Lucas Guide: Matchup Chart and Combos

This is a guide to using Lucas in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Lucas's bread and butter combos, how to unlock, frame data, alt costumes and skins, as well as Lucas's matchups, counters, and tier list placement can all be found here.

Lucas Tier and Overview

Stats and General Info

Lucas
Game Series	EarthBound (Mother)
Smash Bros. Debut	Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Fighter Number	37
Unlock Order	36
Number of Jumps	2
Weight	94 Units (48/87)
Dash Speed	1.65 (52/87)
Air Speed	1.155 (20/87)
Fast Fall Speed	2.192 (70/87)
Special Attributes	Tether

Tier List Placement

Tier

A character good at racking up damage via aerial attacks

Smash Ultimate Lucas has better mobility than in previous games, lag was reduced on his aerials, and his Down Special was made more powerful. His aerials and projectiles allow him to rack up a decent amount of damage on opponents, which he can then finish off by using a smash attack, neutral B, or one of his grabs. Additionally, his specials and aerials grant him pretty good edgeguarding capabilities.

Much like Ness, his recovery is a bit hard to use, as it must be controlled to target Lucas. It is also quite exploitable, so he is quite prone to getting edgeguarded himself. Lucas has rather mediocre ground mobility, and poor out of shield options, so he struggles against characters that can rush him down. He also has pretty bad disadvantage, so he is best played defensively, making use of his kit to zone out opponents at a safe distance when possible.

See Our Tier List Here!

Lucas's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	・Powerful aerial attacks ・Very strong smash attacks ・Good damage output on all attacks ・Access to multiple projectiles as well as an energy absorber ・Has 3 kill throws
Weaknesses	・Poor out of shield game ・Struggles at close range ・Mediocre recovery

Lucas Matchup Chart

Matchup Chart

-2
-1
0
+1
+2

Notes About Matchup Chart

1. -2 = Disadvantage. -1 = Slight Disadvantage or Even. 0 = Even. +1 = Slight Advantage or Even. +2 = Advantage.
2. The matchup chart was based around both the opinions of professional players of each character, as well as our own experience through playing Lucas.
3. Characters within each tier are unordered
4. Pokemon Trainer's individual Pokemon (Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard) as well as Echo fighters with no significant difference than their regular counterpart are not shown.
5. For other characters who are not shown here, we are still investigating the matchup.

Lucas Combos

Bread and Butter Combos
Fair (Falling)→3-Hit Jab
Down Throw→Fair
Down Tilt→Down Tilt→3-Hit Jab
Advanced Combos
Bair→Bair
Up Air→Up Air→Up Air→Up Air

Bread and Butter Combos Explanation

Advanced Combos Explanation

Lucas Frame Data and Moveset

Best Out of Shield Options

Move	Frames
Neutral Air	10 Frames
Up Air	10 Frames
Forward Air	12 Frames
Z-Air	12 Frames
Down Air	13 Frames
Shield Release > Jab	13 Frames

None of Lucas's out of shield options are particularly fast, with his quickest one (neutral air) coming out in 10 frames, making it his best option, although it will not be fast enough to punish most moves that are spaced properly. Due to his subpar out of shield options, he will more often than not simply have to retreat and try to reset neutral, rather than going for an out of shield punish.

Jab (Neutral Attack)

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Jab 1 (A)	3.0	2
Jab 2	1.8	3
Jab 3	4.2	6

Jab

Lucas' Jab is a three hit combo that launches on the last hit. Its quick startup makes it a good get-off-me tool to use at close range or after landing. The third hit is very unsafe on shield, so if using it on an opponent, be sure to stop after the first or second hit, the run away and try to punish their out of shield option.

Dash Attack / Tilts

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Dash Attack (Dash ＋ A)	10.8/15.6	13
Forward Tilt (← or → + A)	9.0/13.2	7
Up Tilt (↑ + A)	1.8	4
Up Tilt Hit 2	9.8	7
Up Tilt Hit 2 - Lingering	6.0	11
Down Tilt (↓ + A)	6.0	3

Dash Attack

Lucas' Dash Attack releases a wave of PK energy, and has good range and power. Take note that it has a sweet spot at the tip, so aim to hit opponents with proper spacing. It has rather slow startup and end lag, so don't throw it out too often or you will get punished.

Forward Tilt

Forward Tilt is a quick attack with very little end lag. You can angle this move upwards and downwards, and it hits harder when the opponent is near the tip of the attack as well. This can be used to knock opponents back, and thanks to its quick startup and decent range, it is a good poking tool that can even KO at higher percents.

Up Tilt

Up Tilt is a two hit combo that hits on both sides of Lucas, as well as above him inthe second hitbox. This move is one of Lucas's combo starters, as opponents hit with it will be sent above him, allowing for a follow up attack.

Down Tilt

Lucas' Down Tilt starts up in just 3 frames, making it his quickest tilt attack (as well as one of the fastest in the game). While it doesn't have much range, it can be comboed into his three-hit Jab. Coupled with its decent range and the fact that it is -6 on shield, down tilt is one of Lucas's main poking tools.

Smash Attacks

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Forward Smash (Smash ← or → + A）	16.8/18.0	14
Up Smash Hit 1 (Smash ↑ + A)	2.4	28
Up Smash Hit 2	25.2	30
Up Smash Hit 2 - Late 1	24.0	33
Up Smash Hit 2 - Late 2	21.6	38
Up Smash Hit 2 - Late 3	19.2	43
Up Smash Hit 2 - Late 4	16.8	48
Down Smash Hit 1 (Smash ↓ + A)	20.4	20
Down Smash Hit 2	16.8	29
Down Smash Hit 3	13.2	39

Forward Smash

Lucas uses a stick to knock back opponents, and just like Ness's forward smash, it can be used to hit projectiles back at the user, though it must be timed precisely. This move has a quick start up, making it a good move for whiff punishing moves with moderate end lag. The tip of the move has a sweetspot which will deal more damage and knockback, so be sure to space this move when using it to punish.

Up Smash

Lucas's up smash has a long startup and end lag, but it's very powerful and hits an opponent multiple times. Lucas' upper body becomes intangible during the attack, making it a very effective anti-aerial attack. It can KO opponents extremely early.

Down Smash

Lucas' Down Smash is a strong move that can hit below the ledge, making it a powerful move for 2-framing opponents, or KOing an opponent hanging on the ledge after their invulnerability has ended.

Aerials

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Neutral Air (A + no direction while airborne)	2.4	7
Neutral Air - Final	4.8	26
Forward Air (Hold ← or → in the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	10.8/15	9
Back Air (← or → Opposite of the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	10.8/14.4/8.4	15
Up Air 1 (↑ + A While Airborne)	13.2	7
Down Air Hit 1-4 (↓ + A While Airborne)	4.2	10/18/26
Down Air Hit 5 (↓ + A While Airborne)	6.0	34
Z Air (Grab While Airborne)	6.0	9

Neutral Air

With a quick startup, low end lag time, and decent range, Lucas's neutral air move is great for applying pressure at close range, and can lead into several combos. It is also his fastest get-off-me tool in the air, aside from air dodging.

Forward Air

Lucas's forward air has a PK Blast that hits harder at the tip of the move instead of the base, so be sure to space the move as opposed to using it directly on an opponent, as it can KO pretty early if landed. It is a good edgeguarding tool as well with good range. it does have considerable end lag though, so it is best to use the move during a rising jump as opposed to when falling.

When spaced correctly, the move is extremely safe on shield (-3/-2), so most characters cannot punish it with an out of shield option. This makes it another one of Lucas's poking tools.

Back Air

Lucas's back air attacks in an arc from the top of Lucas than goes downward, and it has a meteor hitbox that you can use to spike enemies offstage. It has a large hitbox and short landing lag, so it's a great move to use for walling an opponent out.

Down Air

Lucas's down air kicks below him repeatedly, with the last attack having a meteor hitbox. Combined with back air and forward air, it gives Lucas another powerful option for KOing opponents offstage.

Specials

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Neutral Special (B) - PK Freeze, No Charge	12.0	40
Neutral Special (B) - PK Freeze, Fully Charged	27.6	92
Side Special (← or → + B) - PK Fire, Spark	3.6	21
Side Special - PK Fire, Explosion	8.4	1
Up Special (↑ + B) - PK Thunder, Head	3.0	20
Up Special - PK Thunder, Tail	0.9	20
Up Special - Self-Hit, First	6.0	1
Up Special - Self-Hit, Hit 2-6	2.4	4/6/8/10/12
Up Special - Self-Hit, Hit 7-11	1.8	14/17/20/23/26
Up Special - Self-Hit, Final	12.0	19
Down Special (↓ + B)	9.6	19

Neutral Special (PK Freeze)

Lucas' Neutral Special shoots a controllable ball of ice that freezes opponents, and the farther it goes, the stronger it gets. If you get the highest charge, you can use it to edgeguard near the ledge, which will make it impossble for the opponent to come back.

Side Special (PK Fire)

Lucas' Side Special Technique (PK Fire) is a technique that explodes upon impact with an opponent or a thrown object. For the most part, it is used as a poking tool to zone from a distance, but on higher percentages it can KO as well. Unlike Ness's PK Fire, which will stun an opponent and lead into a follow up, Lucas's variant of the move knocks them away.

Up Special (PK Thunder)

PK Thunder releases a controllable ball of Thunder that can either hit opponents or knockback Lucas if he hits himself (which is his main form of recovery). If used to hit Lucas, he will launch in the thunder's direction and damage enemies he comes in contact with, performing up to 12 hits and massive knockback. It can be used as a safe tool to edgeguard opponents offstage.

Down Special (PSI Magnet)

Lucas summons a magnet sphere that can absorb energy-based projectiles and weak explosions to recover HP, giving Lucas an edge against opponents like Samus or Pikachu. It also slows down Lucas' fall, so it can be used to mix up your landings. When the move ends, it also has a powerful hitbox, capable of knocking opponents away when close by.

Grab / Throws

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Pummel	1.56	1
Grab (Normal)	-	12
Dash Grab	-	14
Pivot Grab	-	15
Forward Throw (Throw) (← or → While Grabbing)	12.0	23
Back Throw (Throw) (← or → While Grabbing)	12.0	20
Up Throw (Throw) (↑ While Grabbing)	12.0	25
Down Throw (Throw) (↓ While Grabbing)	13.2	41

Forward Throw

Lucas's forward throw hurls an opponent in front of you. It cannot be used for combos, so it is primarily used to toss your opponent off of the stage.

Back Throw

Lucas's back throw hurls an opponent in front of you. It cannot be used for combos, so it is primarily used to toss your opponent off of the stage, but it is capable of KOing opponents at high percents when used near the ledge.

Up Throw

Lucas' up throw launches your opponent in the air, so it best used against opponents with a poor disadvantage.

Down Throw

Lucas' down throw will plant a foe into the ground before sending them upward, making it a combo starter for moves like up air or forward air at lower percents.

Final Smash

Attack	How to Use	Effect
PK Starstorm	Press B after obtaining the Smash Ball	Sends multiple stars down from above, which deal heavy damage on impact.

Lucas Balance Changes

Version 4.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Dash Attack	Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts.
Side Tilt Attack	Increased the range at the beginning of the move. Extended launch distance when hit in the high-damage range.
Up Smash Attack	Extended the invincibility time at the start of the move.
Up Air Attack	Reduced vulnerability.
Side Special	Reduced vulnerability when landing after using the move.

Version 2.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Up Tilt Attack	Added electrical damage.
Neutral Air Attack	Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.
Down Air Attack	Added electrical damage.
Grab Attack	Added electrical damage.

Major Changes from Smash 4

	Change
General	Mobility (Movement Speed) Increased. Buff.
Side Special (← or → ＋ B)	Endlag increased. Nerf.
Aerial Attacks	Less frames on all attacks. Buff.

How to Unlock Lucas

Unlocking Via Smash Mode
36th Fighter Unlocked After unlocking Richter, let 10 minutes pass OR play another battle in smash after soft-resetting OR return to the menu from World of Light
Unlocking via Classic Mode
Clear Classing Mode 7 times using Kirby.
Unlocking via World of Light
Northwestern Town

There are three ways to unlock Lucas. Completing any of these, then defeating Lucas when they appear in the “a New Challenger Appears” screen will allow you to use them afterward.

How to Unlock Characters Fast

Lucas Alt Costumes and Skins

Ness Reveal Trailer

Smash Ultimate Character Guides

List of Fighters
Tier List	Unlocking Fighters

Character Stat Lists

Character Stats
Weights of All Characters	Run Speeds of All Characters
Air Speeds of All Characters	Fast Fall Speeds of All Characters