ZONING
On the ground - PK Freeze won't hit anyone at long range, but it's an effective way to make your presence felt even when you're nowhere near the opponent. PK Thunder does the same thing but worse. PK Fire can be used effectively on grounded opponents from the ground, in a short hop, or wavebounced, depending on what you want to do with it. For close range needs, Lucas's jab combo is the third fastest in the game, coming out on frame 2, and ftilt does a good job at providing cover with it's good sweetspot range. Above Average.
In the air - Lucas's aerials are fantastic at aiding a grounded assault. Short hopped nairs can chain together if you avoid hitting with the knockback blow and dair leads to various combos and KOs depending on percent. However, his aerial game is almost exclusively used to aid his ground game and get opponents out of his face. On its own, it's nothing special. Below Average.
Off-stage - This is where Lucas really shines. Being one of three characters with a controllable projectile automatically pushes him up a rank in edgeguarding capabilities, and he has two spikes to choose from if he wants to get up close and personal. A massive second jump, a surprisingly long-ranged tether, a PK Thunder that can't be eaten like Ness's can, a PKT2 that can make it to the ledge while you're in the magnification bubble, Zap Jumping, and Magnet Pulling give Lucas recovery options out the wazoo, and the aforementioned spikes make intercepting him a risky proposition. Amazing.
SPACING
Extreme long distance - The only real option at this range is PK Freeze, but it won't hit anyone who's half alert and shields it. While there's not much to do on the offense, a Lucas who just sits here doing nothing can respond to any projectile with either PSI Magnet or fsmash, forcing opponents to approach. Comfortable.
Long distance - This is approximately the range of PK Fire, which means it's the optimal distance to use it in pretty much any situation that would call for it. PK Freeze, PK Thunder, and their associated mindgames work best near the longer end of this range, but become less effective as this gives way to Medium Range. Comfortable.
Medium distance - PK Fire becomes much less attractive due to the startup lag, but this is the perfect distance to use Lucas's aerials. His smashes also extend into this range, making this a good range for KOing without leaving yourself totally vulnerable. With the exception of his specials, most of Lucas's options lie here. Comfortable.
Short distance - In general, Lucas doesn't like opponents that violate his personal space. On the other hand, when he's prepared for them, he's more than willing to land a few short range blows. On the offensive, Lucas likes being here so he can pile on damage from aerials and tilts. When playing defense...not so much. Bearable.
KILLING
Killing power - All of Lucas's smashes hit like a truck, but they all have startup lag to deal with. Usmash is the strongest, but will almost never hit unless your opponent is in fallspecial or something similarly vulnerable. Fsmash and dsmash have more speed to them, but neither one is fast enough to throw out on a whim. Dthrow, fair, ftilt, and PSI Magnet also have KO potential at medium to high percentages, but they all have their own issues that makes the KO hard to land. The potential is definitely there, but KOs require a bit of setup. Above Average.
Gimping potential - Once again, usmash makes an appearance, but also once again, it will almost never hit. Otherwise, Lucas's gimp kills will come from bair spikes and PK Thunder harassment, although PK Freeze and PK Fire have their uses in stopping opponents from coming back to the stage. In particular, PK Thunder's high degree of maneuverability makes intercepting all but the best recoveries fairly easy. It's also possible to chain fairs together, WOP-style. Amazing, mostly because of PK Thunder.
SURVIVABILITY
Recovery - Lucas's recovery, contrary to what some people may think, is not easily gimpable. The second jump and PKT2 are about the only similarities Lucas's recovery has with Ness's. Not only does his PK Thunder go through anyone trying to steal the bolt, his PKT2 has more range than Ness's and doesn't slow down when it hits. Furthermore, Lucas has a tether recovery with surprising reach when one considers its range when used onstage. If this wasn't enough, Lucas has 2 ATs at his disposal that he can use separately or combined to further aid his recovery: Zap Jump and Magnet Pull. Even if Lucas is in a situation where several of these options are missing, he has two spikes that he can use to turn around an edgeguarding attempt. Easy.
Staying Power - Also contrary to popular belief, Lucas is more of a light middleweight than a true lightweight, although he still gets knocked around fairly easily. Lucas is unique in that he is one of two characters (the other one being Ness) that can restore his health and go from being KOable to surviving another smash, although this is not an option against more characters than not. His reflective fsmash also discourages attempts to pick him off from a distance, forcing close-range combat for most KOs. While Lucas specializes in defensive play and is certainly capable of holding players off, he is light enough to make that one lucky smash enough to KO him. Intermediate.
