Duck Hunt Matchup (Bayonetta)

Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)

Duck Hunt wants to stack Can, Wild Gunman, and Clay Shooting to lock both Bayonetta’s horizontal path and landing spots, then wait for a reckless side-B entry. Bayonetta still gains a lot once she slips through one setup window, because Duck Hunt’s close-range defense and out-of-shield pressure are not especially strong once the spacing collapses. Duck Hunt’s recovery also travels far without offering much threat on the way back, so once Bayonetta carries the fight offstage she can narrow the return with fair, bair, and After Burner Kick. The matchup is won by not trying to dodge every projectile forever, but by shifting jump height and hold position until the next setup or reset moment appears, then converting that one opening all the way to the ledge.

Full Move Frame Quick Reference

Win Condition Checklist

• Do not force side B through the front of Can and Gunman; shift your waiting spot first, then punish the next setup input or reposition step with up B, fair, or grab
• Once you get in, do not stop in center; chase jump and air-dodge usage until the carry reaches the ledge
• On shield, do not miss punish windows on jab, rapid-jab finisher, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, back air, up air, and down air
• When Duck Hunt is offstage, move ahead of the up-B path and cover both the ledge grab and landing with fair, bair, or After Burner Kick
• At kill percent, do not rely only on Witch Time; finish more reliably with ledge bair, fair, and landing up smash

Actions to Avoid

• Do not try to force side B straight through the Can lane. The projectile interactions and reset timing catch that too often, leaving Bayonetta with the worse landing.
• Do not start swinging for the kill immediately after the first hit in center. Duck Hunt becomes much stronger again the moment space opens, so carrying to the edge matters more.
• Do not fix your jump height just because you want to clear the projectiles quickly. That makes fair, bair, and Clay Shooting anti-airs much easier to layer.
• Do not dive too deep before confirming the recovery angle. The return is exploitable, but if you miss the line Bayonetta is the one stuck with the bad landing.