Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Villager vs Chrom gets dangerous whenever Villager loses the front-facing lane, because Chrom’s run speed and consistent sword hitboxes punish Villager’s low ground mobility and slow grab very hard. Once Chrom starts getting in with Nair, Fair, Up Tilt, or Up B, the matchup can quickly turn into a landing trap and ledge sequence.
Chrom’s recovery, however, is extremely narrow, and Villager can threaten both the ledge and the space below it with slingshot, Lloid Rocket, Tree, and Bowling Ball. That means one send-out to the corner can create far more value offstage than a long center-stage scrap ever will.
The table also shows Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, and Up B are all punishable by OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (9f), Grab (10f), or Up Smash (12f), while Down Tilt, Fair, and Uair are much less reliable instant punish spots. Villager should stop Chrom’s grounded entries on shield, then treat his aerials as landing traps instead of forced out-of-shield swings.
The win condition is not to box Chrom up close for long, but to scatter his run lane with forward and retreating slingshot, turn one guarded burst into ledge carry, and finish the stock by layering Bowling Ball, Fair/Bair, and Tree onto Soaring Slash’s rise line and ledge grab point.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Villager OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 5 | -10 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -22 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -5 |
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| Dash Attack | 13 | -21 |
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| Forward Smash | 13 | -28 |
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| Up Smash | 12/13/15/17/19/22 | -29 |
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| Down Smash | 6/21 | -47/-31 |
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| Neutral Air | 6/15 | -6/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -4 |
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| Back Air | 8 | -6 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 21-260 | -15—Shieldbreak |
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| Side B | 9 | -26/-16(air) |
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| Up B | 10/39/53/** | -29 |
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| Down B | 8 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not give up too much ground in front of Chrom. Use forward and retreating slingshot plus Lloid Rocket to break up his run lane instead of standing straight in front of sword range.
- After blocking Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Neutral B, Side B, or Up B, punish with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (9f), Grab (10f), or Up Smash (12f), and prioritize ledge carry even from center stage.
- After stopping Down Tilt, Fair, or Uair, do not force the immediate punish. Place slingshot, Uair, or Dair on the landing and forward drift route to take the next touch instead.
- Once Chrom is at the ledge, do not overchase. Cover Soaring Slash with Bowling Ball, Tree, and Fair/Bair while keeping the safe onstage trap intact.
- At kill percent, do not tunnel on raw Up Smash. Keep shaving away jump and neutral getup with Tree, slingshot, and Bowling Ball until Chrom is forced to recover through the same narrow path again.
Actions to Avoid
- Backing up too far in neutral and letting Chrom run freely into repeated Nair, Fair, and Up Tilt pressure.
- Swinging out of shield every time after Down Tilt, Fair, or Uair and getting whiff punished into another landing trap.
- Chasing too deep offstage into Chrom’s Bair or Up B hitbox and throwing away Villager’s safer ledge trap.
- Overcommitting to grab and Up Smash reads while leaving the run lane open that slingshot and setup tools should have been controlling.