Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets messy if Sonic keeps trying to hit Yoshi head-on through nair, bair, and double-jump armor, because the speed advantage disappears once Sonic starts brawling in Yoshi’s strongest air space.
The win condition is to use spin charge feints and retreating movement to make Yoshi jump first, then sit on the landing with Up Tilt, uair, and Up Smash instead of rushing the first hit.
The table shows that jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Down Air, Side B, Up B, and Down B can be punished on shield by Up B, uair, fair, nair, or grab. Nair and uair are mostly safe, and Fair only really loses to Up B, so those spots should be treated as landing traps rather than forced shield punishes.
For kills, do not chase too deep into armor and Egg Throw mixups. Trap jump from the ledge with Up Smash or uair, push Yoshi back out when he tries to return to center, and finish the stock through repeated stage control.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Sonic OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -10 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -11 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -16 |
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| Up Tilt | 8 | -16 |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -9/-9/-10 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -19 |
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| Forward Smash | 14 | -27 |
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| Up Smash | 11 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 7/22 | -33/-18 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -3/-4/-4 |
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| Forward Air | 16 | -6/-7 |
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| Back Air | 11/14/18 | -9/-8 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -3 |
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| Down Air | 16/18/20/22/24/26/28/30/32/34/36/38/41 | -14 |
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| Neutral B | 19 | — | ||
| Side B | 32 | -29 to -27 |
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| Up B | 16 | -30 |
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| Down B | 7/27, 19 | -32, -32 |
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| Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 16 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 17 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use spin charge feints and pullback movement to make Yoshi jump or swing first before you fully commit.
- When you block jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, the smash attacks, Down Air, Side B, Up B, or Down B, punish with the OOS routes from the table.
- After blocking nair or uair, do not mash. Follow the drift and cover the landing with Up Tilt, uair, or Up Smash.
- Respect double-jump armor and keep the lead by waiting for the landing or ledge option instead of forcing a direct challenge.
- At the ledge, cover jump with Up Smash or uair and use grab or Down Tilt to send Yoshi back offstage if he tries a grounded escape.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping straight into Yoshi’s nair or bair and letting his air-to-air strength erase your speed edge.
- Trying to brute-force through double-jump armor and losing to the delayed landing or Dair afterward.
- Swinging after every blocked nair, uair, or Fair even when the spacing does not let the punish reach.
- Chasing too deep offstage and letting Egg Throw plus the extra jump flip the positioning.
- Throwing spin directly into a waiting shield and nair wall without first making Yoshi commit.