Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup turns on whether King Dedede gets to pin Shulk in place with Gordo and back air, or whether Shulk uses sword range and Speed to push from outside those same lanes.
Dedede’s weight and raw power make ledge back air, up tilt, and smash attacks very dangerous, but his ground mobility and overall swing speed are still sluggish, so Shulk is better off tippering Forward Tilt, Forward Air, and Neutral Air while batting Gordo back during the same advance instead of respecting every setup from shield.
The table shows that jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Forward Air, Up Air, Down Air, Side B, Up B, and Down B all lose to Shulk’s Grab (10f) or Up B (10f), while Neutral Air and Back Air leave almost no direct punish, so those are the two spots where Shulk should simply move the scramble to the next landing or ledge guess.
For kills, it is more repeatable to keep Dedede at ledge and cover jump landings plus Super Dedede Jump fall points with Forward Tilt, Forward Air, Up Air, and Up B, then let Smash convert that one ledge sequence, than to chase his multiple jumps too deep offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Shulk OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 10 | -18 |
| |
| Jab 2 | 11 | -13 |
|
|
| Rapid Jab | 5/8/11… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 4 | -41 |
| |
| Forward Tilt | 12/16/20/23 | -21 |
|
|
| Up Tilt | 7 | -21/-23 |
|
|
| Down Tilt | 6 | -21 |
|
|
| Dash Attack | 26 | -26 |
| |
| Forward Smash | 40 | ?/-/-18/-25 |
| |
| Up Smash | 17 | -39 |
| |
| Down Smash | 14 | -31/-23 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 7 | -4/-6 |
| |
| Forward Air | 13 | -13 |
|
|
| Back Air | 17 | -7 |
|
|
| Up Air | 10/12/14/16/18/20/22/24 | -10 |
| |
| Down Air | 22 | -13/-14 |
|
|
| Neutral B | 14 | — | ||
| Side B | 29 | -21/-11/-17 |
| |
| Up B | 69 | -46 |
| |
| Down B (1) | 10(+17) | -39 to -24 |
| |
| Down B (2) | 10 | -26 |
| |
| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Rotate between base movement and Speed so Forward Tilt, Forward Air, and Neutral Air pressure Dedede from outside Gordo space while still sending the projectile back at him.
- After blocking jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Forward Air, Up Air, Down Air, Side B, Up B, or Down B, answer first with Grab (10f) or Up B (10f) and reclaim the turn immediately.
- After blocked Neutral Air or Back Air, do not force a punish; place Forward Tilt, Forward Air, or Up Air at the next landing point or ledge exit instead.
- At kill percent, mix in Shield to lower the chance of losing to back air, up tilt, or smash trades, and save Smash for ledge traps or guaranteed punish windows.
- Once Dedede is cornered, stay onstage and split his multiple-jump landings and Super Dedede Jump descent between Forward Air, Up Air, and Up B rather than chasing too deep.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not default to holding shield in front of Gordo and let hammer pressure plus back air push you back at the same time.
- Do not force shield punishes on every blocked Neutral Air or Back Air and give Dedede another chance to reset Gordo and ledge pressure when those punishes whiff.
- Do not stay in Smash or Buster for center-stage brawls and walk into Dedede’s heaviest single-hit answers.
- Do not chase his multiple jumps and Up B too far offstage when your long sword already covers the recovery better from ledge.