Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Shulk is built to dictate pace with huge sword range and Monado switching, while Ice Climbers become terrifying only once both characters stay together at close range for grab starters, freezes, and stacked damage.
That makes sword-tip spacing the core of the matchup. Forward Tilt, Nair, Fair, and Uair should keep both climbers out at once, with Speed helping reposition and Buster helping create the first real split when one of them starts lagging behind.
When they do get close, the mistake is treating every blocked move as punishable. Their faster aerial pressure is mostly too safe for forced out-of-shield swings, so Shulk should reserve grab and Up B for the clearly heavy options like jabs, tilts, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B, Down B, and Dair, while using Shield Art to survive the truly dangerous scramble.
Once Nana is separated, the priority is not maximizing damage on Popo. The match becomes much easier if you keep the split going at ledge and on landing with Forward Tilt, Fair, and Uair until the duo state breaks completely.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Shulk OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -20(-15) |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -21(-12) |
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| Forward Tilt | 9 | -14(-10) |
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| Up Tilt | 8/11/14/17/20/23/27 | -16(-7) |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -16(-10) |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -24(-18) |
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| Forward Smash | 11 | -27(-22) |
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| Up Smash | 12 | -29(-24) |
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| Down Smash | 9/16 | -22/-17 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -4(+2) |
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| Forward Air | 19 | -5(+3) |
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| Back Air | 8 | -3(+0) |
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| Up Air | 7 | -10(-3) |
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| Down Air | 12 | -16(-12) |
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| Neutral B | 18/19 | -29(-24) |
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| Side B (1) | 10/14/18/23/28/34/40/51 | -21 |
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| Side B (2) | 10/13/15/18/21/24/28/32/37/42/49 | -24 |
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| Up B | 13 | — | ||
| Down B | 16/21/26/31/36/41/46/51/56 | -22(-15) |
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| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use normal spacing and Speed movement to keep both climbers at sword tip with Forward Tilt, Nair, Fair, and Uair instead of allowing point-blank starts.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, Neutral B, Side B (1)(2), Down B, and Dair, take the fast guaranteed stop with grab or Up B.
- Use Buster to damage both climbers together, Shield to deny grab or freeze-based blowups, and save Smash mainly for Nana kills or clear ledge kill windows.
- Once they separate, prioritize intercepting Nana’s landing and recovery with Forward Tilt, Fair, and Uair rather than tunnel-visioning only on Popo.
Actions to Avoid
- Dropping sword-tip spacing and agreeing to a direct close-range fight where both climbers get full grab and combo value.
- Forcing out-of-shield swings against safe Nair, Fair, Bair, or Uair and making the close-range scramble even worse.
- Staying in Buster or Smash through dangerous point-blank pressure instead of switching to Shield and surviving the sequence.
- Chasing only Popo while Nana quietly rejoins and erasing the split advantage you already created.