Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Daisy can smother Dedede’s front space with float, turnips, forward air, and back air, then convert one opening into a long sequence on his large body. Dedede cannot realistically chase her in speed, but his weight and extra jumps still let him survive the first combo more often than lighter characters, which means he gets real chances to swing momentum back if he does not surrender the whole stage.
The frame table also shows that Dedede can punish Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, and Side B (1)(2) with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Uair (13f), and OOS Fair (16f). Turnips are also not pure disadvantage for him if they are met with Gordo placement or hammer coverage at the right time, so the matchup is less about turtling and more about reclaiming the exact lane Daisy wants to float through.
The win condition is to stop swinging raw hammer into float and instead pre-cover the low horizontal lane with Gordo and back air, then catch the moment Daisy has to rise or stop moving with up tilt and up air. Her aerials are mostly too safe or too mobile for forced in-place shield punishes, so Dedede gets more from resetting the lane and trapping the landing than from gambling every block on a direct punish.
For kills, Dedede should rely on ledge Gordo, back air, up tilt, and Up Smash rather than dragging the matchup into deep offstage chases. Daisy’s horizontal recovery is long, but her vertical recovery is much more manageable if Dedede simply keeps the ledge position and makes her come back through his threat zone.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | King Dedede OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -22 |
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| Jab 2 | 2 | -23 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -22/-21 |
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| Up Tilt | 9 | -20/-18 |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -8 |
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| Dash Attack | 6/17 | -14 |
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| Forward Smash | 15 | -20/-21/-18 |
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| Up Smash | 14 | -20/-19 |
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| Down Smash | 6/10/14/18/22/26/30 | -21 |
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| Neutral Air | 5 | -2/-4 |
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| Forward Air | 16 | -8/-8 |
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| Back Air | 6 | -6/-8 |
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| Up Air | 10/15 | -4/-4 |
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| Down Air | 12/18/24/30 | -6/-5 |
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| Neutral B | 9 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Side B (1) | 13 | -13 |
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| Side B (2) | 13 | -13 |
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| Up B | 7/11/16/21/26/31 | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Gordo and back air to seal the low float route and the turnip lane first, then hit the rise or forced landing with up tilt, up air, or grab.
- When Daisy’s Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, or Side B (1)(2) hits shield, answer with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Uair (13f), or OOS Fair (16f) and push her toward the ledge.
- After blocking neutral air, forward air, back air, up air, or down air, do not force a fake punish; re-cover the landing and ledge route with Gordo and back air instead.
- At kill percent, prioritize ledge Gordo, back air, up tilt, and Up Smash while keeping ledge control rather than overchasing offstage.
Actions to Avoid
- Throwing big hammer swings directly into float spacing and getting clipped by Daisy’s forward air or back air for it.
- Respecting turnips so much that you stay in shield and hand Daisy free float grabs and landing traps.
- Swinging an in-place punish every time you shield an aerial even when her drift makes it miss.
- Chasing too far offstage for the kill and letting Daisy’s horizontal recovery or aerials flip the edge position.