Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup is about whether Duck Hunt can keep stopping Squirtle’s forward movement with Can and Wild Gunman before Squirtle’s low profile and speed slip under the trap gaps.
Squirtle has no damaging projectile and very short reach, but once down tilt, dash attack, nair, fair, or grab gets started, it can stay point-blank for a long time, so Duck Hunt should keep walking back behind Can, force shield or jump first, and reserve fair, bair, and uair for the jump path.
The table shows that Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Back Air, Down Air, and Side B all lose to Duck Hunt’s OOS Nair (9f), OOS Uair (9f), or Grab (10f), while Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Neutral Air, Forward Air, and Up Air are much harder to punish on the spot, so sealing landing space and drift routes with Can plus Gunman is more reliable than swinging immediately.
For kills, it is more consistent to push Squirtle’s light body to ledge, then close stocks with bair on jump, grab pressure plus Can explosions on shield, and up smash on landings above you than to fish with big swings in center.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Duck Hunt 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
- Do not send every Can at the same height; mix Wild Gunman placement and walking retreats so Squirtle’s dash-ins and crouch movement never get the same lane twice.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Back Air, Down Air, or Side B, answer with OOS Nair (9f), OOS Uair (9f), or Grab (10f) and stop the close-range loop immediately.
- Do not force a direct punish on Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Neutral Air, Forward Air, or Up Air; place fair, bair, or uair at the Can return route and landing route to beat the second swing or cross-through instead.
- At kill percent, avoid center-stage smash fishing and stretch ledge time with Can plus Gunman so bair covers jump while up smash covers landings above you.
- When cornered, do not rely on weak panic buttons; bring Can back, reset distance once, and only then return to mid-range where Squirtle has to force the next approach.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not keep sending Can and Clay Shooting straight ahead at one height and let Squirtle low-profile under them into down tilt or dash attack.
- Do not block Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, or Side B and then give Squirtle another free dash-in by failing to punish.
- Do not try to swing immediately after every blocked Neutral Air, Forward Air, or Up Air and hand Squirtle another close-range guess when the punish whiffs.
- Do not chase too deep offstage or recover high with Duck Jump and give away the ledge layer where Can and Gunman are supposed to do the real work.