Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup changes a lot depending on whether Lucina can separate Luma first, before Rosalina and Luma fully stack two hitboxes across the ground lane and anti-air space. If you jump straight at Rosalina while Luma is still covering the front, you often get stopped by layered pokes and up air before reaching the main body.
Lucina can swing forward air, neutral air, and down tilt without needing tipper precision, so it is more stable to clip Luma first, disturb their formation, and only increase direct pressure during the periods when Luma is gone. Rosalina herself is light, floaty, and vulnerable on landing, so after Luma is removed, it is better to close jump and landing routes with up air and forward air than to dash wildly after her and waste the short pre-respawn window.
The frame table shows that jab strings, rapid jab finisher, tilts, dash attack, all smash attacks, forward air, and side special are all broadly punishable by Lucina’s Up B (5f), and neutral special can also be challenged by Up B, up air, or forward air when used too close. By contrast, neutral air has no real punish, and back air, up air, and down air usually stop at Up B only, so do not try to solve every exchange with a shield punish. Often the stronger choice is to keep stage position and push both Rosalina and Luma backward together after block.
For kills, it is more repeatable to keep Rosalina at ledge while Luma is absent and layer forward tilt, back air, up tilt, and Up B, rather than chasing only the main body upward and giving the respawn timer room to breathe.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Lucina OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 (1) | 5 | -13 |
| |
| Jab 1 (2) | 4 | ** | ||
| Jab 2 (1) | 6 | -16 |
| |
| Jab 2 (2) | 6 | -16 |
| |
| Jab 3 (1) | 7 | -25 |
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| Jab 3 (2) | 7 | ** | ||
| Rapid Jab (1) | 2/5/8/11… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab (2) | 3/6/9/12… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher (1) | 5 | -30 |
| |
| Rapid Jab Finisher (2) | 5 | -30 |
| |
| Forward Tilt (1) | 7 | -26 |
| |
| Forward Tilt (2) | 8 | -20 |
| |
| Up Tilt (1) | 7 | -22 |
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| Up Tilt (2) | 3 | -26 |
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| Down Tilt (1) | 5 | -22 |
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| Down Tilt (2) | 8 | -26 |
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| Dash Attack (1) | 6/17 | -31/-19 |
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| Dash Attack (2) | 6 | -31/-25 |
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| Forward Smash (1) | 16 | -36/-32 |
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| Forward Smash (2) | 17 | -21 |
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| Up Smash (1) | 8 | -34 |
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| Up Smash (2) | 10 | -34 |
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| Down Smash (1) | 6/17 | -30/-18 |
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| Down Smash (2) | 7/19 | -21/-18 |
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| Neutral Air (1) | 9 | -4/-5 |
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| Neutral Air (2) | 7/13 | ** | ||
| Forward Air (1) | 10/13/16/19/22 | -14/-13 |
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| Forward Air (2) | 11 | ** | ||
| Back Air (1) | 9 | -6 |
|
|
| Back Air (2) | 10 | ** | ||
| Up Air (1) | 8 | -7/-8/-9 |
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| Up Air (2) | 6 | ** | ||
| Down Air (1) | 17 | -7/-8/-9 |
|
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| Down Air (2) | 15 | ** | ||
| Neutral B | 10—91 | -15 to -9 |
|
|
| Side B | 10/16/22 | -22 |
| |
| Up B | — | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not open by diving straight at Rosalina herself. Use forward air, neutral air, down tilt, and walk shield to touch Luma first, break the formation, and create Lumaless time.
- On shielded jab strings, rapid jab finisher, tilts, dash attack, any smash attack, forward air, or side special, prioritize Up B (5f), and when neutral special is used too close, punish hard with Up B, up air, or forward air as spacing allows.
- Do not overforce punishes on neutral air, back air, up air, or down air. After blocking them, retake ground with walking and small jumps so Rosalina’s landing and Luma’s reposition are both delayed.
- Once Luma is gone, do not immediately swing for a big kill. Use up air, forward air, and up tilt to burn Rosalina’s jump and air dodge first, and spend the short pre-respawn window entirely on landing pressure.
- At kill percent, keep the focus on ledge pressure, and when Luma is about to return, do not recommit recklessly. Narrow Rosalina’s getup routes with forward tilt, back air, and Up B instead.
Actions to Avoid
- Looking only at Rosalina while Luma is still covering the front and forcing dash attack or deep approaches into both hitboxes at once.
- Reaching for a large shield punish every time against neutral air, back air, up air, or down air, whiffing, and letting Rosalina reset her landing while Luma is repositioned.
- After removing Luma, overcommitting into forward smash or a deep back air and wasting the most valuable seconds before the respawn.
- Chasing too far offstage, getting clipped by the path back from Galaxy Jump or by Luma coverage, and giving up the stronger ledge-trap position.