Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Ike vs Zelda is decided by whether Ike can walk and shield his way into sword range before Din’s Fire and Phantom Slash freeze him in place, then turn that entry into juggling and ledge pressure.
Zelda’s Fair, Bair, Neutral Air, Up Smash, and Up Tilt all hit hard enough to turn any high jump or front-facing landing from Ike into a kill threat, and Ike’s linear recovery becomes much shakier once Din’s Fire or Phantom Slash is already covering the route.
At the same time, Zelda’s grounded mobility and point-blank scramble game are weak, and the table shows that Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Neutral B, Up B, and Down B are all punishable by Ike’s Grab (10f) or OOS Bair (10f), so her escape buttons become much more committal once Ike stays close.
The winning plan is to shave away Phantom Slash startup with tippered Neutral Air, Forward Air, and Down Tilt, track Farore’s Wind landing spots instead of chasing blindly upward, and then cover jump, neutral getup, and teleport returns together with Bair and ledge Down Tilt.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ike OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Jab | 4/6/8/10… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 6 | -32 |
| |
| Jab | 4/7 | -13 |
|
|
| Forward Tilt | 12 | -13/-10 |
|
|
| Up Tilt | 7 | -15 |
|
|
| Down Tilt | 5 | -10 |
|
|
| Dash Attack | 6 | -18 |
|
|
| Forward Smash | 16/18/20/22/24 | -16 |
|
|
| Up Smash | 9/13/17/21/25/29/34 | -25 |
| |
| Down Smash | 5/13 | -24/-17 |
|
|
| Neutral Air | 6/10/14/18/22 | -10/-9 |
|
|
| Forward Air | 6 | -8/-12 |
|
|
| Back Air | 6 | -8/-12 |
|
|
| Up Air | 14 | -6/-8 |
| |
| Down Air | 14 | -6/-9 |
| |
| Neutral B | 11… | -25 |
| |
| Side B | 44—70 | -18 to -10 |
|
|
| Up B | 6/35 | -29 (ground) // -19 (air) |
| |
| Down B | 26/32/38/46/59-127 | -19 to -15 |
|
|
| Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 13 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 14 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use walking, shield, short-hop Neutral Air, and Forward Air to take away Din’s Fire and Phantom Slash setup time, and do not stay airborne in front of Zelda for long. Land Neutral Air as a cross-up or fade-back so Zelda does not get clean Fair or Bair anti-airs in front of her shield.
- After blocking Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Neutral B, Up B, or Down B, answer immediately with Grab (10f) or OOS Bair (10f) so Nayru’s Love, Farore’s Wind, and Phantom Slash do not reset the distance for free.
- Once Zelda is airborne, do not chase too high. Walk underneath, cover the Farore’s Wind landing lane with Up Air, and take the second landing after seeing the air dodge or panic swing.
- At the ledge, do not overchase. Use ledge Down Tilt and Bair to watch jump, neutral getup, and teleport returns together, and keep the ledge trap running unless the sword can cover the edgeguard without risking Ike’s own recovery.
Actions to Avoid
- Trying to clear Din’s Fire and Phantom Slash in one big jump and drifting straight into Zelda’s Fair, Bair, or Up Smash anti-air range.
- Leaving Neutral Air or Forward Air deep on Zelda’s front-side shield and letting Nayru’s Love or Farore’s Wind reset the space you already earned.
- Blocking Neutral B or Up B and reacting too slowly, which lets -25 Nayru’s Love or -29 / -19 Farore’s Wind go unpunished and restart the long-range game.
- Chasing too deep offstage, crossing paths with Zelda’s Down Air, Fair, Bair, or Farore’s Wind, and then giving Din’s Fire or Phantom Slash clean coverage on Ike’s own linear recovery.