Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Ike can turn one Neutral Air, Back Air, or Dash Attack into heavy damage, but his mobility is not fast and many of his key hitboxes sit high enough that Greninja’s low-profile movement can make them miss outright. When Greninja uses dash posture and small pullbacks to shift just outside the sword’s ending range, the matchup becomes much easier to steer.
Because of that, this is not a matchup where Greninja wins by sitting in shield and hoping for huge out-of-shield punishes. The core plan is to make Ike’s Neutral Air landings, Forward Air swings, and Dash Attack whiff from the outside, then convert with Dash Attack, Down Tilt, or Nair into landing traps. The table shows that Jab, tilts, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B are all punishable by OOS Bair (8f), Grab (10f), or OOS Uair (10f), but Neutral Air, Back Air, and Up Air are mostly too safe to hit back immediately.
Once Ike is offstage, Greninja’s win condition becomes very clear. Water Shuriken can stop the jump, Hydro Pump can shove Quick Draw and Aether off their straight recovery lines, and Bair or Down Tilt can close the ledge sequence once Ike is forced back up. Since Ike is heavy, repeated edgeguards and ledge traps are more stable than trying to force a center-stage kill.
The big throw is treating every blocked Neutral Air as a punish chance or chasing too deep offstage into Aether or Counter. Greninja wins this matchup by staying one step ahead of the swing path, not by standing in front of it and gambling on direct trades.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Greninja OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -15 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -20 |
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| Jab 3 | 5 | -29 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -17 |
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| Up Tilt | 11 | -17 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -13 |
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| Dash Attack | 15 | -17 |
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| Forward Smash | 31 | -39/-36 |
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| Up Smash | 25 | -34 |
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| Down Smash | 13/32 | -46/-25 |
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| Neutral Air | 10 | -5 |
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| Forward Air | 11 | -9 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -6 |
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| Up Air | 13 | -5 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -9 |
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| Neutral B | 30-239 | -38 to Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 16 | -28 to -22 |
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| Up B | 15/44/51/61 | -29 |
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| Down B | 9 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use low-profile dash movement and pullbacks to make Ike’s Neutral Air, Forward Air, and Dash Attack miss, then start damage with Dash Attack, Down Tilt, or Nair into landing pressure.
- After blocking Jab, tilts, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, or Up B, punish with OOS Bair (8f), Grab (10f), or OOS Uair (10f) so Ike’s heavy swings always cost him.
- After blocking Neutral Air, Back Air, or Up Air, do not force an immediate button. Track the landing and punish the next jump or grounded follow-up instead.
- Once Ike is offstage, stop the jump with Water Shuriken, push the recovery line with Hydro Pump, and finish the ledge sequence with Bair or Down Tilt.
Actions to Avoid
- Trying to punish every blocked Neutral Air with an immediate shield option and repeatedly losing to Ike’s safest aerial pressure.
- Jumping straight in front of Ike and giving his high sword arcs easy contact instead of making them miss first.
- Chasing too deep offstage and getting clipped by Aether or Counter after already winning the position.
- Overforcing center-stage kill attempts and giving up the long-term edgeguard and ledge-trap advantage that actually wins the matchup.