Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup starts with whether Palutena can keep Chrom from running his sword pressure in a straight line. Chrom is excellent once he gets to chain grounded pressure, Fair, Nair, and Down Tilt together, but he is not built to comfortably reset from defense. Palutena wants Autoreticle and Explosive Flame to make Chrom jump, shield, or swing early, then meet the landing with Nair, Bair, or a dash-in rather than challenging the sword head-on.
After the first juggle, Palutena usually gets more by extending ledge pressure than by forcing another close-range guess in center stage. Chrom’s recovery path is direct enough that every time he is pushed offstage, Palutena can threaten a real follow-up with drop-zone Bair, Explosive Flame, Down Tilt at ledge, or a patient Up Smash catch on the way back in. The matchup becomes much easier once Chrom is repeatedly sent outside.
The frame table shows that Chrom’s Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, all smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B are clearly punishable by Palutena’s OOS Nair, grab, and follow-up aerials. By contrast, Down Tilt and most landing Forward Air, Back Air, Neutral Air, or Up Air situations are not reliable shield punishes, so trying to answer every blocked aerial with an immediate swing often gives Chrom the next dash-in for free.
Palutena wins this matchup by refusing prolonged close-range scrambles, resetting to midrange whenever the punish is not guaranteed, and repeatedly converting stage control into juggle, ledgetrap, and recovery pressure. Taking only the real punishes and repeatedly testing Chrom’s offstage weakness is more consistent than forcing a kill through his sword range in front of him.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Palutena OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 5 | -10 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -22 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -5 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -28 |
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| Up Smash | 12/13/15/17/19/22 | -29 |
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| Down Smash | 6/21 | -47/-31 |
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| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -6/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -4 |
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| Back Air | 8 | -6 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 21-260 | -15—Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 9 | -26/-16(air) |
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| Up B | 10/39/53/** | -29 |
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| Down B | 8 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Autoreticle and Explosive Flame to shape Chrom’s jump, shield, and dash timings, then meet the chosen route with Nair, Bair, or dash pressure.
- Once Chrom is airborne, prioritize juggles and ledge carry with Uair, Bair, and Up Smash instead of extending a risky close-range scramble in center stage.
- Punish Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, all smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B on shield with the table’s confirmed OOS options.
- Do not force shield punishes on Down Tilt or well-spaced landing Fair, Bair, Nair, and Uair; reset to midrange and make Chrom approach again.
- Treat every offstage launch as a real win condition and cover Up B recovery with ledge Bair, Explosive Flame, Down Tilt, or patient ledge traps.
Actions to Avoid
- Standing in front of Chrom’s sword range and trying to box directly with Fair, Nair, and Down Tilt pressure.
- Swinging out of shield at moves that are not truly punishable and giving Chrom another immediate entry.
- Letting Chrom back to center stage for free after winning neutral once instead of squeezing the juggle or ledgetrap.
- Fishing for a front-facing kill too early and running into Forward Tilt, Back Air, or other sword callouts.