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[FBC] ESAM
Smash Legend
Hey everybody! With my recent resurgence on the Pikachu boards I figured that I would create a thread about the different stages and how Pikachu is amazing on pretty much all of them. I will cover all of the tournament legal stages as well as describe differences between some Omegas that I prefer.
Let's start with the typical 3 neutrals
Battlefield:
Possibly Pikachu's best stage, definitely my overall favorite of the common legal ones. The ability to go anywhere on the stage with QA and be safe is absolutely ridiculous. You can cover so much ground and be really unpredictable with QAs and actually camp really really well. I typically don't camp because I'm a very very aggressive player, but in clutch moments I can definitely see myself running away for like a minute on the platforms. You can juggle your opponents on the platform really well and extend a lot of combos due to the ability to land with fairs that you ordinarily couldn't.
The only problem I have with this stage is that the side platforms interfere with thunder combo escapes. You can typically avoid the top platform messing with your uthrow thunders if you just DJ thunder since you will get high enough that your opponent cannot tech.
Matchups to avoid: I actually do NOT like fighting Mario here. I really enjoy the capability of the thunder interrupt out of u-tilts, or at least having it as a mindgame so that they might potentially stop their combo early. Sheik CAN be iffy due to the ability for her to U-smash your landings on platforms, but you shouldn never really be getting caught like that because you can QA anywhere you want on this stage. Yoshi can be annoying as well due to the difficult time pikachu has on the ground against him and the platforms can kinda stuff your air approaches a little bit . Not really BAN worthy vs any of those characters, but i would say this stage definitely doesn't benefit pikachu the same way vs them as it does against the rest of the cast.
Final Destination:
Also really really good for Pikachu. Pikachu is a master at punishing landings (Especially with customs on) while being able to escape a lot of situations with QA. It is inherently harder to punish Pikachu off of a ledge because QA opens up way more options than other characters have. WIth no escapes pikachu can really combo people and punish people for attempting to do ANYTHING. He can be punished as well, but again, they have to read something like 5 options instead of like...2. Very very good for Pikachu.
Matchups to avoid: Uh....???? I don't really dislike this stage vs any character. Pikachu can combo across the stage about as well as any other character, he can kill vertically, and...yeah it's just good. Really good. I like it less than BF but that's because I like QA too much LOL
Smashville:
This might be Pika's worst neutral, but that doesn't mean it is anything worse than an 8/10 for him. You can QAC on the platform which allows for a lot of cool tricks. It is similar to FD in the fact that you can punish a lot of landings, but the platform kinda ruins a lot of them. It CAN lead to silly fair strings off the side (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6uhuDjcDwA#t=4m2s)
Matchups to avoid: ROSALUMA is really good on this stage because the platform can save Luma. I hate that. Characters that you can really abuse their recovery like little mac/the marios/pretty much everyone lolol. I don't like Smashville that much, probably won't CP it very much.
And now for non neutrals
Lylat: Honestly this might be Pikachu's best stage. You can constantly QA on the slanted stage, you can get a lot of pressure on the platforms with uairs, you can QA away to platforms, and pikachu can stage spike people under the stage really easily with fair and bair. There are really no problems with this stage now that they fixed the stupid stage tilting random ledge thing, which is good. This stage messes up a lot of characters but it really doesn't affect pikachu out of...thunder jolt spacing? Hell, i actually like how you can wrap your jolts around platforms, it covers a lot of space.
Who not to play on this stage: Not sure who benefits from this stage more than Pikachu. Pikachu gains so much and I'm pretty sure it is at least neutral in whatever MU, or better for us.
Town and City: Pretty mediocre compared to a bunch of the other stages Pikachu has, but it isn't bad. A lot of the platforms you can QAC off but it kinda messes with pika's spacing and he can't really abuse them that well. IT messes up his combos generally but there is a chance it can extend your combos sometimes. I typically ban this stage as it just doesn't give pikachu what he wants and it only maybe gives you a 10% kill boost, which is negligible
Matchups to avoid: Anyone that relies on vertical killing, such as Rosaluma, megaman, ROB, Luigi
Castle Siege:
Honestly i LOVE THIS STAGE for Pikachu. The first transformation allows PIkachu to be really aggressive due to the lack of space, the second transformation you can literally run away forever on the top or threaten b-throw cheese kills, and then the 3rd transformation is FD which I already explained. Also, the walls on the first transformation allow you to go even more ham and do silly wall jump b-reverse thunders (Will make a silly video about these when I get back to Florida). Pikachu can also carry characters off the edge in the 2nd transformation so this is really beneficial for him. If you are every scared you just don't approach. SO so good
Matchups to avoid: I don't think there are really any bad MUs for Pikachu here. Sheik with customs can be irritating on the 2nd transformation, but that's not really a problem considering you essentially gain the same things she does throughout the stage.
Duck Hunt:
I personally don't like this stage due to the campier nature of plastyles on this stage, but it isn't bad for Pikachu at all. Most of the stage is FD like, and i already described that. THe walls allow you to get a lot of off-stage shenanigans. The tree on the right can allow you to get off the ledge a little easier, which is nice. Pikachu can typically control the pace well enough to not have to worry about the dog messing you up, so that should be fine. The ducks can actually extend thunder hitboxes which can hit air dodges way easier (Which i've done, ****'s godlike). The short sides can help you with fair strings and like U-throw thunder stuff, as well as F-smashes near the ledge. Pretty good overall, but I wouldn't CP it.
Matchups to avoid: I don't really know of any
Halberd:
Omg I love this stage, but it is probably one of Pikachu's worse Sharking is amazing as PIkachu cuz QA is dumb, the small slants can help you QAC, and on the non-sharking transformation T-jolts run up the walls which really helps you relieve pressure. However, pikachu doesn't really get a lot off of the platform and he doesn't rely enough on vertical kills to really gain a lot off of the ceiling. There are MANY characters better on this stage than him so i instaban it a lot. I would also never really CP here because pikachu has many stronger options IMO.
SO APPARENTLY ON THE MAIN PLATFORM (part with the hazards) PIKACHU CAN QAC ON THE FLOOR IF YOU ARE MOVING TO THE RIGHT.
Matchups to avoid this stage: ROB, Diddy, Anyone that kills reliably off the top.
Delfino:
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Sharking, platform manipulation, walkoffs, slants, everything I love in a stage! Pikachu can run around everywhere and also drag people off stage and camp and QA ****in EVERYTHING. Hell yeah. You can avoid pretty much any bad circumstance because of QA and pretty much play only when you want to.
Matchups to avoid: Anyone that can abuse water really really well that you can't run away from. IDK who that would be lolol. Maybe Rosaluma cuz of the ceiling changes.
Let's start with the typical 3 neutrals
Battlefield:
Possibly Pikachu's best stage, definitely my overall favorite of the common legal ones. The ability to go anywhere on the stage with QA and be safe is absolutely ridiculous. You can cover so much ground and be really unpredictable with QAs and actually camp really really well. I typically don't camp because I'm a very very aggressive player, but in clutch moments I can definitely see myself running away for like a minute on the platforms. You can juggle your opponents on the platform really well and extend a lot of combos due to the ability to land with fairs that you ordinarily couldn't.
The only problem I have with this stage is that the side platforms interfere with thunder combo escapes. You can typically avoid the top platform messing with your uthrow thunders if you just DJ thunder since you will get high enough that your opponent cannot tech.
Matchups to avoid: I actually do NOT like fighting Mario here. I really enjoy the capability of the thunder interrupt out of u-tilts, or at least having it as a mindgame so that they might potentially stop their combo early. Sheik CAN be iffy due to the ability for her to U-smash your landings on platforms, but you shouldn never really be getting caught like that because you can QA anywhere you want on this stage. Yoshi can be annoying as well due to the difficult time pikachu has on the ground against him and the platforms can kinda stuff your air approaches a little bit . Not really BAN worthy vs any of those characters, but i would say this stage definitely doesn't benefit pikachu the same way vs them as it does against the rest of the cast.
Final Destination:
Also really really good for Pikachu. Pikachu is a master at punishing landings (Especially with customs on) while being able to escape a lot of situations with QA. It is inherently harder to punish Pikachu off of a ledge because QA opens up way more options than other characters have. WIth no escapes pikachu can really combo people and punish people for attempting to do ANYTHING. He can be punished as well, but again, they have to read something like 5 options instead of like...2. Very very good for Pikachu.
Matchups to avoid: Uh....???? I don't really dislike this stage vs any character. Pikachu can combo across the stage about as well as any other character, he can kill vertically, and...yeah it's just good. Really good. I like it less than BF but that's because I like QA too much LOL
Smashville:
This might be Pika's worst neutral, but that doesn't mean it is anything worse than an 8/10 for him. You can QAC on the platform which allows for a lot of cool tricks. It is similar to FD in the fact that you can punish a lot of landings, but the platform kinda ruins a lot of them. It CAN lead to silly fair strings off the side (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6uhuDjcDwA#t=4m2s)
Matchups to avoid: ROSALUMA is really good on this stage because the platform can save Luma. I hate that. Characters that you can really abuse their recovery like little mac/the marios/pretty much everyone lolol. I don't like Smashville that much, probably won't CP it very much.
And now for non neutrals
Lylat: Honestly this might be Pikachu's best stage. You can constantly QA on the slanted stage, you can get a lot of pressure on the platforms with uairs, you can QA away to platforms, and pikachu can stage spike people under the stage really easily with fair and bair. There are really no problems with this stage now that they fixed the stupid stage tilting random ledge thing, which is good. This stage messes up a lot of characters but it really doesn't affect pikachu out of...thunder jolt spacing? Hell, i actually like how you can wrap your jolts around platforms, it covers a lot of space.
Who not to play on this stage: Not sure who benefits from this stage more than Pikachu. Pikachu gains so much and I'm pretty sure it is at least neutral in whatever MU, or better for us.
Town and City: Pretty mediocre compared to a bunch of the other stages Pikachu has, but it isn't bad. A lot of the platforms you can QAC off but it kinda messes with pika's spacing and he can't really abuse them that well. IT messes up his combos generally but there is a chance it can extend your combos sometimes. I typically ban this stage as it just doesn't give pikachu what he wants and it only maybe gives you a 10% kill boost, which is negligible
Matchups to avoid: Anyone that relies on vertical killing, such as Rosaluma, megaman, ROB, Luigi
Castle Siege:
Honestly i LOVE THIS STAGE for Pikachu. The first transformation allows PIkachu to be really aggressive due to the lack of space, the second transformation you can literally run away forever on the top or threaten b-throw cheese kills, and then the 3rd transformation is FD which I already explained. Also, the walls on the first transformation allow you to go even more ham and do silly wall jump b-reverse thunders (Will make a silly video about these when I get back to Florida). Pikachu can also carry characters off the edge in the 2nd transformation so this is really beneficial for him. If you are every scared you just don't approach. SO so good
Matchups to avoid: I don't think there are really any bad MUs for Pikachu here. Sheik with customs can be irritating on the 2nd transformation, but that's not really a problem considering you essentially gain the same things she does throughout the stage.
Duck Hunt:
I personally don't like this stage due to the campier nature of plastyles on this stage, but it isn't bad for Pikachu at all. Most of the stage is FD like, and i already described that. THe walls allow you to get a lot of off-stage shenanigans. The tree on the right can allow you to get off the ledge a little easier, which is nice. Pikachu can typically control the pace well enough to not have to worry about the dog messing you up, so that should be fine. The ducks can actually extend thunder hitboxes which can hit air dodges way easier (Which i've done, ****'s godlike). The short sides can help you with fair strings and like U-throw thunder stuff, as well as F-smashes near the ledge. Pretty good overall, but I wouldn't CP it.
Matchups to avoid: I don't really know of any
Halberd:
Omg I love this stage, but it is probably one of Pikachu's worse Sharking is amazing as PIkachu cuz QA is dumb, the small slants can help you QAC, and on the non-sharking transformation T-jolts run up the walls which really helps you relieve pressure. However, pikachu doesn't really get a lot off of the platform and he doesn't rely enough on vertical kills to really gain a lot off of the ceiling. There are MANY characters better on this stage than him so i instaban it a lot. I would also never really CP here because pikachu has many stronger options IMO.
SO APPARENTLY ON THE MAIN PLATFORM (part with the hazards) PIKACHU CAN QAC ON THE FLOOR IF YOU ARE MOVING TO THE RIGHT.
Matchups to avoid this stage: ROB, Diddy, Anyone that kills reliably off the top.
Delfino:
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Sharking, platform manipulation, walkoffs, slants, everything I love in a stage! Pikachu can run around everywhere and also drag people off stage and camp and QA ****in EVERYTHING. Hell yeah. You can avoid pretty much any bad circumstance because of QA and pretty much play only when you want to.
Matchups to avoid: Anyone that can abuse water really really well that you can't run away from. IDK who that would be lolol. Maybe Rosaluma cuz of the ceiling changes.
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