Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup turns on how much time Dedede can avoid spending chased by Shulk’s Neutral Air, Forward Air, Forward Tilt, and Speed movement.
Because Shulk’s aerials are mostly safe on shield and distant Gordos are easy for his sword to swat back, Dedede is better off walking and shielding first, then punishing the endings of Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, and Side B with Grab (10f) or OOS Nair (10f) instead of forcing head-on trades.
The table shows that Jab 1, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, and Side B all lose to Dedede’s main punishers, and Shulk does not have elite close-range reversals, so once Dedede stops him he wants to push him back to ledge with Gordo and aerials and make Monado switching defensive.
For kills, it is more repeatable to trap jump and neutral get-up with Gordos placed at ranges that are hard to reflect, then finish with Back Air, Up Tilt, and smash attacks at ledge; during Buster and Smash, Dedede’s raw hit power becomes especially threatening.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | King Dedede OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -17 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -25 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -32 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -19/-20 |
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| Up Tilt | 11 | -18/-19 |
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| Down Tilt | 10 | -12/-13 |
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| Dash Attack | 12 | -16/-18 |
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| Forward Smash | 14/23 | -35/-36 |
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| Up Smash | 18/30 | -28 |
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| Down Smash | 18/23/28/35/41 | -/-56/-51/-52/-47/-48/-41/-42/-36/-37 |
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| Neutral Air | 13 | -2/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 14 | -6/-7 |
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| Back Air | 19 | -6/-7 |
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| Up Air | 14/24 | -6/-5/-5 |
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| Down Air | 14/23 | -11/-9/-10 |
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| Neutral B | — | — | ||
| Side B | 22 | -29/-30/-25/-27 |
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| Up B | 10 | ** | ||
| Down B | 7 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not spam Gordo from full screen; place it at mid-range where it blocks Shulk’s step-back and jump path while still keeping you safe even if he swats it back with the sword.
- After blocking Jab 1, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, or Side B, punish first with Grab (10f) or OOS Nair (10f) so Shulk cannot disengage for free behind sword range.
- After blocked Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air, do not force a shield punish; cover the landing point or drift-back spot with Forward Air, Up Air, or a re-thrown Gordo and take the second guess instead.
- When Speed or Jump is active, do not overchase center stage; keep stage control, back Shulk to ledge, and make the strong art timer get spent on movement or retreat.
- At ledge, center the trap around Back Air, Up Tilt, and smash attacks, and during Buster or Smash, accept even slight trades if they close the stock early.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not repeat full-screen Gordos and let the reflected projectile plus sword approach hit you together.
- Do not swing immediate punishes after every blocked Neutral Air, Forward Air, or Back Air and whiff into tipper pressure again.
- Do not chase Speed or Jump through center stage and hand Shulk easy whiff punishes with Forward Tilt, Forward Air, or Dash Attack.
- Do not go too deep offstage and give up Dedede’s strongest ledge pressure to Back Air or Air Slash reversals.