Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Kirby uses his extremely low crouch, air mobility, Neutral Air, Forward Air, Down Tilt, and grab to slip under Ivysaur’s higher checks, and once he gets inside he can force the faster scramble plus landing and ledge pressure. If Ivysaur tries to swing back directly at point-blank range, the gap in hit height and frame pace usually turns against him.
The tradeoff is that Kirby still struggles with reach and movement speed, and his grounded entries have real openings. Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Side B, Up B, and Down B all give Ivysaur clear punishes through Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), and OOS Bair (10f), so the stable version of the matchup is to hold the tip range and only cash out on the grounded ways Kirby gets in.
By contrast, Jab 1, Jab 2, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, and Up Air are mostly safe enough that forcing a button immediately after the first block is the wrong trade. Instead of trying to match Kirby’s low profile on the spot, use Razor Leaf and Down Tilt to stop the ground dash or the first jump, then narrow the landing and ledge routes until the second touch appears.
For kills, it is much more repeatable to convert float situations into Up Air or Vine Whip, to threaten Dair near the ledge grab, and to finish ledge traps than to fish for one big center-stage read. Ivysaur is much weaker downward and during recovery pressure, so deep offstage chases should stay limited while the horizontal line advantage is still yours.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ivysaur OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -9 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -9 |
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| Rapid Jab | 5/7/9/11… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 3 | -32 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -10/-11 |
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| Up Tilt | 4 | -10/-9 |
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| Down Tilt | 4 | -9 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -31 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -23 |
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| Up Smash | 12 | -22/-24 |
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| Down Smash | 7 | -33 |
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| Neutral Air | 8 | -2/-2/-3/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 10/17/25 | -5/-5/-5 |
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| Back Air | 6 | -5/-6 |
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| Up Air | 8 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 18/21/24/27/30/34 | -12 |
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| Neutral B | 10 | — | ||
| Side B | 11(+15) | -26 to -18 |
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| Up B | 23/(41/50…)// | —/—/-21/** |
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| Down B (1) | 11 | -35 |
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| Down B (2) | 29 | -17 |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not rely only on high hitboxes. Use Razor Leaf, Down Tilt, and the tips of Fair or Bair to stop Kirby’s grounded burst and low jump before he gets underneath Ivysaur.
- After blocking Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Side B, Up B, or Down B, punish immediately with the reachable option from Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), and OOS Bair (10f) so Kirby’s grounded turn ends there.
- After stopping Jab 1, Jab 2, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air, avoid swinging in place. Track the landing and ledge route first, then turn the second touch into Up Air or Vine Whip pressure.
- At kill percent, reduce random center-stage callouts and finish through float traps into Up Air, Vine Whip, Dair near ledge grab, and standard ledge pressure instead.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeating only high, front-facing checks and letting Kirby crawl or Down Tilt underneath them.
- Blocking Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Side B, Up B, or Down B but still giving Kirby another close-range reset for free.
- Swinging immediately after every blocked Jab 1, Jab 2, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Neutral Air, Forward Air, Back Air, or Up Air and getting clipped again by drift, lingering hits, or another low-profile entry.
- Chasing too deep offstage and exposing Ivysaur’s weaker downward defense and recovery before the ledge sequence is actually secured.