Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup turns on whether Charizard can reduce the time spent getting walked back by slingshot, Lloid Rocket, and tree setups, then keep forcing Villager toward the ledge with run speed and Flamethrower.
Villager is strong at halting approaches and recovering, but Villager’s ground mobility and close-range pushback are weaker, so once cornered the escape routes become much more readable.
As the table shows, jab strings, tilts, dash attack, down smash, up air, and down air all give Charizard real punish windows through Up Smash (6f), Up B (9f), or Grab (10f), but nair, fair, and bair stay almost untouchable on shield and Forward Smash is only -4, so forcing a button after every block is a losing habit.
The win condition is to deny repeated item and rocket resets with Flamethrower pressure and forward movement, stack Up Smash and Back Air onto Villager’s landings, and then cover Balloon Trip and rocket returns at the ledge with Fair, Dair, and Flare Blitz without overchasing.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Charizard OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -18 |
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| Rapid Jab | 3/8/12… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 4/5 | -28 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -16 |
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| Up Tilt | 7/22 | -34/-19 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -17/-18 |
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| Dash Attack | 9… | -22 |
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| Forward Smash | 25 | -4 |
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| Up Smash | 12… | -8 |
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| Down Smash | 9/29 | -35/-15 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -4/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -4 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -3 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -7/-8/-8 |
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| Down Air | 11 | -7/-8/-8 |
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| Neutral B | 8 (Start of projectile pocket) | ** | ||
| Side B | 52 | +27 |
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| Up B | ** | — | ||
| Down B | —, 5 | — | ||
| Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 16 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 17 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Charizard should avoid standing still at long range, use Flamethrower and walking pressure to slow slingshot reset timing, and make Villager retreat first.
- After blocking jab strings, tilts, dash attack, down smash, up air, down air, and other heavy-landing options, Charizard should take the guaranteed punish with Up Smash (6f), Up B (9f), or Grab (10f).
- After blocking nair, fair, or bair, Charizard should not overcommit to an immediate punish and should instead cover Villager’s drift-out or landing spot with the next Up Smash, Back Air, or dash grab.
- Once Villager is cornered, Charizard should prioritize ledge hold over a deep chase and spread Fair, Dair, and Flare Blitz across Balloon Trip and Lloid Rocket recovery routes.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping too high just to bypass slingshot and tree pressure, then letting up air, down air, or bowling ball call out the landing.
- Swinging out of shield after every blocked nair, fair, or bair and giving the projectile character room to reset spacing again.
- Throwing out Flare Blitz as a raw frontal approach over and over and handing Villager a huge punish through shield or pocket timing.
- Chasing too deep offstage, letting Balloon Trip or rocket drift reverse the position, and exposing Charizard’s large body to the edgeguard instead of keeping the stronger ledge trap.