Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Ryu wants to slow the ground game with Hadoken and then explode off close-range confirms, while Incineroar is the heavyweight swing character who turns one read with Side B, Revenge, or a heavy aerial into huge damage or an early stock.
That means projectiles help, but autopilot projectiles lose the matchup. Hadoken should make Incineroar walk and reveal his timing, then Ryu should mix in walking, Nair, Down Tilt, and grab so Revenge whiffs and the next close-range entry stays in Ryu’s control.
Incineroar is heavy, but he is also very punishable on many grounded buttons plus Nair, Fair, Bair, Dair, Darkest Lariat, and Up B, so consistent short punishes matter more than trying to force a hero read every time. Those openings are what move him into Shoryuken range.
What loses the matchup is charging up Revenge with careless fireballs, forgetting that Side B beats passive shielding, or attacking directly into the armor and meteor threat of Up B offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Ryu OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -14 |
| |
| Jab 2 | 4 | -23 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -28 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -12 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 8 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 16 | -22/-24 |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -23 |
| |
| Down Smash | 18 | -28 |
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| Neutral Air | 5 | -6/-8 |
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| Forward Air | 8 | -9/-9 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -7/-6 |
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| Up Air | 7 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -11/-11/-12 |
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| Neutral B | 5/15/23/37/50/56 | -65 |
| |
| Side B | 16 | — | ||
| Up B | 11/38 | -51 |
| |
| Down B | 3 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Hadoken to slow his advance, but mix in walking, Nair, Down Tilt, and grab so Incineroar’s Revenge and Side B keep whiffing before you enter.
- After blocking Jab 1-3, the tilts, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, Nair, Fair, Bair, Dair, Neutral B, and Up B, take the shortest punish first with Up B, Nair, Uair, Up Smash, or grab and convert from there.
- If Revenge appears, stop feeding projectiles and switch to grab or patience immediately so the powered hit never matters.
- Finish stocks through ledge Bair, anti-air Up Tilt into Shoryuken, and recovery punishes on Side B or Up B instead of rushing to kill in center stage.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeating Hadoken too predictably and handing Incineroar free Revenge value.
- Turtling in shield and forgetting that Side B is the exact callout he wants against passive defense.
- Letting punishable Nair, Darkest Lariat, or Up B go unpunished and giving the heavy brawler extra close-range turns.
- Swinging directly into Up B armor or meteor coverage offstage and turning his weak recovery into your own accident.