R.O.B. Matchup Analysis #13 - Pikachu

[GwJ]

We are converting format from 1 matchup a week to 3 in order to get these done in a timely fashion. Please refer to the main thread if you have any questions or are confused.

http://smashboards.com/threads/r-o-b-matchup-thread-suggest-future-matchup-discussions.382714/

 

[PUK]

Pikachu, pikachu, pikachu, pik pik, pikachu, pikachu, up airx100, i land close to the ground so you can't grab and if i send you offstage i can edgeguard by spamming B.
Against pikachu try to build damage with laser/gyro/jab/Dtilt, stay in the center stage, and try to get your kill with a hard read. Recover high (beware of the clouds though). Always think to DI when he get a geab.
It's maybe in the top 5 worst ROB MU, easily 7-3, our saving grace being the weight difference

 

[Crome]

I don't know too much about the MU. I do have a video, if anyone cares to see it.

Tournament was uploaded in parts, My match v pikachu got cut in half. Last 5 or so if this video - https://youtu.be/mhf-9Ps47bI?t=2031 First 3 min of this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XySI4WNDruc

 

[T0MMY]

I've been playing a lot of Pika the last couple months and all I can say is I feel like the matchup is very much in Pikachu's favor due to his general speed, overall damage building out of leads (plenty of follow-ups, strings, and combos), his small form aids in evasion of projectiles, and he has plenty of options to lead into KO's at respectable levels of damage (as well as has plenty of options against R.O.B.'s Stage Recovery).
All of this can be examined in detail, but at the start of this analysis I can already predict a rather strong advantage for Pikachu unless more can be found for R.O.B. to counter these strengths or something more than hoo-ha's then it'll stay a difficult matchup.

 

[Trisongs]

I hate to be rude but would it be possible to just merge each character discussion into one forum post. I like the idea of discussing my favorite character is against other characters but I am not sure if the 40+ characters posts would be to much. With that said I do like these posts but I think 3 a week might be a little much.

 

[Sacredden]

I personally only fought one Pikachu lately. My biggest problem was the up special and being bullied by multiple uptilts into aerials. I would not suggest Gyro as a main option because it became a back and forth game of I throw the gyro, Pikachu catching the gyro, and now its teleportation volleyball.

Oddly my nair caught him a lot, but landing them was a a pain.

ROB downfall against Pikachu in my opinions is his approach options.

 

[oldkingcroz]

So I played a good Pikachu today. He is incredibly annoying to fight. ROB has a lot of tools to combat some of his losing matchups like Captain Falcon, Fox, and Zero Suit. He can spike relatively easy, and can at least harass offstage with gyro, nair, or fair. Gyro is decent and catches landings. He can juggle them. Against Pikachu all of ROB's perks are completely thrown out the window. I'd say it's one of his worst matchups (along with Villager and Sheik).

Pikachu offstage is just menace. Air combos are staple to this matchup, and ROB doesn't have any quick airs, besides fair, that get him out when he's in trouble. Thunder is surprisingly effective against ROB's slow up-special, seeing thay he is stopped right in his tracks. You either hit the thunder, or waste gas while the thunder dissipates. It's rather tedious. Is there any way around thunder, besides playing the waiting game, that ROB can do?

Pikachu's projectiles trade with ROB's lasers, which is nice. Floored gyro does stop jolts, but it usually not enough to stop Pikachu from advancing. Fast fall nair does work relatively well, if you space it to not hit the advancing jolts/ the jolt Pikachu is admitting. Projectile battles are pretty even, but ROB get's cornered to the ledge very easily in these projectile battles.

ROB doesn't really have anything to beat Pikachu's quick attack, though. Shield or down smash trade are his only real options, because his tilts/smash attacks are both difficult to time against quick attack and might miss completely. Dsmash's hitbox doesn't hit very high, so that misses too, albeit not quite as often. Pikachu can reset to neutral whenever he wants, harass, mess up ROB's recovery, etc with this one move.

As far as stages go, FD, SmashVille, and Town and City are bad (due to jolt/QA being much more versatile on wide open plains opposed to conjested platform stages). Battlefield, Lylat, and Dreamland also are meh, because of easy fair combos/ importance on offstage play. Dreamland's platform height/spacing might be beter than BF for ROB, though. So, yeah, starter stages are pretty great for Pikachu. Luckily a lot of the counterpick stages/ obscure stages are pretty good for ROB. Delfino, Halberd, and Castle Siege are all good ROB stages.

Pikachu should not be slept on, and I advise ROB player not underestimate him, due to his lack of kill power and light weight. If Pikachu get's the first kill, the match is probably already over.