Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Chrom gets strong punish value whenever Duck Hunt is forced to press regular buttons in shield range. Jab 1-3, Rapid Jab Finisher, tilts, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Back Air, Up Air, and Down Air all leave room for OOS Uair (8f), OOS Nair (9f), Grab (10f), Up B (10f), or Up Smash (12f).
The hard part is reaching those spots without spending the whole neutral phase swatting at can, Wild Gunman, and Clay Shooting. If Chrom tunnels too hard on breaking the setup pieces, Duck Hunt keeps resetting space and drags the match into the kind of long midrange game Chrom does not want.
Chrom should use walking, dashing, and shield stops to desync the can from Duck Hunt’s body, then break through with Nair, Fair, Down Tilt, or Grab aimed at the player rather than the projectile. Once Chrom gets in, pushing to ledge is usually better than taking a small center extension because Bair, Up Smash, and Up B threaten the stock much faster there.
Since the kill can already come onstage, Chrom should avoid deep offstage overcommitments and instead hold positions that cover Duck Hunt’s Up B landing and ledge escape options together.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Chrom OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -18 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -19 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -21 |
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| Rapid Jab | 5/7/9/… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 5 | -36 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -13 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -23 |
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| Forward Smash | 17/23/29 | -30 |
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| Up Smash | 12/20/28 | -22 |
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| Down Smash | 12/20/28 | -24 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -5/-7 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -5/-6/-6 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -9/-10 |
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| Up Air | 6/12/20 | -9/-8 |
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| Down Air | 14/20 | -12/-11 |
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| Neutral B | 1 / 16 / 1—2 | — | ||
| Side B | 17 | — | ||
| Up B | — | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- After blocking Duck Hunt’s Jab 1-3, Rapid Jab Finisher, tilts, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Back Air, Up Air, or Down Air, punish with OOS Uair (8f), OOS Nair (9f), Grab (10f), Up B (10f), or Up Smash (12f).
- Do not chase only can or Gunman. Use walking, dashing, and shield stops to move Duck Hunt first, then hit the body.
- Once Chrom gets a touch, do not reset to center too early. Carry Duck Hunt to the ledge and force Bair, Up Smash, and Up B kill pressure immediately.
- Let the ledge trap finish the stock instead of turning Chrom’s own recovery into the biggest liability offstage.
Actions to Avoid
- Fixating on destroying can while Duck Hunt freely repositions and rebuilds the setup.
- Repeating predictable jump-ins that let Clay Shooting or Bair pin down Chrom’s path.
- Giving back space after finally getting close instead of cashing out on Chrom’s pressure sequence.
- Chasing too far offstage and exposing Chrom’s recovery weakness unnecessarily.