Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets ugly fast if Ken lands jab, down tilt, or nair into his high-damage close-range routes, because one opening can separate Nana and also put the stock in immediate danger. Walking straight into Ken’s down-tilt range is especially dangerous since auto-turnaround and Shoryuken punish both climbers very efficiently.
Ice Climbers should not jump first just because a Hadoken is on screen. The more stable plan is to walk and shield from just outside down-tilt range so Popo and Nana stay together until they reach real close range. Once both are still synced, the threat of layered grab, nair, and uair pressure makes Ken’s defensive options much less comfortable.
The frame table also shows that Jab 2, Jab 3, Jab (1), Forward Tilt (1)(3), Up Tilt (2), Down Tilt (2), Dash Attack, all smashes, Neutral B, Side B (1)(2), and Down B are all punishable with OOS Nair (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), OOS Bair (11f), Up Smash (12f), and Up B (13f). Tatsu and Focus especially cannot be allowed to stay cheap. By contrast, forcing an immediate scramble after blocked nair, fair, or bair often just runs into Shoryuken or another fast re-entry.
For kills, ledge continuation is more reliable than central scrapping. Once Ken is cornered, covering jump, high recovery, and delayed ledge actions with uair, bair, and up smash is a safer way to close the stock while keeping both climbers together.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ice Climbers OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -10 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -21 |
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| Jab 3 | 8 | -21 |
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| Jab (1) | 7 | -19 |
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| Jab (2) | 9/16 | -10/-6 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 3 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 8 | -8 |
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| Forward Tilt (3) | 10 | -18/-14 |
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| Up Tilt (1) | 3 | -8 |
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| Up Tilt (2) | 7 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt (1) | 2 | -9 |
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| Down Tilt (2) | 6 | -15 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -22 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -24/-21 |
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| Up Smash | 9 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 5 | -25 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -2/-2, -1/-2 |
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| Forward Air | 8 | -7/-6, -7/-6 |
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| Back Air | 8 | -4/-5 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -8 |
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| Down Air | 8 | -10 |
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| Neutral B | 13 | -35/-34 |
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| Side B (1) | 8/13—38 | -25 to -30 |
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| Side B (2) | 8/13/18/23/28/33/38 | -36 |
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| Up B (1) | 6 | ** | ||
| Up B (2) | 5/6/9 | ** | ||
| Down B | 12 (+21), 12(+31), 12(+59) | -32, -33, unblockable |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not jump first at Hadoken. Walk and shield from just outside down-tilt range so Popo and Nana enter together.
- Punish Jab 2, Jab 3, Jab (1), Forward Tilt (1)(3), Up Tilt (2), Down Tilt (2), Dash Attack, all smashes, Neutral B, Side B (1)(2), and Down B with OOS Nair, Grab, OOS Uair, OOS Bair, Up Smash, and Up B.
- After blocked nair, fair, or bair, avoid forcing an immediate scramble and instead cover Ken’s landing drift and retreat path with both climbers.
- Once Ken is at the ledge, layer uair, bair, and up smash over jump and high recovery before he gets a clean Shoryuken scramble.
- If the pair gets separated, prioritize regrouping over trading hits so Nana is not lost for free.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping over every Hadoken on sight and feeding Ken the anti-air or nair starter he wants.
- Standing in down-tilt range and beginning close-range pressure while Popo and Nana are already desynced.
- Overextending pressure after a blocked move and letting Shoryuken or Focus reverse the situation.
- Chasing too deep offstage for the kill and losing one climber on the return.