Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Chrom’s run speed and sword rotation let him snowball off jab, up tilt, nair, fair, and uair into Up B or smash kills. If Pikachu jumps straight at Chrom’s height, the short reach gets swatted away by Chrom’s disjoints.
However, Chrom has no projectile and his grounded commitments have clear holes. Jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, smashes, Neutral B, and Side B are punishable on shield with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (7f), OOS Bair (7f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (10f), so the stable plan is to halt him first with Thunder Jolt and make him approach through the ground.
Fair, uair, and retreating nair or bair are not consistently punishable on the spot. Instead of swinging immediately after shield, slip under the landing with Pikachu’s low profile or Quick Attack and extend the second juggle or ledgetrap.
Stocks are more reliable offstage than from a center-stage hard read. Chrom’s Up B barely travels sideways, so removing the jump with Thunder Jolt and covering the Up B path with Bair, Thunder, and ledge traps is the repeatable finish.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pikachu 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 Thunder Jolt and small ground movement to stall Chrom’s burst dash, force jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, Side B, or Neutral B, and punish the grounded commitment out of shield.
- After shielding fair, uair, or retreating nair or bair, do not mash immediately. Run to the landing spot or slip under with Quick Attack and take the second landing with Bair or Grab.
- Once Chrom is offstage, strip the jump with Thunder Jolt and layer Bair, Thunder, and ledge reads onto his short-horizontal Up B path to close stocks early.
- At kill percent, value ledgetrap continuation and edgeguards over center-stage Up Smash fishing, and do not let Chrom reset neutral for free.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeatedly jumping into the height of Chrom’s fair, nair, and uair and trying to win a direct air-to-air with Pikachu’s shorter reach.
- Mashing after shielding fair, uair, or retreating nair or bair and handing the turn back to jab or Up B.
- Drifting directly above or in front of Chrom during edgeguards and volunteering for the Up B scoop or counter timing.
- Forcing center-stage Up Smash or Thunder too early and giving Chrom one jab or up tilt starter into explosive damage.