Lucario (SSBU): Difference between revisions

Its [[smash attack]]s also have their uses as disjointed kill options. [[Up smash]] has its use as an anti-air that kills middleweights at 105% at base power and it can also hit grounded opponents up close with its initial scooping hitbox, making it a situational out of shield option against laggy moves. [[Down smash]] covers Lucario from both sides and kills middleweights at 115% from center stage at base power. [[Forward smash]] has the greatest amount of kill power and horizontal range out of its smash attacks, being able to kill middleweights at 90% from center stage at base power while also having the potential to be safe on shield if spaced well. Its [[grab]] game also has utility. [[Up throw]] and [[down throw]] can be used as combo starters, with the former being able to combo into forward aerial at low percents and neutral aerial at mid percents (as well as up aerial on bigger characters), while the latter can combo into forward aerial at low percents (with down throw > forward air > forward air > up air being its most damaging combo at low percents). [[Forward throw]] and [[back throw]] don't have much use outside of being positional throws, though the latter can have a situational use as a late kill throw.

Lucario's [[special move]]set sports great versatility as well. [[Aura Sphere]] is useful as a projectile and as a kill option, with a fully charged one killing middleweights at 150% from center stage at base power. In addition, the move also maintains a hitbox behind Lucario as it is being charged, giving it use as an approach mixup and sometimes as a situational kill confirm into back aerial. [[Force Palm]] is unique in the fact that it functions as a ranged blast from a distance and as a command grab at point blank range, giving it use as an out of shield option and a kill option, as it kills middleweights at 140% at base power from center stage. [[Extreme Speed]], being its primary recovery option, travels a good distance and has a hitbox that enables it to be used as a mixup for onstage recoveries. Finally, [[Double Team]] is a [[counterattack|counter]] that has greater utility than conventional counters; the distance the move covers allows Lucario to punish the opponent when countering a projectile, and the fact that the strength of the counter is based on Aura as opposed to the strength of the countered move allows it to kill middleweights at 115% at base power regardless of the move being countered.

Finally, Lucario's special moveset, despite being versatile, doesn't come without its flaws, as Force Palm has hitbox issues that cause the command grab to not be triggered when at close range, and Double Team can put Lucario deeper in disadvantage if used hastily. However, the most glaring flaw with its special moveset is its recovery; while Extreme Speed travels fast and covers good distance, the fact that it has 47 frames of startup makes it vulnerable to edgeguarding. Additionally, the move is also inconsistent due to not always grabbing the ledge as well as the fact that the speed and distance change with Aura, making it possible to overshoot its recovery and self destruct.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==

Update 13.0.0 buffed Lucario for one final time. Its dash attack's sweetspot now lasts one more frame and has more range. The second hit of forward tilt was given more knockback, and down tilt was given less startup and ending lag.

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|2.0.0}}'''

*{{Sm|Jeda|France}} - The best Lucario player in Europe in the early metagame, ranking 18th on the [[European Smash Rankings]] at his peak and placing highly at many European events, including 13th at the superregionals {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}} and {{Trn|Ultimate WANTED 2}} and 17th at the major {{Trn|Albion 4}}. He is the second Lucario player ranked in the top 100 on a global ranking, ranking 76th on the [[OrionRank 2019]]. His activity and performances have declined since his peak, and he has not attended any notable event since 2021.

*{{Sm|Tsu|Japan}} - The best Lucario player in the early metagame who has some of Lucario's best results, including 2nd at the superregional {{Trn|2GG: Grand Tour - South Carolina}} and 5th at the supermajor {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}}, the latter being the highest placement for a Lucario player at a major/supermajor. He is the only Lucario player ever ranked top 50 globally, ranking 44th on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]]. However, since then he has yet to achieve performances as strong as the early metagame, and he has also picked up other characters to play alongside Lucario.

===Tier placement and history===

When ''Ultimate'' was released, many players believed that Lucario's faster and more reliable moves and benefits from the game's mechanics allowed it to fare better in the new game. Early results were able to match this enthusiasm thanks to the efforts of {{Sm|Tsu}} and {{Sm|Jeda}}, both of whom spearheaded Lucario's early metagame playerbase. However, this honeymoon period did not last for long, as players began recognizing that the character's nerfs, especially to its Aura, were more glaring than initially perceived. In addition, Lucario's reliance on Aura meant it had a harder time KOing until it was at higher percents, while its best KO moves often have slow frame data. As such, many of his best players either began playing other characters or became less consistent than before, leading to a decline in its playerbase: although Lucario's representation hovered in the mid-40s throughout 2019, by 2021 it had dropped into the bottom 10. Although players like {{Sm|Armadillo}} began placing well with Lucario during this time, it did little to alleviate this decline, and as such Lucario was ranked 71st on the first tier list near the end of the mid-tier.

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Counter Encounters==