Dream Land Works
Smash Journeyman
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
- Messages
- 367
Recent Updates: Attacks (D-Tilt, D-Air), Strategies & ATs (Edgeguarding), Specific Matches
Expect another update in the next two days and another on the weekend.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Pros/Cons
III. Costumes
IV. Attacks
V. Combos
VI. Strategies & Advance Techniques
- Approaching
- Edgeguarding
- Thunderflipping
- QuACk
- Stages
VII. Closing
I. Introduction
Mascot of the Pokemon Franchise, Pikachu has been in Pokemon since the beginning and is the main Pokemon of the anime series. He is a mouse with electric emitting from the cheeks and even though it is only 1'4" you better watch out. If you are interested in finding out about true Pika Power and you have a GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, or if it ever gets onto the Virtual Console defiantly try out Pokemon Yellow version. You can get a Surfing Pikachu and a sweet mini-game with Pika surfing. Just remember, you are cooler if you keep Pikachu in your six all game. Anyways in the Smash Bros franchise, Pikachu has always been a quick character with power attacks and great recovery and I have mained him ever since Smash 64. He is a fun and great character to use and I recommend him to anyone who wants a quick, powerful character with good range.
II. Pros/Cons
Every character has their strengths and weaknesses. If you wish to be the best with a character you have to identify its pros and cons so that you and try to turn those weaknesses into strengths. Here are some of Pikachu's major advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
* Fast Character
* Short Target
* Ability To Crawl
* Great Recovery
* All Specials Have Great Range
* Strong For Very Light-Weight
* Good Aerials
* Good Comboer
* Nice Grab Game
* Not too much lag in attacks other than Thunder
* QuACk! (Just wait and see!)
Cons
* Very Light-Weight
* Weak Tilt Damage
* Short Ranged Aerials
* Most Ranged Attacks Are Better Right Next To Characters
III. Costumes
Pikachu doesn’t really have too many costumes, but what is cool is I personally think they are all great. I just wish they had a Pikachu with a blue bandana around its neck like from the Pikachu Carmelldansen Videos :D. Out of Pikachu's costumes in Brawl I usually go for the default and headband costumes. (Waits for someone to say wear the goggles noob.)
IV. Attacks
Alright, for the following I have put a range of percentages which depend on where you hit with the attacks. For the most part, if an attack can do more damage with Pikachu it is right next to the character. Also I have tested all of Pikachu's attacks to see which ones KO and at what percentage they do (I only counted attacks that can KO at 300% or less).
NOTICE: All attacks Pikachu has other than grabs can attack characters hanging on edges.
Ground Attacks
Neutral Attack - Ram
Damage: 2%
Hitbox: Pikachu's head and back (for the back hitbox the opponent needs to be above Pikachu.
Pikachu leans forward and rams his head into the opponent. If you hold down A or tap it repeately, the attack with continue with 2% per hit.
This attack is pretty good, your opponent can usually DI out of this after 3-4 repeat hits, but I use this move a lot because there really isn't any start up and the ending lag is basically you letting go of A.
Dashing Attack - Headbutt
Damage: 7%
Hitbox: Pikachu's head and back (for the back hitbox the opponent needs to be above Pikachu.
Pikachu just forward in the direction he is running and hits the opponent with its head.
It is a nice dash and at very low percentages you can follow up with some Neutral Attacks and 0-about 60% you can follow up with tilts. After this though the knockback will be too large and you will have to follow up with aerials, rolling, specials, or another dash attack. This can also knock the opponent off the stage to set them up to be edge guarded, but I like using this move mostly to set up combos.
Forward Tilt - Horse Kick
Damage: 9%
KO's: 200%
Hitbox: Pikachu's hind legs.
Pikachu gets on his front legs and kicks forward, similar to Sonic's forward tilt. This is by far my favorite tilt of Pikachu's because it can be used in combos, it does the most damage, it can be used for spacing, and it can KO. To KO with this move I prefer being at the ending of the stages because it can KO very easily at 150% and if it doesn't KO them you can edgeguard/edgehog for the KO very easily. It has slight start up and slight ending lag, but nothing that really hurts your game if you use this correctly.
Up Tilt - Tail Flick
Damage: 5-7% (More damage the closer to body)
KO's: 155%
Hitbox: Body and tail.
Pikachu brings his tails back before swinging it forward. This has pretty nice range with Pikachu's tail being an extended hitbox from left, right, and above. Also this is good because this is the earliest and easiest tilt to KO with. It is a fast attack, can juggle very well, and can combo pretty nicely with other tilts and other attacks.
Down Tilt - Tail Sweep
Damage: 7%
KO's: 250%
Hitbox: In front of Pikachu with his tail.
Pikachu swipes forward with his tail. Personally I don’t like this tilt very much. There really isn't much knockback and takes a LONG TIME to KO with. I will give this move its props though. It has pretty good range forward, there is barely any lag at the beginning or end, and you can trip with this attack.
Update: You can cancel the ending lag of Down Tilt with a Smash. If you do, Pikachu will slide back a decent distance while doing his Smash. Has some nice options and uses.
Getting Up - Tail Spin
Damage: 6%
Hitbox: Pikachu's tail.
Pikachu gets up by spinning his tail around on the ground. Has some nice range because of tail and hits from behind and ahead of Pikachu.
Forward Smash - Electric Blast
Uncharged Damage: 17-20% (More damage the closer to body)
Uncharged KO's: 110%
Charged Damage: 19-28% (More damage the closer to body)
Charged KO's: 70%
Hitbox: In front of and slight below the forward hitbox.
Pikachu charges up energy in its cheeks before letting out two strings of electricity that end together in a ball. This is just an awesome animation that I can never get tired of and it is great because this is Pikachu's strongest Smash in damage and knockback. The start up isn't bad at all for a forward smash because all the time it takes to use an uncharged one is saying "Pika!" and charged takes only about three seconds total. The ending lag is about half of the time it takes to start up. Even though this attack has good range you usually want to use it with Pika's electric packed cheeks up against the opponent to get more damage and a more likely KO. Finally, this attack can be an easy end to combos and if an opponent is hanging on the edge (while their invincibility is gone) this attack can hit them.
Up Smash - Tail Flip
Uncharged Damage: 7-14% (More damage in front of Pikachu and closer to body)
Uncharged KO's: 125%
Charged Damage:10-20% (More damage in front of Pikachu and closer to body)
Charged KO's: 80%
Hitbox: Pikachu's tail.
Pikachu does a back flip with his tail out. The tip of the tail does less damage than the bottom of the tail. So with Pikachu's U-Smash once again you want to be facing the opponent, right next to them, to get the full effect even though it has decent range. Just like all Up Smashes you can use this one out of a dash which is when I mostly use this smash. This is also good for juggling and setting up for combos or even ending a combo. If you are facing an opponent while they are hanging on the age, this attack can hit them off it. There is barely any lag with this smash just like his forward smash which really helps get those quick KO's.
Down Smash - Electric Spin
Uncharged Damage: 15% (Damage may vary because this has multiple hits.)
Uncharged KO's: 125%
Charged Damage: 21% (Damage may vary because this has multiple hits.)
Charged KO's: 80%
Hitbox: Everywhere on Pikachu and slight ahead and behind him.
This is quite an interesting smash. Basically Pikachu gets onto the ground and spins with his tail slight curved and electricity coming out of his cheeks. This is Pikachu's fastest uncharged smash because it happens almost instantly that you hit in the command. This attack has multiple hits and the last hit does the most knockback and I find it more easily to keep the opponent trapped in this move and KO'd by doing it close up with Pikachu's back turn to the opponent. Just like all of Pikachu's smashes, this too can knock people off of ledges. Excellent down smash for Pikachu with no start up and little ending lag.
Grabs
Pikachu's Grab
The range for Pikachu's grab is pretty good, especially for a small character like him. To given a basic idea of his range, if Pikachu is behind and arrow at Final Destination and a character is at the very tip of that arrow, Pikachu can grab them. Also Pikachu can chain grab. To make his chain grabs look even more impressive, I use Dedede a lot and Pikachu can chain grab characters that Dedede can not, including Fox, Falco, and Sheik.
Grab Attack - Shock
Damage: 2%
Pikachu shoots some charges of electricity which each time you tap A do 2% damage. You can use this to mix up your chain throws with attacks just to throw your opponent off guard.
Forward Throw - Shock Toss
Damage: 10%
Pikachu puts the opponent on his back and shocks them, before tossing them off his back. This is a pretty good attack to follow up with ground moves and specials. Also this throw can be used for chain grabs. This is Pikachu's hardest chain grab, but it has more options than his easy one. Here is a list of people and to what percentage Pikachu can chain grab them with Forward Throw.
Damage: 9%
KO's: 260%
Pikachu rolls backwards with the opponent and releases. This is my favorite animation for throws, but the really good use for this is spacing. You can also you this move to throw them off the stage so that you can edgeguard. Nice throw, but his others are better.
Up Throw - Headbutt Toss
Damage: 10%
Pikachu puts the opponent on his head and headbutts them off. This is a great throw to set up your aerial game and to combo with Thunder. I can't really say much about it other than that. Just use it, trust me :D.
Down Throw - Slam
Damage: 10%
Pikachu throw the opponent onto the floor and slams down onto them. If you are going to use this throw, you are obviously wanting close combat or wanting to chain grab. There is barely much knockback for this move, but it is an easy chain grab for Pikachu. Here is a list just like above , but for down throw chain grabs.
Pikachu's aerials are good and make up a lot of Pikachu's comboing. You can also use Pikachu's aerials to edgeguard.
Neutral Aerial - Spin
Damage: 12%
KO's: 135%
Hitbox: Pikachu's body and tail.
Pikachu spins around in a circle. This is a good aerial to short hop or combined other aerials with plus it can KO pretty well. It doesn't have a lot of start up which just adds to the impressive factor. However ending lag can be against you if your opponent gets the chance to punish and with Pikachu being short, ranged attack will be hard to get through. Overall, this is potentially Pikachu's best aerial due to speed, damage, and knockback.
Forward Aerial - Electric Screw
Damage: 1-2% (Closer to body the more damage it does.)
Hitbox: Pikachu's face and electric animations.
Pikachu faces forward and does a corkscrew in the air. Though this attack doesn’t really have much knockback and barely any damage there are some good use for it. You can hit multiple times and use it multiple times, you can control Pikachu very smoothly while he is doing the attack, it is a pretty safe approach, and you can push your opponent out farther when they are off the stage then return back onto the stage and edgehog.
Back Aerial - Pika-Chopper
Damage: 1-2% (Closer to body the more damage.)
KO's: 250%
Hitbox: Pikachu's whole body.
Pikachu extends its four legs and spins like a helicopter in the air. It is a pretty good aerial to rack up damage quickly because it has multiple hits and it approaches nicely. Also you can use this to edgeguard like F-air.
Up Aerial - Upward Tail Flick
Damage: 5-6% (Closer to body the more damage.)
Hitbox: Pikachu's tail.
Pikachu spins with its tail out. This and N-air are good for juggling along with u-tilt. Also if you are looking for the most damage on the ground, try using it like a b-air since it does more damage from behind than facing the opponent.
Down Aerial - Electric Drill
Damage: 4, 12, or 16%
KO's: 165%
Hitbox: Pikachu's face and electric animations.
This is basically Electric Screw with Pikachu facing down and somehow more damage. If you use this attack while the opponent is at low percentages you can use it in a short hop as a good approach. If you use this attack while they are at high percentages, it has some nice knockback. If you are looking to KO with this move then get them off the stage and use it on them. It will not spike, but it can knock them farther than b-air and f-air. I really like this aerial and even though I think N-air might be better, I prefer D-air.
Update: It turns out that there are two hits on this attack. The first does 12% and the second does 4% so you can do a total of 16% with this attack. Easy damage = awesome.
Specials
Let just start off by saying Pikachu has my favorite specials in the whole game. They are all effective and each are versatile attacks. Now let's take a look at all four deeper.
Neutral Special - Thunder Jolt
Damage: 6 or 9%
Hitbox: Moving projectile.
This attack has two animations. The first animation is basically if Pikachu uses Thunder Jolt on the ground or if it lands on the ground from the air. A string of electricity will quickly move across the stage in an animation like a slanky. This attack does 6% damage. If you use the attack in the air, it will move diagonally as a ball of electricity. It may just be me, but the aerial Thunder Jolt seems to be faster than it was in Melee. Anyways it does 9% damage if it hits. There is a second way to get 9% damage which is if you use Thunder Jolt right next to the opponent (with the strong not even starting on the ground) it will hit for 9%. Overall Thunder Jolt is spamable (good for tricking them into doing something stupid) and is Pikachu's true projectile.
Side Special - Skull Bash
Damage: 7-25% (Based on how long charged)
Uncharged KO's: 300%
Charged KO's 70%
Hitbox: Pikachu's body.
This is my favorite special Pikachu has. Basically you push left or right and B then you hold in B and Pikachu will build up momentum in place. Once you let go of B Pikachu he jumps vertically and spins horizontally at the direction you aimed. If it hits, Pikachu's momentum will stop and the opponent will go flying off the stage. If it fails then you will be flying until the attack ends and then you can get onto the stage with Quick Attack if needed. The ending lag is indeed punishable so if your opponent dodges it or blocks correctly they have a good chance at counter striking. The problem for the opponents though is it is not infrequent that they underestimate how this will hit or how powerful it is and they get punished very hard.
You can also use Skull Bash for recovery in two ways. One way is to use it above the stage. This can be good cause you can try to get back onto the stage horizontally and even possibly hit your opponent a strong, charged attack. The second way to do this is to aim for the edge and Pikachu will hit the edge will Skull Bash, before latching on it. If the opponent is trying to edgehog while you do this, they will get knocked back onto the stage by Skull Bash and Pikachu will still grab the stage afterwards.
Up Special - Quick Attack
Damage: 3%
Hitbox: Pikachu's body. (sheesh how many times have I said this.)
This is a very good attack and is excellent for recovery. When you push B and up you can instantly choose a direction for Pikachu to go by moving the control stick. He will jump a pretty fair distance (maybe a little more than half the size of Final Destination) in the chosen direction. You can use Quick Attack again right after that by pushing the control stick in a different direction than your first Quick Attack. If Pikachu hits an opponent this attack will do 3% and if you hit an edge you latch on to it. If the opponent is on the ledge, they will drop down while you grab the ledge. You can also hit the ground or a platform with this attack and if you do that you are using the Quick Attack Cancel or QuACk. However, you can just wait a little bit longer to read about that because I wrote a whole section on it below.
Down Special - Thunder
Damage: 10% or 17%
KO's: 75% or 190% (Varies a lot on the character's position and how you use this attack.)
Hitbox: Small range next to Pikachu and directly the thunder bolt.
PIKA! *BOOM*
Pikachu screams out "PIKA!" and a thunder bolt comes down to the stage with a long vertical range. If you hit your opponent with the tip of the thunder bolt it will do 10% damage and if Pikachu is hit by the electricity, a small range next to Pikachu and including Pikachu will do 17% to anyone touching him or the range. The start up lag is basically a tenth of a second after Pikachu screams out the first half of his name. The end lag takes a little while, but it is a shorter time than in Melee. Defiantly don't use it off the stage unless you know you will come back or else you are down one stock.
Final Smash
Final Smash - Volt Tackle
Hitbox: In a small range of Pikachu when you start this attack up there is an automatic hit. Then the whole orb of electricity created from Volt Tackle becomes a giant hitbox.
A lot of people don't really like Pikachu's Final Smash because it is a harder one to control. Here are some tips though that I hope give people better control of the Final Smash. When Volt Tackle first begins, if your opponent is with the range of the orb, they will receive 11% damage with minor knockback.
Now after this you may move the orb wherever and even though I will say it does take practice to really move freely, you must realize that this is a totally different attack than Sonic's (who basically you control freely and continuously knock into people to KO.). Just in training mode, try out Pikachu's final smash and move in any two directions then let go of the control stick (This can even be done in curves if you get decent at it.). The Volt Tackle will continuously go in those directions back and forth until it begins to disappear. You can use this to knock an opponent back and forth to rack up some damage, then if they try to escape you can easily enter a new command for the attack. With this tactic you are basically racking up damage so that you can use something like a smash or Thunder when you are out of the orb.
Another good thing to do with the Volt Tackle is to keep it stored in Pikachu until your opponent is a nice distance away from the board. Then, you jump out and use Volt Tackle, enter the directions you want Pikachu to move, and eventually they are down a stock. Just try out these tips in training mode because they do help in the matches that you use Final Smashes in.
If you tap A during Volt Tackle, electricity will come out from the orb. This also seems to make controlling it a lot easier.
V. Combos
Pikachu is an excellent comboer who can combo straight into KO's. These are in no way all the combos of Pikachu, but a few combos that can be used a lot in game play. So here we go.
D-tilt > F-tilt
D-tilt > F-smash
U-tilt > U-tilt > D-smash
U-tilt > U-tilt > U-air > Thunder
U-tilt > U-tilt > Jump > U-air > Fast Fall > Jump > U-air > Double Jump > N-air
Short Hop > N-air > Grab > U-throw > Thunder
Thunder Jolt > N-attack > Thunder
Grab > F-throw > Dashing Cancel U-smash
Grab > B-throw > Skull Bash
Grab > D-throw > Short Hop > D-air
Grab > D-throw > U-tilt > U-smash
Grab > U-throw > Double Jump > F-air > N-air
Grab > U-throw > Jump > B-air > Double Jump > U-air
Grab > Grab Attack x2 > U-throw > Thunder
Grab > Grab Attack x2 > U-throw > U-smash > Thunder
VI. Strategies & Advance Techniques
- Approaching
Short Hop Fast Fall Aerials
These are basically the way you want to approach with Pikachu. In Melee, they were a lot more abusable because the game was faster and L-canceling was there. Even though this might have changed you still should use Pikachu's short hopped aerials if you expect to use him to his fullest. I find that N-air and D-air are the best ways to approach with Pikachu because they both have nice hitboxes, damage, and fast animations. There really isn't a whole lot to say, but it is something you really need to put in your game.
Jolt Punish
Thunder Jolt really is one of Pikachu's most effective attacks. You can use it for keeping distance on characters with weak or no projectiles, mind games, edgeguarding, and even approaching. Approaching with this move is kind of like a hard to avoid mind game because even if your opponent knows you are using it, they only have a limited amount of options. Jump up with Pikachu and use Thunder Jolt. You can either aim it so that is going to go after the opponent diagonally or so that it will hit the ground near them. After you use this, since they are either going to have to avoid or get hit by Thunder Jolt, you can easily follow up with N-air, D-air, or F-air. To avoid being shield grabbed if they decide to block all of the attacks, try to always dash then jump. You will usually jump pass them and then you can follow up with a grab or a nasty D-smash. You can always run away as well, but I usually like to follow up after this.
- Edgeguarding
F-Smash Edgehog
This is quite an easy way to edgeguard an opponent. When your opponent is sent off the edge and they are trying to grab the edge use the ball at the end of your F-smash to knock them back out. You can aim this where the opponent is about to be or aim the ball of electricity over the edge. It can KO or be a good way to set up other edgeguard techniques with some added damage.
D-Air
I know I mentioned this in the D-air description above, but it really is something that helps edgeguard. Basically, if you know your opponent is going to need their Up B to return to the stage and they are not in good range to use it yet, you can go off the stage with Pikachu and use his D-air. This attack will basically finish them off and due to Pikachu's good recovery you can safely make it back with any remaining jumps and Quick Attack.
Grab > B-throw > Skull Bash (Edgeguard Variant)
Above I mentioned this as a combo, but I really usually use this to edgeguard. Basically, make sure your opponent is at enough damage so that B-throw will put them a nice distance away. Then if you can predict what they are going to do next, aim up for Skull Bash, and charge it. If you miss and the character you are aiming at is a good aerial character, you are probably going to lose a stock. Hitting them with this though will most likely push a character to far to return or even can KO them due to you being closer to the boundaries. Just use this attack smartly and sparingly so that your opponent will not be able to guess that you are about to charge a Skull Bash to edgeguard.
Jolt Block
While your opponent is on their second jump or they have just used their Up Special to try to return to the stage, you may jump up with Pikachu and use Thunder Jolt. If aimed correctly, the ball will hit the opponent and they will fall for a few frames. Characters that do not have good enough recovery will most likely fall to their death and you can always use this again, edgehog, or use some other edgeguard tactics.
Thunder Guard
When your opponent is trying to return to the edge, you can jump off the stage, then use your double jump to jump back toward the stage, and while you are jumping
backwards use Thunder. The thunder bolt will hit next to the stage and they will be either forced to be hit or not be able to recovery. This won't be as effective on floating characters or characters with amazing recovery.
Double-Thunder
Run and jump off the stage and thunder at the top of your jump. You should keep sailing off the stage after the first thunder. The use your second jump and thunder again. After that Thunder hits you, QA back to the stage. This one works great for opponents that like to DI away from the first Thunder, that way you hit them with the second one.
Triple-Thunder
Go near the edge of the Stage and jump off slightly. Use your second jump to cancel out your horizontal momentum and use Thunder 3x quickly. You should be pretty far under the stage but a good diagonal QA should get you back without a problem. This works great with opponents that can float/stall in the air. It also can get the Tether Recovery group as well since it's almost like a constant line of Thunders.
- Thunderflipping
Thunderflipping
Thunderflipping is when you use U-smash followed by Thunder with the purpose of getting a KO pretty early than what you could with an uncharged U-smash. The two easiest ways to do this that I know of are to dash then use your U-smash followed by Thunder or to use U-smash out of a shield then Thunder. This is a very good tactic to use, but you need to make sure that your opponent will not hit you with an aerial or else you will be punished.
- QuACk
Quick Attack Cancel
I really should just go into the city and ask random people what QuACk means because the answers would be very wrong :D. Basically QuACk is
Qu: Quick
A: Attack
C: Cancel
k: Makes it easier to understand as a word.
This can be used offensively, defensively, and for mind games. It is kind of hard to get use to (timing), but once you can Quick Attack back and forth across a stage with Quick Attack Cancels, I would say you probably got it down. To use QuACk, you do a Quick Attack into the ground or a platform. You can use any type of Quick Attack and use any of the two Quick Attacks for this. Once you hit the ground or platform, you have an almost instant moment of being just above the ground. During this you are basically performing a free jump and can use any attack that you could use out of a short hop, including all attacks, even Quick Attack.
Usefulness
There are few things you can do after a Quick Attack Cancel, but there may be more options. It is just that the game is so new, that there is much left to learn.
Aerials: After the Quick Attack Cancel you can use any aerial while Pikachu is being bounced up. D-air is probably the easiest, but the others have their uses. F-air can be used to rack up a little bit of damage. U-air can be used to set up combos. N-air can be used to get 12% in and you can try some other aerials to follow up with after QuACk. B-air can be useful, but I have barely been able to get this going straight out of a Quick Attack Cancel and usually need to jump afterwards to land it. Always remember you have two jumps left after the Quick Attack Cancel jump. A nice aerial maneuver is to jump after the QuACk, then follow up with a fast aerial, and use Quick Attack Cancel again to rinse & repeat. You can really do this forever if you got extremely good at it.
Edgehog: You can edgehog with Quick Attack after a Quick Attack Cancel. What you do here is you Quick Attack Cancel close to the edge, then you follow up with a Quick Attack aimed at the edge. This gives a nice, fast way to edgehog, but you will probably need some practice. You can always do a Quick Attack after the "second" one because you already canceled the intentional Quick Attack.
Mind Games: Throwing the opponent off is great with this move. You can just keep Quick Attack Canceling through your opponent (which will do 3% each hit), Quick Attack in place over and over, or just go all over the place like your opponent isn't even there. Obviously be smart with this and don't overkill, but do it enough to keep your opponent guessing about what kind of attack you will follow up with after the Quick Attack Cancel.
Thunder QuACk: Thunder QuACking is a nice move if you have your opponent guessing what kind of move or are going to do, then all of a sudden you land right next to them and use Thunder. So far from using this move personally, Pikachu always lands on the ground if you use it right after the Quick Attack Cancel which means Pikachu gets striked by the Thunder in the same way if you had used it on the ground. The most effective thing about this is no one really thinks you are going to use a not so instant attack after a Quick Attack. You also alternatively use a jump after the Quick Attack and then use Thunder.
- Stages
Here is a short guide of what stages Pikachu likes and how you can use each of these stages to your advantage.
Battlefield
This board is so short and has three close platforms which means Pikachu could really move with Quick Attack Cancels and jumps the whole match. The Battlefield has a disadvantage for Pikachu because it will be harder to land Thunder at the same level as your opponent, but it has an advantage too because you can hit your opponents who are on platforms with it. Thunder Jolt is good here also because you can use it off of platforms.
Corneria
This stage was great for Pikachu in Melee and it is still great for Pikachu in Brawl. Pikachu's Thunder Jolt is very effective from the top and bottom of the wing/fin. You can basically stop an opponent from stalling under the fin by shooting down some Thunder Jolts. If you are under the fin, you can shoot Thunder Jolts heading straight up the wing. Pikachu's grab game is good enough to throw your opponents into the lasers and the top of the fin is high enough to get some easy KO's with Pika, especially with Thunderflipping.
Final Destination/Smashville
These are two good stages for Pikachu that really have the same advantages. Both a great for QuACk, juggling, aerials, edgeguarding, and close range Thunder. On Smashville, there is the floating platform that can be used for grabs and all of Pikachu's regular platform advantages.
Hyrule Temple
LOL. Do I have to say anything? Pikachu is a pretty fast character and will only not have an advantage here against equally as fast or faster opponents. Also Thunder is easy to hit with because of all of the layers. Very nice stage for Pikachu.
Pokemon Stadium (Melee)
With the Pokemon Stadium from Melee's regular battlefield you have platforms which are good for QuACk, Thunder Jolt, and Thunder. When it morphs into the Fire and Rock-type stadiums, you basically get to hide. When on these morphs you can use Thunder Jolt at ranges and Thunder when they come close. This is still a fairly neutral board, but it just shows that Pikachu has some home field advantages.
Pokemon Stadium 2
Pikachu still gets his platform advantages like I said above and he gets the same advantages in the ice zone, but the platforms are more spaced. Pikachu can also do sliding Thunders on the ice stage which can be helpful at times. In the air stage, Pikachu is kinda weak because his aerials are good for comboing and this kinda disrupts the combos. Plus any characters with long hitboxes with have a huge advantage over Pikachu here. Finally, the electric stage is just for Pikachu. If the get on the platforms you can use Thunder and while they are on the treadmill Pika can Thunder Jolt and if you really try, get a basic free kill on this version of the stage.
Spear Pillar
On Spear Pillar, Pikachu can spam Thunder Jolt pretty nicely since both levels are flat. Also since Pikachu is faster, if you force your opponent to follow you to the other level, you get free attacks almost all of the time. From the bottom of the stage you can use Thunder which will hit people on the top. There are some other advantages Pikachu has here, but they really depend on the way the stage is transformed.
VII. Closing
Overall Pikachu is a very adaptable character who play fast, but with strategy and mind games. If anyone finds out other good tactics, strategies, combos, or anything else about QuACk then please PM or post here. Also I will be updating this almost weekly as I find out more with Pikachu. I also hope to add a section of how to fight all characters with Pikachu. Hope you enjoyed the read and I hope this helps.
Expect another update in the next two days and another on the weekend.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Pros/Cons
III. Costumes
IV. Attacks
V. Combos
VI. Strategies & Advance Techniques
- Approaching
- Edgeguarding
- Thunderflipping
- QuACk
- Stages
VII. Closing
I. Introduction
Mascot of the Pokemon Franchise, Pikachu has been in Pokemon since the beginning and is the main Pokemon of the anime series. He is a mouse with electric emitting from the cheeks and even though it is only 1'4" you better watch out. If you are interested in finding out about true Pika Power and you have a GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, or if it ever gets onto the Virtual Console defiantly try out Pokemon Yellow version. You can get a Surfing Pikachu and a sweet mini-game with Pika surfing. Just remember, you are cooler if you keep Pikachu in your six all game. Anyways in the Smash Bros franchise, Pikachu has always been a quick character with power attacks and great recovery and I have mained him ever since Smash 64. He is a fun and great character to use and I recommend him to anyone who wants a quick, powerful character with good range.
II. Pros/Cons
Every character has their strengths and weaknesses. If you wish to be the best with a character you have to identify its pros and cons so that you and try to turn those weaknesses into strengths. Here are some of Pikachu's major advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
* Fast Character
* Short Target
* Ability To Crawl
* Great Recovery
* All Specials Have Great Range
* Strong For Very Light-Weight
* Good Aerials
* Good Comboer
* Nice Grab Game
* Not too much lag in attacks other than Thunder
* QuACk! (Just wait and see!)
Cons
* Very Light-Weight
* Weak Tilt Damage
* Short Ranged Aerials
* Most Ranged Attacks Are Better Right Next To Characters
III. Costumes
Pikachu doesn’t really have too many costumes, but what is cool is I personally think they are all great. I just wish they had a Pikachu with a blue bandana around its neck like from the Pikachu Carmelldansen Videos :D. Out of Pikachu's costumes in Brawl I usually go for the default and headband costumes. (Waits for someone to say wear the goggles noob.)
IV. Attacks
Alright, for the following I have put a range of percentages which depend on where you hit with the attacks. For the most part, if an attack can do more damage with Pikachu it is right next to the character. Also I have tested all of Pikachu's attacks to see which ones KO and at what percentage they do (I only counted attacks that can KO at 300% or less).
NOTICE: All attacks Pikachu has other than grabs can attack characters hanging on edges.
Ground Attacks
Neutral Attack - Ram
Damage: 2%
Hitbox: Pikachu's head and back (for the back hitbox the opponent needs to be above Pikachu.
Pikachu leans forward and rams his head into the opponent. If you hold down A or tap it repeately, the attack with continue with 2% per hit.
This attack is pretty good, your opponent can usually DI out of this after 3-4 repeat hits, but I use this move a lot because there really isn't any start up and the ending lag is basically you letting go of A.
Dashing Attack - Headbutt
Damage: 7%
Hitbox: Pikachu's head and back (for the back hitbox the opponent needs to be above Pikachu.
Pikachu just forward in the direction he is running and hits the opponent with its head.
It is a nice dash and at very low percentages you can follow up with some Neutral Attacks and 0-about 60% you can follow up with tilts. After this though the knockback will be too large and you will have to follow up with aerials, rolling, specials, or another dash attack. This can also knock the opponent off the stage to set them up to be edge guarded, but I like using this move mostly to set up combos.
Forward Tilt - Horse Kick
Damage: 9%
KO's: 200%
Hitbox: Pikachu's hind legs.
Pikachu gets on his front legs and kicks forward, similar to Sonic's forward tilt. This is by far my favorite tilt of Pikachu's because it can be used in combos, it does the most damage, it can be used for spacing, and it can KO. To KO with this move I prefer being at the ending of the stages because it can KO very easily at 150% and if it doesn't KO them you can edgeguard/edgehog for the KO very easily. It has slight start up and slight ending lag, but nothing that really hurts your game if you use this correctly.
Up Tilt - Tail Flick
Damage: 5-7% (More damage the closer to body)
KO's: 155%
Hitbox: Body and tail.
Pikachu brings his tails back before swinging it forward. This has pretty nice range with Pikachu's tail being an extended hitbox from left, right, and above. Also this is good because this is the earliest and easiest tilt to KO with. It is a fast attack, can juggle very well, and can combo pretty nicely with other tilts and other attacks.
Down Tilt - Tail Sweep
Damage: 7%
KO's: 250%
Hitbox: In front of Pikachu with his tail.
Pikachu swipes forward with his tail. Personally I don’t like this tilt very much. There really isn't much knockback and takes a LONG TIME to KO with. I will give this move its props though. It has pretty good range forward, there is barely any lag at the beginning or end, and you can trip with this attack.
Update: You can cancel the ending lag of Down Tilt with a Smash. If you do, Pikachu will slide back a decent distance while doing his Smash. Has some nice options and uses.
Getting Up - Tail Spin
Damage: 6%
Hitbox: Pikachu's tail.
Pikachu gets up by spinning his tail around on the ground. Has some nice range because of tail and hits from behind and ahead of Pikachu.
Forward Smash - Electric Blast
Uncharged Damage: 17-20% (More damage the closer to body)
Uncharged KO's: 110%
Charged Damage: 19-28% (More damage the closer to body)
Charged KO's: 70%
Hitbox: In front of and slight below the forward hitbox.
Pikachu charges up energy in its cheeks before letting out two strings of electricity that end together in a ball. This is just an awesome animation that I can never get tired of and it is great because this is Pikachu's strongest Smash in damage and knockback. The start up isn't bad at all for a forward smash because all the time it takes to use an uncharged one is saying "Pika!" and charged takes only about three seconds total. The ending lag is about half of the time it takes to start up. Even though this attack has good range you usually want to use it with Pika's electric packed cheeks up against the opponent to get more damage and a more likely KO. Finally, this attack can be an easy end to combos and if an opponent is hanging on the edge (while their invincibility is gone) this attack can hit them.
Up Smash - Tail Flip
Uncharged Damage: 7-14% (More damage in front of Pikachu and closer to body)
Uncharged KO's: 125%
Charged Damage:10-20% (More damage in front of Pikachu and closer to body)
Charged KO's: 80%
Hitbox: Pikachu's tail.
Pikachu does a back flip with his tail out. The tip of the tail does less damage than the bottom of the tail. So with Pikachu's U-Smash once again you want to be facing the opponent, right next to them, to get the full effect even though it has decent range. Just like all Up Smashes you can use this one out of a dash which is when I mostly use this smash. This is also good for juggling and setting up for combos or even ending a combo. If you are facing an opponent while they are hanging on the age, this attack can hit them off it. There is barely any lag with this smash just like his forward smash which really helps get those quick KO's.
Down Smash - Electric Spin
Uncharged Damage: 15% (Damage may vary because this has multiple hits.)
Uncharged KO's: 125%
Charged Damage: 21% (Damage may vary because this has multiple hits.)
Charged KO's: 80%
Hitbox: Everywhere on Pikachu and slight ahead and behind him.
This is quite an interesting smash. Basically Pikachu gets onto the ground and spins with his tail slight curved and electricity coming out of his cheeks. This is Pikachu's fastest uncharged smash because it happens almost instantly that you hit in the command. This attack has multiple hits and the last hit does the most knockback and I find it more easily to keep the opponent trapped in this move and KO'd by doing it close up with Pikachu's back turn to the opponent. Just like all of Pikachu's smashes, this too can knock people off of ledges. Excellent down smash for Pikachu with no start up and little ending lag.
Grabs
Pikachu's Grab
The range for Pikachu's grab is pretty good, especially for a small character like him. To given a basic idea of his range, if Pikachu is behind and arrow at Final Destination and a character is at the very tip of that arrow, Pikachu can grab them. Also Pikachu can chain grab. To make his chain grabs look even more impressive, I use Dedede a lot and Pikachu can chain grab characters that Dedede can not, including Fox, Falco, and Sheik.
Grab Attack - Shock
Damage: 2%
Pikachu shoots some charges of electricity which each time you tap A do 2% damage. You can use this to mix up your chain throws with attacks just to throw your opponent off guard.
Forward Throw - Shock Toss
Damage: 10%
Pikachu puts the opponent on his back and shocks them, before tossing them off his back. This is a pretty good attack to follow up with ground moves and specials. Also this throw can be used for chain grabs. This is Pikachu's hardest chain grab, but it has more options than his easy one. Here is a list of people and to what percentage Pikachu can chain grab them with Forward Throw.
Back Throw - Pika Roll
Damage: 9%
KO's: 260%
Pikachu rolls backwards with the opponent and releases. This is my favorite animation for throws, but the really good use for this is spacing. You can also you this move to throw them off the stage so that you can edgeguard. Nice throw, but his others are better.
Up Throw - Headbutt Toss
Damage: 10%
Pikachu puts the opponent on his head and headbutts them off. This is a great throw to set up your aerial game and to combo with Thunder. I can't really say much about it other than that. Just use it, trust me :D.
Down Throw - Slam
Damage: 10%
Pikachu throw the opponent onto the floor and slams down onto them. If you are going to use this throw, you are obviously wanting close combat or wanting to chain grab. There is barely much knockback for this move, but it is an easy chain grab for Pikachu. Here is a list just like above , but for down throw chain grabs.
Aerials
Pikachu's aerials are good and make up a lot of Pikachu's comboing. You can also use Pikachu's aerials to edgeguard.
Neutral Aerial - Spin
Damage: 12%
KO's: 135%
Hitbox: Pikachu's body and tail.
Pikachu spins around in a circle. This is a good aerial to short hop or combined other aerials with plus it can KO pretty well. It doesn't have a lot of start up which just adds to the impressive factor. However ending lag can be against you if your opponent gets the chance to punish and with Pikachu being short, ranged attack will be hard to get through. Overall, this is potentially Pikachu's best aerial due to speed, damage, and knockback.
Forward Aerial - Electric Screw
Damage: 1-2% (Closer to body the more damage it does.)
Hitbox: Pikachu's face and electric animations.
Pikachu faces forward and does a corkscrew in the air. Though this attack doesn’t really have much knockback and barely any damage there are some good use for it. You can hit multiple times and use it multiple times, you can control Pikachu very smoothly while he is doing the attack, it is a pretty safe approach, and you can push your opponent out farther when they are off the stage then return back onto the stage and edgehog.
Back Aerial - Pika-Chopper
Damage: 1-2% (Closer to body the more damage.)
KO's: 250%
Hitbox: Pikachu's whole body.
Pikachu extends its four legs and spins like a helicopter in the air. It is a pretty good aerial to rack up damage quickly because it has multiple hits and it approaches nicely. Also you can use this to edgeguard like F-air.
Up Aerial - Upward Tail Flick
Damage: 5-6% (Closer to body the more damage.)
Hitbox: Pikachu's tail.
Pikachu spins with its tail out. This and N-air are good for juggling along with u-tilt. Also if you are looking for the most damage on the ground, try using it like a b-air since it does more damage from behind than facing the opponent.
Down Aerial - Electric Drill
Damage: 4, 12, or 16%
KO's: 165%
Hitbox: Pikachu's face and electric animations.
This is basically Electric Screw with Pikachu facing down and somehow more damage. If you use this attack while the opponent is at low percentages you can use it in a short hop as a good approach. If you use this attack while they are at high percentages, it has some nice knockback. If you are looking to KO with this move then get them off the stage and use it on them. It will not spike, but it can knock them farther than b-air and f-air. I really like this aerial and even though I think N-air might be better, I prefer D-air.
Update: It turns out that there are two hits on this attack. The first does 12% and the second does 4% so you can do a total of 16% with this attack. Easy damage = awesome.
Specials
Let just start off by saying Pikachu has my favorite specials in the whole game. They are all effective and each are versatile attacks. Now let's take a look at all four deeper.
Neutral Special - Thunder Jolt
Damage: 6 or 9%
Hitbox: Moving projectile.
This attack has two animations. The first animation is basically if Pikachu uses Thunder Jolt on the ground or if it lands on the ground from the air. A string of electricity will quickly move across the stage in an animation like a slanky. This attack does 6% damage. If you use the attack in the air, it will move diagonally as a ball of electricity. It may just be me, but the aerial Thunder Jolt seems to be faster than it was in Melee. Anyways it does 9% damage if it hits. There is a second way to get 9% damage which is if you use Thunder Jolt right next to the opponent (with the strong not even starting on the ground) it will hit for 9%. Overall Thunder Jolt is spamable (good for tricking them into doing something stupid) and is Pikachu's true projectile.
Side Special - Skull Bash
Damage: 7-25% (Based on how long charged)
Uncharged KO's: 300%
Charged KO's 70%
Hitbox: Pikachu's body.
This is my favorite special Pikachu has. Basically you push left or right and B then you hold in B and Pikachu will build up momentum in place. Once you let go of B Pikachu he jumps vertically and spins horizontally at the direction you aimed. If it hits, Pikachu's momentum will stop and the opponent will go flying off the stage. If it fails then you will be flying until the attack ends and then you can get onto the stage with Quick Attack if needed. The ending lag is indeed punishable so if your opponent dodges it or blocks correctly they have a good chance at counter striking. The problem for the opponents though is it is not infrequent that they underestimate how this will hit or how powerful it is and they get punished very hard.
You can also use Skull Bash for recovery in two ways. One way is to use it above the stage. This can be good cause you can try to get back onto the stage horizontally and even possibly hit your opponent a strong, charged attack. The second way to do this is to aim for the edge and Pikachu will hit the edge will Skull Bash, before latching on it. If the opponent is trying to edgehog while you do this, they will get knocked back onto the stage by Skull Bash and Pikachu will still grab the stage afterwards.
Up Special - Quick Attack
Damage: 3%
Hitbox: Pikachu's body. (sheesh how many times have I said this.)
This is a very good attack and is excellent for recovery. When you push B and up you can instantly choose a direction for Pikachu to go by moving the control stick. He will jump a pretty fair distance (maybe a little more than half the size of Final Destination) in the chosen direction. You can use Quick Attack again right after that by pushing the control stick in a different direction than your first Quick Attack. If Pikachu hits an opponent this attack will do 3% and if you hit an edge you latch on to it. If the opponent is on the ledge, they will drop down while you grab the ledge. You can also hit the ground or a platform with this attack and if you do that you are using the Quick Attack Cancel or QuACk. However, you can just wait a little bit longer to read about that because I wrote a whole section on it below.
Down Special - Thunder
Damage: 10% or 17%
KO's: 75% or 190% (Varies a lot on the character's position and how you use this attack.)
Hitbox: Small range next to Pikachu and directly the thunder bolt.
PIKA! *BOOM*
Pikachu screams out "PIKA!" and a thunder bolt comes down to the stage with a long vertical range. If you hit your opponent with the tip of the thunder bolt it will do 10% damage and if Pikachu is hit by the electricity, a small range next to Pikachu and including Pikachu will do 17% to anyone touching him or the range. The start up lag is basically a tenth of a second after Pikachu screams out the first half of his name. The end lag takes a little while, but it is a shorter time than in Melee. Defiantly don't use it off the stage unless you know you will come back or else you are down one stock.
Final Smash
Final Smash - Volt Tackle
Hitbox: In a small range of Pikachu when you start this attack up there is an automatic hit. Then the whole orb of electricity created from Volt Tackle becomes a giant hitbox.
A lot of people don't really like Pikachu's Final Smash because it is a harder one to control. Here are some tips though that I hope give people better control of the Final Smash. When Volt Tackle first begins, if your opponent is with the range of the orb, they will receive 11% damage with minor knockback.
Now after this you may move the orb wherever and even though I will say it does take practice to really move freely, you must realize that this is a totally different attack than Sonic's (who basically you control freely and continuously knock into people to KO.). Just in training mode, try out Pikachu's final smash and move in any two directions then let go of the control stick (This can even be done in curves if you get decent at it.). The Volt Tackle will continuously go in those directions back and forth until it begins to disappear. You can use this to knock an opponent back and forth to rack up some damage, then if they try to escape you can easily enter a new command for the attack. With this tactic you are basically racking up damage so that you can use something like a smash or Thunder when you are out of the orb.
Another good thing to do with the Volt Tackle is to keep it stored in Pikachu until your opponent is a nice distance away from the board. Then, you jump out and use Volt Tackle, enter the directions you want Pikachu to move, and eventually they are down a stock. Just try out these tips in training mode because they do help in the matches that you use Final Smashes in.
If you tap A during Volt Tackle, electricity will come out from the orb. This also seems to make controlling it a lot easier.
V. Combos
Pikachu is an excellent comboer who can combo straight into KO's. These are in no way all the combos of Pikachu, but a few combos that can be used a lot in game play. So here we go.
D-tilt > F-tilt
D-tilt > F-smash
U-tilt > U-tilt > D-smash
U-tilt > U-tilt > U-air > Thunder
U-tilt > U-tilt > Jump > U-air > Fast Fall > Jump > U-air > Double Jump > N-air
Short Hop > N-air > Grab > U-throw > Thunder
Thunder Jolt > N-attack > Thunder
Grab > F-throw > Dashing Cancel U-smash
Grab > B-throw > Skull Bash
Grab > D-throw > Short Hop > D-air
Grab > D-throw > U-tilt > U-smash
Grab > U-throw > Double Jump > F-air > N-air
Grab > U-throw > Jump > B-air > Double Jump > U-air
Grab > Grab Attack x2 > U-throw > Thunder
Grab > Grab Attack x2 > U-throw > U-smash > Thunder
VI. Strategies & Advance Techniques
- Approaching
Short Hop Fast Fall Aerials
These are basically the way you want to approach with Pikachu. In Melee, they were a lot more abusable because the game was faster and L-canceling was there. Even though this might have changed you still should use Pikachu's short hopped aerials if you expect to use him to his fullest. I find that N-air and D-air are the best ways to approach with Pikachu because they both have nice hitboxes, damage, and fast animations. There really isn't a whole lot to say, but it is something you really need to put in your game.
Jolt Punish
Thunder Jolt really is one of Pikachu's most effective attacks. You can use it for keeping distance on characters with weak or no projectiles, mind games, edgeguarding, and even approaching. Approaching with this move is kind of like a hard to avoid mind game because even if your opponent knows you are using it, they only have a limited amount of options. Jump up with Pikachu and use Thunder Jolt. You can either aim it so that is going to go after the opponent diagonally or so that it will hit the ground near them. After you use this, since they are either going to have to avoid or get hit by Thunder Jolt, you can easily follow up with N-air, D-air, or F-air. To avoid being shield grabbed if they decide to block all of the attacks, try to always dash then jump. You will usually jump pass them and then you can follow up with a grab or a nasty D-smash. You can always run away as well, but I usually like to follow up after this.
- Edgeguarding
F-Smash Edgehog
This is quite an easy way to edgeguard an opponent. When your opponent is sent off the edge and they are trying to grab the edge use the ball at the end of your F-smash to knock them back out. You can aim this where the opponent is about to be or aim the ball of electricity over the edge. It can KO or be a good way to set up other edgeguard techniques with some added damage.
D-Air
I know I mentioned this in the D-air description above, but it really is something that helps edgeguard. Basically, if you know your opponent is going to need their Up B to return to the stage and they are not in good range to use it yet, you can go off the stage with Pikachu and use his D-air. This attack will basically finish them off and due to Pikachu's good recovery you can safely make it back with any remaining jumps and Quick Attack.
Grab > B-throw > Skull Bash (Edgeguard Variant)
Above I mentioned this as a combo, but I really usually use this to edgeguard. Basically, make sure your opponent is at enough damage so that B-throw will put them a nice distance away. Then if you can predict what they are going to do next, aim up for Skull Bash, and charge it. If you miss and the character you are aiming at is a good aerial character, you are probably going to lose a stock. Hitting them with this though will most likely push a character to far to return or even can KO them due to you being closer to the boundaries. Just use this attack smartly and sparingly so that your opponent will not be able to guess that you are about to charge a Skull Bash to edgeguard.
Jolt Block
While your opponent is on their second jump or they have just used their Up Special to try to return to the stage, you may jump up with Pikachu and use Thunder Jolt. If aimed correctly, the ball will hit the opponent and they will fall for a few frames. Characters that do not have good enough recovery will most likely fall to their death and you can always use this again, edgehog, or use some other edgeguard tactics.
Thunder Guard
When your opponent is trying to return to the edge, you can jump off the stage, then use your double jump to jump back toward the stage, and while you are jumping
backwards use Thunder. The thunder bolt will hit next to the stage and they will be either forced to be hit or not be able to recovery. This won't be as effective on floating characters or characters with amazing recovery.
Double-Thunder
Run and jump off the stage and thunder at the top of your jump. You should keep sailing off the stage after the first thunder. The use your second jump and thunder again. After that Thunder hits you, QA back to the stage. This one works great for opponents that like to DI away from the first Thunder, that way you hit them with the second one.
Triple-Thunder
Go near the edge of the Stage and jump off slightly. Use your second jump to cancel out your horizontal momentum and use Thunder 3x quickly. You should be pretty far under the stage but a good diagonal QA should get you back without a problem. This works great with opponents that can float/stall in the air. It also can get the Tether Recovery group as well since it's almost like a constant line of Thunders.
- Thunderflipping
Thunderflipping
Thunderflipping is when you use U-smash followed by Thunder with the purpose of getting a KO pretty early than what you could with an uncharged U-smash. The two easiest ways to do this that I know of are to dash then use your U-smash followed by Thunder or to use U-smash out of a shield then Thunder. This is a very good tactic to use, but you need to make sure that your opponent will not hit you with an aerial or else you will be punished.
- QuACk
Quick Attack Cancel
I really should just go into the city and ask random people what QuACk means because the answers would be very wrong :D. Basically QuACk is
Qu: Quick
A: Attack
C: Cancel
k: Makes it easier to understand as a word.
This can be used offensively, defensively, and for mind games. It is kind of hard to get use to (timing), but once you can Quick Attack back and forth across a stage with Quick Attack Cancels, I would say you probably got it down. To use QuACk, you do a Quick Attack into the ground or a platform. You can use any type of Quick Attack and use any of the two Quick Attacks for this. Once you hit the ground or platform, you have an almost instant moment of being just above the ground. During this you are basically performing a free jump and can use any attack that you could use out of a short hop, including all attacks, even Quick Attack.
Usefulness
There are few things you can do after a Quick Attack Cancel, but there may be more options. It is just that the game is so new, that there is much left to learn.
Aerials: After the Quick Attack Cancel you can use any aerial while Pikachu is being bounced up. D-air is probably the easiest, but the others have their uses. F-air can be used to rack up a little bit of damage. U-air can be used to set up combos. N-air can be used to get 12% in and you can try some other aerials to follow up with after QuACk. B-air can be useful, but I have barely been able to get this going straight out of a Quick Attack Cancel and usually need to jump afterwards to land it. Always remember you have two jumps left after the Quick Attack Cancel jump. A nice aerial maneuver is to jump after the QuACk, then follow up with a fast aerial, and use Quick Attack Cancel again to rinse & repeat. You can really do this forever if you got extremely good at it.
Edgehog: You can edgehog with Quick Attack after a Quick Attack Cancel. What you do here is you Quick Attack Cancel close to the edge, then you follow up with a Quick Attack aimed at the edge. This gives a nice, fast way to edgehog, but you will probably need some practice. You can always do a Quick Attack after the "second" one because you already canceled the intentional Quick Attack.
Mind Games: Throwing the opponent off is great with this move. You can just keep Quick Attack Canceling through your opponent (which will do 3% each hit), Quick Attack in place over and over, or just go all over the place like your opponent isn't even there. Obviously be smart with this and don't overkill, but do it enough to keep your opponent guessing about what kind of attack you will follow up with after the Quick Attack Cancel.
Thunder QuACk: Thunder QuACking is a nice move if you have your opponent guessing what kind of move or are going to do, then all of a sudden you land right next to them and use Thunder. So far from using this move personally, Pikachu always lands on the ground if you use it right after the Quick Attack Cancel which means Pikachu gets striked by the Thunder in the same way if you had used it on the ground. The most effective thing about this is no one really thinks you are going to use a not so instant attack after a Quick Attack. You also alternatively use a jump after the Quick Attack and then use Thunder.
- Stages
Here is a short guide of what stages Pikachu likes and how you can use each of these stages to your advantage.
Battlefield
This board is so short and has three close platforms which means Pikachu could really move with Quick Attack Cancels and jumps the whole match. The Battlefield has a disadvantage for Pikachu because it will be harder to land Thunder at the same level as your opponent, but it has an advantage too because you can hit your opponents who are on platforms with it. Thunder Jolt is good here also because you can use it off of platforms.
Corneria
This stage was great for Pikachu in Melee and it is still great for Pikachu in Brawl. Pikachu's Thunder Jolt is very effective from the top and bottom of the wing/fin. You can basically stop an opponent from stalling under the fin by shooting down some Thunder Jolts. If you are under the fin, you can shoot Thunder Jolts heading straight up the wing. Pikachu's grab game is good enough to throw your opponents into the lasers and the top of the fin is high enough to get some easy KO's with Pika, especially with Thunderflipping.
Final Destination/Smashville
These are two good stages for Pikachu that really have the same advantages. Both a great for QuACk, juggling, aerials, edgeguarding, and close range Thunder. On Smashville, there is the floating platform that can be used for grabs and all of Pikachu's regular platform advantages.
Hyrule Temple
LOL. Do I have to say anything? Pikachu is a pretty fast character and will only not have an advantage here against equally as fast or faster opponents. Also Thunder is easy to hit with because of all of the layers. Very nice stage for Pikachu.
Pokemon Stadium (Melee)
With the Pokemon Stadium from Melee's regular battlefield you have platforms which are good for QuACk, Thunder Jolt, and Thunder. When it morphs into the Fire and Rock-type stadiums, you basically get to hide. When on these morphs you can use Thunder Jolt at ranges and Thunder when they come close. This is still a fairly neutral board, but it just shows that Pikachu has some home field advantages.
Pokemon Stadium 2
Pikachu still gets his platform advantages like I said above and he gets the same advantages in the ice zone, but the platforms are more spaced. Pikachu can also do sliding Thunders on the ice stage which can be helpful at times. In the air stage, Pikachu is kinda weak because his aerials are good for comboing and this kinda disrupts the combos. Plus any characters with long hitboxes with have a huge advantage over Pikachu here. Finally, the electric stage is just for Pikachu. If the get on the platforms you can use Thunder and while they are on the treadmill Pika can Thunder Jolt and if you really try, get a basic free kill on this version of the stage.
Spear Pillar
On Spear Pillar, Pikachu can spam Thunder Jolt pretty nicely since both levels are flat. Also since Pikachu is faster, if you force your opponent to follow you to the other level, you get free attacks almost all of the time. From the bottom of the stage you can use Thunder which will hit people on the top. There are some other advantages Pikachu has here, but they really depend on the way the stage is transformed.
VII. Closing
Overall Pikachu is a very adaptable character who play fast, but with strategy and mind games. If anyone finds out other good tactics, strategies, combos, or anything else about QuACk then please PM or post here. Also I will be updating this almost weekly as I find out more with Pikachu. I also hope to add a section of how to fight all characters with Pikachu. Hope you enjoyed the read and I hope this helps.
