ZTD | TECHnology
Developing New TECHnology
So as I've been delving further into how Pikachu interacts with stages, I have noticed that Pikachu has access to a lot shenanigans on a stage that most people really don't like in this game: Lylat Cruise. Lylat is considered a Neutral Stage in many rulesets and a Counterpick at APEX. Regardless, it is a stage that is unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon. So this thread will give you a brief insight into why I think this stage is very good for us. This won't be too long of a read, but it might give you some food for thought at your next tournament on your Game 2 or 3 match. So let's look at the stage real quick:
***For preliminary facts about this stage please visit this thread (Credit to @
Budget Player Cadet_
)***
As we know, Lylat tilts back and forth throughout the match. It is because of this, that many characters do not enjoy this stage. Recoveries that tend to travel in a certain trajectory and rely on ledge snapping, can really be inhibited here thanks to the fact that the ledges are almost always moving. That alone, gives it merit as a counterpick against certain characters. Some characters have to delay their recoveries to ensure they ledge snap and Pikachu is the master of taking advantage of situations like this. In some cases, the opponent may make it back to the stage but may miss the ledge due to this and provide you with a free punish. And in extreme cases, the opponent could potentially SD or allow you to gimp them because of this. In addition, since Pikachu's Quick Attack has two parts to it, it's extremely rare you would ever SD due to the stage. If you aren't sure about your angle with QA1, you can simply QA2 to ensure you make it back. Recoveries that have flexibility like ours aren't as hindered by the stage's tilts.
However, one of the real gems of this stage lies in the fact that the entire stage is actually tilting/moving. That means, you can Quick Attack Cancel anytime the stage is tilting as long as you're on a tilting part of the stage. This means that for a majority of the match, most of the stage is your QAC playground.
What does that mean for you?
Since you're able to QAC without worrying about being on the edge of a platform or ledge, that means your mobility is greatly enhanced. That means you have more mixup options available to you. In addition, that means you can pursue more aggressive edgeguarding and gimping.
When you QAC, that means the lag at the end of Quick Attack is canceled. That means if you manage to hit someone with QAC on a moving part of the stage, you can follow up immediately. That means more combo opportunities. More U-Tilts, Nairs, Up Smashes, Up Airs and more. Your frame advantage on QAC follow up is increased significantly on this stage because the stage's tilt cancels Quick Attack for you.
You have more recovery options. Depending on where the tilt is, you don't have to rely on ledge snaps. You can simply QAC back on one of the higher platforms on the lower section and perhaps Quick Attack again or attack your opponent who is expecting to punish you for landing on the stage. Not to mention, you can mix it up with Thunder Jolts on the small platforms to occupy a lot of small and keep your opponent busy. You can also Skull Bash under this stage as well like you can most stages.
Certain attacks will miss you if you're on a downward slope. This is especially useful due to Pikachu's small frame. Example: If a Marth/Lucina tries to Shield Breaker you on a slope and you crouch, it misses. Free punish.
Now something to look out for is the edges of the stage where the tilts are most obvious. If you aren't careful while QAC'ing on a downward slope: the following can happen to you:
You can aerial into the stage if you do it too quickly since the ground is now moving away from you. That means if you mistime anything but a Fair, you're going to get a hard landing. Dair at least provides a shockwave but in most cases this means you can get punished.
You could possibly shoot yourself off the side of the stage because you slid off the slope too quickly. This means you could input something you didn't want to off stage and put yourself in a bad position.
Overall, I feel this stage adds more to our game while hindering other characters. I'm still experimenting with certain aspects of this stage but I believe it's a great stage for us overall. If you haven't really experimented here, give it a shot. If you disagree, I'd love to hear why for the sake of metagame discussion. I haven't seen enough metagame discussion on these threads so I want to "spark" some life into these forum. <3
Thanks for reading,
Tech
***For preliminary facts about this stage please visit this thread (Credit to @
Budget Player Cadet_
)***As we know, Lylat tilts back and forth throughout the match. It is because of this, that many characters do not enjoy this stage. Recoveries that tend to travel in a certain trajectory and rely on ledge snapping, can really be inhibited here thanks to the fact that the ledges are almost always moving. That alone, gives it merit as a counterpick against certain characters. Some characters have to delay their recoveries to ensure they ledge snap and Pikachu is the master of taking advantage of situations like this. In some cases, the opponent may make it back to the stage but may miss the ledge due to this and provide you with a free punish. And in extreme cases, the opponent could potentially SD or allow you to gimp them because of this. In addition, since Pikachu's Quick Attack has two parts to it, it's extremely rare you would ever SD due to the stage. If you aren't sure about your angle with QA1, you can simply QA2 to ensure you make it back. Recoveries that have flexibility like ours aren't as hindered by the stage's tilts.
However, one of the real gems of this stage lies in the fact that the entire stage is actually tilting/moving. That means, you can Quick Attack Cancel anytime the stage is tilting as long as you're on a tilting part of the stage. This means that for a majority of the match, most of the stage is your QAC playground.
What does that mean for you?
Since you're able to QAC without worrying about being on the edge of a platform or ledge, that means your mobility is greatly enhanced. That means you have more mixup options available to you. In addition, that means you can pursue more aggressive edgeguarding and gimping.
When you QAC, that means the lag at the end of Quick Attack is canceled. That means if you manage to hit someone with QAC on a moving part of the stage, you can follow up immediately. That means more combo opportunities. More U-Tilts, Nairs, Up Smashes, Up Airs and more. Your frame advantage on QAC follow up is increased significantly on this stage because the stage's tilt cancels Quick Attack for you.
You have more recovery options. Depending on where the tilt is, you don't have to rely on ledge snaps. You can simply QAC back on one of the higher platforms on the lower section and perhaps Quick Attack again or attack your opponent who is expecting to punish you for landing on the stage. Not to mention, you can mix it up with Thunder Jolts on the small platforms to occupy a lot of small and keep your opponent busy. You can also Skull Bash under this stage as well like you can most stages.
Certain attacks will miss you if you're on a downward slope. This is especially useful due to Pikachu's small frame. Example: If a Marth/Lucina tries to Shield Breaker you on a slope and you crouch, it misses. Free punish.
Now something to look out for is the edges of the stage where the tilts are most obvious. If you aren't careful while QAC'ing on a downward slope: the following can happen to you:
You can aerial into the stage if you do it too quickly since the ground is now moving away from you. That means if you mistime anything but a Fair, you're going to get a hard landing. Dair at least provides a shockwave but in most cases this means you can get punished.
You could possibly shoot yourself off the side of the stage because you slid off the slope too quickly. This means you could input something you didn't want to off stage and put yourself in a bad position.
Overall, I feel this stage adds more to our game while hindering other characters. I'm still experimenting with certain aspects of this stage but I believe it's a great stage for us overall. If you haven't really experimented here, give it a shot. If you disagree, I'd love to hear why for the sake of metagame discussion. I haven't seen enough metagame discussion on these threads so I want to "spark" some life into these forum. <3
Thanks for reading,
Tech
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