Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup falls apart for Ice Climbers if they keep jumping straight into Pyra’s fair, bair, f-tilt, and f-smash range, because the range gap lets Pyra split Popo and Nana with one clean swing.
The win condition is not to brawl at sword tip, but to keep both climbers synced, walk and shield through the big commitments, and turn every heavy recovery window into a punish that leads into juggles or ledge pressure.
The frame table shows that Jab, up tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, nair, Neutral B, and Up B are all punishable on shield by nair (9f), grab, uair, bair, up smash, or Up B. Forward tilt, down tilt, fair, bair, and dair usually only allow lighter answers, so it is often better to take stage and keep pressure on the next landing instead of overforcing one big punish.
The matchup also changes sharply once Nana gets separated, so chasing too hard for an early kill is usually worse than simply surrounding Pyra’s slow landing and Up B endlag with both climbers together. Keep the pair intact for as long as possible and make Pyra hold the risk of every slow swing.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ice Climbers OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -23 |
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| Jab 3 | 5 | -24 |
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| Rapid Jab | 9/13/17… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 6 | -25 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -10/-9 |
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| Up Tilt | 11 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -11/-9 |
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| Dash Attack | 17 | -18 |
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| Forward Smash | 20 | -34 |
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| Up Smash | 15/17 | -47/-40 |
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| Down Smash | 12/18 | -26/-28/-20/-22 |
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| Neutral Air | 11 | -11/-11 |
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| Forward Air | 11 | -9 |
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| Back Air | 16 | -9 |
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| Up Air | 13 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 17 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 13/27/33—56/68/78/87/94 | -18 — -11 |
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| Side B | 14/16…74 | ** | ||
| Up B | 13/41 | -48 |
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| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 12 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 13 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Approach with both climbers together, using walking and shield so Pyra has to swing first instead of meeting sword tips head-on.
- Punish Jab, up tilt, dash attack, smash attacks, nair, Neutral B, and Up B on shield with the listed nair, grab, uair, bair, up smash, or Up B answers.
- Against forward tilt, down tilt, fair, bair, and dair, do not overextend; keep stage and pressure the next landing or line reset.
- Once you get in, keep Pyra above you with throws and uair pressure so her slow movement keeps feeding the juggle.
- At the ledge, let Popo and Nana cover different getup timings, and stay ready to punish Up B landing or the next ledge action instead of overchasing.
Actions to Avoid
- Running straight into Pyra’s fair or forward tilt range and letting one swing separate both climbers.
- Forcing offense immediately after Nana is split off and turning a bad spot into a much longer separation state.
- Letting punishable Jab, up tilt, dash attack, Neutral B, Up B, or smash attacks go by for free.
- Chasing too deep offstage for kills and giving up the time you need to resync the pair.
- Leaning on reckless Side B or Down B pressure into long sword hitboxes that beat both climbers at once.