Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup is decided by whether Hero can keep Luigi from starting his point-blank down throw or neutral-air offense and keep touching him from outside with sword normals and projectiles. Once Luigi gets in, his damage and Up B kill confirms are explosive, but he has clear weaknesses in mid-range exchanges and recovery flexibility.
Hero loses out in close-range speed, so instead of taking repeated face-to-face scrambles, it is more stable to stop Luigi once with Frizz pressure and standard normals, then convert into fair, bair, or grab. The raw power of Hero’s command menu matters, but the key in this matchup is not fishing for a single high-roll spell. It is creating repeated delays in Luigi’s approach and pushing him toward the ledge.
The full frame table shows that Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Forward Air, Neutral B, Side B, Up B (1), and Down B are all punishable by Up B (3f), with Uair (9f), Grab (10f), and Nair (11f) also reaching in many cases. By contrast, Down Tilt, Up Air, and Z Air are comparatively safe. If Hero forces shield punishes without respecting Luigi’s mash options and Up B, he can end up handing Luigi kill opportunities instead. It is usually higher value to take only the guaranteed punishes and immediately reset spacing when the punish is not clean.
For kills, it is more reproducible to force Luigi to the ledge and punish his short recovery with fair, bair, up smash, or a strong spell than to overcommit to center-stage Up B guesswork. Luigi’s recovery routes are readable, so it is more stable to hold ledge space and wait for Side B and Up B reappearance points than to chase too deep.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Hero OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
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| Jab 1 | 2 | -13 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -12 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -19 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -18 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -15 |
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| Down Tilt | 5 | -2 |
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| Dash Attack | 4/8/12/16/25 | -17 |
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| Forward Smash | 12 | -18 |
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| Up Smash | 9 | -20 |
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| Down Smash | 6/14 | -20/-12 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -3/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -9 |
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| Back Air | 6 | -5/-6 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -2/-4 |
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| Down Air | 10 | -8/-8 |
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| Z Air | 14 | -2 |
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| Neutral B | 17 | -17 |
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| Side B | 22 | -23 to -13/-10 |
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| Up B (1) | 8 | -79/-99 |
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| Up B (2) | 6 | ** | ||
| Down B | 10…/40 | -40 |
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| Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 16 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 17 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Frizz pressure and sword spacing to stop Luigi’s walk and jump, then whiff-punish with fair, bair, or grab instead of entering down-throw range on your own.
- After shielding Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Forward Air, Neutral B, Side B, Up B (1), or Down B, prioritize Up B (3f) and avoid giving Luigi free close-range turns.
- Do not force immediate punishes on Down Tilt, Up Air, or Z Air. Back out after shielding them, narrow Luigi’s next approach angle, and make him restart neutral from mid-range.
- Do not over-skew command menu usage toward waiting for a premium spell. Limit those checks to moments after pushing Luigi to the ledge or launching him far away so normal-based pressure stays intact.
- At kill percent, do not tunnel on center-stage Up B scrambles. Cover the ledge with fair, bair, up smash, and strong spells, then punish Side B and Up B recovery positions.
Actions to Avoid
- Standing in front of Luigi and staring at the command menu long enough to give him a free opening into down throw or neutral-air pressure.
- Trying to punish even Down Tilt, Up Air, and Z Air every time, whiffing, and giving Luigi mash options or Up B kill chances in return.
- Over-prioritizing high-roll spells and surrendering mid-range control while Luigi sets up his next approach.
- Chasing too far offstage, running into stray Side B hits or Up B reappearance points, and losing the stable ledge trap that should have kept the advantage going.