Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Meta Knight can use multiple jumps, Neutral Air, Forward Air, and Up Tilt to exploit Snake’s poor air mobility and large body, so any careless high jump gives Meta Knight a much easier route into vertical strings and edgeguards.
Even so, Meta Knight has no projectile and is light, and the table shows that once Snake blocks Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt (1), Forward Tilt (2), Forward Tilt (3), Up Tilt, Dash Attack, Up Smash, Down Smash, Neutral B, or Side B, he can swing the exchange hard with OOS Dair (6f), Grab (10f), OOS Bair (10f), and Up Smash (11f).
That makes the stable plan to stay grounded with Grenade and C4, narrow the lanes above Snake’s head, and refuse to mash after blocked Neutral Air, instead covering the landing with Down Tilt, Grab, or Up Tilt to carry Meta Knight to the ledge.
Kills do not need overextension because Meta Knight is light; Up Tilt, Up Smash, and ledge explosive confirms are enough. If Snake chases too deep with Nikita or Back Air, Meta Knight can flip the situation with multiple jumps and Up B and start edgeguarding Snake instead.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Snake OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Jab | 4/7/10… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 3 | -24 |
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|
| Forward Tilt (1) | 6 | -16 |
| |
| Forward Tilt (2) | 2 | -22 |
| |
| Forward Tilt (3) | 2 | -23 |
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| Up Tilt | 8 | -20/-19 |
| |
| Down Tilt | 3 | -9 |
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|
| Dash Attack | 7 | -18 |
| |
| Forward Smash | 24 | -6 |
| |
| Up Smash | 8/12/17 | -28 |
| |
| Down Smash | 4/9 | -26/-19 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 6 | -3/-4 |
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| Forward Air | 9/12/15 | -8/-8 |
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| Back Air | 7/13/20 | -9/-8 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -6 |
| |
| Down Air | 4 | -6 |
| |
| Neutral B | 12 | -81 |
| |
| Side B | 26/30/34/38/42/46/ 50/54/58/62/66/70 | -24 |
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| Up B (1) | 8/22 | ** | ||
| Up B (2) | 7/20 | ** | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Keep Grenade and C4 active on the ground so Meta Knight cannot dive from above with Neutral Air or multi-jump drift for free.
- After blocking Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt (1), Forward Tilt (2), Forward Tilt (3), Up Tilt, Dash Attack, Up Smash, Down Smash, Neutral B, or Side B, answer immediately with OOS Dair (6f), Grab (10f), OOS Bair (10f), or Up Smash (11f) so the light opponent does not win trades.
- After blocking Neutral Air, do not mash in place; cover the landing route or air dodge with Down Tilt, Grab, or Up Tilt and turn the reset into another juggle or ledge push.
- For kills, do not force extended air chases in center stage; carry Meta Knight to the corner and finish with Up Tilt, Up Smash, C4, or Nikita confirms.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping high with Fair or other aerials directly into Meta Knight’s Neutral Air, Forward Air, or Up Tilt space and handing over vertical strings and edgeguards.
- Throwing Up Smash or Grab in place every time after blocking Neutral Air and letting Meta Knight reuse the frame advantage from -3/-4 shield pressure.
- Giving up stage without placing explosives and allowing the faster character to choose any jump height or entry timing.
- Chasing too far offstage with Nikita or Back Air, getting crossed up by multiple jumps and Up B, and turning Snake’s own recovery into the vulnerable one.