B-Sticking as Link/Toon Link- Advantages, Disadvantages, Applications

[Drack]

What's "B-Sticking" you may ask? It's a tenttive name for setting your C-stick to do Specials instead of Smashes. This may seem useless and counterproductive, but there are a few applications. Some things are easier and some things are harder. Some very nitpicky things become possible and impossible to do exactly the same way as with a smash C stick.

Here's what's easier with the C stick:
-Instant Smashes

Here's what's only possible with the C stick:
-Aerials without DI in the direction of the aerial. Example, run forward, jump, bair while still moving as far forward as you can. With a B-stick, you would have to flick the left stick back, press A, then flick it forward again to do this atack, and you wouldn't move as far forward.


Here's what's easier with the B stick (These are EXTREMELY hard to pull off without it):
-Boomerang Bouncing (I'll cover this later)
-Arrow Bouncing

Here's what's only possible with the B stick:
-Reverse Aerial Rush without slowing down. Without a B stick you'd have to flick the stick back (slowing down), jump, then flick it forward again and press A or C-stick forward.



Link/Toon Link Applications of a B stick:
-Reverse Aerial Rush. This is a term for doing a Bair out of a dash. As mentioned above, you can RAR with a B-stick without slowing down at all, and the maneuver is much easier to pull off. This is all because when you push back on the B-stick from a dash, you automatically turn around and jump. Just dash forward, B-stick back, and press A. You hold forward on the left stick the whole time. Since a lot of Toon Link's game revolves around Bair comboing, getting one easily out of a dash without slowing down is a big plus. It seems reverse aerial rush doesn't benefit Link as much as Toon Link though.

-Boomerang Bouncing. This is a term I made up, if it's not an appropriate name for the technique, by all means call it something else. This applies to both Link and Toon Link. Basically, it's a way to bounce backwards in midair while throwing your boomerang forward. This is very hard to pull off without a B-stick but quite trivial with one. Simply hold forward with the left stick and tap back with the B stick. You then start moving backwards and can then direct the boomerang with the left stick.

Try short hopping at your opponent and boomerang bouncing a downward boomerang at them. They'll prepare for an aerial and will assume you'll land nearby, but instead you land a safe distance away and they have a boomerang to deal with.

-You can also do the same maneuver with the bow instead of the boomerang. However, this is hard to pull off because B-sticking a neutral B is tricky. It's the same maneuver but instead of pushing back on the B-stick, push it diagonally back and up or down, and only nudge it halfway to the edge. This tells the game to do a neutral B - an uncharged arrow - and you'll get the same bounce back effect as a boomerang bounce.



Without the B-stick, you can Boomerang Bounce by Side-Bing backwards and IMMEDIATELY pushing the left stick forward before the animation starts. To Arrow Bounce, while jumping forwards, push back, then press B with the left stick in the neutral position and then immediately mash it forwards. I would like to stress how difficult this is to pull off without a B-stick.

[WuTangDude]

Man, RARing sounds so useful, especially with Toon Link's bair...

But I dunno if I wanna scarifce my instant smashes. :confused:

[Lessthan_tom]

That's some nice analysis. I say give this man a sig.

[Sudai]

A-RARing is nice, but after playing with both B and C stick for 2-3 days, I prefer the C-Stick. I just find retreating aerials too good. Besides, after playing BAir intensive characters in Melee a lot, it's not too hard to find myself in a situation to BAir someone on an approach. Tossing a bomb backwards works well for me. Sure I don't get the double BAir, but I can still do Landing BAir > UTilt > BAir > Follow from there, but I'm willing to give up approaching double BAirs for defensive BAirs. Just my preference. I honestly thing that for the average Tink player, though, A-RARing would be more useful. So in the long run, it's a rather good idea if you don't already have something else ingrained into you that works well for your play style.

[Super_Nostalgic]

I've been trying this control scheme all day, it's workin pretty great:

B-stick - for auto-RAR's
L = jump for easier SHDA
Z = Specials, dunno why. had to put something there
Y = Grab, I had Z set to Attack for a bit and set Y to grab, it stuck
everything else is default

The only problem with this is that you need a bit of a startup dash so that you wont just do your side-b. on a created stage, about 2 blocks is the minimum distance needed for the auto-rar

[Kilikan]

Old info is old :/ (check the other character threads)

Pretty good analysis though, I dont think b-sticking is very useful though, it can all be done manually and quickly, and usually it doesnt matter cuz you're ranged anyway.

[Cooper736]

I've been trying this today against Lv. 9 computers, and have a question: how should I be timing these RARs? I usually tap the B-stick about three steps away from the CPU, but can never get my Bairs off in time. But if I start the attack any earlier, I'm afraid I'll land short. Suggestions?

[Sudai]

Just keep trying to do it further and further away. Eventually you'll find the limit to your reach. Learn that spot. Love that spot. Love that spot some more. That's the only advice anyone can give, cooper.

[Super_Nostalgic]

A RAR needs some start up running, in a created stage, I found this distance to be about 2 blocks. otherwise, you either can't do it, or if your B-sticking, you'll just do your side B. As long as your holding a direction on the ground, you wont change the direction you do your side-b.

Something I've found: It's much easier to aim your boomerang with b-sticking. you dont have to think nearly as much. You just hold the direction you want to throw it and hit the C-stick to the side. Also, pulling bombs is less of a hassle in the air. You don't fast fall when you want to and it's just, I dunno, easier.

Also, I've set my L-trigger to jump sence I found I don't use it much anyway. This makes it much easier to SHDA than using X or Y to jump b/c it frees up my thumb to stay on the B button.

[Coselm]

The RAR seems useful but the arrow and boom bouncing i can do without it.

[earla]

"To Arrow Bounce, while jumping forwards, push back, then press B with the left stick in the neutral position and then immediately mash it forwards. I would like to stress how difficult this is to pull off without a B-stick."

jump forwards, push what back? push c stick or main movement stick back?

[Sasuke the Sheik Main]

Why would you bump this?
Why?