D
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Character: Kirby
Current BBR MU Rating: -2
What to watch out for:
-Down air spiking off stage, as well as swallowcide.
-Don't get grabbed at low percents, or else get caught in Kirby's combo string.
Stages
-Strike: Lylat, Battlefield
-Ban: Rainbow Cruise, Frigate Orpheon
-Counterpicks: Final Destination, Halberd, maybe Brinstar.
Lucas Boards Matchup Rating: -1
[COLLAPSE="Matchup Summaries"]
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Overview
This match-up revolves around both players trying to gain positional advantage. Kirby is a close-range fighter while Lucas has the upper-hand when fighting at a distance. Kirby also has a very strong advantage when he gets Lucas off-stage.
Long Range
Kirby is incapable of fighting effectively at long range whereas Lucas has three possible projectiles to send out at enemies from different ranges. PK Fire is the most commonly used since it zones horizontallly forcing the opponent to defend or to take to the air. PK Thunder and PK Freeze are less frequently used since they carry a greater risk of getting punished due to their long start-up, duration, and ending lag.
At this range, and seen in the beginning of the battle, Lucas will usually start off with a PK Fire since it's safe and will create pressure on Kirby from a distance, degrade his Shield, or possibly induce damage. If Kirby responds to the pressure in the form of an approach it will usually be to walk up and Shield (Perfect Shield) the PK Fire, or to jump over it.
Perfect Shielding is the most efficient way of neutralizing the PK Fire and allows for Kirby to move in close enough where he can punish should Lucas launch another Perfect Shielded PK Fire. It's about at this distancing that Lucas is unable to continue the PK Fire for pressure unless he is able to retreat while doing so which in turn forces him closer to the edge of the stage.
PK Thunder and PK Freeze are typically more easily dealt with since they carry more risk, however they have less of a linear use than PK Fire which allows Lucas to weave in some creative pressure with these attacks. PK Thunder can be arched around to keep Kirby sitting in his Shield, degrading it's use, rather than allowing for an easier chance at Perfect Shielding the attack. It can also be veered behind Lucas allowing for the possibility of a PKT2 attack straight ahead, while simultaneously allowing for the possibility of canceling it by grounding the Thunder into the stage. PK Freeze can be charged and directed as it builds up toward Kirby which also makes it unlikely to be Perfect Shielded and thus draining the Shield more than a PK Fire would. Both these attacks can also deal significant damage should they hit, and they also cover more surface area than PK Fire does which makes them more likely to keep Kirby on the ground with a Shield up.
One more note at this range: Lucas' zoning pressure isn't especially significant at extreme ranges. At ranges beyond PK Fire's reach, the pressure is diminished greatly. While not entirely useless, PK Thunder and PK Freeze are easily telegraphed making them more easily defended, but still much more useful than anything Kirby has at this range.
Mid-Range
This is the range at which the pressure turns from being all on Kirby to where Kirby starts becoming a threat to Lucas. At this range Lucas' projectiles are not safe since they can be defended against and then followed with a punishing attack. Because of this Lucas will have to choose to retreat, approach, or play defensive.
Retreating is a viable option since it puts Lucas back into a superior position but only for as long as Lucas has room behind him to move. On smaller stages this won't usually be an option, but on a stage like Final Destination Lucas will have much more room to maneuver. The drawback to retreating is that it puts Lucas closer to the edge of the stage where his options are more restricted and where it is more likely to be pushed off-stage.
Going on the offensive at this point is a possibility but only if you're confident in being able to handle what Kirby has in return. Remember that moving in for an attack puts you into close range where Kirby can get his hits in too. Also, Lucas' approach options are none too difficult for Kirby to handle. See 'Close Range' for more details.
Playing defensive works well for Lucas at this point. Kirby is either going to be patient and wait for an approach that he can counter or move in close. Keep in mind that most of Kirby's approaches will be with a Shield, especially considering Lucas' slow Grab. Pivot Grabs work well against this Shield Baiting since Kirby is hoping to provoke an attack that he can Shield-Grab. If Lucas keeps his distance just outside Kirby's Grab range he should be able to defeat any Shield baiting.
Since this is such a tense point in the match-up it will likely shift into Close Range or be reset back to Long Range depending on what actions both players take. This is where spacing and reading the opponent is of great importance; it will allow for Kirby to punish or approach and it will allow Lucas to reposition himself or to punish Kirby.
Close Range
Both Lucas and Kirby have some surprisingly quick moves to use when in close range. Lucas' Tilts and Standard Attack (Jab Combo) are all very useful at this range as well as his N-air and F-air. Kirby has all the options that Lucas has at his disposal plus his quick Grab which allows for a very useful mix-up should Lucas choose to put up his Shield. Kirby will tend to go for Grab more than any other option especially if Lucas is at low percents so he can get his Infamous Kirby Combo (F-throw -> U-air). Kirby's Tilt and Aerial of choice will usually be U-tilt and B-air since they are quick and effective, though Jab and D-tilt have their uses (Jab is Kirby's quickest attack and D-tilt can allow for Trip combos).
Strategically speaking Lucas will be looking to get Kirby away from him. N-air out of shield works well for Lucas' goals as well as a quick Jab Combo or some D-tilts. All of these options are quick and have different uses. For instance N-air out of shield can be used to defend against Kirby's tilts and then counter attack while moving to a better stage position. Jab is Lucas' fastest standing attack and can catch Kirby before he Jumps or attacks - the first hit of the Jab can also be used to put pressure on a Kirby who is holding a Shield and expecting a slower attack with more HitLag. D-tilts can be strung together to catch a Kirby who is Spot Dodging or to put some pressure on a Shield that's being held - and don't forget the D-tilt is great for forcing a Trip.
Kirby's tactics will be similar but he's looking to either build damage on Lucas or get him off the stage. Kirby's best leads in close combat include his Grab, U-tilt, and D-tilt. His Grab will be used most often since it's quick and effective and is an easy way to punish out-of-shield. In fact, Kirby will often put up a Shield to counter any attacks Lucas throws his way.
If Kirby gets a grab while Lucas is at low percents (about 20% and less) he's guaranteed a combo [F-throw (8%) -> U-air (10%)] with a minimum of 18% damage (minus any stale moves). Kirby can follow this attack up with a variety of attacks depending on the situation such as with U-tilt, F-tilt, F-smash, or another Grab. All of these follow-ups can be avoided if the U-air is S-DI'd away/up from Kirby (or if Lucas is already slightly damaged the U-air will knock him away far enough that follow-ups cannot be combo'd into).
At mid to high percents (30% to 50%) Kirby might still be going for Grabs because it's still a good tactical option to build damage and counter attacks out-of-shield, but his main goal will be to get Lucas off-stage. His F-tilt has enough oomph to push Lucas off-stage if close enough to the edge, but Kirby's real prize-hitter is his B-air at this point.
Kirby's B-air is a 9% hit when sour-spotted which is enough to send Lucas off-stage, but when sweet-spotted it's a 12% hit which can send Lucas flying. Because of this Kirby will rely on his B-air very often; for spacing, for damage, out-of-shield, etc. It can be used at the closest of Close Range all the way into Mid-Range due to it's great horizontal reach combined with its aerial mobility.
Off-Stage Game
Obviously Lucas will delight in getting Kirby off-stage since everyone benefits from getting their opponent off-stage while keeping firm footing and tactical positioning. However, it's much more advantageous for Kirby to get Lucas off-stage.
While Kirby is off-stage, Lucas might be able to send some PK stuff out after the puffball while floats back to the stage, Lucas might even want to take a risk and do some off-stage fighting with B-air spikes, D-air spikes, or other aerial KO possibilities. This is all fine depending on how well Lucas can pull it off, but the truth of the matter is that Kirby is most likely going to get back to the ledge and that Lucas' best KO options will come from solid KO's.
When Kirby has Lucas off-stage these get a bit more one-sided. Lucas only has one mid-air jump whereas Kirby has five. Because of this, Kirby will be looking to snipe that jump from Lucas - most likely with B-air (due to it's 6-frame hit making it Kirby's fastest aerial attack). If the B-air hits solidly enough it can outright KO when used off-stage, and even if it's stale and/or sour-spots it will still eat Lucas' jump and force him to use riskier forms of recovery.
Lucas' recovery isn't as terribad as Ness' since Kirby can't just fall into the PK Tunder and nullify it as can be done with Ness. The PK Thunder however does have a significant amount of start-up allowing Kirby (who is slow in the air) to move out for the possibility of hitting Lucas before the PKT2 takes effect.
Kirby's D-air has a ton of start-up (hits on frame 18) but it can still be used effectively if Lucas is recovering from below since the D-air can clash with the PKT and continue downward to spike Lucas. Likewise F-air and B-air can be used to destroy the PKT even if they don't ever hit Lucas himself. Kirby's U-air and N-air are much less impressive off-stage when trying to gimp or go for KO's and thus will not be seen much in this instance.
Since Kirby's aerial mobility is slow, it's likely that Lucas will be able to recover before getting gimped by Kirby. The best place to aim is for the ledge unless Kirby is going for a Edgehog against you. Landing on the stage with PKT2 lag can be pretty bad since it sets Lucas up for a strong hit such as Kirby's F-smash or even his Hammer. If possible, get to the ledge using Rope Snake when it's safe to do so.
KO Options
Kirby's well-known for his strong KO options, but the truth of the matter is that for as powerful of attacks that Kirby can boast about none of them are safe to use. F-smash, D-smash, and U-smash all carry a lot of ending lag that can be punished if they miss or even if they're simply dodged or shielded. Kirby's Stone and Hammer are even more easily punished than his Smashes (plus they carry Phantom Lag even if used on the ground). Because of this, Kirby should only be using these sparingly and when there's an obvious opening for the attack. Do not, however, get too assured in never seeing Kirby's strong attacks - a surprise F-smash can end a stock very quickly if you let your guard down, and good reads on Kirby's part can net him some early KOs.
Lucas' KO options seem to be much safer in comparison to Kirby's. Lucas' F-smash and D-smash have great qualities against Kirby since they're fairly quick, strong, and disjointed. They work great against Kirby who is light and relies on vulnerable feet and short arms. Throwing out well-spaced F-smash and D-smash can often times lead to favorable results especially when Stutter Stepped or when Kirby is spacing B-airs or whiffing Grabs.
As unlikely as Lucas' U-smash is to land, it is not completely useless. Consider the fact that Kirby has attacks that, once initiated, have a long duration and he's fully committed to using them until they've ended. D-air has 17 frames of start-up and 54 frames before it can be interrupted (IASA). N-air has 10 frames start-up and 72 frames before (IASA). Aerial Stone has 29 frames start-up and up to 2 seconds of duration with an additional 27 frames before IASA. This means that every time Kirby whiffs a Stone Lucas has a possibility of U-smashing him or even getting a fully-charged U-smash. X_X
As far as 'safe KOs' go, Kirby will try to get most of his KO's off-stage or will have to fall back on refreshing his B-air to KO around the 150% mark. Lucas will be getting most of his KOs from well-spaced Smash Attacks or with U-air or U-throw.
Summary
Lucas' strengths in this battle come from his disjointed hitboxes and his psychic attacks enabling him to fight Kirby effectively at long range. Once up close, Kirby has a slight advantage with his quick kicks and combo potential where he hopes to rack up damage and get Lucas off-stage. Fighting off-stage is anathema to Lucas since he needs to get back onto the stage where he's more capable of dealing damage and less likely to get gimped. This match-up comes down greatly to spacing and reading at both mid-range and close-range.
