Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup becomes much worse for Marth when he drifts into Charizard’s close-range Nair, Bair, and flame pressure and turns the game into a raw damage trade. Charizard only needs a few heavy hits at the ledge to flip the stock race, so giving up tipper spacing for a brawl is the fastest way to lose control.
Marth does better by holding ground with walk speed and sword tip pressure, then punishing Charizard’s shield-stoppable options with Up B (5f) first. The frame table shows Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Fair, Bair, Dair, Neutral B, and Side B are all punishable by Up B (5f) or by OOS Uair (8f), OOS Fair/Nair (9f), and related follow-ups.
By contrast, Charizard’s Neutral Air and Up Air are much harder to cash out on the spot. If Marth forces a bigger punish than he actually has, Charizard’s air drift resets the situation and the landing trap disappears. In those cases, it is better to keep the sword in front, track the landing, and keep pushing Charizard toward the ledge.
The win condition is to turn Charizard’s large hurtbox and laggy buttons into repeated landing traps and ledge traps, then finish with tipper Fair, tipper Bair, Forward Tilt, or a clean Up B punish. Deep offstage chases are much less stable because Charizard can reverse them with Bair or Up B.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Marth OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -16 |
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| Jab 3 | 7 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -18/-15 |
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| Up Tilt | 9 | -16 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -12 |
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| Forward Smash | 22 | -36/-37 |
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| Up Smash | 6/14 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 14 | -35 |
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| Neutral Air | 8 | -6/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 8 | -14/-14 |
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| Back Air | 14 | -16/-15/-14 |
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| Up Air | 12 | -8 |
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| Down Air | 18 | -16/-17 |
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| Neutral B | 19/26/33/40 | -24 |
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| Side B | 23 | -52/-66 |
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| Up B | 9… | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Marth should not stay in Charizard’s close-range nair, bair, and flame scrambles; keep walk spacing and sword tip control first.
- After Marth blocks Charizard’s Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Fair, Bair, Dair, Neutral B, or Side B, take the punish immediately with Up B (5f), OOS Uair (8f), or OOS Fair/Nair (9f).
- Marth should not overforce a same-spot punish into Neutral Air or Up Air; hold the landing route and keep Charizard moving backward instead.
- Marth should finish stocks through repeated landing traps and ledge traps into tipper Fair, tipper Bair, Forward Tilt, or Up B, not by overchasing offstage.
Actions to Avoid
- Letting Charizard drag Marth into close-range nair, bair, and flame trades instead of keeping tipper spacing.
- Blocking Charizard’s laggy options and then dropping the Up B punish Marth is supposed to get.
- Swinging too hard after Neutral Air or Up Air and giving Charizard the reset with air drift.
- Chasing too deep offstage for the kill and losing the stock to Charizard’s Bair or Up B reversal.