Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets rough when Samus stands still charging full Charge Shot and gives Peach all the time she wants to pull Turnips and build low-float pressure. Samus is large and slow to land, so once Peach gets a float aerial or grab starter, the damage swing can snowball hard through juggle pressure and ledge carry.
Peach is not completely safe when she actually touches shield, though. The frame table shows Jab 1, Jab 2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, and Side B (1)(2) are all real punish windows, while fair, bair, uair, and dair can also be cut off with Up B (4f). Instead of over-retreating every time float appears, Samus does better by stopping only the guaranteed spots with Up B and immediately reclaiming center.
The win condition is not to keep advertising full charge, but to use shorter Charge Shot levels, missiles, and bombs to limit Peach’s float height and sideways drift, then place fair, uair, or grab where she had to stop. Neutral air is the one aerial that does not give Samus a stable shield punish, so do not mash after every block. Seal the drift-back landing and re-float route with bomb and uair first.
The cleaner kills come from relaunches and ledgetraps rather than forcing a center-stage guess. Peach’s horizontal recovery is long, but her vertical rise is much less forgiving, so Samus should leave bomb under the ledge, cover Parasol ascent and high landings with fair, uair, or Charge Shot, and finish the stock onstage instead of chasing too deep.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Samus OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -22 |
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| Jab 2 | 2 | -23 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -22/-21 |
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| Up Tilt | 9 | -20/-18 |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -8 |
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| Dash Attack | 6/17 | -14 |
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| Forward Smash | 15 | -20/-21/-18 |
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| Up Smash | 14 | -20/-19 |
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| Down Smash | 6/10/14/18/22/26/30 | -21 |
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| Neutral Air | 5 | -2/-4 |
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| Forward Air | 16 | -8/-8 |
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| Back Air | 6 | -6/-8 |
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| Up Air | 10/15 | -4/-4 |
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| Down Air | 12/18/24/30 | -6/-5 |
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| Neutral B | 9 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Side B (1) | 13 | -13 |
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| Side B (2) | 13 | -13 |
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| Up B | 7/11/16/21/26/31 | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not lean on passive full Charge Shot holding. Use shorter Charge Shot levels, missiles, and bombs to displace Peach’s low-float and Turnip setup points first.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, any smash attack, or Side B (1)(2), punish immediately with Up B (4f), then use uair (8f), fair (9f), or grab (10f) when spacing allows.
- If fair, bair, uair, or dair touches close enough, cut it off with Up B. After blocked nair, do not force a panic punish; keep bomb and uair ready to cover the drift-back landing and re-float path instead.
- Once Peach is above you, do not chase directly under her forever. Narrow the landing with uair and bomb, then carry her to ledge and refuse to let center stage reset.
- At kill percent, rotate bomb under ledge, fair or uair into Parasol ascent, and Charge Shot on high landings. Prioritize ledgetrap time over deep chases.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not keep holding full Charge Shot in place and let Peach freely cycle both Turnip pull and low float.
- Do not try to punish every blocked nair and hand Peach another float aerial or grab starter when the swing whiffs.
- Do not throw high-hitbox fair or nair carelessly into Peach’s low float height and let her slip underneath into a juggle.
- Do not rush the kill by chasing too far offstage and giving up the onstage trap that is supposed to beat Parasol, Turnip, and bair reversals more reliably.