Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Marth can hold the tipper range with his walk speed and dash, then keep tagging Plant’s large body first with fair, bair, and down tilt. If Plant advances at the same rhythm or jumps in from too far out, Marth often gets the whiff punish that carries the whole exchange to the ledge. At the corner, Shield Breaker and Counter make the defensive layer even more dangerous if Plant becomes predictable.
The opening is that Marth has no projectile and his recovery still funnels heavily into Up B and air dodge. If Plant establishes the wall first at mid range, the flow of the matchup changes. Floating Ptooie over the space in front of Plant cuts off short-hop fair and bair, and Poison Breath can cover both the retreat path and the ledge hang so Marth cannot keep walking at his preferred spacing forever.
The frame table also shows real shield punishes on Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, and Side B, where Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), OOS Fair (10f), OOS Nair (11f), Up Smash (12f), and Up B (13f) all matter. Down Tilt and the aerials are mostly safe, so forcing a button every time is worse than holding stage, resetting Ptooie, and making Marth take another approach.
Plant’s win condition is not winning a clean center-stage sword fight. It is blocking or avoiding one sword poke, sending Marth to the edge once, and then looping ledge pressure and recovery coverage. Ptooie on the Dolphin Slash path, Poison Breath on the ledge stall, and fair or Up Smash on the getup lane make Marth repeatedly prove the thin horizontal recovery route.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Piranha Plant OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -16/-14 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -19/-18 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -16/-14 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -21/-18 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -9/-6 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -22/-20 |
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| Forward Smash | 10 | -32/-29 |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -41/-36 |
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| Down Smash | 6/21 | -43/-41/-26/-23 |
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| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -5/-4/-4/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 6 | -6/-5 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -6/-5 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -4/-3 |
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| Down Air | 9/11 | -9/-9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 19—79 | -23 to Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 9 | -26/-16 |
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| Up B | 5 | — | ||
| Down B | 6 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not jump first at mid range. Put Ptooie over the space in front of Plant, slow down Marth’s short-hop fair, bair, and forward movement, then walk in behind it.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Neutral B, or Side B, punish with Grab, OOS Uair, OOS Fair, OOS Nair, Up Smash, or Up B.
- After blocking Down Tilt or an aerial, do not force a desperate OOS swing. Use Poison Breath on the retreat lane and make Marth re-enter through a smaller space.
- At the ledge, cover the low Dolphin Slash route with Ptooie, cover ledge hang and normal getup with Poison Breath, and finish with fair or Up Smash.
- Once Shield Breaker is shown, do not keep holding shield in place. Shift position according to the charge timing, then rebuild the wall.
Actions to Avoid
- Swinging first from outside tipper range with fair, dair, or forward smash and getting pushed to the ledge by fair, bair, or down tilt whiff punishes.
- Trying to punish safe moves like Down Tilt or fair every time and turning a non-punish spot into another Marth re-entry.
- Holding shield too long at the ledge, letting Shield Breaker charge freely, or repeating the same getup height until Counter or tipper forward smash lines up.
- Overchasing offstage for the stock, then losing the winning ledge state to Up B invincibility or Counter.