Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup revolves around whether Ivysaur can freeze Meta Knight’s fast inward air movement before Meta Knight slips under the vine range and starts looping nair or Up Tilt into landing traps.
Ivysaur has the better reach and vertical kill power, while Meta Knight has the better mobility and sustained pressure, so the closer the game stays to repeated point-blank scraps, the worse it is for Ivysaur.
As the table shows, Rapid Jab Finisher, the Forward Tilt string, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, and Side B are all punishable by Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Bair (10f), or slower followups. By contrast, Down Tilt, nair, fair, bair, uair, and dair are mostly not real same-spot punishes, so after shield it is more stable to cover the next landing than to swing immediately.
The win condition is to stop the low approach with Razor Leaf and Down Tilt, kill vertically with uair or Up B once Meta Knight is above, and then keep stage at the ledge while threatening dair against multi-jump recovery paths.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ivysaur OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Jab | 4/7/10… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 3 | -24 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 6 | -16 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 2 | -22 |
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| Forward Tilt (3) | 2 | -23 |
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| Up Tilt | 8 | -20/-19 |
| |
| Down Tilt | 3 | -9 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -18 |
| |
| Forward Smash | 24 | -6 |
| |
| Up Smash | 8/12/17 | -28 |
| |
| Down Smash | 4/9 | -26/-19 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 6 | -3/-4 |
| |
| Forward Air | 9/12/15 | -8/-8 |
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| Back Air | 7/13/20 | -9/-8 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -6 |
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| Down Air | 4 | -6 |
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| Neutral B | 12 | -81 |
| |
| Side B | 26/30/34/38/42/46/ 50/54/58/62/66/70 | -24 |
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| Up B (1) | 8/22 | ** | ||
| Up B (2) | 7/20 | ** | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Ivysaur should avoid agreeing to point-blank scraps and keep using Razor Leaf, Down Tilt, and tippered Fair to interrupt Meta Knight’s low-entry routes.
- After blocking Rapid Jab Finisher, the Forward Tilt string, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Neutral B, or Side B, Ivysaur should cash out with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or OOS Bair (10f) and move straight into the landing trap.
- After blocking Down Tilt or the aerials, Ivysaur should not force a same-spot punish and should instead cover the drift-back landing or jump-out with uair, Fair, and Razor Leaf.
- At the ledge, Ivysaur should favor stage hold over deep chasing, show dair against multi-jump recovery routes, and catch the ledge landing with Up Smash or uair.
Actions to Avoid
- Letting the game turn into repeated close-range scrambles where Meta Knight keeps slipping inside the vine range.
- Swinging after every blocked Down Tilt or nair and whiffing into another air drift reset.
- Panicking upward once juggled and extending Meta Knight’s Up Tilt and uair sequences.
- Chasing too far offstage and giving away the ledge situation when Meta Knight still has multiple jumps to alter the return.