Quick Attack cancel
Quick Attack Canceling, abbreviated as QAC and also known as QuACking, is a technique usable by Pikachu in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It involves using Quick Attack into the ground and jumping (or dropping if aimed into a soft platform) to cancel the lag at the end of the momentum, allowing Pikachu to approach very quickly. However, it returns in Super Smash Bros. 4 and it remains the same, except it can no longer be used on flat surfaces and less useful overral .
The concept
By aiming the first half of the quick attack down and to a direction against the ground, Pikachu loses all lag from the move. This allows Pikachu to cancel the Quick Attack into any aerial move outside of down aerial (called QAC flash or Quick Attack flash). This is usually used to combo into neutral aerial or Thunder KOs (both vertical and horizontal). Due to the properties of the move, it is possible to "stun" the opponent using the first half of the Quick Attack and then hitting them with an aerial, or constantly hitting one's shield.
Usefulness
The technique is considered vital for competitive Pikachu players, due to massively helping with its approach and aerial game, as well as giving it a getaway option and a way to manoeuvre around the stage. It can also easily play mindgames with the opponent and allow extended followups to certain moves knocking the opponent across the stage, if one's reflexes allow it. Notably, it is an efficient way to combo straight into a neutral aerial, as the lock properties of Quick Attack can keep the opponent in position so that they cannot avoid the neutral aerial, which has a startup of 3 frames. The technique is overall a great addition to Pikachu's combo and edge games.
Techniques
QAC is also part of many techniques:
- Quick Attack lock or QAC lock (pictured above): By footstool jumping on an opponent and then repeatedly QAC'ing into an opponent, Pikachu can infinite an opponent. It is possible to also QAC lock if an opponent near Pikachu misses a tech.
- Slope cancelling: By quick attacking against any slope, Pikachu can cancel the Quick Attack into any move and gain momentum.
- Quick Attack edgehog: It's possible to Quick Attack cancel off the ledge and then regrab the ledge with the second half of the move. It is also possible to QAC off the ledge without actually grabbing it, with Pikachu being able to use an up aerial to guard the area around the edge or, on stages such as Final Destination, wall jump off the stage lip, which can even be followed up with a Thunder wavebounce to get back onto the stage without interfering with the ledge.
- Quick Attack Ledge cancel: A new technique introduced into SSB4 and it's common on the 3DS version, though it's possible in the Wii U version.
