Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup gets bad when Duck Hunt tries to brawl at Chrom’s sword speed and starts the close-range exchange before can and Wild Gunman are set. Because Chrom has no projectile, Duck Hunt can take control by doing more than just backing up and instead walking behind a moving can to crowd the space Chrom wants to advance through.
The basic structure is to send can first, pin horizontal movement with Wild Gunman, then cover jumps with forward air, back air, and up air while using up smash for landings that drop low. It is more effective to make Chrom swing early into space than to challenge the sword head-on.
The frame table also shows that neutral air, forward air, back air, and up air are hard to punish directly from shield, while jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, the smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B are clear punish windows. After shielding the safe aerials, taking the landing and ledge route first is more stable than swinging immediately.
Chrom’s recovery is linear, so the most repeatable finish is to stay near the ledge, leave can covering the rise and drop points, and punish the end of up B with back air or up smash instead of overchasing offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Duck Hunt OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 5 | -10 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -22 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -5 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -28 |
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| Up Smash | 12/13/15/17/19/22 | -29 |
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| Down Smash | 6/21 | -47/-31 |
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| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -6/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -4 |
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| Back Air | 8 | -6 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 21-260 | -15—Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 9 | -26/-16(air) |
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| Up B | 10/39/53/** | -29 |
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| Down B | 8 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Send can first and walk behind it so Chrom has to commit to neutral air, forward air, or an early jump, then chase the landing with forward air, back air, or up air.
- After blocking neutral air, forward air, back air, or up air, do not swing immediately; seal the landing and ledge direction first and take the next contact from there.
- Punish jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, forward smash, up smash, down smash, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B on shield with OOS neutral air, OOS up air, grab, or up smash.
- Show Wild Gunman and can together often enough that Chrom cannot simply walk from center to ledge, then hit the body after the early sword swing whiffs.
- Finish at the ledge, not deep offstage, by narrowing the up B path with can and closing with back air, up smash, or down smash on roll.
Actions to Avoid
- Trying to box with Chrom at point-blank range and giving up the chance to place can or Wild Gunman before up tilt and neutral air start the pressure.
- Swinging every time neutral air, forward air, back air, or up air touches shield and whiffing on drifted landings that push Duck Hunt back to the ledge.
- Respecting Neutral B or Side B without moving can and giving Chrom a free path to take stage.
- Chasing too far offstage and getting clipped by the up B hitbox or back air before Duck Hunt can recover.