Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Incineroar can swing the match with Alolan Whip, Revenge, nair, fair, and up tilt once it gets close, but its grounded movement and recovery are slow enough that Hero can reduce those entries by holding the fight at sword range with projectiles.
Hero still loses badly if he brawls at point blank for too long, yet his 3f Up B out of shield gives him strong answers when Incineroar commits with moves like Jab 1, forward tilt, down tilt, forward air, down air, Neutral B, or Up B.
The win condition is to avoid forcing big swings just because charge shots or Side B are available, keep stopping forward movement and landings with sword range, and switch to grab or delayed swings whenever Revenge appears so the buff does not decide the next exchange.
For kills, it is more stable to carry Incineroar to the ledge and squeeze its Up B return with fair, bair, up smash, and projectiles than to brawl in center stage against its heavier body and higher one-hit reward.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Hero OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -23 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -28 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -12 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 8 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 16 | -22/-24 |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -23 |
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| Down Smash | 18 | -28 |
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| Neutral Air | 5 | -6/-8 |
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| Forward Air | 8 | -9/-9 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -7/-6 |
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| Up Air | 7 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -11/-11/-12 |
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| Neutral B | 5/15/23/37/50/56 | -65 |
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| Side B | 16 | — | ||
| Up B | 11/38 | -51 |
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| Down B | 3 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Keep Incineroar out with sword range and projectiles so the match does not stay in the Alolan Whip range by default.
- When Jab 1, forward tilt, down tilt, forward air, down air, Neutral B, or Up B hits shield, punish with Up B or OOS uair and prioritize ledge carry over raw center-stage damage.
- When Revenge appears, stop forcing strong projectiles or big sword swings immediately and switch to grab or delayed spacing so the buff is wasted while Incineroar is pushed toward the ledge.
Actions to Avoid
- Sitting in shield inside Alolan Whip range and letting Incineroar control the close-range guess by default.
- Throwing out charge shots or large punish swings straight into visible Revenge and handing over a boosted reversal.
- Rushing to finish the stock in center stage and accepting repeated trades against Incineroar’s weight and burst damage.