Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets flipped fast if Duck Hunt keeps taking crown, blunderbuss, and belly armor head-on, but King K. Rool’s huge body and slow reversals are exactly what can and Wild Gunman punish.
The base plan is to move can first, walk behind it, hit King K. Rool himself during crown recovery or blunderbuss lag, and cover jumps with forward air, back air, and up air until he is cornered.
The frame table also shows that the jab string, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, the smash attacks, Neutral B, and Side B are clearly punishable, while neutral air, forward air, back air, and up air are not easy to punish on the spot. After shielding those aerials, sealing the landing and ledge direction is more stable.
KOs are most repeatable when Duck Hunt extends ledge time with can and Wild Gunman, then cashes out with back air on ledge jump, up smash on landings from above, or a punish on the lag after a missed crown or cannon sequence.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Duck Hunt OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -16 |
|
|
| Jab 2 | 3 | -20 |
| |
| Jab 3 | 5 | -21 |
| |
| Forward Tilt | 12 | -20/-18 |
| |
| Up Tilt | 5 | -21 |
| |
| Down Tilt | 13 | -17 |
| |
| Dash Attack | 7 | -38 |
| |
| Forward Smash | 19 | -29/—/-29/—/-29/-30 |
| |
| Up Smash | 6/19/22 | -55/-42 |
| |
| Down Smash | 22 | -29/-34 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 7 | -4/-5 |
| |
| Forward Air | 11 | -5/-6/-7/-7 |
| |
| Back Air | 18 | -7/-9 |
|
|
| Up Air | 7 | -8/-9 |
|
|
| Down Air | 14 | -9/-10 |
|
|
| Neutral B | 25 | -25 |
| |
| Side B | 27 | -26 |
| |
| Up B | 11 | ** | ||
| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | ** | ||
| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Push can in on crown toss, crown return, and the lag after blunderbuss fires, then layer Wild Gunman behind it so Duck Hunt keeps walking King K. Rool backward.
- Punish jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, forward smash, up smash, down smash, Neutral B, and Side B on shield with OOS neutral air, OOS up air, grab, or up smash.
- Do not brawl immediately after blocking neutral air, forward air, back air, or up air; take the landing and ledge route first, then stack forward air, back air, or can explosion onto the large hurtbox.
- Do not keep hitting belly armor from the same angle. Use delayed can explosions, drift back, and cross-ups to drain the armor without giving him a clean armored trade.
- Stay shallow offstage and finish at the ledge, waiting for up B landing or ledge jump to close with can, back air, or up smash.
Actions to Avoid
- Settling for a full-screen projectile trade against crown and blunderbuss and giving up Duck Hunt’s forward pressure with can and Wild Gunman.
- Hitting belly armor from the same height over and over with can or aerials and letting armored dash attack or up tilt steal the turn back.
- Swinging every time neutral air, forward air, back air, or up air touches shield and whiffing on drift-back landings that let King K. Rool escape to ledge.
- Chasing too deep offstage and getting clipped by back air or down air before Duck Hunt can get back.