Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Joker wants to use speed, aerial drift, Gun, and Eiha to strip away Dark Samus’s setup time, forcing early close-range interactions that become much more dangerous once Arsene appears. Dark Samus does not want to play a raw scramble here, but if Charge Shot, missiles, air drift, and Forward Air are mixed instead of telegraphed on one lane, Joker can still be baited into overextending and then punished on landing or retreat.
The frame table also shows that after shielding Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Forward Air, Up Air, and Side B (1), Dark Samus can answer with Up B (4f), OOS Up Air (8f), OOS Forward Air (9f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (11f). By contrast, Neutral Air, Back Air, and Down Air usually leave only Up B or nothing meaningful, and Gun or Eiha are not easy to reverse on the spot, so pushing forward after every shield interaction just feeds Joker another burst entry.
The win condition is to keep Joker’s jump and dash angles varied with missiles, partial Charge Shot, drift mix, and Forward Air, then extend advantage with Up Air, Forward Air, Up Smash, and ledge Charge Shot once he is launched. During Arsene, the priority shifts away from forcing kills and toward draining the timer by controlling landings and ledge routes without giving Joker a center-stage brawl on his terms.
Dark Samus can still finish stocks through Forward Air, Charge Shot, Up Smash, and ledge pressure during normal Joker, and especially around the end of Arsene. The matchup falls apart when everything becomes full Charge Shot timing, so preserving layered projectile timing and movement is the baseline requirement.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Dark Samus OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -17 |
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| Jab 3 | 3 | -26 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8/13 | /-15(/-11) |
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| Up Tilt | 8/11/14/17/20 | -27 |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -22(-19) |
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| Dash Attack | 6/15 | **/-23 |
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| Forward Smash | 16 | -21 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -32(-30) |
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| Down Smash | 12/16 | -24/-20(—/-18) |
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| Neutral Air | 12 | -5 |
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| Forward Air | 7/12 | -10/-9 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -5 |
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| Up Air | 5… | -12 |
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| Down Air | 13 | -7 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 12/37/65 | ** | ||
| Neutral B (2) | 12/18/24 | ** | ||
| Side B (1) | 16 | -27 |
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| Side B (2) | 16 (1/6/11/16) | ** | ||
| Up B (1) | 20 | ** | ||
| Up B (2) | ** | — | ||
| Down B (1) | 3 (Start of Block) | — | ||
| Down B (2) | 4 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 9 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Mix missiles, partial Charge Shot, drift, and Forward Air so Joker cannot solve the mid-range with one dash or one jump angle, then convert the first launch into Up Air, Up Smash, and ledge pressure.
- After shielding Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Forward Air, Up Air, and Side B (1), punish with Up B (4f), OOS Up Air (8f), OOS Forward Air (9f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (11f).
- After shielding Neutral Air, Back Air, Down Air, Gun, or Eiha, do not insist on taking stage immediately; cover Joker’s retreat or landing with Forward Air, Up Air, and Charge Shot instead.
- During Arsene, stop chasing quick kills in center stage. Keep track of ledge and landing first, drain the timer, and return to Charge Shot or Forward Air kill pressure as Arsene expires.
Actions to Avoid
- Relying only on full Charge Shot timing and letting Joker break the rhythm with Gun, Eiha, or a simple dash-in.
- Swinging forward after every blocked Neutral Air, Back Air, or Down Air and getting clipped by Joker’s pullback movement into another burst starter.
- Fighting Arsene head-on in center stage as if the reward were unchanged from normal Joker.
- Chasing too deep offstage and giving up the stronger ledge-trap position against Joker’s recovery mix and mobility.