Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Ice Climbers become threatening when Popo and Nana are both in place, because down throw routes, Blizzard, and close aerial pressure can suddenly explode into big damage, but their range and damage drop sharply once the pair gets separated.
Chrom should avoid turning this into a straight point-blank brawl. His win condition is using his mobility and sword length to tag both climbers at once, especially catching Nana during landings and recovery so they never get easy time to regroup.
The frame table also shows jab 1, jab 2, forward tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, neutral B, side B, down B, and dair are all punishable by OOS uair, OOS nair, grab, up B, OOS bair, or up smash. By contrast, nair, fair, bair, and uair are mostly safe on shield, so Chrom needs to chase the landing instead of swinging immediately after block.
KOs are safer when Chrom finishes onstage with ledge up smash, fair, up B, and roll coverage instead of chasing too far offstage into trades. Chrom’s own recovery is fragile enough that even in advantage he should keep the match centered on ledgetrapping and stage control.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Chrom OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -20(-15) |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -21(-12) |
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| Forward Tilt | 9 | -14(-10) |
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| Up Tilt | 8/11/14/17/20/23/27 | -16(-7) |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -16(-10) |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -24(-18) |
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| Forward Smash | 11 | -27(-22) |
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| Up Smash | 12 | -29(-24) |
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| Down Smash | 9/16 | -22/-17 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -4(+2) |
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| Forward Air | 19 | -5(+3) |
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| Back Air | 8 | -3(+0) |
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| Up Air | 7 | -10(-3) |
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| Down Air | 12 | -16(-12) |
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| Neutral B | 18/19 | -29(-24) |
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| Side B (1) | 10/14/18/23/28/34/40/51 | -21 |
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| Side B (2) | 10/13/15/18/21/24/28/32/37/42/49 | -24 |
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| Up B | 13 | — | ||
| Down B | 16/21/26/31/36/41/46/51/56 | -22(-15) |
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| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Stay at a spacing where the sword can clip Nana as well as Popo, and do not walk yourself into their two-body point-blank scramble before nair, forward tilt, down tilt, or whiff punishes start the interaction.
- After blocking jab 1, jab 2, forward tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, neutral B, side B, down B, or dair, punish with OOS uair, OOS nair, grab, up B, OOS bair, or up smash so their close-range pressure does not become free.
- After blocking nair, fair, bair, or uair, do not mash the fastest punish anyway. Step back or jump into the next landing and escape route, then continue the juggle instead.
- When Nana gets launched or sent offstage, value stopping the regroup over forcing one greedy damage extension on Popo, and keep the one-body state active as long as possible.
- At ledge, do not overchase. Cover jump with fair or uair, cover roll with down tilt or up smash, and make it difficult for both climbers to re-enter the stage together.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not swing landing panic buttons or tight aerial pressure right on top of both climbers and get clipped by Nana’s delayed hitboxes or Blizzard.
- Do not throw out up B or grab every time you block nair, fair, bair, or uair, then whiff into down throw starters and desync pressure.
- Do not launch Nana away and tunnel only on Popo until the pair rejoins and your hard-earned advantage disappears.
- Do not chase so deep offstage that your own up B route becomes obvious and the stock turns into a trade from a winning position.