Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Mega Man can make a long-range exchange feel bad for Simon because pellets, Metal Blade, and fast anti-airs let him contest both the ground lane and the jump-over at once. If Simon keeps trying to win the matchup only by throwing Cross and Axe from far away, Mega Man gets too many clean chances to reset the wall and punish the obvious air route.
Simon does better by treating the projectiles as movement constraints rather than the full answer, then stepping in far enough that whip tipper, Holy Water, and Up B can matter once Mega Man is forced to stop or jump. The matchup improves as soon as Simon starts pushing the exchange toward ledge instead of trying to settle it in the center from maximum range.
The table shows Jab, every tilt, Neutral Air, Back Air, Neutral B, and every smash attack are all punishable on shield by Up B, Grab, OOS Nair, OOS Dair, or Up Smash, so Mega Man should not be allowed to recycle close-range pressure without risk. By contrast, fair mainly gives Simon Up B and dair is still advantageous, so immediate retaliation is not always the correct answer after every block.
Kills come most reliably when Simon keeps the ledge structure intact, covers jump with fair or bair, and uses grab or up smash to punish the grounded panic options. Chasing too far offstage usually throws away the strongest part of Simon’s advantage in this matchup.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Simon OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 7/19/31 | -25/-23/-20 |
| |
| Forward Tilt | 7/19/31 | -25/-23/-20 |
| |
| Up Tilt | 6 | -49/-31/-33 |
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| Down Tilt | 5 | -33 |
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| Dash Attack | 7/10/13/16/19/22/25/35 | -16 |
|
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| Forward Smash | 19 | -18 |
| |
| Up Smash | 8/11/15/19/23/27/31 | -32 |
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| Down Smash | 17 | -50 |
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| Neutral Air | 7/19/31 | -25/-23/-20 |
| |
| Forward Air | 9 | -7/-7/-8 |
|
|
| Back Air | 4/7/10 | -18/-17/-17 |
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| Up Air | 11… | — | ||
| Down Air | 23 | +1/+0 |
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| Neutral B | 16 | -17 |
| |
| Side B | 19 | ** | ||
| Up B | — | — | ||
| Down B | 9—** | ** | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not treat this as a pure projectile duel. Use Cross and Axe to shape Mega Man’s path, then move in far enough that whip tipper, Holy Water, and Up B can threaten the next choice.
- Push every clean touch toward ledge so Simon can play from movement restriction instead of from full-screen guessing.
- After blocking Jab, any tilt, Neutral Air, Back Air, Neutral B, or any smash attack, take the listed punish with Up B, Grab, OOS Nair, OOS Dair, or Up Smash.
- After blocking fair or dair, do not force the fake answer. Track the landing or drift-out and keep the next ledge push ready instead.
- Build kills around ledge jump, roll, and normal getup coverage, not around center-stage overextensions.
Actions to Avoid
- Sitting at long range forever and letting pellets plus anti-airs dictate the whole flow.
- Jumping too high over the projectile wall and feeding Mega Man the exact bair or up smash anti-air he wants.
- Swinging after blocked fair or dair when the frame data does not actually give Simon a stable punish.
- Overchasing offstage and giving up the ledge situation that Simon worked to create.