Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Sora’s floaty air time plus Neutral Air, Forward Air, Up Air, and magic let Sora keep Snake airborne for a long time, and if Snake drifts high while holding Grenade, Sora can pressure both the landing and the recovery in one sequence.
Sora is still slow on the ground and out of scrambles, and the table shows that Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt (2), Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Down Air, Neutral B (1), Neutral B (3), and Side B can be answered by Snake’s OOS Dair (6f), Grab (10f), OOS Bair (10f), and Up Smash (11f).
The winning plan is to use Grenade and C4 to pre-cover Sora’s diagonal approach and second landing, avoid swinging immediately after blocking Neutral Air, Back Air, or Up Air, and then anti-air the next landing with Down Tilt, Grab, Up Tilt, or Up Smash to push Sora to the ledge.
Snake does not need a deep offstage chase to finish stocks here; Up Tilt, Up Smash, ledge C4, and Nikita after forcing Sora low are enough, and overchasing offstage often lets Sora reverse position with the Up B into Side B route.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Snake OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -22 |
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| Jab 2 | 7 | -22 |
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| Jab 3 | 10 | -23 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 13 | -12 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 10 | -23 |
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| Up Tilt | 8/12/16/20/24/28/33 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -16 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 16 | -16 |
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| Up Smash | 11/16 | -26 |
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| Down Smash | 20 | -24 |
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| Neutral Air (1) | 8 | -6 |
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| Neutral Air (2) | 6 | -8 |
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| Neutral Air (3) | 8 | -8 |
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| Forward Air (1) | 10 | -9 |
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| Forward Air (2) | 6 | -10 |
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| Forward Air (3) | 8 | -11 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -6 |
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| Up Air | 10 | -5 |
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| Down Air | 15 | -21 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 16 | -14 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 30/44/58 | ** | ||
| Neutral B (3) | 15… | -17 |
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| Side B | 17/45/73 | -25/-39/-43 |
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| Up B | 9… | ** | ||
| Down B (1) | 7 | ** | ||
| Down B (2) | 25 | ** | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Keep Grenade and C4 near center stage or just inside the ledge so Sora has to land into them before you challenge the body.
- After blocking Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt (2), Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Down Air, Neutral B (1), Neutral B (3), or Side B, immediately choose the reachable answer from OOS Dair (6f), Grab (10f), OOS Bair (10f), and Up Smash (11f).
- After blocking Neutral Air (1), Neutral Air (2), Neutral Air (3), Back Air, or Up Air, do not force a whiffed Up Smash or Grab; wait for the second landing height with a small retreat or by holding ground.
- Once Sora is above you, do not jump first into the drift. Stay underneath and stack Up Tilt, Up Smash, C4, and Up Air mortar coverage from below until the landing is over.
- At the ledge, make Sora spend Up B and Side B before you fully commit, then trap with explosives and only bring out Nikita when the low recovery route is already fixed.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping forward into the lingering space of Neutral Air, Forward Air, or Up Air and giving Sora a free start on juggle or edgeguard sequences.
- Trying Up Smash or Grab every time you block Neutral Air (1), Neutral Air (2), Neutral Air (3), Back Air, or Up Air and handing Sora a whiff punish or another landing.
- Giving up stage with pure retreat and no Grenade or C4, letting Sora rebuild pressure with Firaga, Thundaga, and Forward Air at a comfortable pace.
- Chasing too far offstage with Snake’s body or overcommitting to Nikita control and letting Sora’s Up B into Side B route flip the ledge position.