Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup falls apart for Ridley when Lucina gets to repeat fair, nair, and dtilt at sword-tip range, because Ridley’s large hurtbox has to keep contesting disjointed pressure on Lucina’s terms. Ridley needs to avoid that direct brawl. Fireballs, pullback movement, and long whiff punishes are what keep Lucina from walking forward comfortably.
Lucina does not have projectiles, though, and her grounded commitments plus her more linear recovery are real targets once Ridley gets the first hit. The frame table shows Jab 1-2, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, neutral B, and side B can all be punished on block with Grab (10f) or OOS Nair (11f), which is exactly the kind of opening Ridley wants before dragging the match toward the ledge.
By contrast, Lucina’s nair, fair, bair, and uair are mostly not punishable in place, and dair only barely misses that threshold. That means Ridley should not treat every blocked aerial like a shield-punish spot. Cover the landing and the retreat path instead, then take the next grounded swing or jump.
The win condition is to turn one grounded punish into a corner sequence. Once Lucina is offstage or pinned at ledge, Ridley gets much more room to exploit the narrower recovery line and keep advantage flowing.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ridley OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -19 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -8 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 10 | -31 |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -41/-35 |
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| Down Smash | 6/21 | -42/-24 |
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| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -4/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 6 | -6 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -5 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 9/11 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 19—79 | -23 to Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 9 | -26/-16 |
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| Up B | 5 | — | ||
| Down B | 6 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not keep challenging Lucina at fair, nair, and dtilt tipper range. Use fireballs and pullback movement to make her advance farther before you swing.
- After blocking Jab 1-2, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, any smash attack, neutral B, or side B, punish with Grab (10f) or OOS Nair (11f) and push the hit toward the ledge immediately.
- Treat nair, fair, bair, and uair as spacing tools rather than in-place punish chances. If she lands safely, chase the landing and retreat instead of forcing a late swing.
- Once Lucina is airborne, prioritize uair pressure, fair walling, and ledge hold over resetting to center. The matchup pays out when you keep her recovery line narrow.
- At the ledge, watch jump, neutral getup, and early air dodge together so she cannot slip back to center for free.
Actions to Avoid
- Re-entering sword-tip scrambles over and over and letting Lucina’s disjoints chew through Ridley’s hurtbox.
- Swinging after every blocked aerial even though most of Lucina’s aerial pressure is safe enough to reset spacing.
- Taking one punish in center stage and then surrendering the edgeguard or ledge trap that should follow.
- Overcommitting offstage and giving up the stage control that makes Lucina’s recovery easier to cover.