luigis and Mario's I have fought, I find myself winning situations where I can keep pressure on the Bro to keep'em comin' ta me! FH thunder jolting keeps Pika away from the Fireballs and can hit the plumbers head if hes already in cool down from the fireball. Coupled with plenty of Pshields to mix up the FH Tjolt means the plumber won't be able to get through to Pikachu easily. Obviously, the MU isn't as simple as that but if find my pressure approach seems to be working well to open up Mario/Luigi for me.

Question: What kill set ups do we typically go for now a days? I need to get in the lab and throw around some science to get kills when I need'em.

 

[M15t3R E]

I don't find the Mario Bros. too tricky to fight. But I certainly can see where they can cause problems. With the Luigis and Mario's I have fought, I find myself winning situations where I can keep pressure on the Bro to keep'em comin' ta me! FH thunder jolting keeps Pika away from the Fireballs and can hit the plumbers head if hes already in cool down from the fireball. Coupled with plenty of Pshields to mix up the FH Tjolt means the plumber won't be able to get through to Pikachu easily. Obviously, the MU isn't as simple as that but if find my pressure approach seems to be working well to open up Mario/Luigi for me.

Question: What kill set ups do we typically go for now a days? I need to get in the lab and throw around some science to get kills when I need'em.

A popular way to kill with Pikachu is punishing lag or a bad landing with f-smash, especially a pivoted f-smash. Sometimes u-smash in similar situations. Off-stage, nair is your kill move of choice. I also find success in ledge-guarding with thunder.

 

[Kaladin]

So, I was in the lab and trying to figure out some sort of kill setup with Pika's jab outside of locking, and I was wondering if this was known. You know those gimps we can get by just sitting at the ledge and holding A (It makes so many people ragequit lol)? Well, if you knock them off with jab, wait a split second, and charge and Fsmash you have a gaurenteed kill on a lot of characters. If they jump, they get Fmashed off stage, so they're dead from 40%. If they drop down, the
Fmash can still catch the floaties. Now, if it's not a floaty, once they drop down, if they have subpar recovery (say, Ganon) they are forced to jump or up B into your now charged Fmash. If they're an annoying character that can screw around down there for a while, you now have them in a walkoff bair situation, which as detailed in anothet excellent thread is a kill confirm with the fastfall footstool thing.

Is this new?

 

[Angiance]

Well, that's just a mindgame. A good player will aim for the ledge once they're knocked off, or place a hitbox from below the ledge

 

[Kaladin]

Well, that's just a mindgame. A good player will aim for the ledge once they're knocked off, or place a hitbox from below the ledge

I didn't think about getting a hitbox out, however from what I can tell (and it's not like I tested this extensively) fmash will come out and hit them before they can get to the ledge.

 

[Angiance]

F.Smash does not hit low enough, and it's easy to counter anyways

 

[M15t3R E]

You can always throw out a thunder to meet them as they approach the ledge. But make sure you know they are about to go for the ledge.

 

[Dark 3nergy]

A popular way to kill with Pikachu is punishing lag or a bad landing with f-smash, especially a pivoted f-smash. Sometimes u-smash in similar situations. Off-stage, nair is your kill move of choice. I also find success in ledge-guarding with thunder.

What you mentioned is pretty much what I have been doing. Hhmmm..we couldnt do anything with an aerial into a smash attack? I secretly wish fair and usmash comboed. I mean the only techniology i got going for me is qa2 into nair as a possible kill option.

 

[Angiance]

No, no smash attacks-but feel free to do Falling F.Air into F.Tilt

 

[Pikabunz]

Fair to dash attack combos, but you can't buffer into dash attack from fair so your timing has to be perfect.

 

[Cassio]

If you fast fall fair when you land a hit the timing is more lenient for whatever reason.

If you don't get the spike hit of fair, it does combo into usmash about 60% of the time but it's not reliable. It's kind of ok though because you can tell beforehand if it'll combo.

The problem is you rarely hit a good opponent in the ground with fair because it's mediocre.