Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Byleth controls the front with forward tilt, forward air, back air, side B, and neutral B, while up B and up air make direct jumps above them risky, so Zero Suit Samus loses badly if she keeps trying to burst in with early flip jump or high jumps.
However, Byleth’s mobility and close-range scramble speed are limited, and each weapon swing takes time to reset, so Zero Suit Samus can force whiffs with walk shield, dash back, Zair, and neutral air, then turn one opening into a long juggle sequence.
As the table shows, up B (6f) punishes forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, down air, grounded side B, and grounded up B, and neutral air plus up air can also be checked by up B or OOS uair/fair. Forward air and back air are usually only up B punishes, so overreaching after a blocked aerial just lets Byleth reset the tipper spacing.
The win condition is to avoid direct clashes at the weapon tip, pop Byleth up once, keep tracking landings with up air and back air, then finish at the ledge or on landing with up smash, back air, or up B. Holding ledge control is usually safer than chasing too deep into up B reversals.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Zero Suit Samus OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -15 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -17 |
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| Jab 3 | 5 | -22 |
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| Rapid Jab | 11 | ** | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 6 | -40 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8 | -15 |
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| Up Tilt | 9 | -15 |
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| Down Tilt | 13 | -14 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -26/-23 |
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| Forward Smash | 23 | -31/-27 || -32/-28 || -32/-28 |
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| Up Smash | 13 | -22 |
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| Down Smash | 19/29 | -40/-30 |
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| Neutral Air | 6… | -11/-11/-9 |
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| Forward Air | 12 | -7/-6 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -9/-8 |
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| Up Air | 10… | -12/-11 |
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| Down Air | 22 | -21 |
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| Neutral B | 45/114 | -8/-21 |
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| Side B | Ground: 20 || Air: 21 | Ground: -20/-34 || Air: -16/-35 |
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| Up B | 9(ground) || 10(air) | -35(ground) || **(air) |
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| Down B | 62 | ** | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not challenge Byleth’s weapon tip head-on. Use walk shield, dash back, Zair, and burst neutral air to make the first swing miss, then convert that opening into a juggle.
- Punish forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, down air, grounded side B, and grounded up B with up B (6f) first. Use OOS uair (9f) and OOS fair (9f) on neutral air and up air when spacing allows.
- Treat blocked forward air and back air as shallow punish spots where up B is the reliable answer. Do not force a slower punish and give Byleth room to reset spacing.
- Once Byleth is airborne, stay underneath without overjumping and keep covering landings with up air, back air, and up smash. Their close-range panic options are limited compared with their mid-range control.
- Close stocks with ledge back air, landing-trap up smash, or point-blank up B rather than hard-forcing flip kick reads in center stage. Respect up B reversals when edgeguarding.
Actions to Avoid
- Repeatedly jumping into forward tilt or forward air range and losing neutral to Byleth’s longer weapon before your move starts.
- Showing flip jump too often and giving Byleth easy anti-airs with up air, up B, or back air.
- Trying to force a bigger punish than up B after blocking forward air or back air, then getting pushed back out by the next weapon swing.
- Chasing too far offstage for a kill and letting Byleth’s up B route or stomp reversal flip the position and erase your ledge pressure.