Disclaimer:
I'm trying something new with adding Summary to every section that quickly summarizes for repeat viewings. Let me know what you guys think about it in the comments please! Feedback is important for improving this guide series!
Joker
Introduction:
Joker is a mid-weight semi-floaty, playing a tricky sort of style that changes based on whether or not he has Arsene. He's best played as a bait-and-punish without Arsene, preferring not to risk anything and go for safe punishes that come from reactions rather than risky reads, and with Arsene, he's best played as a rushdown, in order to maximize his Rebellion Gauge and not waste any time. Play more aggressively when he is without Arsene, and play defensive/zoning or even camp him out (especially on the angel platform) when he does have Arsene.Strengths:
1. Combo Game
Joker's got a very solid combo game due to his multi hit moves such as first hit of f-air and u-air platform loops and his weak moves in terms of knockback means it can be hard to kill, but it also means that combo'ing is a lot easier, especially with his incredible ground speed. Avoid platforms/shield on platforms to avoid u-air loops, and DI away during combos, but mainly during d-throw. Knowing what moves the Joker likes to start combos with is great for defence, but can be difficult due to his many options, such as f-air 1 (shield), grab/delayed grab (attack), and running spaced tilt (dashback -> punish)
Summary:
Jokers combo starters are d-throw, landing f-air, and d-tilt. Always make sure to DI away, and shield on the platform to avoid u-air.
Summary:
Jokers combo starters are d-throw, landing f-air, and d-tilt. Always make sure to DI away, and shield on the platform to avoid u-air.
2. Edgeguarding
Joker has some fantastic edgeguarding tools in the form of n-air and d-air for low-angled gimps, and his neutral-b while firing downwards gimps nearly any non-teleport recovery. He can't go very deep, but his tools allow him to cover the area close to the ledge, especially with his b-air having good range and Gun. Picking a character that can recover quickly from the deep or can survive gimps is effective, such as Villager (as he can keep recovering by being hit with Joker's weaker moves), or Snake, who actually prefers to recover high, and outside of u-air, Joker can't really contest Snake up there without Arsene.
Summary:
Joker excels at punishing low recoveries, so opt for Snake or Villager to recover higher and avoid his gun, or a teleport recovery. Without Arsene, he really isn't too much of a threat when recovering high.
3. Versatile Kit
His kit is incredibly versatile, as his quick speed, "counter", and solid projectile allows him to play safe and even camp people out until Arsene arrives. He can also rushdown with his n-air and b-air, as both are safe on shield when spaced properly (-5), and because his grab is so threatening, it creates an extra mixup option. He can deal with rushdown via his quick dashback and side-b and can deal with zoners with his counter that builds up to Arsene. Against a campy Joker, being able to predict side-b early can get you a punish, as well as knowing when they like to jump, as well as overshooting your aerials to prevent dashbacks. If he counters, charge a full smash attack, as it lasts longer. Most people opt for a grab, but a charged smash attack is optimal, just make sure to react if he drops his counter early. Against an aggressive Joker, respect and avoid his dash attack, but note his grab game. His f-air 1 is an amazing combo tool, but it loses to shield pretty hard.
Summary:
Identify how the Joker plays with and without Arsene, predict his side-b and punish with full-hop, when he's using his counter, fully charge a smash attack and wait for the counter to run out or if he drops it early, and n-air and b-air spaced are safe on shield.
4. Arsene
Last but definitely not least, Arsene. Arsene is by and large Joker's biggest strength, as it makes almost all of his moves stronger/enhanced. It negates most of his weaknesses and boosts all of his strengths. His combo game takes a huge bonus in terms of damage and knockback, as well as giving him access to kill confirms, such as d-air -> u-smash, f-air 1 -> u-air/u-smash -> u-smash if u-air, and many more. He doesn't have access to any true confirms off of throw, however his juggle game is insanely good with Arsene on, and he can punish airdodges exceptionally well due to the strength of u-air with Arsene. At the ledge, always DI away his d-throw, as it can lead into a d-throw -> d-air with Arsene out at mid percents if you DI inwards. His edgeguarding also increases, due to the general strength of moves, his better recovery, and his Gun shooting more often. His side-b is also solid to poke offstage and burn resources. Picking a character like Villager or even Snake may not cut it, as the downtime they have while recovering allows them to eat an Arsene b-air or even d-air, often resulting in a kill at mid percents. Pikachu or a teleporter are solid options to avoid him completely offstage. His overall kit is stronger now, as his counter now acts as an anti-zone and anti-rushdown, due to it being a mix of a counter and a reflector, and his projectile has more range and deals more damage, making his zoning even stronger. His aggression however is where Arsene really shines. With stronger moves, he creates an incredible amount of pressure, making moves like f-air and d-air almost a death sentence to be hit by, forcing shields and allowing Joker free grabs to toss you offstage or go for airdodge reads off of d-throw. You should still wait out Joker counters, but maybe opt for a grab or if you can, empty-hop -> charged smash to read the counter. The best way to beat Arsene is to avoid him. Arsene Joker is the best character in the game, however, he's on a time limit, that gets further reduced as you hit him, so play safe and camp if you can while taking pot shots, and if you die, wait out Arsene on the angel platform (respawn platform) to waste their time further. Joker and his opponent often swap playstyles, where Joker often plays safe against an aggressor attempting to take advantage of his Arseneless state, while Arsene Joker makes the most of his time by playing full aggro, going for a stock, while the opponent waits out Arsene's timer. Learn how to camp with your character to the fullest, and if your character is able, stall offstage. Pikachu excels at this, due to his quick speed, small size, multi-hit moves in b-air, f-air, and n-air, (the longer moves take, the more time you waste), and his high agility and offstage presence in his Thunder stalls and Quick Attack.
Summary:
- His combo starters remain the same, but much more potent.
- Continue to DI away, airdodge his b-airs offstage, and still pick a character who can avoid Gun, such as Pikachu, Snake, or someone with a teleport
- Play defensive and downright camp Joker out. Use your character's tools to move around and even go under the stage if possible, and make sure to stay on the respawn platform (the Angel Platform) for as long as you can.
- Consider Joker's playstyle with and without Arsene and adapt.
1. Sometimes Can't Kill
Without Arsene, Joker has a very tough time killing, usually relegating himself to smash attacks for killing or Gun gimps, which is why he prefers to play defensive and rack up % for easier Arsene based kills. While Joker is low on his Rebel's Gauge, playing aggressively and racking up Arsene at early percents means when Arsene runs out (and hopefully you haven't died), Joker will have trouble closing out the stock, giving you time to rack up percent or even kill him instead.
Summary:
Arseneless Joker can't kill. Try to force Arsene when you're at very early percents, so Joker will be left to kill you while Arsene recharges.
2. Trouble with Small Characters
A lot of Joker's moves, especially his aerials (namely, f-air) cannot hit crouching characters such as Snake, Pika/Pichu, and Greninja. Due to this, he'll usually opt for landing aerials and d-tilt, which can all be shielded, and his other options can be ducked, such as grab and f-air. Making use of your crouch is not a common option thought about, so consider it on your favourite character, and what counterpick you can use to combat Joker's aerials.
Summary:
Pick a small character with a really low good crouch, shield the rest of his options, be careful of a grab mixup.
3. Poor OOS Options
Joker's fastest OOS option is u-air, which will mostly whiff, especially on small or even mid-sized characters. Outside of that, he has f-air OOS, which is frame 7. Pressure his shield with spaced aerials or very low lag moves -> grab or dashback to punish a f-air OOS if your move is on the slower side.
Summary:
- He only has f-air OOS, can u-air OOS if you're a big character
- Low lag/spaced move -> grab or dodge the f-air OOS -> punish
Pichu's small stature and unrelenting aggression takes advantage of 2 of Joker's weaknesses, his fragility against small characters, and his poor OOS game. Pichu is able to naturally dodge his moves at times (especially when crouching), and can pressure his shield and avoid his OOS options in u-air (frame 5) and f-air (frame 7).
In the neutral game, Pichu's TJolt can make Joker's strong dashbacks negligible as well as punishing his b-air walls, as the move will continue and hit him, forcing a shield, which already puts Joker in a bad position. Use TJolt to cover your aggression and pressure his shield while staying low. Using spaced d-tilt is a great shield poke tool, as Joker can only jump out of his shield to escape it, meaning he has no good offensive option OOS, and jumping away only puts him into the corner. Against side-b, you can quickly hop over it and get a grab or a n-air due to your speed and small hurtbox. When Arsene is out, your high maneuverability, up-b, side-b, and down-b can help evade and stall offstage, as well as go under the stage to stall time even further. Coupled that with your frailty, it is 100% the correct choice to get the hell away from Arsene Joker. Unless he barely whiffs a smash attack, it's not very safe to try to whiff punish him. Side-b has more range now, but that means being closer to him makes you safe from side-b, due to the 45 degree angle it is sent.
B-air and f-air are not too strong of aerials to punish Rainstorm on their own. However, making use of b-air dragdowns can net you a free u-smash or grab -> Thunder. Edgeguarding is making use of dragdowns and d-airs to keep him away from the ledge and stall him away, while ledgetrapping is making use of TJolt and d-tilt to poke at him and force an option while still remaining unpunishable yourself. You can run off f-air if he side-b's. While under Arsene, read his trajectory and be there with a d-air.
Summary:
- Pichu is small and fast, letting him avoid a lot of Joker's moves (f-air, u-air, and b-air)
- Use TJolt and pressure shield with low lag moves that keep you low to the ground
- His best OOS option is to jump away or n-air, which is frame 12
- Hop over his side-b -> grab. If side-b is improperly timed, it can straight up go right over you
- Use your specials to keep Arsene away and to evade/stall offstage
- Use b-air dragdowns to punish Rainstorm
- Force airdodges or push him from ledge with dragdowns and d-airs
- Ledgetrap with TJolt to force an option or put him in an edgeguard situation below the ledge
- Read Arsene up-b trajectory and d-air him (midway/at the end of up-b)
Best Pichu Mains:
VoiD: Though in a bit of a character crisis, VoiD is one of the best Pichu mains to ever play Ultimate, and has done a ton for the meta, which is exemplified by his top tier placings and wins. His content featuring Pichu videos and for many other characters are here.
NAKAT: VoiD's former fellow CLG member, NAKAT is currently the strongest active Pichu player, ranking as the 26th best Ultimate player in the world, according to the PGRU. His guide to Pichu and Pikachu can be found here.
2. Pikachu
A frequent member of the Recommended Matchups club, Pikachu is also a strong pick against Joker. Much like his fellow rat, Pichu, Pikachu's small stature, relatively safe disadvantaged state, and quick moves/ground speed makes it hard for Joker to punish Pikachu. On the other hand, Pikachu can punish Joker well, mainly due to his already incredible combo game, and his strong edgeguarding that Joker can have trouble consistently getting around.
In the neutral, Pikachu can standardly TJolt, as well as punish any committal options Joker may throw out, such as repeated use of Gun. Most options can be punished with a QA to get Joker into disadvantaged. You can approach with f-air, but getting a grab at 0% makes the matchup very scary for Joker. Getting a b-air towards offstage is also a great position for Pikachu to set up more b-airs to set up an edgeguard, which Pikachu excels at already. Should Joker whip out Arsene, Pikachu is more than well equipped to avoid him. QA, side-b,Thunder stalling, and general movement speed allows Pikachu to go under the stage, over it, through Joker with QA, and stall offstage, long enough for Arsene to run out. The unreactable nature of QA also allows Pikachu to mixup and attack Joker instead.
Edgeguarding consists of standard Pikachu setups. Joker will almost always go under the stage/slightly away from under, with or without Arsene. You can purposefully let him grab onto the stage, only for you to get an easy descending dragdown/d-air, as he will be unable to move. Joker has few unique ledge options, all of which can be hit with Pikachu f-smash or d-air. Standard fundamentals of reading helps with juggling Joker, especially if he uses Rebel's Guard, as you have time for him to land and punish. If he has Arsene and counters, you just have to u-air to repeat the juggle. At higher percents, however, you could try fastfall drag down n-air -> U-smash to punish the Arsene counter. For Rebel's Guard however, just charge an u-smash while he lands, or if you can vertically space it, Thunder.
Summary:
- Pikachu is small and fast, making him hard to hit
- TJolt approaches, punish Gun with QA
- Go for grabs at low percents, unless they know to actively avoid it. Punish spotdodges/rolls/jumps accordingly
- QA, Side-b, Thunder stall, run away, all viable tools vs. Arsene. QA to hit Joker as a mixup
- He will always recover low or airdodge to ledge
- Let him tether grab ledge to punish him, as you can cover a ton of space while hes in the animation
- F-smash/d-air to cover unique ledge options, otherwise standard punishes (grab neutral getup, shield ledge attack, etc.)
- Rebel's Guard -> charged smash
- Arsene counter -> n-air dragdown -> u-smash or just u-air
Top Pikachu Mains:
ESAM: The classic. The GOAT of Pikachu since Brawl. His resume is extensive and is a great resource for all things Pikachu.
3. Mega Man
Follow me on twitter! https://twitter.com/jkoga6
Changelog:
Oct. 19/2019 - Added Stage Select
May: 29/2020 - Changed Twitter handle
Summary:
- His combo starters remain the same, but much more potent.
- Continue to DI away, airdodge his b-airs offstage, and still pick a character who can avoid Gun, such as Pikachu, Snake, or someone with a teleport
- Play defensive and downright camp Joker out. Use your character's tools to move around and even go under the stage if possible, and make sure to stay on the respawn platform (the Angel Platform) for as long as you can.
- Consider Joker's playstyle with and without Arsene and adapt.
Weaknesses:
1. Sometimes Can't Kill
Without Arsene, Joker has a very tough time killing, usually relegating himself to smash attacks for killing or Gun gimps, which is why he prefers to play defensive and rack up % for easier Arsene based kills. While Joker is low on his Rebel's Gauge, playing aggressively and racking up Arsene at early percents means when Arsene runs out (and hopefully you haven't died), Joker will have trouble closing out the stock, giving you time to rack up percent or even kill him instead.
Summary:
Arseneless Joker can't kill. Try to force Arsene when you're at very early percents, so Joker will be left to kill you while Arsene recharges.
2. Trouble with Small Characters
A lot of Joker's moves, especially his aerials (namely, f-air) cannot hit crouching characters such as Snake, Pika/Pichu, and Greninja. Due to this, he'll usually opt for landing aerials and d-tilt, which can all be shielded, and his other options can be ducked, such as grab and f-air. Making use of your crouch is not a common option thought about, so consider it on your favourite character, and what counterpick you can use to combat Joker's aerials.
Summary:
Pick a small character with a really low good crouch, shield the rest of his options, be careful of a grab mixup.
3. Poor OOS Options
Joker's fastest OOS option is u-air, which will mostly whiff, especially on small or even mid-sized characters. Outside of that, he has f-air OOS, which is frame 7. Pressure his shield with spaced aerials or very low lag moves -> grab or dashback to punish a f-air OOS if your move is on the slower side.
Summary:
- He only has f-air OOS, can u-air OOS if you're a big character
- Low lag/spaced move -> grab or dodge the f-air OOS -> punish
Playing Against Joker in the Neutral
Joker:
Most of the time, Joker's neutral will be a bait and punish style. Play aggressive. He will usually go for b-air walls and aim to get f-air 1 and a grab. Rising b-air has trouble against small characters such as Pichu or Inkling and Greninja while dashing, so they may go for landing b-air or even a n-air/d-air. Using the aforementioned characters is very strong, as they're quick enough to bait out his defensive option, and then go for the hit. If the Joker is using rising b-air, wait it out, and then run in and attack. Landing b-airs require an early strike, and a n-air or d-air don't have a lot of range, so attempt to outrange it or apply the same principles to b-air. His f-air 1 and grab mixups are tough to deal with, but it's worth noting he has to do landing f-air to get f-air 1, so if he jumps near you/your shield, it's better to OOS to quickly hit him before he f-air 1's or empty hop -> grabs you. However, he can instead f-air normally, which you can then punish right after, but by default they will usually go for f-air 1. His side-b is also a great defensive tool, but can be shielded with ease. If your character has good range, such as Shulk, you may be able to hop over the side-b and punish with a f-air, which can be more devastating with Smash Art. His u-tilt functions as a solid anti-air, which can lead to u-airs at early percents, so incorporate empty hops to bait it out and dash away or even shield it, as there's plenty amount of downtime for you to punish. Staying under Joker is vital in the neutral, as his up-b can grab you in mid-air and his u-air can trap you on the platforms. Joker's Gun is a pretty strong tool for poking, as well as Rainstorm being viable in a full hop, able to poke down and force a shield, as well as cancel into moves such as b-air. When he uses Rainstorm, see if you can move tot he sides and hit im with f-air or b-air. And finally, if the Joker busts out his counter, charge a smash attack.
Arsene:
Now that Arsene is out, Joker will be playing much more aggressively. His stronger moves create a ton of pressure, which can allow him to get free grabs or smash attacks, should you shield, counter, or spotdodge. Evading with speed and stalling is a powerful technique against Arsene. Using your character's options offstage to stall time makes a ton of difference, especially if you wait on the Angel Platform the entire way through. An obscure technique when fighting Arsene (which is even stronger since Joker will usually be at high percents with Arsene) is to grab him and keep pummelling. This not only stalls time, it deals extra damage, and slightly reduces Arsene time by hitting him. Arsene's punish game is incredible, and it definitely affects the neutral. Throughout the entire game, note the player's favourite approach option as Arsene, as they often don't need many opportunities to take the stock. N-air becomes a great option in the air for keeping opponents off of you, d-air becomes a combo starter, and b-air becomes an even stronger wall, as it gains an intense amount of kill power. His options remain the same yet stronger, and it's much more optimal to avoid it rather than contest it and risk getting d-air -> f-smashed.
Summary:
Joker
- Bait and punish neutral
- B-air walls, f-air 1/landing f-air, and grab
- Pick a low height character or one who is low when dashing(Pichu or Inkling/Greninja)
- Strike rising b-air after, strike landing b-air early
- F-air 1 is always landing
- Shield side-b or jump over and attack (requires range)
- U-tilt is a solid anti-air but pretty lag on or off shield
- Stay under Joker to avoid up-b and u-air on platforms
- If he counters, smash attack
Arsene
- Aggro neutral
- All previous options are now 10x
- Don't shield/spotdodge as often
- Evade with speed/stalling instead
- Use offstage options to stall time
- Wait on the respawn platform for as long as you can
- If you get a grab, mash pummel to stall time -> throw
Punishing Joker
Joker:
Juggling Joker is all about reading Rainstorm. Rainstorm basically renders any juggle moot, if done improperly. Rainstorm hits all below it, so it is more beneficial to stay mobile and pressure Joker while moving side to side with the use of platforms or a character with solid enough air-speed, such as Wario. This may force a Rainstorm, to which you can hit Joker on the side, often killing earlier. Edgeguarding Joker is more about distance. Gimping him and getting him further from the ledge, though it may seem obvious, is optimal. Because of its nature as a tether recovery, if Joker is not in range of the ledge, he will go absolutely nowhere, so forcing an airdodge offstage by dropping from the ledge -> b-air can often take the stock. Keep him away from the ledge. At the ledge, Joker can double jump side-b, or any of his other basic options. This loses to shield, and can even be punished if you read it with a quick d-air or other spiking move.
Arsene:
Rainstorm becomes stronger, but the principle still applies. Hit from the side. Gimping him does however become a bit harder, it is also a bit easier. Without access to the tether, his recovery is much more telegraphed, and will now lose to longer range spikes, such as Ivysaur d-air. It has slight invincibility at the beginning, so spike it midway through rather than going for gimp at startup. At the ledge, his options become much stronger in terms of knockback, and side-b has more range, meaning Joker can fire it from a distance and be safer from d-air counterattacks. Just shield it and move on, or if you can read it, run offstage and wait for it -> double jump -> d-air.
Summary:
Joker
- When juggling, hit him from the sides and pressure with horizontal speeds (either on platforms or with good airspeeds)
- Force airdodges with high pressure edgeguarding and to keep him further from ledge as much as possible
- He can side-b from ledge, so if you read it, go for a spike
Arsene
- Rainstorm punishes harder, principle still applies
- Gimp him at the later part of his up-b.
- Joker can side-b from further away, but a read can still get you a spike
Recommended Matchups:
1. Pichu
Pichu's small stature and unrelenting aggression takes advantage of 2 of Joker's weaknesses, his fragility against small characters, and his poor OOS game. Pichu is able to naturally dodge his moves at times (especially when crouching), and can pressure his shield and avoid his OOS options in u-air (frame 5) and f-air (frame 7).
In the neutral game, Pichu's TJolt can make Joker's strong dashbacks negligible as well as punishing his b-air walls, as the move will continue and hit him, forcing a shield, which already puts Joker in a bad position. Use TJolt to cover your aggression and pressure his shield while staying low. Using spaced d-tilt is a great shield poke tool, as Joker can only jump out of his shield to escape it, meaning he has no good offensive option OOS, and jumping away only puts him into the corner. Against side-b, you can quickly hop over it and get a grab or a n-air due to your speed and small hurtbox. When Arsene is out, your high maneuverability, up-b, side-b, and down-b can help evade and stall offstage, as well as go under the stage to stall time even further. Coupled that with your frailty, it is 100% the correct choice to get the hell away from Arsene Joker. Unless he barely whiffs a smash attack, it's not very safe to try to whiff punish him. Side-b has more range now, but that means being closer to him makes you safe from side-b, due to the 45 degree angle it is sent.
B-air and f-air are not too strong of aerials to punish Rainstorm on their own. However, making use of b-air dragdowns can net you a free u-smash or grab -> Thunder. Edgeguarding is making use of dragdowns and d-airs to keep him away from the ledge and stall him away, while ledgetrapping is making use of TJolt and d-tilt to poke at him and force an option while still remaining unpunishable yourself. You can run off f-air if he side-b's. While under Arsene, read his trajectory and be there with a d-air.
Summary:
- Pichu is small and fast, letting him avoid a lot of Joker's moves (f-air, u-air, and b-air)
- Use TJolt and pressure shield with low lag moves that keep you low to the ground
- His best OOS option is to jump away or n-air, which is frame 12
- Hop over his side-b -> grab. If side-b is improperly timed, it can straight up go right over you
- Use your specials to keep Arsene away and to evade/stall offstage
- Use b-air dragdowns to punish Rainstorm
- Force airdodges or push him from ledge with dragdowns and d-airs
- Ledgetrap with TJolt to force an option or put him in an edgeguard situation below the ledge
- Read Arsene up-b trajectory and d-air him (midway/at the end of up-b)
Best Pichu Mains:
VoiD: Though in a bit of a character crisis, VoiD is one of the best Pichu mains to ever play Ultimate, and has done a ton for the meta, which is exemplified by his top tier placings and wins. His content featuring Pichu videos and for many other characters are here.
NAKAT: VoiD's former fellow CLG member, NAKAT is currently the strongest active Pichu player, ranking as the 26th best Ultimate player in the world, according to the PGRU. His guide to Pichu and Pikachu can be found here.
2. Pikachu
A frequent member of the Recommended Matchups club, Pikachu is also a strong pick against Joker. Much like his fellow rat, Pichu, Pikachu's small stature, relatively safe disadvantaged state, and quick moves/ground speed makes it hard for Joker to punish Pikachu. On the other hand, Pikachu can punish Joker well, mainly due to his already incredible combo game, and his strong edgeguarding that Joker can have trouble consistently getting around.
In the neutral, Pikachu can standardly TJolt, as well as punish any committal options Joker may throw out, such as repeated use of Gun. Most options can be punished with a QA to get Joker into disadvantaged. You can approach with f-air, but getting a grab at 0% makes the matchup very scary for Joker. Getting a b-air towards offstage is also a great position for Pikachu to set up more b-airs to set up an edgeguard, which Pikachu excels at already. Should Joker whip out Arsene, Pikachu is more than well equipped to avoid him. QA, side-b,Thunder stalling, and general movement speed allows Pikachu to go under the stage, over it, through Joker with QA, and stall offstage, long enough for Arsene to run out. The unreactable nature of QA also allows Pikachu to mixup and attack Joker instead.
Edgeguarding consists of standard Pikachu setups. Joker will almost always go under the stage/slightly away from under, with or without Arsene. You can purposefully let him grab onto the stage, only for you to get an easy descending dragdown/d-air, as he will be unable to move. Joker has few unique ledge options, all of which can be hit with Pikachu f-smash or d-air. Standard fundamentals of reading helps with juggling Joker, especially if he uses Rebel's Guard, as you have time for him to land and punish. If he has Arsene and counters, you just have to u-air to repeat the juggle. At higher percents, however, you could try fastfall drag down n-air -> U-smash to punish the Arsene counter. For Rebel's Guard however, just charge an u-smash while he lands, or if you can vertically space it, Thunder.
Summary:
- Pikachu is small and fast, making him hard to hit
- TJolt approaches, punish Gun with QA
- Go for grabs at low percents, unless they know to actively avoid it. Punish spotdodges/rolls/jumps accordingly
- QA, Side-b, Thunder stall, run away, all viable tools vs. Arsene. QA to hit Joker as a mixup
- He will always recover low or airdodge to ledge
- Let him tether grab ledge to punish him, as you can cover a ton of space while hes in the animation
- F-smash/d-air to cover unique ledge options, otherwise standard punishes (grab neutral getup, shield ledge attack, etc.)
- Rebel's Guard -> charged smash
- Arsene counter -> n-air dragdown -> u-smash or just u-air
Top Pikachu Mains:
ESAM: The classic. The GOAT of Pikachu since Brawl. His resume is extensive and is a great resource for all things Pikachu.
3. Mega Man
Mega Man is a sort of sleeper counterpick for the biggest top tiers right now. MM solidly does well against the top cast, but can struggle with raw rushdown characters. Joker is not one of those characters. He can be, he just doesn't have the tools to do it as well as someone like Fox or Pichu. Spamming lemons from a midrange distance is able to restrict Joker's movement, especially if the MM can get a bead on Joker's neutral patterns, such as where they like to go when hit by a pellet, very similar to how top level Melee Falco's use lasers to pressure, control space, and read reactions, MM excels at restricting his opponent and study their reactions to the pressure.
In the neutral, zoning and studying your opponent is key. Spam lemons to keep Joker out, and see where they like to go when hit by a pellet. Do they jump away? Do they shield? Do they roll, jump towards, retreat to platforms, the ledge. Knowing their patterns is key to any matchup, but Mega Man's lemons allow him to see their reactions to constant pressure. Keeping Joker out also can frustrate and cause them to slip, allowing you to get reads off of continued lemon pressure, mainly through b-air, or even the occasional u-tilt if you read a grounded option.
When Joker's offstage, b-air covers a ton of space with a good amount of frames out, while d-air can cover a ton of vertical space when Joker tether grabs. B-air is your main offstage tool. At the ledge, rising f-air, b-air, and n-air are all safe options to punish jumping from the ledge, or to fake to bait a grounded option. Most grounded options can easily be punished with an u-tilt, or even an f-throw/b-throw to reset and get an edgeguard, if they're at low percents. If you can time and space it right, a d-smash can cover a roll and a neutral getup, and may clank with a getup attack, however it's got a ton of lag. Leaf Shield, however, is probably your strongest ledgetrapping tool. It's incredibly active and covers a ton of area, as well as being an incredible 2 frame option. Juggling Joker is making use of your u-air projectile, and when he's closer to the ground, try to read an airdodge or counter with an u-tilt. Spamming of u-air can be used to fill Rebel's Guard, so don't be so hasty to spam it, so make sure to fake them out a few times.
Summary:
- Pellet in neutral
- Learn their reactions to them getting hit by/their shield getting hit by pellet
- Punish repeated patterns with b-air or u-tilt for grounded punishes
- B-air and f-air are strong offstage (ton of range), and d-air for low Joker up-b's
- Leaf Shield 2-frames and covers a ton of space for ledgetrapping
- Juggle but don't spam, as they may charge Rebel's Guard
- Bait airdodges and counters and punish with u-tilt when close to the ground
Best Mega Men:
kameme: As of now the strongest Mega Man main, and a top level Japanese threat.
Marss: Though normally a ZSS main, Marss took a set off MKLeo at Mainstage 2019 by switching to a Mega Man secondary.
Summary:
To summarize:
- Low profile his moves
- Stall Arsene
- He recovers low
- Move side to side when juggling
- His ledge options (aside from standard ones) are punished with d-air/f-smash
In the neutral, zoning and studying your opponent is key. Spam lemons to keep Joker out, and see where they like to go when hit by a pellet. Do they jump away? Do they shield? Do they roll, jump towards, retreat to platforms, the ledge. Knowing their patterns is key to any matchup, but Mega Man's lemons allow him to see their reactions to constant pressure. Keeping Joker out also can frustrate and cause them to slip, allowing you to get reads off of continued lemon pressure, mainly through b-air, or even the occasional u-tilt if you read a grounded option.
When Joker's offstage, b-air covers a ton of space with a good amount of frames out, while d-air can cover a ton of vertical space when Joker tether grabs. B-air is your main offstage tool. At the ledge, rising f-air, b-air, and n-air are all safe options to punish jumping from the ledge, or to fake to bait a grounded option. Most grounded options can easily be punished with an u-tilt, or even an f-throw/b-throw to reset and get an edgeguard, if they're at low percents. If you can time and space it right, a d-smash can cover a roll and a neutral getup, and may clank with a getup attack, however it's got a ton of lag. Leaf Shield, however, is probably your strongest ledgetrapping tool. It's incredibly active and covers a ton of area, as well as being an incredible 2 frame option. Juggling Joker is making use of your u-air projectile, and when he's closer to the ground, try to read an airdodge or counter with an u-tilt. Spamming of u-air can be used to fill Rebel's Guard, so don't be so hasty to spam it, so make sure to fake them out a few times.
Summary:
- Pellet in neutral
- Learn their reactions to them getting hit by/their shield getting hit by pellet
- Punish repeated patterns with b-air or u-tilt for grounded punishes
- B-air and f-air are strong offstage (ton of range), and d-air for low Joker up-b's
- Leaf Shield 2-frames and covers a ton of space for ledgetrapping
- Juggle but don't spam, as they may charge Rebel's Guard
- Bait airdodges and counters and punish with u-tilt when close to the ground
Best Mega Men:
kameme: As of now the strongest Mega Man main, and a top level Japanese threat.
Marss: Though normally a ZSS main, Marss took a set off MKLeo at Mainstage 2019 by switching to a Mega Man secondary.
Stage Select:
Joker's best stage is PS2, and he does okay on every other stage, preferring to pick based on his opponent's bad stages rather than having a good one himself, as well as based on personal preference.
Summary:
To summarize:
- Low profile his moves
- Stall Arsene
- He recovers low
- Move side to side when juggling
- His ledge options (aside from standard ones) are punished with d-air/f-smash
---
---
Oct. 19/2019 - Added Stage Select
May: 29/2020 - Changed Twitter handle
