Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Donkey Kong gets huge reward from his weight, walk pressure, back air, and grab starters, so the more often Wolf accepts repeated close-range scrambles, the more his lighter weight and narrow recovery become a problem. In particular, if Wolf gets pinned near the ledge and lets back air or grab connect, cargo carry can flip stage position and turn directly into an offstage sequence that targets Wolf’s weak Up B and limited lateral drift.
At the same time, Donkey Kong’s large body makes him easy to pin down with Blaster, and his landing plus vertical recovery are not stable. The frame table also shows that Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, all smashes, Forward Air, Up Air, Neutral B, Side B, Up B, and Down B are all spots where Wolf can take back control with Grab (10f), OOS Fair (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Uair (10f), and Up Smash (13f), so Wolf does not need to force raw brawls to win neutral.
The win condition is to stop Donkey Kong’s forward movement with low Blaster, force the jump first, then keep him from reaching the ground cleanly with fair, nair, up tilt, and up air on the landing. Donkey Kong’s back air, neutral air, and down air can stay too safe for immediate retaliation on shield, so it is more stable to avoid forcing a blocked punish, dash back, and take the second hit on the landing or retreat path instead.
For kills, Wolf should favor ledge back air and down smash, up air or Up Smash on jump-outs, and coverage on the landing point of Up B rather than chasing too deep offstage. Donkey Kong’s vertical recovery is weak, so Wolf gains more by holding stage and raising the odds of a ledge trap than by exposing his own recovery weakness.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Wolf OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -19/-18 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -24 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -13 |
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| Forward Smash | 22 | -17/-18 |
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| Up Smash | 14 | -22 |
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| Down Smash | 11 | -32 |
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| Neutral Air | 10 | -5/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 18 | -12/-11/-12 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -6/-7 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -10 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -8/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 19(+7) | -33 to -19 |
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| Side B | 20 | -32 |
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| Up B | 19/25/32/40/49/55/62 | -37 |
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| Down B | 12/23 | -15 |
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| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use low Blaster to interrupt Donkey Kong’s walk and dash, then start the landing trap with fair, nair, up tilt, and up air once he jumps first.
- When Jab 1, Jab 2, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, all smashes, Forward Air, Up Air, Neutral B, Side B, Up B, or Down B hits shield, punish with Grab (10f), OOS Fair (10f), OOS Nair (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or Up Smash (13f) so the close-range scramble does not drag on.
- After blocking back air, neutral air, or down air, do not swing at ranges your punish cannot reach; dash back, then catch the landing spot or retreat path for the second opening.
- At kill percent, stay out of deep offstage chases and finish on stage with ledge back air, down smash, up air or Up Smash on jump-outs, and coverage on the landing point of Up B.
Actions to Avoid
- Taking repeated head-on scraps at the exact range where Donkey Kong’s back air and grab reach, then getting carried from one winning hit into a ledge or offstage sequence.
- Stopping after Blaster connects and letting Donkey Kong land for free, which allows him to rebuild the same back-air and walk pressure again.
- Autopiloting an immediate punish after blocking back air, neutral air, or down air and whiffing into Donkey Kong’s down tilt or grab punish.
- Chasing too deep offstage for the kill and exposing Wolf’s Up B and Side B to meteor hits or direct edgeguards.