Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Chrom can punish Donkey Kong’s large hurtbox well with tipper forward air, down tilt, and up tilt, and once Donkey Kong is airborne it becomes much easier to restrict his lateral movement.
On the other hand, Donkey Kong’s grab and back air can flip the whole match in one sequence, so the key is to avoid letting the central scramble drag on and instead push the fight toward the ledge.
For KOs, it is more stable to keep collecting with landing traps and then finish with back air and up smash at the ledge rather than overextending offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Chrom OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -19/-18 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -24 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -13 |
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| Forward Smash | 22 | -17/-18 |
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| Up Smash | 14 | -22 |
| |
| Down Smash | 11 | -32 |
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| Neutral Air | 10 | -5/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 18 | -12/-11/-12 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -6/-7 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -10 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -8/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 19(+7) | -33 to -19 |
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| Side B | 20 | -32 |
| |
| Up B | 19/25/32/40/49/55/62 | -37 |
| |
| Down B | 12/23 | -15 |
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| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Touch first from the ground and do not stay too long in Donkey Kong’s grab range.
- After the launch, carry him toward the ledge and keep cutting off his landing options instead of letting him re-enter center stage.
- Limit offstage pressure to one clean attempt and do not underestimate his recovery drift.
Actions to Avoid
- Hovering in the range where grab and back air can turn the game around.
- Getting greedy with up-B edgeguards offstage and losing your own position.
- Spamming smashes just because he is heavy and getting punished back.