Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Squirtle can punish Dark Pit’s startup very well with run speed, low profile, and the fast cycle of nair and fair, so the more this matchup turns into repeated close-range scrambles, the harder it becomes for Dark Pit to reclaim control with his lower single-hit reward. Even so, Squirtle has clear limits in range and raw kill power, and the frame table shows that Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Back Air, Down Air, and Side B can all be punished by Dark Pit with Up Smash (6f), OOS Nair (7f), and Grab (10f). Those entries cannot be allowed to stay cheap. The win condition is to stop Squirtle’s low route first with arrows and walk-back spacing, then push him outward with nair, bair, and grab before repeatedly covering the landing and ledge. It is more stable to reset after a blocked multi-hit aerial and hold the next landing spot than to keep forcing shield pressure. For kills, Dark Pit should rely on a mix of offstage fair and bair plus ledge up smash rather than betting on a single central callout. Squirtle can still travel far, but the space around ledge grab is narrow enough that Dark Pit gets more from moving between offstage coverage and ledge coverage than from overchasing.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Dark Pit OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -11 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -17 |
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| Jab 3 | 5 | -21 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -6 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -8 |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -12 |
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| Dash Attack | 8 | -16 |
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| Forward Smash | 20 | -19 |
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| Up Smash | 19/21 | -35 |
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| Down Smash | 18 | -13 |
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| Neutral Air | 4 | -4/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 5 | -3/-3 |
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| Back Air | 5… | -15 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 6… | -14/-13 |
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| Neutral B | 26 | — | ||
| Side B | 23 | -18 |
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| Up B | 9… | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 9 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use arrows and walk-back spacing to force Squirtle’s low dash-ins to commit early, then send him outward with nair, bair, and grab before moving into ledge traps.
- Punish Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Back Air, Down Air, and Side B on shield with Up Smash (6f), OOS Nair (7f), and Grab (10f).
- Do not keep pushing multi-hit aerials on block; disengage once and take Squirtle’s landing or air-dodge direction first.
- At kill percent, rotate offstage fair and bair, ledge up smash, and arrows on getup so the stock does not depend on one central read.
Actions to Avoid
- Taking repeated point-blank scrambles against Squirtle’s run speed and low profile instead of forcing him through arrows and spacing first.
- Continuing shield pressure after blocked nair or fair and handing Squirtle either a reversal or a free landing trap.
- Letting punishable Jab, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Back Air, Down Air, and Side B go unchecked so Squirtle gets too many low-risk entries.
- Overchasing too deep offstage and giving up the ledge position that should be Dark Pit’s main finishing area.