Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup slips away if Pikachu keeps waiting to shield punish every spin action, because Sonic’s speed and the plus frames on Side B let him keep the initiative and punish the first impatient swing.
The win condition is to force Sonic to move first with Thunder Jolt, low-profile movement, and short dash stops, then convert anti-airs and grabs into repeated landing traps with uair and bair.
The table shows that jab, the tilts, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Fair, Bair, Uair, Dair, Neutral B, Up B, and Down B can all be punished on shield by nair, uair, bair, grab, or Up Smash. Side B is the exception because it stays plus, so that option must be handled by tracking Sonic’s drift and landing instead of swinging immediately.
For kills, do not tunnel on one raw finisher. Keep floating Sonic high with Thunder Jolt and uair, then close the stock at the ledge by catching jump with bair and roll or neutral getup with Up Smash.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pikachu OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -13 |
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| Jab 2 | 2 | -16 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -26 |
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| Forward Tilt | 6/8 | -20 |
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| Up Tilt | 6(7)/13 | -20 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -15 |
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| Dash Attack | 5 | -38 |
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| Forward Smash | 18 | -19 |
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| Up Smash | 14… | -29 |
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| Down Smash | 12 | -34 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -5/-6/-7 |
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| Forward Air | 5/7/9/11/13/15 | -14/-14 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -10/-11 |
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| Up Air | 5/14 | -11/-9 |
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| Down Air | 17 | -17/-18 |
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| Neutral B | 17—82 | -22 to -16 |
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| Side B | 17 | +6 (hop)+8 (grounded, no charge)+11 (grounded, full charge)+11 (aerial, any) |
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| Up B | 4 | -7 |
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| Down B | 15/17/19/21 | -33 |
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| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Thunder Jolt and small movement feints to make Sonic commit to Side B or Down B first instead of running into him directly.
- When you block jab, the tilts, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, Fair, Bair, Uair, Dair, Neutral B, Up B, or Down B, punish with the OOS options from the table.
- After blocking Side B, do not force a button. Track the drift, landing, and escape path and touch him on the next beat.
- Once Sonic is airborne, keep juggling with uair and threaten Up Smash on the landing so he cannot reset the pace for free.
- At the ledge, pin movement with Thunder Jolt, cover jump with bair, and catch roll or neutral getup with Up Smash or grab.
Actions to Avoid
- Treating every blocked Side B like a guaranteed punish and getting clipped by Sonic’s advantage afterward.
- Chasing Sonic forward nonstop and feeding into retreating spin movement.
- Fishing too hard for raw Up Smash or Thunder at kill percent and giving Sonic obvious whiff punishes.
- Throwing out Quick Attack follow-ups recklessly and letting Sonic read your landing or recovery path.
- Following too deep offstage and letting Spring plus bair reverse the ledge situation.