Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup turns ugly the moment Luigi gets a close-range starter, because one grab, Nair, or Down Tilt can cash out hard against Ridley’s huge hurtbox and often lead straight into Up B kill pressure. The flip side is that Luigi has to work much harder to get into that range at all, since his reach and air mobility are both limited once the long midrange wall stays intact.
Ridley should not dash after Luigi in a straight line. The stable plan is to stop the Fireball-backed approach with Fair, Forward Tilt, retreat movement, and Plasma Breath, then punish the forced jump or shield with aerials and grab. Once Luigi is pushed offstage, the recovery routes are direct enough that Fair, Bair, Plasma Breath, and simple ledge coverage can keep shrinking the return path without giving up stage.
The table shows that Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Fireball, the landed version of Up B, and Luigi Cyclone all lose cleanly to Grab (10f), OOS Nair (11f), or Up Smash (12f). By contrast, Down Tilt, Nair, Bair, Uair, and Zair are poor immediate punish spots, and Fair or Dair are still mostly landing reads, so those should become drift and landing traps instead of forced swings on the spot.
For kills, it is more repeatable to send Luigi outward and stack edgeguard plus ledge pressure than to keep gambling in center. The one thing Ridley cannot afford is letting the close-range defense drag on long enough for grab or Up B to flip the stock immediately.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ridley OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -13 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -12 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -19 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -18 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -15 |
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| Down Tilt | 5 | -2 |
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| Dash Attack | 4/8/12/16/25 | -17 |
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| Forward Smash | 12 | -18 |
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| Up Smash | 9 | -20 |
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| Down Smash | 6/14 | -20/-12 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -3/-5 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -9 |
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| Back Air | 6 | -5/-6 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -2/-4 |
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| Down Air | 10 | -8/-8 |
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| Z Air | 14 | -2 |
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| Neutral B | 17 | -17 |
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| Side B | 22 | -23 to -13/-10 |
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| Up B (1) | 8 | -79/-99 |
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| Up B (2) | 6 | ** | ||
| Down B | 10…/40 | -40 |
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| Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 16 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 17 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Stay out of raw grab range first, and use Fair, Forward Tilt, Plasma Breath, and retreat timing to cut off the Fireball-backed approach before Luigi gets to start the close-range game.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Fireball, landed Up B, or Luigi Cyclone, punish immediately with Grab (10f), OOS Nair (11f), or Up Smash (12f).
- After stopping Down Tilt, Nair, Bair, Uair, or Zair, do not swing big in place; track the drift-out jump, air dodge, or landing spot and use the second touch to push Luigi farther out.
- Once Luigi is offstage, do not rely only on deep chase. Mix Fair, Bair, Plasma Breath, and ledge hold to narrow Green Missile and Up B return routes while keeping stage control.
- At kill percent, prioritize ledge pressure over repeated center-stage guesses, and keep grab and Up B reversals in mind before committing to a slow kill swing.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not keep chasing Luigi on foot and stand for too long at the exact range where grab and Down Tilt start.
- Do not answer every blocked Down Tilt, Nair, Bair, Uair, or Zair with a large in-place punish and get clipped by the next drift-in or Up B reversal.
- Do not block jab strings, tilts, Dash Attack, Fireball, or Cyclone and still let Luigi keep the close-range scramble going.
- Do not overfocus on raw kill buttons in shield range and hand Luigi the chance to reverse with Up B or grab.
- Do not dive so deep offstage that you lose the ledge trap for free or let Luigi slip past while your own position worsens.