Pikachu's Mindgames

[M15t3R E]

So you know how to use Pikachu's moveset in Smash 4, but do you know how to employ Pikachu's miriad of mindgames?
I will list examples of mindgames with the yellow mouse so that you can wield the power of Thor and the wisdom of Odin.
I'll be as articulate as I can be. Please add to this list:

Thunder: (1) Off-stage, this move can be used as a guaranteed win-win situation and it is completely safe. Throw out a thunder wall as your opponent is recovering to the stage above it. They will most likely wait out the thunder. As they do, they sacrifice their option to recover as high while moving to a range in which you can jump up and catch them. Or, if thunder hits them, that works too.
(2) Another use for thunder is when you are on the ledge and the opponent is near the edge waiting for you to make your way back on-stage. Jump underneath the stage and thunder. The upper part of the bolt near the cloud will pass through platforms and stages and break your fall as normal.

Quick Attack: (1) As this can be used for zoning, defensive play, and for offensive play it is naturally a great mix-up. Every now and then be sure to QA into the opponent which can begin a combo or enable you to claim stage control. Sometimes before QA'ing through them I like to QA a couple times a safe distance from the opponent, taunting them in a sense. Then when I QA through them they don't see it coming.
(2) It is good to mix-up the way you recover. Don't just use skull bash or recover low with a quick attack all the time. I like to make the opponent think I am going to recover low and then recover on-stage with Quick Attack, or vice-versa.
(3) You may be surprised at this one but I have had success in using QA and landing a small distance away from my opponent, watching them rush in only to run right into my down smash.

Thunder jolt: The classic mindgame, at least for me. Including my years playing Brawl Pikachu, I cannot tell you how many times I have mixed up my gameplay from aggressive to campy using these blue balls of death, then aggressive again as I travel alongside the t-jolt and grab them as they shield it.
Skull bash: Yes, skull bash. Instead of just predictably recovering to the edge with skull bash, observe if your opponent is hanging on top of the ledge while waiting for your return. If so, skull bash into the upper part of the ledge, and if your opponent is too close you'll hit them and proceed to safely grab the edge.

Dair: Hang on top of the ledge just outside of the opponent's ledge attack range. When they get up, move a step back and use a SH dair (even if it's not a ledge attack).

Jab: Yep, jab. If you find yourself locked in a spotdodge staredown, instead of continuing to spotdodge each other's grabs and whatnot, throw out some jabs. This will hit the opponent after the spotdodge invincibility frames end.

Grab: Zoning and waiting for your opponent to give you an opening is typically super effective against any type of opponent. Rush in with a quick grab or pivot grab at the right moment. Mix up these approaches with aerials as well and throw out empty aerials at a safe distance to make your opponent wonder whether you are trying to be aggressive or defensive.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Please add to this list. Let's all make each other the very best like no one ever was!

 

[Smashfan61]

As a Pikachu main this excites me. I might try this sometime. Gotta love that Thunder Jolt. : D

 

[Passion]

What about including the Bair? It's kinda roflcopter-annoying I assume for opponents to eat it a couple times in a row XD?

 

[Pixel_]

Well, there's these things which I think could work, but I haven't really tested them enough to know if they're actually effective.

More on thunder jolt, you can run alongside it and either dash attack or dash grab once they shield/spot dodge it.

I'd also think that getting into the position where you'd normally thunder jolt then quick attacking instead would be good against reflecting/absorbing characters.

Finally, to get to the ground, I sometimes use skull bash to go left and right, only to use quick attack and end up in a completely different place.

But, of course, as I've said, these are just things I'm experimenting with and I've only really used it in For Glory.

 

[Passion]

Well, there's these things which I think could work, but I haven't really tested them enough to know if they're actually effective.

More on thunder jolt, you can run alongside it and either dash attack or dash grab once they shield/spot dodge it.

I'd also think that getting into the position where you'd normally thunder jolt then quick attacking instead would be good against reflecting/absorbing characters.

Finally, to get to the ground, I sometimes use skull bash to go left and right, only to use quick attack and end up in a completely different place.

But, of course, as I've said, these are just things I'm experimenting with and I've only really used it in For Glory.

Oh on running along with Jolt reminded me: A nifty safeguard while getting back on stage was spamming Jolts while incoming towards stages that had no bottom so while you come in and the camera zooms in, the jolts would unexpectedly come from behind you and force the opponent to gtfo, shield or eat it. I think 2 jolts incoming out of nowhere is max, and their spacing is fairly close to eachother.

 

[Kaladin]

Here's a good mixup/mindgame to help you get grabs- this works 1-4 times per match for me, usually. Run at them, then while you're still a fair distance away, fullhop, quickattack and land behind them, turnaround grab. Particularly effective if you've conditioned them to try and shieldgrab your falling ariel of choice.

 

[Silleby]

About Quick Attack, we even have the Ledgecancels which get in quite the handy on stages like battlefield or Lylat

 

[Adam Sanders]

If you think that your opponent is starting to play defensively you can use an auto cancelled down air just outside of their range to either bait out an aggressive response or if they don't pick an attacking option then you can go in for a grab if they decide to stay in shield. If they did pick an out of shield attacking option you should be at the right distance to be able to shield safely and punish their attack.

It mainly works because people either think that they have time to punish the down air or the down air applies enough pressure for the opponent to pick defensive options. But you do have to be able to read your opponent to know which decision would be the best one after you have done the down air.

 

[OneManJam]

When playing aggressive, I like to use throws to set up for edge guards and when then inevitability get to the ledge or are trying to recover over the ledge, I like to run off and use a double jump back air into their airdodge on ledge. If they don't air dodge, they get hit and if they do, they're stuck in air dodge frames until it runs out and bair hits.

On another note, using ledge denials with thunder jolts is incredibly helpful.

Finally, my last mind game I like to use in thunder. If I predict my opponent is on the offensive and tries to get me to shield an ariel hit, I like to down b for two reasons, if i'm hit they take the thunder damage or if they whiff, I get the strong thunder hitbox which is very powerful. This is also a great punish on rolls if you read a roll behind.

 

[OneManJam]

Oh! And you can get some good punishes on mix ups with dtilt at around 80 and fthrow from 7℅ and up on most characters as these moves mostly make you tech the floor. These moves also send your opponent at a very weird angle that is very horizontal which makes it hard to tech and pikachu can be right next to them within seconds due to his speed. If you miss the tech, that is a free jab lock but if you can read a roll, free grab or smash attack. If you read the get up, sh dair or sh fair to up smash. However, mix it up, don't always go for the jab lock cause techs are things. Random is key.

Looking back, this probably is more advice than mind games but I already typed it all up sooooooooo

 

[Adam Sanders]

Even if they do tech away from the jab lock the reward is so high if you hit the lock that it doesn't matter too much if you miss the opponents tech away and are not able to punish it. If you don't get the tech chase punish you are still most likely going to be in a more advantageous position than the opponent anyway like you said.

 

[young grasshopper]

would it be a good strategy to use thunder wave (custom neutral 2) and not use it most of the match, then stun them at kill percents in order to land a smash attack. I know it would be tricky playing most of the match without one of pika's best tools, but it would help in getting the kill, which pikachu, although having good power, has a few problems with

 

[Emuchu]

would it be a good strategy to use thunder wave (custom neutral 2) and not use it most of the match, then stun them at kill percents in order to land a smash attack. I know it would be tricky playing most of the match without one of pika's best tools, but it would help in getting the kill, which pikachu, although having good power, has a few problems with

I sort of question this strategy. Although the surprise factor would indeed help you land the killing TWave in that clutch moment, it's so slow that it'll likely still be difficult to land it, and if you do land it, they'll start looking for it at killing percents. I think TWave has more value being a constantly present threat, allowing you to approach in more varied ways since you're threatening that any errant TWave connecting will close the stock.

 

[young grasshopper]

I sort of question this strategy. Although the surprise factor would indeed help you land the killing TWave in that clutch moment, it's so slow that it'll likely still be difficult to land it, and if you do land it, they'll start looking for it at killing percents. I think TWave has more value being a constantly present threat, allowing you to approach in more varied ways since you're threatening that any errant TWave connecting will close the stock.

ah, thanks. I'm still fairly new to Pika, and don't know much about what options are most viable.

 

[Gibbs]

If pika plays the neutral without t-jolt or t-wave, we are giving up one of pika's only way to exert stage control. Granted, we can kinda ignore a lot of the stage control game with QA, but we need that style mix-up to stay optimal.