Dark Samus Matchup (Roy)

Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)

Dark Samus can spread Roy’s approach angles with Charge Shot, Missiles, Forward Air, Up Air, and Zair, so if Roy gets impatient and swings early, he often lands only weak sourspots before being pushed back to midrange again. Once Roy reaches point-blank range, though, Dark Samus does not have especially fast close-range rotation or landing scrambles, which means Roy can snowball hard through damage and ledge pressure if he gets inside once.
The full move table also shows that Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, Neutral B, and Side B are all punishable through Roy’s OOS Uair (8f), OOS Nair (9f), Up B (9f), and Grab (10f), with Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Side B, and Up Smash being especially punishable. By contrast, Neutral Air, Down Air, and Zair do not offer much immediate shield punishment, so forcing a swing after every block matters less than running to the next landing spot and covering the next jump or air dodge.
The win condition is to weave through the projectile layer with walk shield and dash timing, reach the range where Jab, Nair, Up Tilt, and Grab all threaten sweetspot conversions, then keep touching Dark Samus’s large body and slow descent through continued landing traps. Once stage is taken, Roy should lock jump and neutral get-up with ledge Fair, Bair, Forward Tilt, and Up Air so Dark Samus cannot comfortably recharge Charge Shot.
For kills, it is more reliable to finish from continued ledge pressure into Fair, Bair, Up Smash, and Up B punishes than to fish for wild center-stage Forward Smashes. Roy’s own recovery is not especially strong, so overextending offstage can easily turn into an early loss against Fair or Charge Shot.

Full Move Frame Quick Reference

Win Condition Checklist

• Use walk shield and dash timing to shift around Charge Shot, Missiles, and Zair, and only commit once you are close enough for Jab, Nair, Up Tilt, and Grab to threaten Roy’s strong close-range hits.
• When you block Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, Neutral B, or Side B, answer with OOS Uair (8f), OOS Nair (9f), Up B (9f), or Grab (10f) so Dark Samus cannot reset space for free.
• After blocking Neutral Air, Down Air, or Zair, do not force a shield punish that will not reach. Run to the next landing spot and cover jump, drift, or air dodge instead.
• At kill percent, prioritize ledge Fair, Bair, Up Smash, and Up B punishes, and cut down on blind Forward Smash reads in center stage or deep offstage chases.

Actions to Avoid

• Getting impatient with the projectile wall and jumping in with only sourspot Fair or Nair, then getting sent back to midrange with no real reward.
• Trying to swing immediately after every blocked Zair or Neutral Air and losing stage when the punish does not actually reach.
• Chasing too far offstage after earning ledge control and letting Roy’s weaker recovery become the thing that gets punished.
• Throwing out repeated Forward Smash or Down Tilt kill attempts instead of cashing out the damage and ledge pressure you already built at close range.