Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup revolves around whether Ivysaur can keep moving King K. Rool’s large body with Leaf, Down Tilt, and tippered Fair before crown and Blunderbuss are allowed to freeze the pace.
King K. Rool can turn a single read into huge damage through weight and belly armor, but his endlag and close-range defense are heavy enough that once he is whiff-punished he becomes a clear target for Ivysaur’s uair, Up B, and ledge-down dair threats.
As the table shows, Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, and Side B are all punishable with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or OOS Bair (10f) as the main answers. By contrast, nair, fair, bair, uair, and dair give almost no same-spot punish, so it is better to chase the landing and pullback instead of forcing a button immediately after shield.
The win condition is to avoid getting stuck in a long-range projectile exchange, carry K. Rool outward through mid-range tip pressure, convert any high launch into uair or Up B, and then keep the ledge closed with Down Tilt and Leaf while his long recovery is forced through one lane.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ivysaur OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -20 |
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| Jab 3 | 5 | -21 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -20/-18 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -21 |
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| Down Tilt | 13 | -17 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -38 |
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| Forward Smash | 19 | -29/—/-29/—/-29/-30 |
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| Up Smash | 6/19/22 | -55/-42 |
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| Down Smash | 22 | -29/-34 |
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| Neutral Air | 7 | -4/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 11 | -5/-6/-7/-7 |
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| Back Air | 18 | -7/-9 |
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| Up Air | 7 | -8/-9 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -9/-10 |
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| Neutral B | 25 | -25 |
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| Side B | 27 | -26 |
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| Up B | 11 | ** | ||
| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | ** | ||
| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Ivysaur should avoid standing directly in front of crown and cannon for too long, shift the axis with walking and short hops, and place Leaf, Down Tilt, and tippered Fair first to stop King K. Rool’s forward movement.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Neutral B, or Side B, Ivysaur should cash out the guaranteed punish with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or OOS Bair (10f) and carry straight into the landing trap on K. Rool’s large body.
- Ivysaur should avoid taking the belly armor contest head-on and instead route more hits through cross-up Bair and vertical launches into uair so K. Rool’s slow defensive buttons stay under pressure.
- At the ledge, Ivysaur should prefer holding stage over deep chasing, use Leaf to catch jump from ledge, Down Tilt for neutral getup timing, and show dair when the long Up B path is forced low enough.
Actions to Avoid
- Letting Ivysaur sit in a full projectile trade for too long, giving up stage while eventually taking a belly-armor burst entry anyway.
- Repeatedly swinging Fair or Nair straight into belly armor and assuming the hitbox will win cleanly.
- Forcing shield punishes after blocked nair, fair, bair, uair, or dair and giving K. Rool room to vary the landing or mash back.
- Chasing too deep offstage and creating reverse-hit situations against Ivysaur’s own short recovery through bair or Blunderbuss interactions.