Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup is dangerous because Charizard’s fair, bair, up smash, and Flare Blitz can put Isabelle into kill range almost immediately. At the same time, Charizard’s large hurtbox and slow landing make him vulnerable if Isabelle can keep his path restricted with Lloyd Mine and forward or back air before he gets to swing.
Charizard’s dash speed is strong, but his air drift and defensive landing options are much less impressive. Isabelle should avoid scrapping at point-blank range, place Lloyd Mine one step ahead of herself, and use drifting fair and bair to interrupt Charizard’s ground burst so that up smash and Fishing Rod can cover the landing after he is forced upward.
The frame table also shows that Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, all smashes, fair, bair, dair, Neutral B, and Side B are all punishable with quick answers like OOS Nair (8f), OOS Uair (9f), Up Smash (9f), and Grab (10f). Especially against Flare Blitz and Charizard’s heavier grounded swings, Isabelle needs to take the punish every time instead of letting the risk-reward stay close. Nair and uair are the exceptions, where chasing the next landing is more reliable than forcing an immediate shield punish.
For kills, central-stage guesses are less stable than ledge pressure. Keeping Lloyd and Fishing Rod active while covering jump, high recovery, and ledge getup with slingshot aerials and up smash gives Isabelle repeated chances to finish without overextending offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Isabelle OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -16 |
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| Jab 3 | 7 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -18/-15 |
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| Up Tilt | 9 | -16 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -12 |
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| Forward Smash | 22 | -36/-37 |
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| Up Smash | 6/14 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 14 | -35 |
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| Neutral Air | 8 | -6/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 8 | -14/-14 |
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| Back Air | 14 | -16/-15/-14 |
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| Up Air | 12 | -8 |
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| Down Air | 18 | -16/-17 |
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| Neutral B | 19/26/33/40 | -24 |
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| Side B | 23 | -52/-66 |
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| Up B | 9… | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Place Lloyd Mine one step in front of Isabelle and use fair and bair to stop Charizard’s dash-ins before they reach point-blank range.
- Punish Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, all smashes, fair, bair, dair, Neutral B, and Side B with OOS Nair, OOS Uair, Up Smash, and Grab, especially making Flare Blitz pay every time.
- Do not force immediate shield punishes on nair or uair. Chase the landing with slingshot aerials or up smash instead.
- Once Charizard is airborne, keep tracking the last extra jump and the landing after up-B so Fishing Rod and up smash cover where he must come back down.
- At the ledge, stay patient and keep Lloyd plus Fishing Rod in place so jump, high recovery, and standard getup are all threatened without needing a deep edgeguard.
Actions to Avoid
- Taking point-blank brawls where Charizard’s fair, bair, and up smash can decide the stock off one read.
- Swinging an immediate out-of-shield option after every blocked nair or uair and getting counter-trapped during Charizard’s landing drift.
- Panicking against Flare Blitz with hasty jumps or air dodges and creating the exact scramble Charizard wants.
- Chasing too deep offstage, losing ledge setup, and letting Charizard escape the situation with extra jumps or up-B recovery mixups.