Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup is about whether Bayonetta can keep Cloud’s sword range and Limit pressure from staying in control long enough to convert the opening into carry. Cloud has easy touch points through nair, bair, uair, and strong kill power, but his close-range rotation and normal recovery are fragile, and he also has to spend time threatening Limit Charge. If Bayonetta keeps shifting angles with Side B and Up B and keeps layering fair and uair on the landing spot, she can stop the matchup from ending at sword-tip distance.
The frame table shows large guaranteed punishes centered on Up B (6f) against Jab 1-3, every tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, and Down B (2). Even fair and dair are punishable by Up B, so Cloud’s close-range panic swings and landing tools should not be allowed to escape once Bayonetta blocks them.
The win condition is to carry a non-Limit Cloud to the ledge, then keep narrowing his return path with fair, uair, Side B, dair, and whiff punishes that preserve stage control. His normal Up B is especially weak when forced to recover from low angles, so it is more stable to keep pushing him offstage repeatedly and tax both his climb angle and airdodge timing than to bet everything on one deep edgeguard.
Cloud’s nair, bair, and uair remain cheap on shield, and once Limit is active Bayonetta’s light weight and kill difficulty become much more severe. If she keeps jumping into sword tips or leaves Limit Charge unattended for too long, Cloud can take over the pace before she ever gets the carry sequence she needs.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Bayonetta OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -21 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -24 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -27 |
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| Forward Tilt | 9 | -16 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -18 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -26 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -26 |
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| Forward Smash | 19/24/28 | -29/-30 |
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| Up Smash | 12 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 8/21 | -38/-20 |
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| Neutral Air | 5 | -5 |
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| Forward Air | 18 | -6/-6/-7 |
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| Back Air | 11 | -3 |
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| Up Air | 8 | -5/-5 |
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| Down Air | 11 | -11/-12 |
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| Neutral B | 18(18) | -25(-33) |
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| Side B | 10 | -25 |
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| Up B | 7/10 | ** | ||
| Down B (1) | — | — | ||
| Down B (2) | 12 (ground) // 14 (air) | -70/-71 |
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| Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 12 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 13 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not jump straight into sword-tip range. Use angle changes from Side B and Up B, plus walk and air drift, to make Cloud’s spacing slightly miss before touching him.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, tilts, dash attack, smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, Down B (2), fair, or dair, punish first with Up B (6f), then rotate into grab, OOS fair, OOS nair, and OOS uair when the table allows it.
- Once Bayonetta gets in, keep carrying with fair, uair, and Side B so Cloud’s landing spot and ledge route are covered together, then force repeated offstage situations while he has no Limit.
- Do not let Limit Charge happen for free. If Cloud is allowed to sit still and fill gauge, pressure him so the meter is interrupted or spent on recovery instead of offense.
- Do not rely only on one deep edgeguard. Keep reading the combination of Climhazard angle, airdodge, and ledge timing after forcing him offstage.
Actions to Avoid
- Taking repeated aerial approaches directly into Cloud’s sword-tip spacing and getting checked by nair, bair, up smash, or Limit specials before the combo even starts.
- Missing guaranteed punishes on jab strings, grounded moves, Side B, fair, and dair, which lets Cloud’s landing and panic buttons stay too cheap.
- Leaving Limit Charge alone for too long and letting Cloud carry both recovery insurance and kill threat at the same time.
- Overcommitting to one hard offstage read, then breaking Bayonetta’s own recovery on a bair or Limit Up B reversal.