Lucario (PM)

Lucario in Project M and Project+
Universe	Pokémon
Base game appearance	Brawl
Moveset inspiration	Lucario (SSBB)

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Lucario is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. The mysterious Pokémon has had its mechanics nearly entirely reimagined between Brawl and Project M.

Attributes

Lucario is effectively a completely different character in PM than it is in Brawl. Its previous main attribute, that of aura increasing its damage output when it's at high percentages, has been completely removed and replaced with a system that mimics behaviour of traditional fighting games.

First of all, Lucario has command of a type of interruptibility termed a "magic series". There are two lists of attack types: "neutral/dash, tilt, smash, special" and "aerial, special". If Lucario hits a foe or a shield with an attack, it can immediately interrupt the attack's ending lag with any attack that's next in the list. The string can begin at any point and can skip over items in the middle, but cannot go backwards or link into itself. For example, connecting with a neutral attack allows Lucario to instantly use a tilt, smash attack, or special attack, while hitting with a smash will allow any special attack. This allows Lucario to string together up to 4 attacks extremely quickly.

Second of all, every attack landed by Lucario gives it "aura points", equal to 1.2x the damage dealt (if a shield is it, 0.6x is earned instead). Upon accumulating 50 aura points in one stock, Lucario earns an "aura charge" that it can spend to amplify the power of a special move. Lucario can hold 2 charges (which takes just over 83% damage to build up), but loses all its points and charges if it is KO'd. However, it begins each stock with one aura charge.

With these two mechanics put together, Lucario's goal is to put together long combos to rack up damage and finish the opponent with a powered-up special move.

Changes from Brawl to PM

• Lucario is consistently stronger in his moveset as he remains strong throughout the match instead of getting stronger with his damage rising, eliminating brawl Lucarios defensive gameplay.
• Up smash is now a leaping uppercut with repeating hitboxes leading to a strong final hit. It deals up to 19% damage, and can be jump canceled on hit and turned around during start-up. It has overall much more utility than the Brawl up smash.
• Neutral aerial is now a spinning hurricane kick with longer range that does higher damage (15%) and lingers after a strong initial hit.
• Foward aerial does much more damage.
• Each special move has a "super" version, utilized by having an aura charge ready and pressing both "attack" and "special attack".
• Force Palm can be used in a series and meteor smashes aerially-grabbed opponents. The super version of the move also spikes.
• ExtremeSpeed deals slight damage and knockback with repeating hitboxes (up to 13%).
• Aura Sphere moves slower the more charged it is and has fewer charge levels.
• If ExtremeSpeed is cancelled, Lucario becomes vunerable to the grab release glitch.
• Aura mechanics revamped as described above.
• Double Team is no longer a counter. It is now a short dash which grants invincibility. While in the air, Lucario will dash diagonally downwards. It can be canceled by any normal attack at the cost of one aura charge.
• Up taunt gives Lucario 5 aura points.

Revisions

2.5b

• Is now able to on-hit cancel during hitlag, which also effectively reduces the startup of the move by 1, and is able to OHC using the C-Stick during hitlag.
• Jab 2 hits and can transition into jab 3 slightly faster to match the animation.
• Jab 3 hits and ends earlier in the animation, reaches crouching and landing opponents better, and base knockback and angle lowered slightly.
• Dash attack weak hitbox ends sooner when he lowers his leg and the graphic ends, angle lowered a bit, and has less base knockback and more growth.
• Forward tilt hitbox comes out sooner, his arm during the swing is intangible, and IASA is much earlier.
• Down tilt foot aura hitbox does more damage and meteors against grounded foes.
• Neutral air has new graphical and sound effects, and damage and knockback are increased.
• Forward air autocancels sooner, strong hit has slightly reduced base knockback, increased growth, and lasts slightly longer.
• Back air hand aura hitbox on strong hit does more damage, base knockback, and has a more horizontal trajectory.
• Up air foot aura hitbox does slightly more damage, base knockback, growth, and sends more vertically.
• Dash grab and turn grab have a third grab box added.
• Up throw release point adjusted to be more in front and look less awkward, and knockback growth increased significantly.
• Double Team is reversible and preserves horizontal momentum on startup.
• Double Team movement during dash increased and smoothed out to provide more momentum when canceled at any length, goes a slightly longer distance overall, and in the air transitions into fall better.
• Back air weak late hit removed.
• Aerial super Force Palms throw knockback growth reduced a bit.
• Lucario's glowing hands for the first charge towards a super are fainter and blue, second charge is white when he has two.
• All of Lucario's hitbox placements, sizes, and durations cleaned up. Graphical effects adjusted to, in most cases, represent the outermost hitboxes.
• Jabs, dash ttack, forward/up/down tilt are now SDIable like normal.
• Jab 2 and forward smash are slightly more advantaged on block.
• Jab 3, forward tilt, and up tilt are more advantaged on block.
• dash Attack, down tilt, and down smash are slightly less advantaged on block.
• Many of Lucario's sound effect timings corrected.
• Spot dodge invincibility duration adjusted to be more appropriate for its total duration compared to the next best dodge tier.
• Jab 1 & 2 inner hits link better into the next jab.
• Dash attack no longer buffers into special moves on hit by holding down the special button, and works like any other OHC input that requires pressing the button.
• Dash attack has new graphical effects, uses aura element, travels a shorter distance, and IASA is a bit later.
• Dash attack strong hit duration shortened to be able to space for the weak hit better, sends much more horizontally except for at the foot aura hitbox, and knockback adjusted slightly.
• Forward tilt has a lower angle, more base knockback, and less growth.
• Down tilt startup greatly reduced, damage decreased slightly, and IASA is earlier.
• Forward smash hitbox ends sooner, slightly less base knockback on weak hit, and momentum is preserved on startup to be able to slide during it.
• Up smash charges up properly, scaling damage and knockback accordingly when charged.
• Up smash animation cleaned up, has an aura trail added to the fist, and he steps into the move instead of back giving it much more range.
• Up smash links better, is able to cancel into landing while moving downwards, and knockback growth on the final hit decreased slightly.
• Down smash startup greatly reduced, knockback growth decreased slightly, and inside hitbox on his front side is clankable like the other three hitboxes.
• Forward air foot aura hitbox on strong hit does increased damage, base knockback, and has a more vertical trajectory.
• Forward air weak hit damage decreased slightly, knockback growth increased, and the hit duration is reduced.
• Back air strong hit does slightly more damage, has less base knockback and growth, and lasts slightly longer.
• Up air autocancels sooner, IASA is much earlier, and knockback growth and hit duration are decreased.
• Down air second hit has less base knockback and more growth.
• Forward throw startup speed adjusted to look more like a throw than a spasm.
• Down throw speed is weight dependent and has significantly less startup to be harder to DI.
• Down throw damage and angle decreased slightly, has less base knockback, and more growth.
• Quick get up attack does not whiff when they are standing very close to the edge.
• Aura Sphere charge cancel now has its own animation which allows canceling into wait instead of into Shield, and the charge hits' hitlag is increased.
• Super Force Palm and ExtremeSpeed are no longer activated with the C-Stick.
• Force Palms grab has more startup, but grab duration is slightly longer.
• Force Palms attack hitboxes adjusted in damage and knockback, with the closest being the strongest.
• Grounded Force Palms near instant interrupt removed, animation shortened, and the Normal version has less base knockback and more growth.
• ExtremeSpeed hitboxes adjusted so that the final hit will actually come out before the animation ends, and has a hitbox when grabbing the edge.
• ExtremeSpeed uses weight dependent set knockback on multihits and super cancel instead of base knockback and no growth, and the multihits are not as SDIable.
• ExtremeSpeed and Double Team have priority over Force Palm for OHCs when inputting diagonally.
• Double Team startup increased significantly, but is intangible when he begins to move instead of partially into the dash.

2.6b

• Aerial Force Palm grab collisions adjusted to cover slightly more vertical area.
• Double Team can be interrupted sooner on the ground.
• Forward tilt animation improvements, and provides more forward momentum when canceled early.
• Aura Sphere charge ball startup begins hitting slightly later and is held closer in at the start to not interfere with knockback as easily when canceled into during hitlag.
• Fixed a glitch with aerial Force Palm used directly out of hitstun where Lucario would fall after grabbing an enemy.
• ExtremeSpeed cancel end animation transitions better into fall.

3.0

• Lucario starts each stock with an Aura charge.
• Neutral air is now a multi-hit aerial with similar power.
• Up throw has slightly less endlag.
• Down throw has slightly less total duration.
• Double Team has less startup and is invincible slightly longer. Same total duration.
• Final Smash beam is larger, turns faster and further, and is more powerful.
• Wallcling can no longer be activated out of ExtremeSpeed ending.
• Fully charge Aura Sphere travels slightly slower.
• Aura Sphere charging scales travel speed slightly more quickly.

Moveset

Up to date as of [version].

	Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack		3% then 2% then 5%	Waves its hand forward, does a palm thrust, and then kicks high. Each hit has whitish blue aura accompanying it and moves Lucario a fair bit forward. The first hit can combine with other attacks well, especially grabs, and is part of the Magic Series. By using the first strike, Lucario can initiate a Force Palm grab, standard grab or tilt to start a combo.
Forward tilt	Spinning Backfist	10%	Lucario spins around, attacking with the back of his hand. This can be part of a Magic Series, as all tilts are.
Up tilt		7%	Swings its leg in an arc over its head. Quick and can juggle.
Down tilt		6% (body) 8% (tip)	Sweeps one leg out along the ground. Paws flare up slightly when it does this.
Dash attack		10% (clean) 7% (late)	Lucario slides one leg forward on the ground, hitting low.
Forward smash		14% (body) 16% (aura)	Lucario places its paws together in front of itself and shoots a blast of bluish white aura energy, with great range and a good amount of active frames. The sweetspot is where the aura part of the attack connects, and can KO heavyweights around 115% if hit near the edge.
Up smash	Leaping Uppercut (Shoryuken)	2% - 17%	Inspired by the Shoryuken uppercut attack from Capcom's Street Fighter series, Lucario performs a multi-hitting leaping uppercut, ending with a strong final hit. It deals up to 17% damage, and can be jump canceled on hit and turned around during the start-up. It has overall much more utility than its original up smash from Brawl.
Down smash		14%	Lucario brings its paws down to either side of it in a downwards slapping motion. It has rather slow start-up and noticeable ending lag for a down smash if the move misses.
Neutral aerial	Hurricane Kick (Tatsumaki Senpukyaku)	15% (clean) 9% (late)	Based on another move from the Street Fighter series, Lucario performs a one-legged spinning kick. It has longer range, dealing up to 15% damage, higher than his original neutral aerial. The attack lingers after its strong initial hit.
Forward aerial		12% (clean, foot) 11% (clean, body) 8% (late)	Lucario kicks forward with a slight upwards tilt. Hitbox extends everywhere except above Lucario. The sweetspot is at the tip of his foot, and is Lucario's fastest aerial at start-up.
Back aerial		15% (tip) 14% (body)	Lucario throws one paw backwards, similar in appearance to Ganondorf's back aerial. Accompanied by standard little burst of bluish white aura. It has great horizontal knockback when hit with the sweetspot at the tip of the attack with good horizontal reach.
Up aerial		12% (tip of foot) 11% (body)	Kicks similarly to its forward aerial, but higher, hitting in front of its head. The hitbox covers its entire body, but the sweetspot is the Aura burst near the foot. This aerial has good defensive capabilities due to the hitbox covering its body.
Down aerial		8% (2 hits)	Lucario pauses in the air, thrusts its feet together downwards, and lets out a fairly large burst of aura energy. Fairly long duration, and has unique properties that make it an incredibly useful attack. When it starts the move, all of its momentum is immediately canceled. It can be used to perform a "pseudo-SHFFL", if used immediately after jumping, Lucario will cease to jump and immediately use the attack, making it one of the lowest possible attacking aerial moves. There is also no landing lag when doing this, as the entirety of the move is performed stationary in midair. Excellent knockback on 2nd hit, which allows Lucario to stage spike with it. Often considered one of its best attacks due to having almost no start-up lag and being a great combo finisher. This move also makes it that Lucario can make the smallest jumps in the game.
Grab		—	Grabs the enemy with both of its hands.
Pummel		3%	Sends an instant pulse of Aura into its opponent with little lag (if any). Very fast. Very low damage at low damages makes up for speed, being the only pummel in the game capable of doing no damage on a hit. 1% damage. Only the first hit counts towards Stale-Move Negation.
Forward throw		10%	Uses Aura to blast opponent forward. Lucario's fastest throw.
Back throw		10%	Turns and slams the opponent behind itself. Has relatively fast speed.
Up throw		6%	Uses aura to hit the opponent upwards with its paw. Low knockback allows this to set up follow-up attacks and can chain throw heavyweights and fast fallers at very low percentages.
Down throw		7%	Slams opponent straight into the ground in front of Lucario. Can set up combos at low percentages quite effectively. It starts becoming less useful for set ups at higher percentages. This move somewhat depends on the opponent's DI, but leaves them in a vulnerable position regardless of where they are sent flying.
Floor attack (front)		6%	Spins around while getting up, kicking on one side, and punching on the other.
Floor attack (back)		6%	Spins around while getting up, kicking on one side, and punching on the other.
Floor attack (trip)		5%	Lucario kicks forwards, then backwards.
Edge attack (fast)		7%	Lucario quickly gets back on the stage, attacking with a burst of Aura. Excellent range makes this a very good ledge attack.
Edge attack (slow)		10%	Lucario slowly brings its feet over its head (a semi-flip) and kicks, releasing aura. Rather slow and not recommended unless as surprise attack.
Neutral special	Aura Sphere		Has only five levels of charge, the final one being available for only two frames before full charge. The super version of this attack is an extremely large Aura Bomb that moves even slower than the normal fully charged version and does much greater knockback and damage (25%). It also has hitboxes around Lucario on startup.
Side special	Force Palm		Acts as a meteor smash when grabbing an opponent in the air. The grounded super version gains knockback, and the aerial version will spike the opponent instead of meteor smashing them (as it sends them at a more diagonal angle).
Up special	ExtremeSpeed		The super version cancels the move with a pelvic thrust that does 3% damage with slight knockback, which can be canceled into any action except another ExtremeSpeed.
Down special	Double Team		No longer a counter move. It is now a short dash which grants invincibility frames. While in the air, Lucario will dash diagonally downwards. It can be canceled into any normal attack at the cost of one aura charge.
Final Smash	Aura Storm	15% (start up) 1-62% (beam) (87% total)	Has wider range.

In competitive play

Notable players

•  aMSa
•  Denti
•  Eggz
•  Frozen
•  Neon
•  Omni
•  Vanguard

Palette swaps

Lucario's palette swaps in PM

Trivia

• Lucario's yellow palette swap resembles his Shiny coloration.
  • Unlike his Shiny appearance in the Pokémon main series games, Lucario's yellow palette swap's eyes in Project M are blue instead of red.
• Many of Lucario's moves are based off of attacks from various fighting games.

External links

• Project M character page