Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets messy for Hero if he tries to solve everything with spells, because Villager’s slingshot, Lloid Rocket, tree setups, and Pocket all interfere with Hero’s straight-line projectiles and make overcommitted zoning easy to turn against him. The stable answer is to reclaim the ground first with sword range and walking, then use Zap spells or Command Selection only after Villager is forced to stop moving.
The frame table shows many real punish points once Villager is forced into shield pressure or panic buttons. Jab 1, jab 2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, down smash, and all of Villager’s listed aerials can be answered by Hero’s Up B (3f), with jab 1, jab 2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, and down smash also opening OOS uair (9f) or grab (10f) when spacing allows. Against a character with weak close-range reversals and poor out-of-shield options, those punish windows matter a lot.
By contrast, forward smash and up smash are mostly only checked by Up B on block, while Side B stays advantaged for Villager even after you shield it. Pressing immediately into Lloid Rocket or trying to force a punish on Bowling Ball too early creates the accident Villager wants, so the cleaner answer is to cover the landing or retreat that comes after the trap.
Kills are more reproducible when Hero corners Villager and uses fair, bair, up smash, and Zap pressure to cover jump and Balloon Trip re-entry than when he chases too far offstage. Staying onstage lets Hero use his sword length twice instead of gambling on Villager’s recovery height changes.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Hero OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -18 |
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| Rapid Jab | 3/8/12… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 4/5 | -28 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -16 |
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| Up Tilt | 7/22 | -34/-19 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -17/-18 |
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| Dash Attack | 9… | -22 |
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| Forward Smash | 25 | -4 |
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| Up Smash | 12… | -8 |
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| Down Smash | 9/29 | -35/-15 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -4/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -4 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -3 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -7/-8/-8 |
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| Down Air | 11 | -7/-8/-8 |
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| Neutral B | 8 (Start of projectile pocket) | ** | ||
| Side B | 52 | +27 |
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| Up B | ** | — | ||
| Down B | —, 5 | — | ||
| Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 16 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 17 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not let slingshot and Pocket push you into a spell-only plan. Take ground first with sword range and walking, then cast Zap spells or open Command Selection only after Villager has been forced to stop.
- After blocking Villager’s jab 1, jab 2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, down smash, neutral air, forward air, back air, up air, or down air, default to Up B (3f), then extend to OOS uair (9f) or grab (10f) when spacing stays close enough.
- After blocking Side B, do not mash immediately. Track where Villager lands behind the rocket and pre-cover the next landing or retreat route with fair, bair, or Zap pressure.
- Only open Command Selection after you have already stopped Villager or pushed him offstage. Do not hold menu startup in front of active slingshot pressure or a ready Pocket.
- Once Villager is cornered, prioritize ledgetrapping over deep chases and cover jump from ledge, airdodge, and Balloon Trip re-entry with fair, bair, up smash, and Zap pressure.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not panic into repeated Frizz or Zap patterns from long range and let Pocket steal both the projectile and the pace of the match.
- Do not swing immediately after blocking Side B and hand Villager a free continuation while he is still advantaged.
- Do not miss the punish windows on Villager’s close-range buttons and then give back the one area where Villager’s low mobility and weak out-of-shield game are supposed to hurt.
- Do not chase too far offstage into Balloon Trip height changes and let slingshot or Bowling Ball reverse the position on you.