Pikachu's Neutral Game

[Wishes And Sunshine]

That's pretty much it. Can someone tell me about it?

 

[Emuchu]

A pretty similar thread to this one was opened not-too-long ago, so lemme just forward you there:

http://smashboards.com/threads/approaches-with-pikachu.411185/#post-19731992

Also read the primer that ESAM wrote:

http://thesmashhub.com/written-guide-pikachu-a-primer-by-esam/

Otherwise, quick questions like this should go to the stickied question and answer thread:

http://smashboards.com/threads/pika...t-a-quick-answer.368773/page-35#post-20042431

So you should probably head over there once you're done reading the other stuff. Peeps don't really like answering these super-open-ended questions, a) 'cause these questions are common and they've probably answered them before, and b) 'cause it takes a long time to properly answer something as broad as "how do I play the Pika neutral?" It would be super-cool of you to narrow the question down for us into something more specific, such as "how can I avoid getting shield-grabbed on a SH Fair FF" or "how do I deal with For Glory Little Macs," each of which I could probably pound out a whole paragraph for.

 

[Uncle Honey]

Beginner mode neutral: try to land a grab, fair, or utilt for damage racking. Once your opponent is at 180%, pause the game, come back here, and join us as we strategize your kill options.

 

[Wishes And Sunshine]

A pretty similar thread to this one was opened not-too-long ago, so lemme just forward you there:

http://smashboards.com/threads/approaches-with-pikachu.411185/#post-19731992

Also read the primer that ESAM wrote:

http://thesmashhub.com/written-guide-pikachu-a-primer-by-esam/

Otherwise, quick questions like this should go to the stickied question and answer thread:

http://smashboards.com/threads/pika...t-a-quick-answer.368773/page-35#post-20042431

So you should probably head over there once you're done reading the other stuff. Peeps don't really like answering these super-open-ended questions, a) 'cause these questions are common and they've probably answered them before, and b) 'cause it takes a long time to properly answer something as broad as "how do I play the Pika neutral?" It would be super-cool of you to narrow the question down for us into something more specific, such as "how can I avoid getting shield-grabbed on a SH Fair FF" or "how do I deal with For Glory Little Macs," each of which I could probably pound out a whole paragraph for.

Then I'll ask more specific questions. Thanks a ton for your links and your instructions; they do so much to guide lost travellers without compasses like me. I actually DO have a ton of trouble with Meta Knight and his Shuttle Loop, but that's a question for another thread, isn't it?

Beginner mode neutral: try to land a grab, fair, or utilt for damage racking. Once your opponent is at 180%, pause the game, come back here, and join us as we strategize your kill options.

180%!?!? I'm getting kills at 110% with Usmashes (not consistently, but still) and I certainly kill before 180%.
.... Though your post reeked of sarcasm...

 

[Coro_]

180%!?!? I'm getting kills at 110% with Usmashes (not consistently, but still) and I certainly kill before 180%.
.... Though your post reeked of sarcasm...

Nah, that was just a jab at Pikachu's infamous alleged killing problems =w=;
I've actually had enemies potentially live up to 200% before dying, when they play exceptionally safe and take random bits of damage from loose hits before I get the kill =w=;

 

[Emuchu]

180%!?!? I'm getting kills at 110% with Usmashes (not consistently, but still) and I certainly kill before 180%.
.... Though your post reeked of sarcasm...

It's more like... if you're playing a skilled, defensive player using a character with good frame data, then how are you going to land that Usmash (good speed, but poor range with a tiny sweet spot) or Fsmash (big, huge damage, but not fast enough to punish most tilts and on-shield aerials) if they're not leaving themselves open? Pika lacks a killing Tilt, killing Aerials, and killing Throws, so aside from hard-read smashes, pivot shenanigans, and creative gimping, his kill options are unusually limited for a character of his tier. Not being able to kill effectively is a legitimate issue for players who are learning to use Pikachu.

 

[FUEGO!]

"how can I avoid getting shield-grabbed on a SH Fair FF" or "how do I deal with For Glory Little Macs," each of which I could probably pound out a whole paragraph for.

I would LOVE to hear both of these explanations, but perhaps how to deal with Little Mac in general.

Then I'll ask more specific questions. Thanks a ton for your links and your instructions; they do so much to guide lost travellers without compasses like me. I actually DO have a ton of trouble with Meta Knight and his Shuttle Loop, but that's a question for another thread, isn't it?

Quick note about MK: at high percents when he is fishing for the grab to down throw to Shuttle loop, just remember after the down throw to DI away from MK. Found this while playing a local MK today who couldn't land a single shuttle loop on me after discovering this DI.

 

[iVoltage]

Idk if anyone else does this but I tend to use fsmash. Alot.. It's kinda a bad habit but it just catches people, punishes trips from dtilt that are too far to grab, catches landings, edgeguarding.. At the same time I lose a kill option alot of the time. In some situations dsmash can most likely be a substitute. Thoughts?

 

[Angiance]

For the neutral you just want to space with F.Air and use N.Air to cover your run-in...that's about it, really.

Oh, and U.Tilt is a pretty good attack to zone with.

 

[Wishes And Sunshine]

Huh, I never quite understood what I'm supposed to do with the fair.

 

[Emuchu]

Huh, I never quite understood what I'm supposed to do with the fair.

Fair is an aerial with good reach (for Pikachu), a disjointed hitbox (you can't hit the lightning and harm Pikachu), that lasts a long time and can be fast-falled to combo into a grab, Utilt, or even Usmash / Fsmash at high percentages. It's super-punishable if you land with it into a shield, so you basically run around jumping with FH Fair and SH Fair AC with the goal of catching your opponent in a SH Fair FF that combos into a Fthrow and then Fair into Fair into Fair into Fair...

Basically, Fair FF is Pikachu's most rewarding neutral tool to land, and leads into everything else Pika has to offer. You can kind of simplify the Pikachu matchup into, "Pikachu is trying to land Fair FF, and his opponent is trying to punish Fair FF," which isn't too far off from what Pika players really want to do, besides QA shenanigans. Fair doesn't have a sweet spot or anything, so you want to space it such that you land out of OoS Grab range, which occasionally translates into a big Fsmash punish if you call them out on it. It's also a wonderful off-stage gimping weapon--it's hardly Pika's only normal, but it's definitely the one your opponent is trying to play around.

 

[Wishes And Sunshine]

.... I've never used it at all.