Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets much worse the moment Luigi starts forcing jump-ins through Duck Hunt’s projectile layers. The can, gunman, and clay pigeon can close off horizontal and vertical lanes in sequence, so hasty aerial approaches often hand over the landing spot as well. Luigi needs to advance with walk shield, small position adjustments, and fireballs first, using the moments when Duck Hunt re-controls the can or sets gunman to create real forward progress.
Once Luigi gets in, the matchup changes sharply. Duck Hunt is not a strong close-range scrapper, and jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, bair, uair, and dair are all punishable on shield by the listed OOS answers such as nair (6f), up B (6f), up smash (9f), and grab (10f). After Luigi makes Duck Hunt block at close range, the highest-value route is still grab, nair, or down tilt into the usual high-damage pressure.
By contrast, neutral B, side B, up B, and down B are not reliable in-place shield punish situations, and overcommitting just to hit the projectile often gets Luigi reset back to full screen. Even when Luigi swats the can, that only matters if it also helps him close on Duck Hunt’s body instead of swinging at empty space.
For kills, it is more stable to keep the close-range pressure going until Duck Hunt is pushed to ledge, then finish with up smash, back air, up B, or ledge pressure after forward throw than to hard-force a center-stage up B read. Duck Hunt’s up B has no hitbox and the recovery path is readable, but Luigi still does not want to overchase and turn his own recovery into the problem. Holding ledge and covering the return point is the cleaner finish.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Luigi OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -18 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -19 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -21 |
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| Rapid Jab | 5/7/9/… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 5 | -36 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -13 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -23 |
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| Forward Smash | 17/23/29 | -30 |
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| Up Smash | 12/20/28 | -22 |
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| Down Smash | 12/20/28 | -24 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -5/-7 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -5/-6/-6 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -9/-10 |
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| Up Air | 6/12/20 | -9/-8 |
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| Down Air | 14/20 | -12/-11 |
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| Neutral B | 1 / 16 / 1—2 | — | ||
| Side B | 17 | — | ||
| Up B | — | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not jump straight into the can, gunman, and clay setup. Use walk shield and fireballs to shift the projectile lane first, then close distance a little at a time.
- Move forward during can re-control, gunman setup, or pullback timings, and once grab, nair, or down tilt connects, convert that touch into sustained close-range pressure.
- After blocking jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, bair, uair, or dair, take the listed punish with OOS nair (6f), up B (6f), up smash (9f), or grab (10f).
- Against neutral B, side B, up B, and down B, do not tunnel on the immediate shield punish. Read where Duck Hunt lands or retreats so the second touch is on the body, not just the projectile.
- At kill percent, stop dragging out center-stage guesses and carry Duck Hunt to ledge for up smash, back air, up B, or the ledge pressure after forward throw.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not jump straight into the lane where the can and gunman are already stacked and let clay pigeon or aerials cover your landing for free.
- Do not rush to swat every projectile, miss on Duck Hunt’s body, and give them time to rebuild the wall from the start.
- Do not cash out too early on a big swing after finally getting close and hand Duck Hunt the space to run away and set up again.
- Do not chase so deep offstage that Luigi’s own recovery becomes unstable and throws away a position that should have been won by ledge control.