Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Samus can lock down the front with Charge Shot, missiles, and tether grab, then cover the panic response with fair or Screw Attack out of shield. If Inkling keeps forcing direct jump-ins or sits in shield, Samus gets the spacing she wants and turns it into ledge pressure fast.
The opening is that Samus is still slow at turning around and vulnerable when landing. Inkling can use low-profile dash movement and raw run speed to move around the missile and tether lines, push Samus toward the ledge first, and then convert from back air, grab, and up-throw pressure instead of playing a straight projectile trade.
The table shows reliable punishes on down tilt, dash attack, all smashes, missiles, and forward air, where OOS Nair, Up Smash, Grab, and OOS Bair can take the turn back before Samus stabilizes.
Neutral Air, Down Air, tether grab, and close Charge Shot are still poor places to swing back immediately. It is safer to keep the punish list tight, then take kills from ledge bomb stalls and jump getups with back air, Up Smash, or Roller once Samus is cornered.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Inkling OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -10 |
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| Jab 2 | 6 | -15 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -17/-16/-15 |
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| Up Tilt | 15 | -12 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -26 |
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| Dash Attack | 8 | -23 |
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| Forward Smash | 10 | -29/-28 |
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| Up Smash | 11/15/19/23/27 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 9/17 | -27/-18 |
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| Neutral Air | 8/14 | -5/-5/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 6/12/18/24/30 | -12/-12/-11 |
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| Back Air | 9 | -9/-9/-10 |
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| Up Air | 5… | -16/-16/-15 |
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| Down Air | 17 | -8/-7 |
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| Z Air | 8/16 | -4/-3 |
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| Neutral B | 3(+13) | -17 to +4 |
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| Side B (1) | 18 | -26 |
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| Side B (2) | 21 | -24 |
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| Up B (1) | 4… | — | ||
| Up B (2) | 5… | — | ||
| Down B | 33 | — | ||
| Grab | 15 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 17 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 18 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not wait in front of Charge Shot. Use low-profile dash movement to shift the missile and tether lines and walk Samus toward the ledge.
- After blocking neutral air, down air, or tether grab, do not mash automatically. Take the landing spot or fade-back space first so the next fair and bomb setup are weaker.
- After blocking down tilt, dash attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, missiles, or forward air, answer immediately with OOS Nair, Up Smash, Grab, or OOS Bair before Screw Attack can reset the exchange.
- Do not make center-stage scrambles your only kill route. Use Splat Bomb and back air to narrow the ledge getups, then cover bomb-delayed recovery with Roller or Up Smash.
- Keep ink available during long neutral sequences so the next back air or grab opening at the ledge still converts into real damage.
Actions to Avoid
- Holding shield in front of Charge Shot long enough for Samus to walk into fair and grab range for free.
- Pressuring Samus’s shield with shallow fair or Roller and giving Screw Attack out of shield a clean answer every time.
- Swinging immediately after every blocked neutral air or down air and letting drift or bomb stall reset the distance.
- Overchasing offstage into fair or Screw Attack reversals and giving away a ledge trap that was already winning.