Link: Guide and Discussion Thread

Link: An Analysis

Using Wenbo's guide as a basic template, I've done an analysis on Link and his place in higher-level SSB64. This is my first time doing this sort of analysis, any input, corrections, add-ons will be very appreciated. I assume everyone has a basic knowledge of other characters’ moves, jargon, basic mindgames, etc. Link’s moves have more nuances than Fox’s, so the analysis will be a fair bit longer.

I'm probably still pretty nooby compared to most, but I can beat fairly good players with Link in matches that lean the other way. I live in Australia, so you won't ever see me on EGX or Galaxy64 or wherever, but I can host P2P if you want to play me. I've recently started diversifying again, playing more Yoshi/Falcon, but I still keep a decent Link handy.

People should remember that the only reason this guide popped up was because someone complained about the lack of character guides over in the social thread. As such, this isn't aiming to inform pros, merely those who wish to rise to a higher level of the game.

PS: Sorry for the plainness. I'm not that good with pictures, etc.

I: An Overview
II: Style of Play
III: Moveset Analysis
IV: Edge Tactics
V: Specific Techniques
- Hints and Tips
VI: Matchups
VII: Vids (yay)

If you don't know what teching, Z-cancelling or edgehogging are (all three of them) then haul yourself over to the AT thread, because (outdated as it is) it still teaches you the basics. This guide assumes those basics are mastered.

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I: An Overview
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Link is the hero of the Legend of Zelda series, which any Nintendo fan should know about. The SSB64 Link model in question is taken from Ocarina of Time, with elements from other LoZ games put in.

Link is a very difficult character to play well. He has very versatile aerials, excellent projectiles, workable smashes, a decent juggle game and nice aerial finishers. However, he is hindered by one main flaw: his recovery. It is arguably the worst recovery in the entire Super Smash Brothers series, covering less distance than most second jumps.

The fact that edgehogs grant invincibility frames makes the decent attack aspect a secondary consideration. Link is also a moderate fast faller, and is fairly heavy. Several of his moves are slow-ish, and he has the slowest initial jumping animation in the game. This makes him fairly easy to combo. This vulnerability to combos linked with his poor recovery mean that once he is off the edge, it may as well be a loss of stock against a competent edgeguarder.

In summary:

+ Good aerial game, especially finishers
+ Excellent ranged game
+ Good juggle ability
+ Decent smashes, tilts
+/- Slow, ranged grab
- Very bad recovery
- Susceptible to combos
- Slow-ish moves and movement in general
- Fairly poor matchups due to above three reasons

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II: Style of Play
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Link can be played in a few ways, but due to his poor survivability, he should always try to have a defensive style ready. His projectiles and disjointed attacks support this playstyle quite well. He is arguably the best baiter in game – the Boomerang has exceptional presence, while the Bomb has the most versatile trajectories. Most of his smashes and tilts are disjointed and are easy to time, allowing easy punishment from baiting. Unless you are facing a Fox, Mario or another Link, baiting is an easy fallback for any player. Even then, you can still bait less skilled players using those characters.

A harder (but more rewarding) playstyle generally involves aggressive approaches, followed by use of a juggling skill to keep the rhythm going. Aerials take pride of place here, as his aerials all have very good power and hitboxes. The risk you run here is being countered and taken out.

You have to learn a balance between the two styles to really unleash Link’s potential. For instance, you shouldn’t really charge at a foe who is facing you whilst near the ledge. The chance of being grabbed and thrown off is the obvious threat, plus there are many character-specific tactics that can be used against you in that situation.

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III: Moveset analysis
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I assume everyone knows what the moves look like.

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Neut-B Boomerang
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Don't have the trajectories yet...bear with me...

One of the most important aspects of playing Link is proper use of the Boomerang.
The boomerang is the size of a moderate Charge Shot from Samus. On the forward throw, it deals 9% when fresh and 8% when stale.
On the return, it has 8% damage when fresh and 6% when stale.
It has weak upwards knockback no matter when the enemy is hit.

• It has several trajectories to take note of:
  
  [*]Weak forward - slower throw, provides good presence in edgeguarding
  [*]Strong forward - standard throw, used due to ease of aiming
  [*]Weak up-diagonal - slow throw, stops jumps onto higher platforms
  [*]Strong up-diagonal - situational, only if nothing else will reach
  [*]Weak down-diagonal - deters short hops if bounced off ground, stops low recoveries, reaches into **** tent, lower platforms
  [*]Strong down-diagonal - Used when descending, arbitrary use​

• The boomerang can tack on extra damage from afar, and it can force approaches.
• Foes have an odd fear of the boomerang. While the damage is only moderate and the hitstun low, it forces a grounded foe to hit the ground, and an airborne foe into a tumbling state.
• The presence a weakly thrown boomerang gives is quite interesting, as it spins in one area for a short while.
• In edgeguarding, the boomerang is potent. Against some foes, the attack itself is sometimes enough to completely prevent recovery.
• This is more likely in the cases of Falcon, Link, Ness and Samus. In others, it makes them go backwards and down a little. Being hit will make most players panic slightly, and they will immediately revert to the standard recovery. This aids edgeguards tremendously.​

• In comboing, it is basically a ranged attack that induces weak hitstun, allowing Link to immediately close in and attack or continue a juggle.
• For this reason, the boomerang is more combo-friendly in small, confined spaces than larger, open ones, where dodging is very easy.
• The return of the boomerang can take enemies by surprise, allowing one with good reflexes to immediately U-Tilt/U-Smash.

• When Link throws the boomerang, he loses the ability to re-throw it as long as it is still flying.
• Attempting to re-throw it results in the animation without the projectile.
  [*]When it returns to him, a ‘catching’ animation will ensue. This overrides a number of animations, most importantly falling, walking and standing.
  [*]If you throw it off-screen and proceed to dash a short distance in the other direction, the boomerang will not return.
  [*]You will notice the camera pans towards the side it was thrown. When the camera returns to centre the characters (it is noticeable), you will have your Boomerang back.
  [*]This also applies to when you dodge a returning boomerang. In this case the pan is less noticeable, as you will have it back almost immediately.​

• There are a number of glitches that involve throwing the boomerang into walls. This gives them enormous, non-standard trajectories.

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Up-B Spin Attack
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On the ground
Not the full hitbox is shown...sorry...


Imagine the yellow part going all the way around him

• Link’s primary recovery.
• It also serves as a mid-range smash, an aerial smash and a repulsion from shielding.
• It can deal 21% damage on the ground from point-blank when fresh. This is dealt in a major hit of 16% and a weak hit of 5%.
• This is reduced to 16% when stale, in 12% and 4% increments.
• This extra damage is undesirable. It allows foes to punish Link, as it cancels the greater knockback with weak, flinching (as opposed to smashing) knockback. On the ground, you should aim to hit with the outer half of the orange spin.​
• It serves as a powerful aerial finisher too. Again, the outer part of the spin is desirable, as the inner part only deals weak knockback. This is less punishable, but it means a KO opportunity was missed.

• As a recovery, it is very, very mediocre. Timing it is everything.
• The first priority is returning to the edge, the second is hurting an enemy.
• If a foe jumps out to meet you, the chances of you safely recovering drop drastically, and you may as well use the move when you think you’ll be able to deal some damage.
• You may even rebound them and get a surprise KO. However, getting back is usually a matter of sweetspotting.​
• Learn the maximum distance Link can be below the edge before he cannot recover – this will allow you to stall past attacks with short hitboxes, like most D-Tilts and D-Smashes.

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Down-B Bomb
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Magic scabbard, give me a bomb!


Presto.

• The Bomb is Link’s secondary projectile, both superior and inferior to the Boomerang.
• For one, this projectile has a greater degree of mindgaming embedded in it, and it can be thrown both straight up and straight down.
• The drawback is in the fact that it is a handheld item, and must be pulled out before it can be used.
• It cannot be used easily for comboing, though there are methods.

• The bomb has two damage blocks: impact and explosion.
• The impact deals 11% when fresh and 6% when stale, while the explosion deals a fixed 5%.

• The bomb, as a handheld item, can be thrown a number of ways:

• Like the boomerang, the bomb can be used to damage from afar and force approaches.
• It can be used to edgeguard at medium percents, especially as you can have several of them. Putting a bomb on the edge (weak throw 2) and spamming them at a recovering foe can force panic and annoy.
• Jumping slightly off the edge and throwing a bomb downwards can foil low edgeguards (eg. Ness, Falcon).
• Being hit in mid-air changes the direction you face. This stops Samus and other Links recovering efficiently.
• In all honesty, you shouldn't use projectiles to edgeguard enemies close to the edge. You're just giving them another Up-B.

• The only way to use the bomb for comboing is to hit an enemy within sword range but far away enough so you won’t be hit by the explosion. The key scenario is an enemy a short distance above you.
• If held long enough, the bomb will blow up in your hand. You take only explosion damage (5%). If it explodes while you are shielding, nearby foes will be hit, but you won’t.
• Pulling out the bomb is a standard-length animation. If you are baiting, you can do it on the spot. You can do it in midair if you are approaching or running backwards.
• Having a bomb at all times isn’t recommended, as it overrides most of your aerials and ground attacks.
• Weak forward 2 will also not explode if it hits an enemy. This guarantees a throw if you use one directly after tossing the bomb.
  
  [*]Alternatively, you can let them fall and predict their roll/tech to get some hits in.​

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Neut-A
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Hit number one


Hit number two


Hit number three

• First hit is basic poking move, used for speed purposes. Allows interception of shield-grabs if used with good timing.
• Because foes aren’t computers, this move can potentially set up for other fast hits eg. U-Tilt, D-Smash.
• In perfect TAS-like scenario, this move has little use aside from the aforementioned pokes and cancelling certain projectiles (fireballs, etc).
• Second hit can be used for similar purposes.
• Third hit has too much lag, and is easily punished. However, s2j notes it can force the enemy to fall when they are at high percentages, prediction will then likely lead to a KO.
• Infinite swordstorm move is useless unless against a wall, even then it can be DI’ed out and you can be punished during ending lag.

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F-Tilt
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• Often compared to F-Smash. Newbies will disregard this as inferior to said move, but it also has some advantages.
• It has a consistent KB hitbox, unlike F-Smash, which can deal lower KB if only the very edge hits.
• It is marginally faster overall (needs checking).
• It can be used in lieu of F-Smash/D-Smash for a finisher.

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U-Tilt
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• Likely the most important ground move in Link’s arsenal.
• It sets the bar for best U-Tilt hitbox, with disjointedness, speed and excellent range.
• It starts off in front of Link and moves behind, and will provide low-moderate upwards KB starting from the point of impact. It can be repeated at low-moderate damage levels, and combos easily into any aerial.
• Use of DI dampens the effectiveness, but one should get at least 2 uses of the move.
  
  [*]If you hit a shielding enemy who is in front of you, you can be grabbed easily.
  [*]Hitting an enemy behind you isn’t quite as easy to punish. Boomerang KB can set this move up very well.​

• At moderate-high damage levels, it leads right into Up-B or F-Air for a kill or power hit.
• It can be used right after cancelling during an aerial, specifically U-Air and B-Air (and sometimes N-Air).
• It loses its worth at high damage levels, as it is too strong to combo from and too weak to KO.
• Should have priority of use in many situations.

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D-Tilt
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• Overlooked for a reason. The move is decidedly inferior to D-Smash for all purposes, as it is harder to time and has a less useful trajectory.
• The range is the same as D-Smash’s initial slash (perhaps a few pixels short, but that may be a façade of the animation.
• The overall duration is similar to D-Smash’s, but D-Smash gets in an entire extra hit.
• It hits at roughly a vertical angle. It can be punished quite easily from a shield.
• If for some reason you dislike D-Smash, D-Tilt > Up-B/F-Air can work as an edgeguard.

s2j has noted that this works as a combo continuation at mid-percentages. I still stand by my point that this has few real uses.

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Dash Attack
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• A fairly solid dash attack with some lag on the end. However, this lag is only punishable from behind, as Link keeps the sword extended until the end of the animation. For this reason it is very desirable when techchasing.
• It also works as a move with an extended hitbox when U-Smash or Up-B aren't appropriate.
• It comes out fast and has a good hitbox, and works well with his projectiles.
• One notable point is its power, which is easily enough to start an edgeguard or knock an enemy across the map.

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F-Smash
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• A move abused by Link noobs. Abused moves are abused for a reason, and this one has obvious reasons. Powerful, possessed of large range and fairly quick are the three pros that spring to mind.
• The sword starts off behind Link and is slashed downwards, sort of like a jump-slash in OoT.
• Hitting an enemy at close range is the most effective.
• Hitting them with the edge of the blade creates a weak knockback effect that is easily teched.
• If the enemy is RIGHT behind you, it works like Yoshi’s U-Smash, but with a higher trajectory.
• It can also be used to tack on significant damage (it deals 20% when fresh) against a foe from U-Tilt.
• Very good when you pivot-smash, as it covers the entire area you were in before.
• Usable to edgeguard, as even the weak hit should stop most foes. The aforementioned pivot-smash is also a good edgeguard against reckless foes, but that applies to pretty much every pivot F-Smash.

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U-Smash
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All three hits have this sort of hitbox, hit number one also has a slight hitbox in front

• The first hit hits in front and ‘sucks’ enemies up above you.
• The second hit has the greatest upwards range, but is very weak in terms of damage/KB.
• The third hit is the only one with significant damage/KB.
• This move is very easy to counter with a shield-grab, and using it when below a standard platform (Dreamland, Hyrule) will result only in the second hit connecting. You can be punished from this.
• This move can work with Boomerangs and Bombs.
• You can link around three together on a non-floaty from 0%, but it is very easily DI'ed.
• If the foe knows how to DI, it’s much, much less effective, but the third hit does catch them sometimes.
• The hitbox is very small, and it is very punishable if you miss, so be sure that you can connect.
  
  [*]A notable method is ‘ground-cancelled F-Air > running U-Smash’. This can get an easy 30-40% or so from 0% on enemies.
  [*]The same goes for SH Boomerang > U-Smash, which is an interesting and fairly safe attempt at approaching.​
• If you catch a foe with this at moderate damage, chances are you should be able to hit with Up-B for a power hit.
  
• Be very careful when using this. Though I've made it sound like a decent move, the truth is that it is very risky. If you tag a foe and miss the third hit, hit a shield with this or just plain miss, chances are you will be grabbed/smashed/punished/whatever. Again, be careful with this.

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D-Smash
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Hit number one


Hit number two

• A very good edgeguard move.
• Players who roll a lot are punished by this.
• The hitbox is actually very large, so hitting with it is easy enough, and the duration is quite short, making it quite usable. It can still be punished, especially if the enemy ends up in front of you after the first hit misses.
• Hitting with the edge of the sword gives a flat trajectory, which is death to other Links and sometimes Falcons.
  
  [*]Oddly enough, this seems like the imperfect hitbox when compared to the other trajectory – hitting with the hilt area of the sword gives a powerful upwards hit, sort of like Fox’s D-Tilt. It appears to have better KB than the sideways hit, but the direction isn’t as valuable.​

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N-Air
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• One of Link’s weaker aerials. It’s also a sexkick. This makes it very valuable in certain situations. Being in the box is one of them.
• If you’re good with fastfall continuation, you can generally get an Up-B out of this. Cancelling this into the ground also lets you run and get an Up-B at moderate percentages. Actually, this moves works well with Up-B.
• The sexkick thing works in the box, where touching Link during a rebound can start another rebound. Quick double-jump N-Air onto the higher platform can lead into an easy F-Smash KO at higher damage levels.
• Fastfalling with this to a lower platform can work well, due to large, constant hitbox.
• In addition, when you are being comboed and think you can break out, this is a good move to choose. It has a larger hitbox than D-Air or U-Air, the other two choices, and is just plain easier to throw out (by mashing A).

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F-Air
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Hit number one (strong)


Hit number two (weak)


Hit number three (weak)


Hit number four? (weak)

• Link’s flashiest aerial, also one of the harder to use properly. It has three hitboxes, strong forward, weak back and weak forward/body.
• Obviously, the first is most important. It works well with timing and short hops, letting you get the power hit without having to wait for the other hits.
• One of your choices in aerial KOs (Link has a lot of these).
• U-Tilt, U-Smash (and to a lesser extent D-Tilt) will all lead into this nicely. Boomerangs can also complement this.
• Dropping from a standard platform (Dreamland, Hyrule) and immediately using this gets you the first hit right before you hit the ground.
• Ledgehopping with this is very lucrative – even if a foe expects it and counters, chances are any attack will just be cancelled out, allowing you to recover. Don't expect it to work every single time though.
• Running off the ledge, fastfalling and jumping back up with this is a flashy edgeguard that can occasionally work, but D-Air is still much, much safer.

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U-Air
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• SH U-Air works well at low-moderate percentages, and it can be continued if there’s a nearby platform.
• U-Air has a long hitbox, countering almost any attempt to come from above.
• Some nice manoeuvres with U-Air include the ledgehop U-Air (which sets up U-Tilt or SH D-Air very nicely), the platform drop U-Air (when timed correctly, is useful, as you can land, cancel and jump to B-Air/another aerial) and the landed U-Air (the bottom part of U-Air’s hitbox can still hit enemies, allowing U-Tilt or sometimes U-Smash to connect).
• U-Air can never hit an opponent twice, like D-Air can.

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B-Air
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Hit number one


Hit number two

• The standard Link approach tech. Basically you short hop into the enemy with this, hopefully landing two hits for roughly 16% damage (20% when fresh) and going right into U-Tilt when you land.
• Due to the large hitbox and quick duration, this is one of Link’s only safe ledgehop edgeguards.
• This combos well with walls, especially the **** tent, where you can repeat this move quite well and even lead into a finisher on the left platform.
• Basically, it’s used a bit like Falcon’s F-Air, only the combo aspect is diminished and the approach aspect magnified a little.

s2j has again noted that full-hop fastfall D-Air is a much better approach than B-Air. I will agree with this, primarily because D-Air provides the chance of extra damage earlier, is harder to counter later, and can KO at higher damage levels. B-Air is still usable, due to large forward hitboxes.

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D-Air
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• The fallback move. D-Air is basically putting a bomb beneath you. Foes who rush in get owned.
• Fastfall D-Air is a staple, as are ledgehop D-Air and SH D-Air (with or without horizontal movement).
• It’s also a brilliant edgeguard against all foes, especially Pikachu, whose recovery is ridiculous.
• At lower damage levels, you can ‘sword ride’ to hit an enemy multiple times with this. This works at higher levels when in the box too.
• It is VITAL that you Z-cancel this, or else you will be punished and owned. When you hit you have a bounce effect. You can drop through a platform with this, immediately hit a foe and then bounce back up onto that platform. This is surprisingly useful on Zebes, where you can camp when lava starts rising.
• Use of D-Air isn’t only limited to approach and attack. As I said, it’s like putting a bomb beneath you, so landing a B-Air/N-Air and moving near the enemy with this can be enough – they might jump in and get hit.
• It eats through projectiles too, if that matters to you.

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Grab and Throws
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Not full range...working on it


Forward throw


Back throw (super fart explosion)

• His grab uses his Hookshot, which is a ranged-type grab.
• This is both good and bad.
  
  [*]The range on the grab deters dashdances and low-distance stalls, and gives a larger margin for error, especially when using it in confined spaces (eg. the **** tent).
  [*]The lag at the end, however, amplifies the vulnerability to punishment, especially to other grabs.​
• The throws are standard and completely situational. The fact that the grab eats through shields is vital, as shield-grabbing is very effective against Link.
• Don’t be afraid to use it, but be cautious – don’t go spamming it about, even in confined spaces.
• The KB provided by throws can make or break a game, letting you pursue an enemy to an edge or into somewhere like the **** tent/Saffron’s left side. This applies to all standard throws, really.

The idea that ranged throws are slow is not completely true. While they are slightly slower than close-ranged grabs, they actually come out quite quickly. The problem lies in missing, as there is hefty retracting lag.

Nybb said:

I would just like to disagree with this. Ranged throws take in the neighbourhood of 15 - 20 frames, while all normal grabs take 6 frames. This is enough of a difference that comboing into grabs is a lot more difficult with ranged grabs. Tether grab characters lack staple grab setups like Mario's jab > grab or Falcon's aerials > grab, and suffer way more lag on miss. Link has slightly above average throws in terms of power, but IMO he should really never grab until high percents when he can actually kind of combo into it, if it all.

Click to expand...

A fair point has been made here. However, grabs are extremely situational on Link, moreso than choosing which throw to use. Comboing into a grab is useful, but not always necessary. Techchasing and pivot grabs are simple enough setups for tether grabs, especially Link and Yoshi's. The simple fact that grabs counter shields is enough to make one consider the grab against defensive foes, especially in the box or on Saffron's lower left side.

In addition, s2j and PD have mentioned hitting a shield with U-Air, F-Air's first hit or fastfalled D-Air (if Z-cancelled into the ground) give guaranteed grabs.

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IV: Edge Tactics
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This covers recovery and edgeguarding, two pivotal elements in this game.

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Recovery
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Link has a poor recovery. No, let’s rephrase that: he has an awful recovery. This is the key flaw that stops him breaking into the Mid Tier and gives him poor matchups. How can you improve it? You can’t, really. There isn’t a hookshot grapple, air dodge or significant bomb recovery in this game. Because of this, all I can do is discuss standard recovery tactics, tweaked for Link’s benefit. So what do we do?

The only aspect of Link’s Up-B recovery move that redeems it at all is its secondary use as an aerial smash. It has a large hitbox for this purpose. As such, if you are knocked only slightly off the edge, a rapid jump + Up-B should get you back on. You may or may not wish to sweetspot the edge (which will be discussed shortly). If you are knocked off so that the only option is sweetspotting, you’re pretty much screwed against a serious opponent, as edgehogs ruin you completely. If the enemy grabs on prematurely, don’t give up – you may actually get back as their invincibility runs out. If they’re a Melee player, stall under you absolutely have to use the move – they might roll and think you can’t ledgehog. This might work even if they aren’t a Melee player – they may vacate the edge if they do not know Link’s maximum recovery distance.

Alternatively, they may want to smash you off. A good player should know that the least risky choice (against Link it’s edgehogging) is always the best, but sometimes (or during friendlies) they don’t want to be an *** and completely prevent recovery. Alternatively, they may have been too slow to get to the edge. At this point, you can either rush them with Up-B or stall until they miss their attack and follow up with a sweetspot. Mix it up, that’s all you can do. If you’re facing Pika, you may as well just fall and die, F-Smash is ridiculous.

If you do get to sweetspot, you can wait and mess around, or you can immediately ledgehop (and I mean immediately, as in less than half a second spent hanging) and rush with F-Air/D-Air/U-Air. Mix it up a little – this is hardly Link exclusive stuff.

One Link-exclusive thing is projectiles from off-the-edge. Boomerangs and bombs (assuming you already have one) can be thrown without affecting the recovery too heavily. Boomerangs should be thrown as you perform a second jump. Only if you already have a bomb should you think about throwing both.

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Edgeguarding
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Link’s edgeguarding prowess is actually quite excellent. Basically, spam projectiles to create an obstacle course for foes, then smash them away with D-Smash, F-Smash or D-Air. There are flashier methods too, and they include:

• Ledgehop Spin Attack/B-Air/N-Air
• Fastfall -> Jump -> F-Air/D-Air/Spin Attack
• Neut-A swordstorm (for lolz against Ness, Falcon)
• D-Tilt -> Up-B/F-Air/D-Air
• U-Tilt (optionally while facing away) -> Spin Attack/aerial

Really, just hit them. However, the safest method is the projectile spam + smash/D-Air path.

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V: Specific Techniques
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• Bomb Recovery – Requires you to be higher than you are far from the edge to have any real use. It’s extremely rare to see this used to effect. Do the following:
  
  [*]Jump -> pull out a bomb -> lightly throw it down (buffering helps) whilst continuing forward momentum -> B-Air into the bomb -> Gain horizontal distance -> Up-B -> profit?
  [*]You end up facing the other way (out from the edge), so edgehogs will still own you. If it does work, it’s quite a triumphant moment.​
• U-Tilt setup – Pretty basic, it’s just using U-Tilt until you can’t anymore and leading into an aerial attack (or sometimes a smash). Against floaties you generally want to end a little earlier for insurance, or else you might not even get that hit. Works up to high damage, stops working earlier on floaties, later on DK/Falcon.
• U-Smash -> Up-B/U-Air – U-Smash sends foes straight up, so choice of continuation is limited to Up-B and U-Air. In the vast majority of cases, you want Up-B, as the KO opportunity is there. U-Air isn’t as strong, and the enemy would need so much damage that U-Smash won’t setup anymore.
• Boomerang -> U-Tilt/Running U-Smash – Boomerangs are fun at close range too. Even with the catching animation, U-Tilt should be able to connect. U-Smash needs a little run-up in most cases, so the catching animation might put a damper on that. Alternatively, override the catching animation by starting your run earlier.
• Bomb/Boomerang -> Hookshot – Hitting a foe at close range on ground level with either projectile sets up your grab. The bomb does it better, as you have to catch the boomerang in most cases. Dodging the catching animation by running forward helps your case.
• Bomb/Boomerang -> Dash Attack - More or less the same theory as the above one, but safer and quicker. The knockback only applies forwards, of course.
• U-Air juggle – SH U-Air a foe while moving with them, cancel it, then repeat. If there are platforms, you can take to the skies and continue it. Only works at low-moderate damage.
• N-Air into ground -> dash Up-B – A fun little setup that is easy to do and quite rewarding, often garnering a KO. Works on most foes from moderate damage up to the start of high damage (about 100%).
• N-Air -> (optional) Fastfall -> Up-B – Basic moderate-high damage combo, may or may not work. It’s much easier on larger foes. Samus in particular is vulnerable to this, and doesn’t require a fastfall after the N-Air.
• B-Air -> D-Air/Up-B – Works at moderate damage on most foes, but doesn’t often KO. Still good to setup an edgeguard though. With Up-B, it works best if only the second hit connects, as Up-B needs some distance for maximum effect.
• Double D-Air – Works at low damage on all foes, though DI can stop it working on floaties, especially Jiggs. Use D-Air, predict enemy trajectory, follow them and hit again. Works even better in the box.
• Up-B edge cancel – a universal technique, but still pretty nifty. Land on the very edge of a platform with momentum towards the edge and you’ll override the landing animation by sliding off.
• Edge B Boost – If you use a B attack just as you run off an edge, you’ll rush forward all of a sudden. This is most noticeable with Up-B. The boomerang can be used with this for combo continuation, but the chances of that working well are very slim.
• Invisible Bomb - This is a very specific process and must be done without disturbance. Take out and lightly throw a bomb so it doesn't blow up. Position yourself near it so you can pick it up again, but don't do so yet. Wait until just before the bomb explodes (you just have to learn the timing) and then pick it up. If done successfully, you now have an invisible bomb that can be thrown at foes and, in some circumstances, never disappear. To do this, you must use weak throws.
  
  [*]Invisible bombs WILL disappear when being hurled at enemies (strong throws, not the weak throws). With weak throws, it will hit, but won't explode if done correctly. You'll be able to pick it up again.
  [*]Another fact about this glitch, is that sometimes it leaves an invisible hitbox wherever it was picked up, which will hit anyone who comes close (much like Ness' yo-yo glitch in melee). This has been described as a mine. It is unconfirmed as to whether or not this always happens (thanks to House for a lot of this info).​

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Tips
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When throwing the boomerang, be wary of the catching animation. If a foe shields near you and the boomerang rebounds into a catching animation, the lag can be potentially fatal (eg. Falcon/DK/Pika with a dash-grab).

Another time to be wary of the boomerang is when recovering. The catching animation has stopped me using my Spin Attack at the optimal time in many instances. Don't let the same happen to you.

Bombs don't always have to be hurled. They can be lightly thrown if that suits your purpose more.

The invisible bomb glitch is useful between lives. It gives you a very annoying projectile to toss around.

Having a bomb is nice. Not only is it a ready-to-use projectile, but the explosion can come in handy. You can shield and let someone whack you around, only to have the bomb explode in their face. Follow it up with a techchase. it can even help you escape aerial combos if it explodes at a good time. Don't always throw the bomb immediately - you never know when it might come in handy. You shouldn't count on it doing this too much - 8/10 times it's better off thrown, if not for damage then for pressure.

You don't have to recover as soon as possible if you can help it. You can wait an extra half second and then recover - the foe's ledge invinci might run out, or they might get up, thinking you're doomed to die.

Never forget shield > U-Smash: U-Smash at low/mid damage levels is a very useful tool, linking into U-Air juggles or Up-B finishers.

Likewise, never forget shield > Up-B. It repels anyone who is poor at shield pressure. Another one is jump out of shield > D-Air.

Link's grabs aren't useless. Try SH F-Air or U-Air against a shield into a grab. Likewise, fastfall D-Air on a shield can guarantee a grab as well. Z-Cancelling is obviously needed.

When edgeguarding, never forget edgehogs. Many a time has a person failed an edgeguard due to mis-timing when a simple edgehog would have done. This applies to all characters, not just Link (but a recovering character can easily reverse the situation with Link, moreso than any other character, so I put it here anyway).

On that note, if you happen to be at 95+%, you can use a bomb to knock you to 100%. This allows you to use your edge rise attack animation as an extended ledgehog.

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VI: Matchups
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The basics are that anyone who can get Link off the edge early can profit. Notable ones are DK’s F-Throw, Pika, DK and Ness’s powerful B-Throws and Falcon, whose grabs, U-Air, F-Air and Up-B will completely ruin you if you’re in a bad position. Hell, Falcon can probably own you even if you aren’t in a bad position.

Pika >> Link (85:15)
Fox >> Link (80:20)
Kirby > Link (75:25)
Falcon > Link (70:30)
Mario > Link (70:30)
Yoshi > Link (60:40)
Ness > Link (60:40)
DK = Link (50:50)
Jigglypuff = Link (45:55, in my opinion)
Link = Link (lol) (50:50)
Samus < Link (40:60)
Luigi < Link (40:60)

Yes, Link has fairly dodgy matchups. He is wrecked by faster characters and edgeguarders. However, Hyrule negates the matchups slightly. The recovery can be compensated for with smart choice of area. Dreamland is hell for Link.

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Vids and Matchups
*****************************

Mostly Isai, not many other Links are THAT great. It's easy to learn combos and approaches from them too, they're generally one way battles. Those that aren't show you defensive stuff and awesome battles. I try to find vids where his opponent is extremely competent or at least well-known (sorry, no MATTS!).

Some of these are Japanese SSB, where Link was a lot better, so if there are weird sound effects, keep in mind that a lot of things have changed for Link, including:

His Up-Tilt, Up-Smash and D-Air are stronger (by 5%, 2% and 2% respectively).
His jumps and Up B get more vertical distance. [...]
His boomerang goes even further.
His bomb is unflinching [!] until enemies hit 100% and does more damage.
His Up-B and F-Air do slightly more in combos. [Apparently better finishers.]
N-Air has downwards influence and is slightly weaker in terms of KB.
B-Air comes out faster and has downwards influence and more power on 2nd kick.

*** signifies Japanese Link being played

Matchup analyses will go

OVERVIEW

OFFENSIVE OPTIONS

DEFENSIVE OPTIONS

THREATS

All advice is for super serious tourney play.

*******************

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHJOQZgXag8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcjJAlS8lLk
Link v Pika
This is the match no Link enjoys. Fail at spacing once, and a good Pika will rip a stock from you. The odds are all against you, and getting knocked off = death.

Use your boomerangs and bombs a LOT. Both force pressure and his approach. Outcamp him and you have a chance, but it's all up to your spacing. Don't go for flashy stuff unless you're (J) Link, stick to U-Tilt and standard hits. Make the most of your U-Air, nothing he has can break that from directly above. Short hop D-Airs are your gtfo move here, do NOT risk Up-B landing the weak hit and allowing him to punish you. Edgeguard with D-Air, or B-Air at very high percentages (U-Air if he recovers high).

Try not to shield much and DON'T ROLL. If you're in your shield, sh D-Air defensively, and NEVER hookshot unless you're confident. Don't just blindly jump backwards and throw the boomerang/pull out a bomb, there is significant lag for these actions which CAN be punished. Don't jump towards him and boomerang if he is at mid-range (just outside your sh F-Air range is a good indicator).

U-Smash at low-mid damage is hellish for you. The same goes for a grab in the **** tent. At high percents don't even think of coming from above, his U-Tilt is huge and will crush your D-Air, and even your bombs (sometimes). Never underestimate his aerial range, even if you manage to shield it most of his aerials allow him to dash-grab you on the shieldstun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfm0rz_GRMg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqXsA8wDBcU
Link v Fox
Link has to play cautiously and approach well. Smart play and no stupid edgeguarding mistakes, that's the ticket. Projectiles are still workable, they don't always get negated by reflector. If you're godly you can aim to hit him with the explosion from the bomb rather than the bomb itself. Remember, if you get him off the edge, DON'T LET HIM GET BACK. Edgehogs are the fallback here.

Campy projectile screens work against you, just throw some bombs and run in and rely on spacing (I won't say this in other matchups, it's just that Pika, Fox, Kirby and Falcon require you to space incredibly well at close range or risk death). Projectiles should be used sparingly especially against camping. D-Air does NOT beat U-Tilt if U-Tilt is used properly, but it crushes Foxes who foolishly D-Tilt a bunch. Use B-Air to pressure, and try not to U-Tilt Fox's shield.

Good Foxes will alternate between SHDL and shine to force *you* to approach, and given Link's rather average aerial speed and vulnerability to punishment, that's not good for you. You can abuse bombs all you want from long range, they can't be reflected particularly far at any rate. Alternate between SH D-Air and SH N-Air, because N-Air's range is quite large, while SH D-Air has power. The combination will usually force them to be more cautious, which is good (an aggressive Fox suppresses you with his speed alone, be careful). Last thing: DO NOT REPEATEDLY TECH IN PLACE OR TECH INTO A WALL.

Grabs in the **** tent destroy you. Fox has a bunch of lead-ins to U-Smash and D-Smash, both of which spell death for you (the latter more than the former, as Link is sorta heavy). Basically all of Fox's moves are incredibly fast or have gay range, and are problematic if used properly, so this paragraph is sorta redundant :\

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drdtL9admys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQamKMpml48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiDU2boPVLU
Link v Falcon
Don't get grabbed. Don't get hit by Up-Smash. Enjoy the combo-prone target if you can. As long as you don't get into a combo, you should be okay. The problem is avoiding the approaches to begin with; Falcon's dash is super gay.

Don't be aggressive and keep yourself guarded with aerials. Use your jab sometimes, it's reliable to stop his dash approach. If you get him into a U-Tilt, milk him for it, throw in boomerangs and maybe hopeful U-Smashes (low-mid percentage only). When edgeguarding, use spaced D-Smash or D-Air (sometimes he just teleports to you, it's gay). If he recovers high use Up-B or F-Air.

D-Air cancels out U-Smash, but even so if that happens don't let yourself be hit again. Don't tech in place, because Falcon's grab is fast enough to miss and still grab you. Don't roll on reflex, that's bad for you in general. Retreating F-Airs may be more valuable than SH D-Air purely because U-Smash is such a *****. U-Air punishes dumb FF D-Air approaches from him. If he gets too close for comfort, know that your short hop is capable of jumping over his grab. It won't help against U-Smash though. When getting up from the edge, sometimes you can just use your normal get up and he'll pivot smash and miss you completely. This applies to all characters, but when DI-ing his U-Airs, go behind and below him if possible.

The obvious threats are U-Smash and grabs. Both lead into reliable 0-deaths, as do aerials on your shield. That's all Falcon is, combo starter > U-Airs/F-Airs > finisher. If you're up against an inconsistent Falcon then fight on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK5X4rZwktc ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rvH5shXuX8 ***
Link v Kirby
Smart Kirbies are dangerous. Dumb ones are still dangerous. Be careful and use projectiles well. Seriously, you can play the best Link ever, with perfect edge cancels and comboing, and still get gayed by stupid U-Tilt, F-Smash, B-Air and D-Air.

Projectiles are wonderful against this puffball, especially bombs (because his giant feet still activate the explosion and he has no choice but to float around them). Your sword and his feet are equally large, the only difference is the speed at which they come out. You have to keep your distance. D-Smash and F-Smash are wonderful in this matchup to punish slow Kirbies, but the former can be punished if you use it recklessly and they SH over it, while the latter is just punishable if Kirby knows your range. If you're playing a Kirby who likes to fly a lot, take advantage of it - his jumps aren't actually much higher than yours until he gets 2 or 3 puff ups, so get above him and D-Air or something. Kirby in the air is vulnerable from above, Kirby on the ground is unapproachable from above. Remember that and keep your options open - Kirby always has a vulnerability, even if he's just camping and U-Tilting, but the vulnerability changes a lot.

Don't stay near Kirby unless you're whirling about with SH aerials, and even then be very careful. Seriously. U-Tilt is quite literally death for you at low percents. If he kicks you or your shield with that ****ed tilt you have a problem. Don't underestimate the range of his feet and don't shield or dodge roll needlessly. When teching, try to tech away from him and his smashes and U-Tilt. Kirby's movement isn't actually very fast, so he'll be forced to use either N-Air or the DI-able F-Air. Kirby is likely the best punisher in the game at any percent, and Link is the one who suffers the most from punishment at low percent, so be bloody careful not to let thoughtless U-Tilts through.

All of his usable moves are a fricking huge threat. D-Air might have a very directed hitbox, but if Kirby moves with it you have a wall of death approaching you. If he comes from above with D-Air you can fend him off with a well-placed U-Air or even an Up-B, but both are punishable, so short hop them or just run away. U-Tilt is of course the best ground move in the game, and Link is heavy enough for it to take a huge toll from him. B-Air is fast and outranges your aerial attacks not called F-Air's first hit. N-Air is a forwards B-Air with less range, so you can actually beat it with an N-Air or D-Air from above. His F-Smash can be a problem if you haven't got decent spacing, but you *can* punish it from above or with a SH D-Air in place or even a grab. Finally, a gay Kirby will use D-Smash a bunch against you. If it hits you at 40-50% or higher and you aren't particularly far from the edge, it leads to either plain death or an easy edgeguard. D-Tilt is the same, only with a bigger forwards hitbox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y4X_8qYbeI ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiB_YorfXb0 ***
Link v Yoshi
Do try not to get hit...beware of invinci frames, D-Air/F-Smash owns near the edge, use hookshots wisely to counter invinci, but don't go mad with them. Shield-breaks can mean trouble, as Link is owned by U-Tilt/U-Air combos.

Yoshi is arguably one of the easiest to combo for Link. Most of his moves are beaten by U-Tilt and U-Air, he is rather susceptible to boomerang and bomb hits close-up, he detests the **** tent, and his weight is just perfect to take U-Tilts and U-Airs and fall into range for another. Again, projectiles are great, especially if you can throw them in rapid succession. Parries only go so far (sorry to the Yoshi mains, but it's true), and projectiles provide that pressure quite well. Utilise your greater disjointed hitboxes well. Hookshots are great, Yoshi stays near the ground for DJCing a lot in approach, and the hookshot breaks the chance of DJCC. The problem is that it doesn't lead to combos unless there's a nearby wall, or possibly with a techchase at very low percents.

Yoshi's effective range (DJC B-Air and F-Air are the primary ones to watch out for) is surprising to those who have never played a good Yoshi. As long as you are prepared to stay just out of range and punish him for it, you should be okay. When the Yoshi catches on, you can still fight him with your superior hitboxes. Stay defensive and don't get into close combat, and don't let him smack your shield hard. In fact, try not to get into situations where you stand there shielding. Rolls are slightly less dangerous here than in other matchups, just don't go rolling behind Yoshi. Shieldbreaks are a very real danger against good Yoshis, and when you're helpless, good Yoshis will almost certainly tilt that stock in their favour, or even garner a KO on smaller stages. Use SH D-Air well.

U-Tilt is a huge problem if it hits you, seeing as Yoshi's combos are almost as simple to start as Falcon's, and it leads right into his high-powered U-Smash at high percentages. U-Tilt hitting a shield, however, is a very combatible threat - it doesn't provide significant shieldstun and you should be able to roll away (or jump out of shield, but that leaves you open to another U-Tilt). DJC F-Air and B-Air are very potent threats, with large hitboxes and deceptive range. Both can lead into U-Tilt (the former moreso than the latter). Better Yoshis can shieldbreak you if you just stand there shielding dumbly. Beware of U-Airs out of nowhere. While the hitbox is very small, the problems that hitbox can cause are huge, especially at mid-damage. D-Air is a rare edgeguard, but is probably Yoshi's best option against you, and should be kept in mind when you recover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ1mG-hFWTM ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMTV16PMgrI ***
Link v Mario
Be very careful and don't get thrown off, because you probably won't be coming back at any percent. Fireballs are a nuisance, but your aerials combat it will. I suggest using N-Air for speed purposes.

This is a strange matchup. You can't camp, so you're forced to approach, and Mario can combo you very well. You, on the other hand, have a bunch of different combo options. You lose most of the lengthy U-Air juggles, but you can N-Air/B-Air to Up-B a lot. N-Air in particular is more effective in this matchup than others. Mario's fast moves are, for the most part, outranged by it or equalled by it, and the moves with good horizontal hitboxes are slower than it. It also beats fireballs nicely, but remember that Link still has punishable hurtboxes with it. I suggest using it defensively for offence purposes (>_>). U-Tilt is also double-edged sword here - Mario can't approach you with only aerials if you time your U-Tilts well and it does a number on Mario at mid-percent, but fireballs clank and cancel your U-Tilt, rendering you vulnerable. Use your own projectiles defensively, and try to throw them from a higher level than Mario.

Don't shield recklessly IF your shield isn't at full power, as Mario's double aerial short hops provide a very real shieldbreak threat (even if Luigi is the one known for it, Mario can do just as well against weakened shields). Stay the hell out of the **** tent and force him out of there, the risk is so much greater than the possible reward, given that Mario's floatiness stops your standard tent combos (you can try a number of B-Air/N-Air chains against the green house, but chances are you'll be grabbed and smacked hard). I tend to use Up-B out of shield if I'm stuck in the **** tent.

Mario's D-Air is the problem at low percent. If the opponent is good at SH double aerials, you might even be 0-deathed if there are platforms around. This can be stopped by spamming D-Airs from above recklessly early on. There isn't actually much Mario can do to you early on (past a lucky U-Smash > techchase) if you always have a sword protruding downwards. The other low damage problem is being grabbed near the edge - aside from Kirby, Mario is likely the best edgeguarder against Link, because he can do repeated D-Airs to kill you quickly. At mid-damage, ditch that strategy: U-Air is just dangerous and beats D-Air from the side. Don't run at Mario recklessly, his D-Smash is ****ed fast and powerful and gives Mario more chances to camp you. Fireballs are a continuous threat, so try to have N-Air or D-Air out a lot to stop him getting you to mid-percent without coming near you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_1W0ThSbNE ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HstjmRUyPvA ***
Link v DK
Most DKs are laughable, those that aren't are scarily dangerous. B-Throw, F-Throw, smashes are all bad for you
Take him somewhere that isn't Dreamland or Hyrule - I wouldn't give this advice in any other matchup. The key thing is to space well and know DK's grab range. DK's Up-B is hell for a recovering Link. Even if you hit through it, you'll still be dead if the DK plays his cards right.

You can't tackle DK with only offensive tactics and expect to win. He beats you quite throughly in the close combat war with Up-B alone. Add grabs, Down-B antics and that ridiculous B-Air and you have quite a problem. You have to keep defensive until there is an opening, then get in and PUNISH HIM. Successful punishment of predictability is the decider of this match at higher levels, so you want to predict well and hit him with U-Tilt and, where necessary, U-Smash. U-Tilt is great at mid percents, do a U-Air juggle and go to a F-Air/Up-B.

First things first. Stay the hell out of the **** tent. Second thing. Stay the hell out of the **** tent. After that, I'm just going to assume that DK's infinite cargo hold is banned past 2 releases. Even then, I'm going to tell you this. Don't get grabbed. Learn DK's grab range. Use F-Air and B-Air to pressure shield-grabbers. Throw projectiles as if every boomerang and bomb hit would get you a winning lottery ticket. DK can't actually be reliably comboed at 0% (aside from U-Smash, but that would expose you to the risk of missing and being grabbed), so wait until he can be U-Tilted at least twice (think 30-35% at least) before running in with your sword.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1SUcaRXz4o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtdMLV9VCYc
Link v Jiggs
Don't get hit. This is a surprisingly even matchup. As long as you can space, use projectiles and know how to DI and finish well, you'll be fine. F-Air tends to be a good move against Jiggs, and you have usable finishers in every possible scenario, so long as you don't make dumb choices. Grabs are almost totally unnecessary past low-damage projectile lead-ins (and mindgames, of course).

Projectiles, projectiles and projectiles. That's the offensive gospel of Link, and that applies doubly for this puffball. Past that, Puff is horribly vulnerable in the air from any direction except in front (N-Air is quite big). Use aerials well. Lots of Puffs like to float up above you and wait for you to jump up and U-Air empty space. Pre-empt that and get above their initial jump with D-Air, or hit their predicted position hard with F-Air. U-Tilt should be chained once or twice, then lead into an aerial. Don't expect to zero to death much without platfoms. Even with platforms Jiggs has to be at a specific percentage. You can try B-Air to Up-B, it tends to work.

Camp all you want, Jiggs can't do anything to stop you if you camp right. You have to go in at some point, but your aerials beat hers thoroughly, so if you can force her to attack you, then punish her with a powerful smack, you'll do quite well. She can't beat your D-Air head-on if used right, and will be forced to space cautiously. Your short hop is perfect for her to hit with a full hop D-Air, but she can't really follow up without prediction. Be cautious all the same, because grabs can lead to death for you at almost any percentage - F-Throw to a rest combo, B-Air due to dumb knockback trajectory.

Grabs at low percent are hell for you, there are like 10 follow-ups that can lead to regrabs or bigger problems. DI is a must against D-Air, the other big threat. Jiggs won't be doing anything against your aerials with her U-Tilt, but you have to keep in mind that it is the perfect lead-up to rest, regardless of awful hitbox. It *can* be landed on its own, just not easily. N-Air is the only significant aerial range Jiggs has, so be wary. Be careful of her other aerials as well, good Jiggs are able to land them if you don't keep a sword pointed at them. D-Smash and B-Throw both spell death for you at higher percents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-mlvxajLHo
Link v Samus
This is still a tough matchup, even if it's one of Link's best. Link will be throttled if you stay on the same level as Samus, because her B-Air beats out any of your aerials, and F-Smash/Tilt are essentially the only thing you have against her on the ground (U-Tilt clanks with it if you're lucky). What Samus hates, however, are projectiles. This match, if played properly, is an exercise in aggressive camping. Just keep throwing projectiles, then wait for a chance to get above them for the D-Air. Staying below Samus and abusing U-Air is also a viable strategy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISekL3X8fic ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVsCojBOWtM ***
Link v Luigi
Pretty average matchup if you know what Luigi's best at. Don't get thrown and try not to get hit when off the edge. You win the projectile war, plus you can own him with N-Air > Up-B, just like vs. Samus. He can't get into your range because your sword is fricking large, and U-air and D-air own essentially everything he throws at you from those two directions. Note his slidey nature - your D-Air in particular will send him away, so don't use D-Air to shield pressure if you intend to get behind him and avoid a shield grab.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1s5_EJVL44 - ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjmQLUuEkIU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI - ***
Link dittoes
My personal worst matchup, excepting Pikagay/Gaykachu/Stupid electric rodent/Thunderrat on crack. Gah I hate Pika matchups. You know what, I'm not going to talk about this matchup, and leave you in the dark about the opponent's weaknesses and strengths. I do suggest you watch the third video, it's very good.

Application Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuNMP7qM2D8

Link tricks, finishers, fun combos.

More vids incoming, once I find them. Still.

*****************************
Thanks.
*****************************

If this analysis gets poor reception I’ll just let it die. Thanks for reading, if you got this far.

Thanks to:

Wenbobular - his guide really helped out, plus he got me to reformat pics

Nybb - tidbit on ranged grabs
s2j - information all over the shop
PD - invisible bomb glitch
TANK64 - same
JKHDaBomb - same
Daedatheus - tidbit on playstyle
DMoogle - Boomerang catching anim reminder
House - Invisi bomb glitch details
Everyone who read it

Feel free to comment if you think what you say is worthwhile.

Edits:
Added invisible bomb.
Added 'Links' to tougher matchups. Har-de-har-har.
Pictures added, with this it should be more readable, if a little over-the-top.
Removed tidbits here and there.
I can host P2P successfully now.
Hints and Tips section up - open for circumstantial contributions
Matchups done in substantial depth

To do:
Luigi, Samus, Link matchups
Nitpicking

cheeseball341 said:

The idea that ranged throws are slow is not completely true. While they are slightly slower than close-ranged grabs, they actually come out quite quickly. The problem lies in missing, as there is hefty retracting lag.

Click to expand...

I would just like to disagree with this. Ranged throws take in the neighbourhood of 15 - 20 frames, while all normal grabs take 6 frames. This is enough of a difference that comboing into grabs is a lot more difficult with ranged grabs. Tether grab characters lack staple grab setups like Mario's jab > grab or Falcon's aerials > grab, and suffer way more lag on miss. Link has slightly above average throws in terms of power, but IMO he should hardly ever grab until high percents when he can actually kind of combo into it.

The rest was pretty informative and nicely formatted.

d tilt ownz

D-tilt is awesome as a combo extension after up-tilts at mid percents

Third hit on jab is good at higher percents because it sends them onto the ground

Full down d-air is a way better approach/defense then b-air

Not sure if you should mention this but short-hop up-air/f-air that hits the shield is a guaranteed grab

Also Link's main weakness against faster characters is simply that his moves that matter are too slow in coming out against theirs, Fox overwhelms him

s2j said:

Not sure if you should mention this but short-hop up-air/f-air that hits the shield is a guaranteed grab

Click to expand...

so is fast falling dair

Nice
Organized, and all seemed pretty accurate.

Link needs more attention!

do you have any videos of your Link on youtube?

Enh, I'm not so into it. Saying stuff like "seasoned players" WILL "charge" at you and that you can defend with smashes is a little too subjective. Add to that you claim you never play online or p2p. Also CPing pika with Link, if the pika is good you WILL lose that match, it's one of Link's worst matchups IMO.

Not saying this should die though. It can be updated and fixed up for sure!

Thanks for the encouragement, I'll add the stuff mentioned. I don't record myself, but I might in the near future. Or I'll get someone to do it for me.

@Daedatheus: I'm trying to fix my P2P, and have experimented several times. Each time resulted in 30FPS exactly, and I'm not sure what's wrong.

I play online on an Australian server against decent players, some of whom use controllers and all of whom are proficient with multiple characters.

And yes, experienced players can be conned into charging, etc. Link cannot rely purely on rushing. If you are within, say, short hop range of any character, they will generally attack. Even if they don't, you can generally get into a better situation if you are prepared to react to whatever they're doing.

I CP Pika with Link for jokes. IMO, Pika and Fox dominate Link, and Falcons with good spacing are even more dangerous, as a single F-Throw/U-Smash anywhere on a stage can KO you, even with decent DI factored in. I can usually knock them all to one stock though :D

goof job cheese. links pro

that's a lot of text

Link is my favorite character

great guide there is another nifty use of link's bomb with his shield other than letting it explode; if you know your opponent is getting really aggressive, you can pull out a bomb and bait him by just standing with your shield. once he's close enough you can soft throw the bomb out of your shield where instead of exploding it just knocks them down. even if they shield, the bomb continually bounces of their shield and you get a guaranteed grab, and if you're quick enough you can throw them back into the bomb which gives a nice exploding throw effect ;D i find this useful right after i've killed an opponent and they are super aggressive due to their start-up invincibility. it's a really effective technique for me, and its worked on almost every opponent i've played, even the really good ones

JKHDaBomb said:

great guide there is another nifty use of link's bomb with his shield other than letting it explode; if you know your opponent is getting really aggressive, you can pull out a bomb and bait him by just standing with your shield. once he's close enough you can soft throw the bomb out of your shield where instead of exploding it just knocks them down. even if they shield, the bomb continually bounces of their shield and you get a guaranteed grab, and if you're quick enough you can throw them back into the bomb which gives a nice exploding throw effect ;D i find this useful right after i've killed an opponent and they are super aggressive due to their start-up invincibility. it's a really effective technique for me, and its worked on almost every opponent i've played, even the really good ones

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This is so true, I do it all the time
"exploding throw effect," that should be on the AT list

JKHDaBomb said:

great guide there is another nifty use of link's bomb with his shield other than letting it explode; if you know your opponent is getting really aggressive, you can pull out a bomb and bait him by just standing with your shield. once he's close enough you can soft throw the bomb out of your shield where instead of exploding it just knocks them down. even if they shield, the bomb continually bounces of their shield and you get a guaranteed grab, and if you're quick enough you can throw them back into the bomb which gives a nice exploding throw effect ;D i find this useful right after i've killed an opponent and they are super aggressive due to their start-up invincibility. it's a really effective technique for me, and its worked on almost every opponent i've played, even the really good ones

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I think I already mentioned Bomb > grab, this is just an extension of that involving the shield. It does seem like a fun trick though. Throwing the enemy into a bomb is something I overlooked, same goes for holding an enemy and letting a boomerang hit them. They aren't exactly all-purpose tricks though.

malva00 said:

that's a lot of text

Link is my favorite character

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Mine too

i dont want to read everything but did you include his invisable bomb glitch???

it can be used inbetween lives

cheeseball341 said:

I think I already mentioned Bomb > grab, this is just an extension of that involving the shield. It does seem like a fun trick though. Throwing the enemy into a bomb is something I overlooked, same goes for holding an enemy and letting a boomerang hit them. They aren't exactly all-purpose tricks though.

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it isn't entirely an all-purpose trick but it can be more useful than it seems. if you get this in right after their start-up invincibility it can lead to some good comboing and can really get your momentum going for that stock. getting the first hit in can be really critical as it puts you in control and forces your opponent to respond.

JKHDaBomb said:

it isn't entirely an all-purpose trick but it can be more useful than it seems. if you get this in right after their start-up invincibility it can lead to some good comboing and can really get your momentum going for that stock. getting the first hit in can be really critical as it puts you in control and forces your opponent to respond.

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yea, and sometimes leads to ever more aggressive/un-careful playing on their part.

Well of course, that's the lifeblood of SSB64, moreso for Link players, who can't afford to be comboed too much.

Never used the invisible bomb glitch myself, is it just where you throw a bomb without it exploding, then pick it up just as it explodes? I'm sure it'd be fun to play with.

cheeseball341 said:

Never used the invisible bomb glitch myself, is it just where you throw a bomb without it exploding, then pick it up just as it explodes? I'm sure it'd be fun to play with.

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yea that's it. Pretty sure it has to be at a certain distance though.
Close enough to grab, but far enough to not get hit. At least that's what works for me.
You'll get pretty consistent with practice- Assuming you're going for a little extra flash.
(which is the only thing that really matters)

I never see it used in matches though

That's because, (like PD said) you only can really use it in between lives.
If they star, or if they are desperately trying to gets back- but you know they're going to miss.
But I've never used it in a real match- Too busy bomb-taunting I guess.

Bumped this because it's now complete.

Pictures, video links, invisi bomb glitch all added.

You should add a sub-section in the Boomerang part about catching the boomerang.

Against fast characters (CF especially), it can be a huge mistake to throw a boomerang fast at them and they shield it at the right distance (about 1/2 the length of the main Hyrule platform), the boomerang will come flying back at you, you won't have time to avoid it, so you'll catch it and will be helpless when the said fast opponent runs at you to attack.

Man, hopefully no one here has dial-up still...
I would've read it but the pics make scrolling so much harder

Those pics took ages to do.

I'll make em thumbnails.

Edit: Couldn't be bothered with a new post. My brother plays COD4. Never really bothered with it myself. Keep playing Pika, it's good practice for my Link

With the advent of the new tier list, I think Link vs. Ness should be 50:50, POSSIBLY 55:45 Link.
It's been deemed Ness has terrible approaches, and his recovery can be gimped even worse than Link's, even if it goes far more distance.
Link himself can own Ness with projectiles, and give him zero chance of recovering.
The thing that does weigh in Ness' favor is that if he can get in Link's grill, Link is pretty much screwed.
That means Ness counterpicks Link with Dreamland, Link counterpicks with Hyrule.
I also think Link vs. Falcon should be 60:40 Falcon, for similar reasons, though of course Falcon approaches FAR better.

You see, 'with the advent of the new tier list' doesn't mean anything. Just because we relabelled the hierarchy, doesn't mean we changed the game. Link is pretty even with Ness, and I always believed that, even when Ness was apparently Top/High tier. 'It was deemed'? That's silly. It's like saying something makes it the truth all of a sudden.

Link doesn't need projectiles to own Ness's recovery, though Boomerang hitting PK Thunder is sick. The thing about Dreamland is that it isn't very nice to bad recoveries. Ness is pretty bad on Dreamland too due to the aforementioned reason, so CPing Link with Dreamland might not be the best decision. I'd go for Congo personally.

Link isn't dead when Ness gets in. There isn't really much that Ness can do to ensure a KO if the Link doesn't wander around near edges, aside from silly DJC chasing, which is nigh impossible on the US version.

Finally...Link needs to be extraordinarily careful vs Falcon. One grab/U-Smash should lead to at least a chance at edgeguarding. It is only 60:40 on Hyrule, and even then the ladder in the middle can make mincemeat out of Link.

All of this is up for rebuttal...especially the Ness part, I hate playing as him.

cheeseball341 said:

Pika >> Link (85:15)
Fox >> Link (80:20)
Kirby > Link (65:35)
Falcon > Link (70:30)
Yoshi > Link (60:40)
Ness > Link (60:40)
DK = Link (50:50)
Jigglypuff = Link (45:55, in my opinion)
Link = Link (lol) (50:50)
Samus < Link (40:60)
Luigi < Link (40:60)

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Is Mario such a bad matchup for Link that you're avoiding putting his matchup ratio in as well? jk

According to the matchup chart, it's Mario > Link.

cheeseball341 said:

Link doesn't need projectiles to own Ness's recovery, though Boomerang hitting PK Thunder is sick. The thing about Dreamland is that it isn't very nice to bad recoveries. Ness is pretty bad on Dreamland too due to the aforementioned reason, so CPing Link with Dreamland might not be the best decision. I'd go for Congo personally.

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My point with Dreamland is that on a smaller stage Ness needn't worry as much about approaching, AND Ness spikes Link so easily.
But I also haven't played 64 competitively for... a long time.

Blue Yoshi said:

Is Mario such a bad matchup for Link that you're avoiding putting his matchup ratio in as well? jk

According to the matchup chart, it's Mario > Link.

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I do hate that matchup. It is very poor for Link, because D-Air > Link's recovery, and fireballs aren't really helpful to Link's approach/camping game.

Thanks for the reminder.

BRLNK88 said:

My point with Dreamland is that on a smaller stage Ness needn't worry as much about approaching, AND Ness spikes Link so easily.
But I also haven't played 64 competitively for... a long time.

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Valid point, but everyone spikes Link easily. Pikachu can spike him sideways, for crying out loud. If Ness doesn't approach, Link can just camp. Everyone not named Fox/Mario can be forced to approach Link. That's how good his camping game can be. I would still recommend Congo if you want to use Ness against Link, as his long recovery works okay with the one-way floor.

cheeseball341 said:

I would still recommend Congo if you want to use Ness against Link, as his long recovery works okay with the one-way floor.

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LOL, I'm horrible with Ness, I would never use him against anyone.
I was talking about Ness mains vs Link mains like myself.

you can sweet spot Ness's up-b if you hit yourself super low in Hyrule

but it just sets up an easy edgeguard nonetheless for the opponent

to me mario is one of the trickiest matchups just because it feels like it's relatively balanced. i can feel like i'm doing well and then i get hit by one fireball and next thing i know i'm being thrown off the edge. that and his u-air comes out so dang fast. mario is just too suave.

The fireballs are pretty **** annoying. Mario is free to spam them, and they block the boomerang and deflect bombs.

Is anyone else really bothered by the fact that the shield Link's holding does nothing whatsoever?

At least don't give us false hope with his crouching

Well, in Link's case, crouch cancelling actually makes sense.

dayum. i read the whole thing and it helped heaps (Y)
its totally cool beans. i have no idea how to work this smashboards beef.

:O! Link is a beast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nuff said.

short and possibly inaccurate matchup summaries posted

everything has been made easier to read

someone say 'mada mada' to me