Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup is decided by whether Banjo & Kazooie deny Hero the time to stop and cycle Menu or charge the Frizz line with constant egg pressure.
Hero’s projectiles and high-roll spells are extremely dangerous, but his close-range turnover and landing escapes are not especially fast, and as the table shows, Jab 1-3, tilts, dash attack, smash attacks, bair, dair, Neutral B, and Side B all give Banjo real answers with Up Smash (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or OOS Bair (11f).
At the same time, Hero’s nair, fair, and uair are hard to punish directly, so waiting in shield too often only lets him reset into another spell or another Menu pull. Banjo needs to move him first with Egg Firing and Grenade Egg instead of trying to win from static blocking.
The win condition is to force Hero off his spell rhythm, carry him to the ledge with bair and ftilt, then finish through Grenade Egg pressure, bair, and selective Wonderwing once his ledge choices become predictable.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Banjo & Kazooie OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 6 | -15 |
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| Jab 2 | 6 | -15 |
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| Jab 3 | 7 | -25 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 9 | -21 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 8 | -31 |
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| Up Tilt | 8 | -23 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -19 |
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| Dash Attack | 21 | -16 |
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| Forward Smash | 17 | -36 (-26) |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -29 (-19) |
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| Down Smash | 9/20 | -37/-26 (-29/-18) |
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| Neutral Air | 8 | -6 |
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| Forward Air | 14 | -7 |
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| Back Air | 18 | -9 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -5 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -12 |
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| Neutral B | [10(+7)] [11(+25)] [16(2/8/14/20)] | -22/-28/-24 |
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| Side B | [9/13(+7)] [10/15(+16)] [43/50/72/75/81] | -12/-25/-29 |
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| Up B | [4(+3)] [6/13/20/27(+13)] [39/49/59/69/79/89] | ** | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Banjo & Kazooie should vary low and high Egg Firing plus Grenade Egg so Hero cannot comfortably sit still for Menu, Frizz charge, or Side B charge.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, tilts, dash attack, smash attacks, bair, dair, Neutral B, or Side B, Banjo should cash out with Up Smash (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or OOS Bair (11f).
- After blocking nair, fair, or uair, Banjo should not force an immediate punish and should instead reset space with a retreat or jump away, then place another egg on Hero’s next landing or menu point.
- At the ledge, Banjo should layer Grenade Egg, bair, Up Smash, and Wonderwing to cover Hero’s Up B recovery path, jump getup, and standard getup without overspending Wonderwing.
Actions to Avoid
- Firing eggs on a fixed rhythm from far away and letting Hero safely charge Kazap or heavy Frizz spells behind the pattern.
- Swinging Up Smash or Grab after every blocked nair or fair and getting punished by Hero’s landing timing or follow-up spell.
- Burning Wonderwing repeatedly from obvious midrange and losing both the stock resource and a key recovery mixup on shield.
- Chasing Hero too deep offstage and getting trapped by bair or changing Up B angles while Banjo’s sideways recovery becomes the real weakness.