Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Lucina can place Forward Air, Neutral Air, Back Air, and Up Air well because of her fast walk speed and long sword, and Dolphin Slash also threatens close shield pressure, so Fox loses badly if he keeps forcing same-height short-hop approaches into that space.
Even so, Lucina has no projectile, and the table shows that once Fox blocks Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Neutral B, Side B, or Down Air, he can reliably fight back with OOS Nair (7f), OOS Dair (8f), Up Smash (8f), and Grab (10f).
That means the stable plan is to use Blaster and small pullback dashes to make Lucina move first, then refuse to mash after blocking Forward Air or Neutral Air and instead run under the drift to start Up Tilt, Up Air, or Dash Attack landing traps toward the ledge.
For kills, do not swing early Up Smash in center stage over and over; it is more stable to finish with Back Air, Up Smash, and ledge traps once Lucina is cornered. Chasing straight into Lucina’s Up B or Counter too far offstage usually exposes Fox’s lighter stock first.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Fox OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -19 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -8 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 10 | -31 |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -41/-35 |
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| Down Smash | 6/21 | -42/-24 |
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| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -4/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 6 | -6 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -5 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 9/11 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 19—79 | -23 to Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 9 | -26/-16 |
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| Up B | 5 | — | ||
| Down B | 6 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Blaster and pullback dashes to interrupt Lucina’s walk-in pressure, make her place Forward Air or Down Tilt first, and punish the extension rather than contesting the sword head-on.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Neutral B, Side B, or Down Air, answer immediately with OOS Nair (7f), OOS Dair (8f), Up Smash (8f), or Grab (10f) so Lucina does not keep her grounded turn.
- After blocking Forward Air, Neutral Air, Back Air, or Up Air, do not mash in place; run to the drift or landing route first and turn the next touch into Up Tilt, Up Air, or Dash Attack pressure.
- Once you launch Lucina, do not rush for the kill in center stage; carry her to the corner and finish with Back Air, Up Smash, and ledge trap coverage.
Actions to Avoid
- Challenging Lucina’s Forward Air and Neutral Air at the same height with short-hop Nair or Fair and losing the exchange to sword range.
- Forcing the same Dash Attack or dash grab timing every time after Blaster connects and running into retreating Forward Air or a reset Down Tilt.
- Hitting shield with close Nair, Back Air, or Dash Attack over and over and letting Dolphin Slash take the turn back out of shield.
- Chasing too deep offstage into Lucina’s Up B or Counter and giving the opponent a chance to punish Fox’s own narrow recovery.