Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup turns on whether Duck Hunt can vary Can and Wild Gunman space before Kirby’s low profile and multiple jumps slip through the gaps in the trap layout.
Kirby snowballs hard once he gets point-blank with nair, fair, down tilt, and grab, but his reach and ground speed stay short, so Duck Hunt should walk behind Can, stop the body first, and reserve fair, bair, and uair for the jump path rather than swinging preemptively.
The table shows that Forward Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Down Air, Side B, Up B, and Down B all lose to Duck Hunt’s OOS Nair (9f), OOS Uair (9f), or Grab (10f), while Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, and Up Air remain mostly safe, so closing off landing and Can return space is more reliable than forcing shield punishes that are not there.
For kills, it is more consistent to keep Kirby at ledge with Can and Gunman, then cover jump with bair, landings above you with up smash, and Final Cutter’s re-entry point with Can than to chase deep into his multiple jumps.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Duck Hunt OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -9 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -9 |
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| Rapid Jab | 5/7/9/11… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 3 | -32 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -10/-11 |
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| Up Tilt | 4 | -10/-9 |
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| Down Tilt | 4 | -9 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -31 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -23 |
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| Up Smash | 12 | -22/-24 |
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| Down Smash | 7 | -33 |
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| Neutral Air | 8 | -2/-2/-3/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 10/17/25 | -5/-5/-5 |
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| Back Air | 6 | -5/-6 |
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| Up Air | 8 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 18/21/24/27/30/34 | -12 |
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| Neutral B | 10 | — | ||
| Side B | 11(+15) | -26 to -18 |
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| Up B | 23/(41/50…)// | —/—/-21/** |
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| Down B (1) | 11 | -35 |
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| Down B (2) | 29 | -17 |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not keep every trap at one height; mix walking, Can timing, and Gunman placement so Kirby cannot use low profile and multiple jumps to pass through the same lane for free.
- After blocking Forward Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Down Air, Side B, Up B, or Down B, answer with OOS Nair (9f), OOS Uair (9f), or Grab (10f) and stop the close-range loop immediately.
- After blocked Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air, do not force a punish; put fair, bair, or uair at the landing point or the Can’s return path and beat Kirby’s second action instead.
- At kill percent, stay patient in center and extend ledge time with Can plus Gunman so bair and up smash can cover jump, neutral getup, and landing separately.
- When cornered, avoid cheap panic swings, bring Can back to rebuild distance, and cut off the follow-up after Kirby’s down tilt or grab before the string restarts.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not keep sending Can and Clay Shooting at the same height straight ahead and let Kirby crawl or jump through the same gap into point-blank range.
- Do not try to punish every blocked Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air and hand Kirby another down tilt or grab starter when the punish whiffs.
- Do not chase too deep offstage and turn the stock into a read on multiple jumps or Stone when your strongest coverage is still the ledge layer with Can and Gunman.
- Do not fish with big central smash attacks at kill percent, because Kirby’s small body makes those whiffs especially costly and gives him the opening he wants.