Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
If you spend the whole match trying to trade directly with Trick Shot can and Wild Gunman, Duck Hunt gets repeated setup time and Samus becomes much easier to juggle on the way down.
The better plan is to use Missile and Charge Shot to interrupt those resets, take space forward, and force close-range situations where Duck Hunt’s out-of-shield and scramble defense are weaker.
When Duck Hunt lands a shallow aerial on shield, Up B and Uair become reliable ways to steal the turn, and once center stage is yours, the next goal is to deny enough room for another can cycle.
For kills, deep chases are less reliable than splitting recovery height and ledge timing with Bomb, Fair, and Charge Shot against an Up B that does not protect itself.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Samus OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -18 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -19 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -21 |
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| Rapid Jab | 5/7/9/… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 5 | -36 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -13 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -23 |
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| Forward Smash | 17/23/29 | -30 |
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| Up Smash | 12/20/28 | -22 |
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| Down Smash | 12/20/28 | -24 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -5/-7 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -5/-6/-6 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -9/-10 |
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| Up Air | 6/12/20 | -9/-8 |
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| Down Air | 14/20 | -12/-11 |
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| Neutral B | 1 / 16 / 1—2 | — | ||
| Side B | 17 | — | ||
| Up B | — | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not make breaking the can the goal by itself; walk forward during Wild Gunman setups and can resets so center stage stays yours.
- Use Missile and Bomb to pin down low jumps and landing routes, then force Duck Hunt to defend with only Back Air and can control.
- When Neutral Air, Forward Air, or Back Air hits your shield too shallowly, answer with Up B or Uair and punish the weak close-range defense.
- At the ledge, split recovery height and getup timing with Bomb, Fair, and Charge Shot so Duck Hunt’s hitbox-less Up B has to recover through layered pressure.
- Finish stocks through extended ledge pressure and the threat of Up Throw instead of swinging for an early smash attack.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not fire a full Charge Shot every time you see the can and hand Duck Hunt free time to rebuild the setup.
- Do not jump high over every layer of zoning, because Forward Air, Up Air, and the can return path will catch your landing.
- Do not chase too deep offstage right after winning neutral, or the can path and Gunman coverage can flip the recovery race back on you.
- Do not rush slow finishers like Forward Smash or Dair at point-blank range and give the turn back to dodge or can activation.