When it comes to Nintendo’s biggest IPs, nothing else hits quite the same spot that Fire Emblem does. Turn-based strategy titles are a bit of a niche genre, but the unique personalities of the units, the harrowing permadeath mechanic, and the deep relationship building that takes place off the battlefield makes the games utterly compelling.

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As a result of the series’ ever-growing popularity, there are a lot of Fire Emblem characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Lucina was a bit of a controversial addition, but she’s become quite a dominating force in the Ultimate metagame. If you’re looking to pick her up or improve your Lucina game, you’ve come to the right place!

10 Know How She’s Different To Marth

As all Super Smash Bros. fans will know, the series has long had a bit of an issue with clone characters. In the Fire Emblem section of the roster, Roy, Chrom, and Lucina are all considered ‘clones’ of Marth, each boasting largely the same movesets and general gameplan. There’s a crucial difference between Marth and Lucina in particular, though: the tipper (or lack thereof).

Essentially, Marth’s sword attacks have both a sweet spot (the tip of his blade) and a sour spot, while Lucina has neither. Similar as her moves are, this changes her game entirely, making her an all-round more reliable and accessible character.

9 Know Her Strengths

Lucina doesn’t boast the raw power of a Marth who can hit that sweet spot consistently. What she does have, however, are all the advantages that he inherently does: solid speed and maneuverability, coupled with nice range and a great ability to pressure the opponent (particularly when they’re vulnerable off-stage).

As a Lucina player, you’ll need to grasp the concept of spacing your opponent out, controlling the stage, and constantly keeping your foe within your blade’s reach.

8 Know Her Weaknesses

Lucina is a very respected character, whose all-around strengths and versatility mean she can go toe-to-toe with just about anybody on any stage. This doesn’t mean she has no weaknesses, though, because there are certainly some shortcomings too.

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While she revels in controlling the flow of a match, she lacks any sort of ranged attack, meaning that she really struggles against zoners if she can’t close the distance. The range of her grab is abysmal and she gains little reward for using it.

7 Know How She’s Changed In Smash Ultimate

If you’re already familiar with Lucina’s playstyle, you might simply be looking to see how she’s changed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After all, the general gameplay tweaks this time around have changed the situation for the whole roster.

Lucina is a bit of a mixed bag in that regard. Less aerial landing lag and the general pace of things being sped up has been a real treat for her, but the reduced KO potential of certain valuable moves (such as her forward Smash Attack) and her throws has hurt Lucina.

6 Use The Range Of That Sword To The Best Of Your Ability

With Lucina’s throws being super lackluster, her weight being nothing to write home about and her being rather tall (an easier target to hit), one thing’s quite clear: she’s got the extra range of a sword for a reason.

Lucina doesn’t struggle as much as Marth when up close and personal (as she doesn’t have the sour spot), so she can afford to be more aggressive and she needs to use the advantage of a disjointed hitbox as best she can. Put simply, try to be in range to hit your opponent without letting them come into range to hit you. It’s the Smash sword wielder's motto.

5 Try To Lock Down Your Opponent’s Movement

While you’re diving in there and trying to puncture your foe’s personage in several hundred different places with Lucina’s sword, they probably have mixed feelings about that whole idea. As such, there are sure to be a lot of evasive maneuvers being performed on their part (especially if they’re looking for an opening as a close-quarters character like Wario).

The good news is, Lucina has the tools to really capitalize on this sort of thing. Her swings (Dancing Blade in particular) have a whole lot of horizontal range, meaning that she can punish rollers like nobody’s business. With a little prediction, you can lock down a lot of their defensive options.

4 NEVER Be Predictable With Your Counter

If you’ve had a lot of experience playing as Smash’s Fire Emblem roster, you’ve surely pulled off a glorious Counter KO or twenty in your time. A counter is a super simple yet very frightening tool, and it can have fantastic results if used at the opportune moment. Every Lucina player knows this, but everyone facing a Lucina player knows it too.

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The key, then, is not to be predictable with it. A poorly-timed/well-predicted counter will see you eat a huge amount of damage, as the opponent simply delays their attack for a split second and catches you in your recovery. You can also, of course, simply be grabbed right out of it. Practice using this special move, recognizing when it’s safe to go for and when it isn’t.

3 Know Her Best Combo Tools

As Lucina, your gameplan is very simple: use the powerful juggling and combo tools at your disposal to build damage relatively safely, then unleash your finisher to score the KO. Naturally, these are the absolute fundamentals of Smash, but nobody defines them quite as well as Lucina does. Not many characters are equally adept at both, after all.

As for the first part of the puzzle, then: which moves are her best combo tools and damage-rackers? Her up tilt and neutral air will be vital tools here, while her forward throw isn’t the combo starter it was before. Depending on your opponent’s damage percentage, fast-falling aerials and down throw into up air juggling attempts can pay dividends too.

2 Know Her Best KO Options

As already mentioned, some of Lucina’s strongest finishers received quite a nerf to their KO potential between Smash 4 and Smash Ultimate. This doesn’t mean she’s too much of a slouch when it comes to scoring the final blow, however.

For one thing, the dash attack has more potential there than it did before, which is something to bear in mind. She’s capable of some nasty spikes and deadly tricks when the opponent is off-stage, so keep that in mind too. While forward air and forward smash aren’t as potent as they were before, they’re still versatile and powerful moves that can seal the deal.

1 Be Very Careful With Your Recovery

There’s no denying that Lucina has ways to make her presence felt while off-stage. Whether she’s chasing the foe or fighting her way back herself, that Dolphin Slash is quite a strong move and very fast to boot.

The issue is, it’s also very predictable. Without some of those tricky charged Shield Breaker momentum shenanigans, there’s not a lot Lucina can do to help herself recover horizontally. What you’ll want to do, then, is experiment with Dolphin Slash and where and when it can be used. Be conservative if you’re chasing the opponent, too.

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