Why I play Lucina, competitively, over Marth

[Nika]

I always hear people ask why you would play Lucina in a competitive situation over Marth. I've been playing her since the beginning of the year with some success, and I've tried switching to Marth several times but it never sticks. So I wanted to explain my personal reasons for staying with her.

Let's get two things out of the way. First, it's not out of a personal attachment to Lucina as a FE character. Second, I am not saying that Lucina is objectively better than Marth, or even equally good. I agree that she's worse, and all the reasons listed below are subjective. That said, I don't think she's that much worse, or that she's competitively non-viable, and you can see the "In case Lucina doesn't get patched" thread for a bit of my reasoning, but that's not really the point of this.

So, here goes:

1) More fluid play style. Marth's tipper freeze frame throws off my timing and flow. Lucina's hits never pause the game, so it feels easier to time things consistently and precisely. She just feels way better to play.

2) Simpler. With Marth, you need to constantly be making tiny adjustments to your spacing to ensure the optimal attack. There's this constant question of "Am I going to tipper?" in the back of your head, taking up a bit of mental energy that would otherwise be used just for focusing on your opponent. With Lucina, as long as they're in range, you're good to go.

3) Visual consistency. Maybe this is just an illusion or something, but Marth's sword looks bigger than it is. Every time I play him, I whiff attacks that look like they should have hit. Lucina's sword actually matches her hitbox. Not being able to trust my senses is a significant detriment.

These are why I find Lucina more fun to play, and why Marth has always felt uncomfortable. I've stuck with her competitively because of that, and because I've been reasonably successful with her and think there's still tons of room to improve. If I felt I'd maxed out her potential and could only get better with Marth, I'd switch, but I'm not even close to that level.

 

[Rinku リンク]

 

[Frizz]

That's great! Having your own reasons as to why you do something is better than simply following the herd. They're quite ingenious too; I don't think I've ever heard of them before.

 

[RosalinaSGS]

Oh my god... Your signature is amazing. And that gif...

 

[Rinku リンク]

Oh my god... Your signature is amazing. And that gif...

 

[red hot roy]

i agree completely with you on this, you make some really valid points

 

[Tarastel]

Gotta agree with these points. Out of the 3, I pick: Lucina, Roy then Marth. And the thing is that I can consistently get tippers frequently(about 80%) with almost every move, but Lucina just FEELS a lot more comfortable. Just prefer blades with the consistent hit damage like Link, Robin and Ike. (Also shes my favorite character in Awakening, so there's that.)

 

[red hot roy]

Gotta agree with these points. Out of the 3, I pick: Lucina, Roy then Marth. And the thing is that I can consistently get tippers frequently(about 80%) with almost every move, but Lucina just FEELS a lot more comfortable. Just prefer blades with the consistent hit damage like Link, Robin and Ike. (Also shes my favorite character in Awakening, so there's that.)

that is generally my reasoning as well

 

[Shadestars]

I also main Lucina c:

Well, Marth aswell. My gameplay stats show that I play Lucina twice as often though. I've always believed the power gap between the two characters was too minor to worry about, especially after certain patches. Everyone's always hammering on about the all important tipper, which is great and all but it just seems like everyone then goes out of their way to underestimate Lucina's 'sourspot'.

Yeah, Marth in better 'on paper', how many tippers are we practically landing though? are we landing the tippers that really matter? Everytime I 'tip' with Lucina I might think "wow, that might have killed if I was playing Marth" but the same thing happens vice versa when I sourspot with Marth, which is easier to do so, I think the choice boils down to personal preference.

There simply isn't enough reliable results data to pick one out as being stronger than the other. Regardless, it seems unanimous that Marth is just better among the community. There basically is no data for Lucina as a result or at least none that I can find, everyone defaults to Marth in tournament because they're afraid of losing what -might- be a mere 3-5% efficiency. Which is understandable, it IS a tournament where we play to win, it's just kinda unproven that Marth is actually better as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Deleted member]

I just so happen to play as both Lucina and Marth. Lately though I have played more of the latter because I feel I am slightly better with him.
If someone does prefer to use Lucina over Marth, it's fine, it's their preference.

 

[RosalinaSGS]

The biggest game changer imo is Marth's extra reach. It's very small, but it makes Marth that little bit better imo. Also I started with Marth, and Lucina's animations somehow feel slower, even though I know they have identical frame data.

 

[Tomoya]

As I usually play my waifu as much as I can in my down time, I realize that Lucina can combo more than Marth. It sounds crazy but, when Marth hits it usually has more knockback than Lucina especially with a tipper. So Lucina has an overall better combo flow because the lower knockback prevents the opponent from flying a bit higher for them to jump or air dodge away. My Lucina could usually combo someone up to 72% the most if everything is perfect. With Marth, I generally could only keep the opponent in my range within the 30-40% until they begin to fly back further. Of course I love Lucina and I won't quit on taking her to tournament, but this is something I tend to notice when I play my friends as Marth.
Btw I'm the best Lucina

 

[Nika]

I dunno, the Marths all say Marth has a better combo game due to sourspots and I see no reason to doubt them. What combos are you talking about? Lucina is pretty short on actual combos.

 

[Tomoya]

You don't do short hop dancing blade up air to up tilt and follow up?

 

[krosswerks]

Marth in general has a wider variety of "combos" and has an easier time pulling them off, because of the difference in stun/knockback between tippered/non-tippered hits. However, I've come to appreciate this as one of Lucina's strengths: since you can rely on Lucina's moves for consistent damage and knockback, as long as you know those properties for each of your moves, you can accurately predict where any one of your moves is going to send your opponent at any given time. With Marth, you don't have this same surety, because your opponent can adjust their spacing and a tipper can end up becoming a sour spot, and vice-versa. I think Lucina represents a gameplan that emphasizes low-reward consistency, while Marth emphasizes high-reward precision. I appreciate the former style, so I suppose that's why I main Luci over Marth (besides waifu tier status).

 

[Nika]

^Great point!

That's a neat combo, haven't seen that before. It's working in training, I'll have to try it out tonight.

 

[Tomoya]

Glad you could get it!! Most people call bs or say **** when I recommend combos lol. It's hard to pull off and there's more I know but I'll have to look at them again lol. Funny cause I don't even have the game

 

[red hot roy]

i've come to the conclusion that i just feel more comfy playing as lucina over marth in smash 4, even though i use marth quite a bit in all the other games and still use him in smash 4. I just feel better as lucina overall

 

[Nika]

^^Okay I tried it out a bit over the past couple days. It's a cool combo and might even be the optimal punish for building percent in certain situations, but it's quite unsafe and difficult to pull off. I wouldn't recommend using it in a real fight.

 

[Tomoya]

^^Okay I tried it out a bit over the past couple days. It's a cool combo and might even be the optimal punish for building percent in certain situations, but it's quite unsafe and difficult to pull off. I wouldn't recommend using it in a real fight.

Yeah there are some others but I'll have to play again during the weekend cause I don't have the game

 

[Izayoi]

My main argument for picking Lucy over Marta is the consistency of the blade. As Luce, when a window comes to me I can 100% rely on my next move to be a reliable punish. With Martin I have to also worry about not landing the tipper hence the kill.

On neutral I slightly prefer being Mart over Luz, though. It's just securing kills that makes me prefer Light.

 

[Bluekirby2]

I play Lucina over Mart because I like how without the tipper I can be more reckless.

And no, it's not because she's my "waifu". That's what Palutena is for If anything, I find Mart much cuter than Lucina.

And I know all the scorn for maining Lucina will pay of one of these days.

 

[Ark of Silence101]

I choose Lucina over Marth because I play For Glory a lot and going for the tipper just makes me a more punishable target from my experience, with Lucina, even if she has less range and no tipper, I can just rush'em down without worrying if I hit with a specific part of the sword.

 

[red hot roy]

I choose Lucina over Marth because I play For Glory a lot and going for the tipper just makes me a more punishable target from my experience, with Lucina, even if she has less range and no tipper, I can just rush'em down without worrying if I hit with a specific part of the sword.

generally my reasoning too

 

[The pig-keeper]

The reason I pick Lucina over Marth is to use the SideB against fastfallers. Like, Lucina's SideB is muuuuch better.
Also, the tipper make it unconsistent (HOW CONVENIENT) and sometimes leaves me thinking :

"Yo, He should be dead.. Wish I had Lucina.."

Feel like as a Lucina, you should always try to land those smashes (at least the F smash.. Not the other crappy moves..) since the Xeno Falchion is just a better choice when it comes to heavy knockback and damage.

And OFC, Lucina is just the best character ever, behind her father.. (SAKURAI PLS)

 

[Bluekirby2]

And OFC, Lucina is just the best character ever, behind her father.. (SAKURAI PLS)

pl0x do it Sakurai

 

[red hot roy]

pl0x do it Sakurai

too bad sakurai doesn't do anything that is recommended by anyone else tho

 

[Tomoya]

I'd secondary Chrom if he did come out. Lucina will be my main forever <3

 

[Bluekirby2]

I'd secondary Chrom if he did come out. Lucina will be my main forever <3

If Chrom was playable, I sure hope he would have an alt. where he wears his boxers from the Summer Scramble Pack, and I would play as him more than any other character. <3

 

[Tomoya]

OMFG then in doubles I'll tell my cousin to pick the shirtless Shulk and we'll be the fukbois

 

[Ark of Silence101]

too bad sakurai doesn't do anything that is recommended by anyone else tho

Are you saying it because of Cloud or because he thinks that he would just be an Ike clone in his mind?

 

[Tomoya]

I like Cloud tbh. It was unexpected. May piss people off but it really gives diversity to the cast. As long as Lucina has the advantage in the MU then he's fine with me.

 

[Ark of Silence101]

I like Cloud tbh. It was unexpected. May piss people off but it really gives diversity to the cast. As long as Lucina has the advantage in the MU then he's fine with me.

Who knows? We still don't know how Cloud will play, from what little we saw, it looks to be Ike range with Link down aerial.

 

[red hot roy]

Are you saying it because of Cloud or because he thinks that he would just be an Ike clone in his mind?

yea, i mean people wanted chrom, he said he had too many sword users similar to marth, and adds in lucina as a separate character even though she is basically marth

 

[Ark of Silence101]

yea, i mean people wanted chrom, he said he had too many sword users similar to marth, and adds in lucina as a separate character even though she is basically marth

He said that he didn't add him because he was afraid that he would wind up too similar to Ike, and that Palutena Guidance about Robin is WRONG, Chrom DOES have Aether, his Falchion does not burst into flames though.

 

[Bluekirby2]

He said that he didn't add him because he was afraid that he would wind up too similar to Ike, and that Palutena Guidance about Robin is WRONG, Chrom DOES have Aether, his Falchion does not burst into flames though.

I don't care if he would be a clone, I would just want to play as my husbando.

 

[Tomoya]

Luckily I have my wife in there, so... Thanks Sakurai

 

[Ark of Silence101]

Luckily I have my wife in there, so... Thanks Sakurai

I am STILL hoping to see my favorite princess in Smash.

 

[andzalot55]

I prefer Lucina over Marth cause she's a girl. <-----forever alone

 

[Ark of Silence101]

I prefer Lucina over Marth cause she's a girl. <-----forever alone

I am a loner(no first girlfriend at my 22's) yet I don't mope about it. I simply prefer Lucina over Marth because: I am not good at getting tippers and because I feel I can just rush'em down with Lucina.