Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Mario turns one clean touch into long combos and juggle pressure on a heavy target, so Dedede gets punished hard if he accepts too many close-range scraps or keeps walking into Fireball, Neutral Air, and Up Air pressure.
This matchup is also awkward because careless Gordo tosses can be sent back by Cape, but the table shows that Mario’s Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Forward Air, Down Air, Neutral B, and Side B can all be answered by Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or OOS Uair (13f).
That makes the stable plan to use Back Air, Neutral Air, and Up Tilt to stop Mario’s entry first, keep Gordo for controlled spots instead of raw midrange tosses, and push the match toward ledge where Dedede’s heavier hits matter more than Mario’s combo speed.
For kills, Dedede should rely on ledge Back Air, Up Tilt, and Up Smash, while respecting Cape and FLUDD enough to avoid overchasing offstage and giving the advantage back.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | King Dedede OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -14 |
|
|
| Jab 2 | 2 | -16 |
|
|
| Jab 3 | 3 | -25 |
| |
| Forward Tilt | 5 | -13 |
|
|
| Up Tilt | 5 | -18 |
|
|
| Down Tilt | 5 | -15/-16 |
|
|
| Dash Attack | 6 | -17 |
|
|
| Forward Smash | 15 | -22/-20 |
| |
| Up Smash | 9 | -20 |
| |
| Down Smash | 5/14 | -30/-20 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 3 | -2/-3/-3/-3 |
| |
| Forward Air | 16 | -12/-12/-13 |
|
|
| Back Air | 6 | -2/-3/-2/-3 |
| |
| Up Air | 4 | -3 |
| |
| Down Air | 5/7/9/11/13/23 | -11 |
|
|
| Neutral B | 17 | -23 |
|
|
| Side B | 12 | -16 |
|
|
| Up B | 3… | — | ||
| Down B (1) | 2 (+19) | — | ||
| Down B (2) | 21 | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not throw raw Gordos into obvious Cape timing; use Back Air, Neutral Air, and Up Tilt first to stop Mario’s burst-in.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Forward Air, Down Air, Neutral B, or Side B, punish with the reachable option from Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), and OOS Uair (13f).
- Do not force immediate retaliation after Neutral Air, Back Air, or Up Air; cover the landing route and ledge route first for the second beat.
- Finish stocks at ledge with Back Air, Up Tilt, and Up Smash instead of taking repeated center-stage combo trades.
Actions to Avoid
- Feeding Mario free Gordo reflects with Cape and losing stage control to your own projectile.
- Blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Forward Air, Down Air, Neutral B, or Side B and still missing the punish.
- Swinging immediately after Neutral Air, Back Air, or Up Air when Mario is still safe enough to keep the combo pressure going.
- Chasing too deep offstage and letting Cape or FLUDD turn Dedede’s weaker recovery into the real disadvantage.