Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup gets dangerous if Yoshi keeps running into Shadow Ball, Fair, Bair, and grab from the front, but Mewtwo’s large hurtbox and low weight also mean that once Yoshi gets the first clean anti-air, the landing and ledge cycle can repeat for a long time.
Yoshi should not chase mostly on the ground. It is more stable to bend the Shadow Ball line with Egg Throw and retreating jumps, win the same-height air space first with Nair, Fair, or Bair, and then carry the opening into Uair pressure and landing traps.
The table shows real shield punishes on Rapid Jab Finisher, Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down B, Neutral Air, and Down Air with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (8f), or Grab (10f), while Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, and Neutral B are mostly not immediate punishes, so it is better to pre-cover the teleport landing or drift-out route instead of forcing every answer.
For kills, it is more repeatable to turn one armored intercept into Uair, ledge Bair, and Egg Throw coverage on the high recovery than to overcommit to a single hard read in center.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Yoshi OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Jab | 5/8/11… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 6 | -30 |
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| Jab | 5 | -12 |
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| Forward Tilt | 10 | -15/-15/-16 |
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| Up Tilt | 8 | -14/-15/-15 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -11/-12/-12 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -14 |
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| Forward Smash | 19 | -20/-18 |
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| Up Smash | 9/14/18/22 | -39 |
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| Down Smash | 21 | -8 |
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| Neutral Air | 7/11/15/19/23/27 | -8/-7 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -3 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -5/-6/-6 |
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| Up Air | 10 | -3/-4/-4 |
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| Down Air | 15 | -6 |
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| Neutral B | 9(+12) | -16 to -2 |
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| Side B | 10 (21/23/25/27/29/31/33/39) | — | ||
| Up B | ** | — | ||
| Down B | 16 | -30 |
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| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use Egg Throw and retreating jumps to shift Shadow Ball off line, then make Mewtwo swing Fair, Bair, or grab first before taking the same-height air exchange.
- After blocking Rapid Jab Finisher, Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down B, Neutral Air, or Down Air, answer immediately with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (8f), or Grab (10f) and convert into another juggle.
- Do not mash directly after blocked Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, or Neutral B; place Uair, Bair, or Up Smash at the teleport landing spot or drift route and win on the second touch.
- Spend double-jump armor on a specific counterhit, not automatically, so it still exists when Mewtwo tries to reset the landing trap or force an offstage guess.
- At kill percent, keep the edgeguard disciplined and close stocks with Egg Throw, Bair, and Uair on the high recovery and ledge escape routes.
Actions to Avoid
- Do not fly straight into the front of Shadow Ball and Fair and let Mewtwo combine whiff punishes with grab starters.
- Do not try to punish every blocked Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, or Neutral B and give Mewtwo another escape through Teleport or retreat movement.
- Do not burn double-jump armor early without a purpose and lower your own freedom in landing and recovery.
- Do not chase too deep offstage for the stock and let Bair, Uair, or Teleport reverse the position into a bad landing for Yoshi.