Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Little Mac’s grounded startup, dash speed, and armored smash attacks let him challenge Pyra’s slower grounded swings head-on, and landing directly on top of him often means losing stage fast to Down Tilt, Dash Attack, or Up Tilt pressure.
The tradeoff is that Mac’s aerial game, recovery distance, and offstage choices are extremely weak, so once Pyra pushes him out with Forward Air, Back Air, Up Tilt, or Blaze End, she can turn a single win into repeated ledge situations and early stocks.
Out of shield, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, Back Air, Down Air, Neutral B, and Side B all give Pyra real answers, with Grab (10f) and Up B (13f) doing most of the immediate work against his grounded pressure.
The stable plan is to avoid brawling in center, stop his burst options with retreating Forward Air and shield, then cover the recovery path from ledge with Up Smash, tipper Forward Air, and the return path of Blaze End while respecting Slip Counter only enough to avoid overcommitting.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pyra OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 1 | -12 |
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| Jab 2 | 1 | -12 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -19 |
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| Rapid Jab | 4/6/8… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 5 | -25 |
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| Forward Tilt | 4/12 | -17 |
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| Up Tilt | 4 | -18 |
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| Down Tilt | 3 | -14 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -16 |
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| Forward Smash | 14/14/15 | -16/-16/-13 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -23 |
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| Down Smash | 10/17 | -23/-16 |
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| Neutral Air | 2 | -8 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -10 |
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| Back Air | 11 | -13 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -10 |
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| Down Air | 7 | -15/-15 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 4(+32) | -34 to -19 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 123 | -82 |
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| Side B (1) | 8/25 | -39 to -36 |
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| Side B (2) | 8/25 | -32 to -31 |
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| Up B | 3… | ** | ||
| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 13 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 14 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not start a grounded slugfest; walk back and retreat with short hops to make Down Tilt and Dash Attack miss at the tip, then punish only with the outer range of Forward Air, Back Air, and Up Tilt.
- After blocking Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, Back Air, Down Air, or Side B, answer immediately with Grab (10f) or Up B (13f) so Mac cannot chain grounded pressure into another guess.
- Once Mac has spent Side B or Up B and is offstage, stay ledge-focused instead of diving too deep, and punish the head above ledge, post-Side-B landing, or ledge jump with tipper Forward Air, Down Air, or Up Smash.
- When the KO gauge is active, stop turtling in shield, hold center stage, and use walk-back spacing or jumps to make the burst option miss before cashing out with a high-damage punish.
- Do not force the kill in center stage; end stocks through ledge Up Smash, tipper Forward Air, or the landing trap that starts once Blaze End narrows Mac’s recovery route.
Actions to Avoid
- Swinging back with Forward Tilt or Down Tilt inside Mac’s Down Tilt range at the start of neutral and letting his Dash Attack or Up Tilt pressure pull Pyra into a grounded scramble.
- Challenging Forward Smash or Down Smash head-on without accounting for armor and letting Pyra’s longer range get blown through instead of controlling space safely.
- Sitting in shield once the KO gauge is active and getting caught by the burst kill option while trying to avoid the mixup entirely.
- Chasing too far offstage, running into Slip Counter or aerial Side B swings, and turning Pyra’s own weaker recovery into the losing exchange.
- Throwing Blaze End carelessly in center stage and giving Mac a free high-speed punish before the sword returns.