Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets worse for Samus when she only stands still and grows max Charge Shot, because that lines up too cleanly with Pichu’s jump-plus-Neutral-B entry, low profile, and grab starters. Pichu is the lightest character and carries self-damage, but the moment he gets in, the combo damage and landing trap pressure are still severe, so the key is deciding the angle before he ever reaches you.
Samus does better by using small or mid Charge Shot, Homing Missile, and Bomb to interrupt both Thunder Jolt creation and Pichu’s body at the same time, then forcing the jump or evasive option before holding center with fair, uair, or retreating grab. If Samus starts swinging higher hitboxes carelessly, the height difference gives Pichu too many whiff punishes for free, so grounded denial and anti-air coverage need to stay separated.
The frame table shows Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Nair, Fair, Bair, Uair, Dair, Neutral B, and Down B are all answerable mainly through Up B (4f). By contrast, Side B has a very wide shield-advantage spread, so forcing the same immediate punish every time only helps Pichu restart the scramble.
Stocks are more repeatable when Samus pushes Pichu to ledge and layers Bomb, fair, uair, and Charge Shot onto the getup routes instead of overchasing offstage. Because Pichu enters kill percent so early through both light weight and recoil, one stopped grab starter often turns directly into a ledge sequence that closes the stock.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Samus OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 2 | -11 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -11 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -10 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -4 |
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| Dash Attack | 6 | -20 |
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| Forward Smash | 16/19/22/25/28/31 | -16 |
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| Up Smash | 9 | -21 |
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| Down Smash | 8/11/15/19/23 | -21 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -4/-4 |
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| Forward Air | 10/14/18/22 | -10/-10 |
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| Back Air | 5/11/15/19/26/30 | -16/-16 |
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| Up Air | 4 | -8 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -16 |
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| Neutral B | 18 | -29/-30 |
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| Side B | 17 | -20 to +3 |
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| Up B | ** | — | ||
| Down B | 9 | -27 |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 9 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not overcommit to max Charge Shot camping. Use small or mid Charge Shot, Homing Missile, and Bomb to interrupt both Thunder Jolt creation and Pichu’s approach angle together.
- After blocking Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Nair, Fair, Bair, Uair, Dair, Neutral B, or Down B, take the punish you are given with Up B (4f) first and do not let close-range pressure drag on.
- After blocking Side B, do not mash every time. Cover the landing, pullback, or next Thunder Jolt setup with Charge Shot, fair, or uair and take the second touch instead.
- Do not throw high hitboxes blindly into the low profile. Stop the ground path with projectiles first, then catch the jump with fair, uair, or retreating grab to keep center stage.
- Build kills around ledge pressure, using Bomb to slow the getup timing and then layering fair, uair, or Charge Shot. Once you stop one grab starter, convert the light weight and recoil into a full ledge sequence.
Actions to Avoid
- Growing only max Charge Shot in place and giving Pichu free access to both jump-plus-Neutral-B entry and raw grab.
- Forcing the same immediate shield punish after every Side B and turning a non-guaranteed spot into a fresh scramble for Pichu.
- Swinging rising fair or nair too high against the low profile and handing Pichu a whiff punish into jab, grab, or up tilt pressure.
- Overchasing offstage after one opening and giving away a ledgetrap that should have taken the stock more reliably.