Lucas (PM)

Lucas is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. He has been given new options and moves in his recreation from Brawl to Project M. 
Lucas ranks 15th out of 41 on the official tier list, near the bottom of the A- tier, a substantial improvement over his 30th out of 38 placement in Brawl. In Project+, Lucas is ranked 17th in the , in the A tier. 
==Attributes==
In Project M, Lucas boasts excellent mobility with fast, low commitment neutral tools, versatile combo tools, and insanely powerful smash attacks. His out-of-shield game also grants Lucas good neutral or punishing options, such as his down aerial. His recovery, while risky, is extremely versatile and can travel long distances very quickly using his double jump (which can be cancelled into an aerial or airdodge), z-tether, a fall-decelerator in PSI Magnet which can also be jump cancelled similarly to Fox's Reflector, and his Thunder-looping. PSI Magnet also lets him deal with camping by absorbing energy projectiles, and to help with this he can also access his new neutral special . This move increases the power of his already devastating smash attacks, especially useful as it increases the size of his up smash alongside its power.
His ledge options are serviceable, such as stalling with PK Thunder, gaining back his invincibility with a z-tether, threaten at close range with a ledge-hop PSI Magnet, and make use of his passable ledgedash. He also has access to one of the most technically difficult techniques in the game in the "snekdash", which if the demands are met can make some of Lucas' ledge options completely invincible. PK Freeze is a decent projectile that can lead into multiple followups, one of these followups being his extremely dangerous DACUS, which can make it unsafe to be above Lucas and can finish off combos from entire stages. He additionally has ease in hit-and-run combat courtesy of his extremely fast mobility on the ground. To a lesser extent, his double-jump cancelled aerials and b-reverses also give him long-distance mobility. Lucas has excellent shield pressure due to his DJC-aerials, powerful up throw that ignores weight, long wavedash, and jump-cancelled PSI Magnet. All of these build onto his greatest strength: his combo ability. His versatile options across the board, ability to traverse whole stages very quickly, and very early KO moves make it not unreasonable for Lucas to bring someone from 0% to a KO.
However, Lucas also has weaknesses. His subpar tech roll and bad combo weight make it easy to punish and fatally chain Lucas if he makes a mistake. He also has short range and poor edgeguarding abilities, which slightly dampen his stellar combo ability and can make it difficult to secure a KO. His unique double jump also gives him trouble against platform camping, as he can't quickly punish his opponent for doing so. His ability to start combos is also slightly weakened by his tether grab, which doesn't have great range by the standards of tethers but is still rather slow. 
Overall, Lucas is a character who can make it very difficult for opponents who have bad out of shield options or moves that are less safe on whiff. His power additionally gives him an upper hand against characters who would otherwise survive longer at early percents. However, he has a hard time dealing with characters who can easily out-range or gimp him and have good tech-chasing options or chaingrabs. Overall, Lucas has significantly better matchups than he did in Brawl, and that has led to above average tournament results and representation.
==Changes from Brawl to PM==
Lucas was heavily buffed from Brawl to Project M. His ground mobility has been improved with his dashing speed increased and the ability to wavedash, and overall the power of his attacks have been increased. One of his biggest buffs is the removal of the extra 10 grab-release frames that plagued him in Brawl, as such he is no longer as vulnerable to grab release follow-ups. Lucas has been given many new options to combo and KO opponents on-stage, such as his new neutral attack and up tilt being reliable combo starters. His new neutral special, Offense Up, replaces his almost non-competitivly viable PK Freeze. When charged it signifficantly increases the damage, knockback, and range of his smash attacks giving him more viable KOing options. PK Freeze has been moved to his side special replacing PK Fire, however the physics are more akin to PK Fire. PK Freeze gives him a better approach due to being executed faster, especially in the air, and having more hitlag and reduced knockback to give him better follow-ups. PK Thunder has less startup and now corners tighter, making it much safer to use for a recovery and also allowing him to use it in tighters areas. PSI Magnet is now a useful combo technique as it can now be 
jump-canceled and damages constantly rather than only at the end of the move, while at the same time making it less punishable.
The changes to Project Ms engine also benefit Lucas: Lucas now has a much better approach thanks to a long wavedash due to his lower traction. Directional air dodges now provide him with an extra form of recovery besides PK Thunder. Additionally, Lucas can now DACUS, which has the longest distance in the game and, combined with Offense Up, provides him with a dangerous finisher.
However, Lucas has received some nerfs. The main nerfs he received were to the range of his PSI attacks and recovery. Lucas has lost many of the advanced techniques he had with his side special: Unlike PK Fire, PK Freeze does not push Lucas backwards, which removed his ability to perform the Magnet Pull technique thus removing its use for recovery, along with the removal of Zap Jump. While PK Thunder has been made safer, it now travels a much shorter distance making his recovery worse. PSI Magnet's absorbing hitbox is smaller now, and it no longer turns Lucas around to absorb projectiles that are behind him. Lucas's endurance is much worse now as he is now the 8th lightest character in the game. Without the use of Offense Up, his smash attacks have reduced range and power thus reducing their KO potential. Overall it is more difficult to land the sweetspot for some attacks, such as forward tilt and forward aerial.
Overall Lucas's buffs outweigh his nerfs and his matchups and performance is significantly better than it was in Brawl. His tournament representation has generally been much better than it was in Brawl. While previously a low-mid tier in Brawl, he is now considered a high tier character (15 out of 41).
===Aesthetics===
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===Attributes===
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===Ground Attacks===
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===Grabs and Throws===
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===Special Moves===
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==Changes from PM to P+==
==Revisions==
===v2.5b===
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===v3.0===
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===v3.5===
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===v3.6===
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==Moveset==
Up to date as of version 3.6.
 	 	Name 	Damage 	Description
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	Lucas throws out one hand creating a spark of PSI energy, then spins and throws out the same hand, creating another spark of PSI energy. The second hit moves Lucas a small distance forward. The third hit from Brawl still exitsts within Lucas' files although it has lost almost all frames of its animation (as of version 3.6) and it was altered in various ways suggesting that at some point, the developers intended Lucas to regain his Brawl neutral attack combo.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	Lucas throws out one hand creating a spark of PSI energy, then spins and throws out the same hand, creating another spark of PSI energy. The second hit moves Lucas a small distance forward. The third hit from Brawl still exitsts within Lucas' files although it has lost almost all frames of its animation (as of version 3.6) and it was altered in various ways suggesting that at some point, the developers intended Lucas to regain his Brawl neutral attack combo.
Forward tilt 	Forward tilt 	 	11% (sweetspot), 9% (sourspot) 	Lucas does a strong palm thrust that launches a small burst of PSI energy. This move can be angled up or down.
Up tilt 	Up tilt 	 	8% (sourspot), 11% (sweetspot clean), 9% (sweetspot late) 	Lucas does a back flipkick charged with PSI. Can chain into itself at lower percents.
Down tilt 	Down tilt 	 	6% (foot), 4% (leg) 	Lucas crouches and spins while sticking his leg out. Hitting at Lucas's foot knocks opponents away, dealing strong set knockback.
Dash attack 	Dash attack 	 	10% (clean), 7% (late) 	Lucas slides forward, shooting out a burst of PSI energy from his hand. Can combo into many different aerials and is a good burst option since it propels him forward a bit.
Forward smash 	Forward smash 	 	Normal: Offensive Up: 	Lucas attacks nearby foes by swinging his stick (energy sword when using the Masked Man costume) horizontally forward. The tip of the stick launches enemies at a more horizontal angle and does more knockback. Can reflect projectiles. This move can be angled up or down. This move becomes very strong in Offense Up for how fast it is, killing reliably at the edge at 90%.
Up smash 	Up smash 	 	Normal: (clean), (late)Offensive Up: (clean), (late) 	Lucas releases a small burst of PSI that erupts above his head. It has slow start-up and leaves horrid lag afterwards, rendering it very easily punished. It is however compensated by its large knockback and range, which is even stronger through Offense Up. When fully charged, it can KO at 62%, and when fully charged through Offense Up, it can KO as early as 45%. This Up Smash slides the furthest in the game with DACUS.
Down smash 	Down smash 	 	Normal: Offensive Up: 	Lucas points at the ground and shoots a burst of PSI energy in front of his feet. It's possible for Lucas to unleash a second burst by pressing the attack button right after the first. It is unlikely that both hits will connect on the same enemy. Extremely strong with Offense Up, killing as early as 70% at the ledge. Unlike Up Smash however, the hitbox does not get much larger for the move.
Down smash 	Down smash 	 	Normal: Offensive Up: 	Lucas points at the ground and shoots a burst of PSI energy in front of his feet. It's possible for Lucas to unleash a second burst by pressing the attack button right after the first. It is unlikely that both hits will connect on the same enemy. Extremely strong with Offense Up, killing as early as 70% at the ledge. Unlike Up Smash however, the hitbox does not get much larger for the move.
Neutral aerial 	Neutral aerial 	 	2% (hits 1-4), 6% (hit 5), 4% (landing) 	Lucas spins in a gyro pattern with PSI energy around him, with the last hit having decent knockback, as well as having a good landing hitbox.
Forward aerial 	Forward aerial 	 	Clean: 12% (sweetspot), 8% (sourspot)Late: 8% (sweetspot), 7% (sourspot) 	Lucas kicks one foot forward, launching a burst of PSI energy. Can even be linked into itself or even into a down aerial for a Ken combo. It is disjointed so it is a good tool to use to approach and pressure with.
Back aerial 	Back aerial 	 	15% (foot), 12% (body) 	Lucas does a backflip and kicks one foot downwards with a stream of small PSI energy. Has good KO potential and spikes if one connects with the final hit during the attack's animation.
Up aerial 	Up aerial 	 	10% 	Does a quick headbutt that deals low knockback. Has a small amount of ending lag and is a great combo starter/extender.
Down aerial 	Down aerial 	 	5% (hits 1-3) 	Lucas thrusts his feet downwards and creates several quick flashes of PSI energy. The third hit meteor smashes weakly. Can be followed up with another aerial or an up smash when the opponent bounces off the floor. Can also set up a combo using his down tilt followed by a smash attack, if the opponent doesn't tech the meteor smash. Although it has fast start-up, it possesses considerable ending lag if it is not autocanceled.
Grab aerial 	Grab aerial 	 	8% 	Lucas sends Duster's Rope Snake forward to damage nearby enemies.
Grab 	Grab 	 	— 	Lucas sends Duster's Rope Snake forward to grab nearby enemies. Has good range but noticeable ending lag if it misses.
Pummel 	Pummel 	 	3% 	Headbutts the enemy.
Forward throw 	Forward throw 	 	10% 	Lucas telekinetically tosses the opponent forward.
Back throw 	Back throw 	 	10% 	Lucas telekinetically tosses the opponent behind him. Can KO at high percent, especially as a mixup if the opponent is expecting to DI behind for Down throw.
Up throw 	Up throw 	 	1% (hits 1-4), 8% (throw) 	Lucas telekinetically whirls the opponent around his head, then throws them straight up. Has very high KO potential. Kill % based on fall speed, not weight.
Down throw 	Down throw 	 	7% 	Lucas telekinetically slams the opponent down, then launches them upwards. Hard behind DI will limit Lucas's followups, especially if sent offstage.
Floor attack (front)	Floor attack (front)	 	6% 	Gets up and does a low kick going from back to front.
Floor attack (back) 	Floor attack (back) 	 	6% 	Gets up and does a low kick going from back to front.
Floor attack (trip) 	Floor attack (trip) 	 	5% 	Kicks with both of his feet from back to front while getting up.
Edge attack (fast) 	Edge attack (fast) 	 	8% (foot), 6% (body) 	Lucas flips onto the stage and does a sweep kick.
Edge attack (slow) 	Edge attack (slow) 	 	10% 	Lucas slowly climbs up onto stage and throws out a punch.
Smash taunt 	Smash taunt 	 	50% 	Performs the Osohe Dance performed by Wess from Mother 3. Lasts for an incredibly long duration (over 1000 frames), but whenever the dance is successfully performed without any interruption, the ending pose produces a shockwave that deals a ton of damage, shocking opponents with paralysis before launching them, being capable on landing a one-hit KO on any character, regardless of damage.
Neutral special 	Neutral special 	 	10% (spark) 	When the special button is held, Lucas begins channeling psychic power, complete with a weak wind effect that pushes nearby foes. After a few seconds, Lucas's hands glow with power and the next smash attack that he performs deals greater damage, shield damage, and knockback. While Offense Up is charged, Lucas can also press the special button to produce an spark-like attack around himself that can damage foes with little to no startup. Hitting with a smash attack or the spark will allow Lucas to keep the charge, whereas missing will deplete the charge. The spark attack can be combo’d into, but it has an extremely small hitbox, so precision is required.
Side special 	Side special 	PK Freeze 	5% 	Lucas shoots out an icy projectile that flies horizontally forward. This move goes about half the distance of Final Destination when used on the ground and can be used to edge-guard.
Up special 	Up special 	PK Thunder 	10% (PK Thunder head), 1% (PK Thunder tail)PK Thunder 2: 8% (hit 1), 3% (hits 2-7), 8% (hit 8)	Lucas generates a ball of lightning which can be directed with the control stick/d-pad. Like Ness's PK Thunder, it can be directed into Lucas to launch him. Unlike Ness's version, however, it does not fizzle out after hitting a foe and instead causes repeated damage. The latter also applies to his PK Thunder 2. As such, using PK Thunder will result in Lucas not being able to move or defend, because the control stick/d-pad is used to aim the projectile. This move can also be used to interrupt recoveries.
Down special 	Down special 	PSI Magnet 	2% (loop), 6% (release), heals 1x the damage of absorbed projectiles 	Lucas holds out his hand and creates a small electrical field in front of him that absorbs any energy projectiles shot against him, healing Lucas's by the damage the projectile would have normally dealt. As an attack, it does a small amount of damage to enemies that make contact with the orb, and deals more damage and launches them behind Lucas when he releases it. When used in the air, it halts Lucas's falling speed, similar to Fox's reflector from Brawl, but will do so less often after each repeated use. This move is a key tool in all phases of the game, as it is one of his only reliable methods of approaching, starting a combo, pressuring shields, mixing up landings, stalling recovery, and baiting out options.
Final Smash 	Final Smash 	PK Starstorm	14% (each star) 	Lucas calls down a rain of stars from the sky, yelling "PK... Starstorm!"
==In competitive play==
===Most historically significant players===
See also: :Category:Lucas players (PM)
* - The best active Lucas main. Ranked #26 on PMRank 2023, won .
* - Formerly a solo Lucas main, now a Kirby main with Lucas as a secondary. Ranked #27 on PMRank 2023.
* - Ranked #33 on PMRank 2023.
* - The first Lucas player to win a major in the history of Project M, doing so at Blacklisted 3, and his 7th ranking on the 2017 PMRank is the highest a Lucas player ever ranked on PMRank.
* - Ranked #36 on PMRank 2023.
* - Ranked #41 on PMRank 2023.
==Alternate costumes==
===Project M===
Lucas has been given an alternate costume based on a segment in where Lucas is mistaken for the Pigmasks' general, the , and passes as him for a while. Lucas's costume features no changes to the visual effects of his attacks, other than that his forward smash now uses the Masked Man's energy sword instead of a stick.
						
						
===Project+===
Project+ would give Lucas's Masked Man disguise five new recolors, and provide a new costume based on his appearance in the cancelled game EarthBound 64. Both costumes also feature a recolor based on Claus, both as the helmetless Masked Man, and his beta artwork in EarthBound 64.
Secret costumes:
Z-Secret Costume: Chimera Lucas: Gives Lucas a set of pajamas that resemble the Ultimate Chimera.
R-Secret Costume: Masked Man: Based on the Masked Man, the true antagonist of Mother 3 who would later be revealed to be Lucas's own twin brother, Claus, near the end of the game.
==Trivia==
*In previous incarnations, Lucas's back aerial in Project M was replaced with an aerial roundhouse kick (similar to Ness's forward tilt) that dealt great knockback with high knockback scaling, while his down aerial, a guaranteed meteor smash, had him perform a flip kick downwards. While very powerful, they were not considered versatile enough for competitive play, and were later removed for subsequent versions of the mod in favor of their Brawl iterations, but with many new buffs (as described above).
*Lucas holds the record for the longest Smash Taunt in Project M and Project+, exceeding 1,000 frames.
==External links==
*Labbing Discord Tech Post
Category:Lucas
Category:Characters (PM)