Garde's Link Guide

It's been great being here, and I'm back, although not like when I first joined, I'll still try to visit a lot more often than I have been.

Guide to using the Hero of Time and the Triforce of Courage - Version 1.0 - by Garde


Introduction


Before I get started, I'd like to introduce myself. My forum name is Garde, originally on the forums at OverClocked Remix, I also joined Smash World Forums (and I'm the one and only Garde on each one). I've owned Super Smash Bros.: Melee for around 8 months now, and played the original Super Smash Bros. on the N64 from the time it came out and played Link to death, I wouldn't give in to using upper tier characters in N64 even though Link was pretty near the bottom in ranking, if not at the bottom himself, and I ended up doing pretty well, albeit I wouldn't win much against some of my friends who abused Kirby, C. Falcon, and DK, I still gave them a run for their money. I have taken serious steps in improving my Link game above all others that I have met. Although I have recently began testing other characters in Melee, I will always be the "Hardcore Link Fan" that I am, and Link will always remain my #1 character. In SSBM,I have put approximately 800 hours into him in single player and multiplayer combined and know him better than I know any other character. I hope that my experience will help those that read this get a better grasp for Link, or aid your skills if you are already a weathered Link user. Now, some of you might not know anything about me, some of you may think I'm crazy and have no life for writing this guide (you're probably right), but you know what? I really don't care, but what I do care about is sharing info about the way I play Link (which has been accumulated from many Link users including one who recently took a tourney in Texas, he's known as Kenshin on SWF) and allowing more Link users to become decently skilled. The stuff in this guide is not made up or fabricated in any way, everything in this guide is based on personal experience and I hope everyone gets something out of this. There's one more thing I want to make clear before I get onto the rest of this guide. This is a guide, this does not tell you how to play Link or any character, it's just "guiding" you to becoming a more skilled player, it will not make you good alone, being good requires skill, and skill involves practicing. Some of the things I describe in here you may be unable to perform at first, don't be discouraged, practicing WILL bear fruit, I know this for a fact. Guides are not meant to make people skilled, they're meant to guide people to understand the character it's about. The more intimately you know the character the better you will perform. I don't know everything there is to know, but I do want the people who read this to get an understanding for Link, I want you to be able to understand him so well that you can just theorize things and then bring them into reality (I've found many combos this way).

Disclaimer: This is based upon my experience and playing style, there are others out there, and I'm not advocating I'm some Link master that knows how to play Link "right" while everyone else plays him "wrong". This is just my way of sharing my discoveries of how to play Link, and if you don't feel you like my playing style, use your own, I'm not forcing anyone to play like me, and I hope everyone has at least a little individuality so they don't totally take up my style. Also, my style is not fool-proof, there are many tactics that work against it, and I've had to change my style to suit the needs of the battles I've played, so this will not work against everyone.

Well, with that out of the way, onto the guide. I really hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


Contents
I. Background
II. Why Choose Link?
III. Pros vs. Cons
IV. Move List
V. Tricks
VI. Combo's and Tactics
VII. Last Words


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Section I: Background

Well, as many of you already know, Link was created by Nintendo circa 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and debuted in the game, The Legend of Zelda. The point of the game was to defeat the temple guardians that held pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom (which Zelda had split into 8 pieces so that Gannon, her captor, could not find it) and rescue Princess Zelda from the clutches of the evil Gannon (who WAS a blue pig back then), who held the Triforce of Power. Along Link's journey, he came across many powerful items that aided him and many that were necessary to progress in the game. Some that have come back from that game include the boomerang, the bow, and of course, Link's trusty bombs (if any of you own or have read the Legend of Zelda books, like Molblin's Magic Spear, you know what I'm talking about). Of course, they also added in his famous up thrust and downthrust from The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link (2nd installment in the series, also on the NES, although it was more of a side scrolling Action-RPG than a overhead Action-RPG like the first), and his Spinning Blade technique from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (3rd installment on the series, for the SNES, overhead view like the original). As many of you might wonder, is the Link in each game the same? The answer is no, they're not, although some of them MAY be the same Link (such as the Link in both NES games might be the same, the Link in both N64 games (The Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask) are probably the same, and the Link in A Link to the Past (SNES) and Link's Awakening (original GB version) are probably the same, although no one can be sure unless Nintendo says which ones are the same. Nintendo actually did state that the Links in each game are not the same, but are of the same blood line, seeing as they are all the last of the Hylians (If you are wondering, the Zelda in each game is different but also is from the same blood line, it's tradition for the princesses in the Hylian bloodline to be named Zelda). Enough background though, I'm sure most of you are uninterested in this section, and you want me to go onto the rest of the guide, which actually concerns SSBM, so here goes... (There are other concepts on the internet that may contradict this, I kept is accurate to the official Nintendo interpretation as possible).

Section II: Why Choose Link?


In the original Super Smash Bros. for the N64, Link was far from considered a good character when compared to Fox, Captain Falcon, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, and Ness (not mentioned in any particular order) on a competitive level. Yes, he could do well, but chances are that in a 1v1 against any of those characters, he would flat out lose to them if both players were of equal skill. In Super Smash Bros. for the N64, Link was much lighter and much faster, but things have changed, now he's much heavier and a little slower, which are both a pro and a con, but I'll get into that in the next section. Anyways, In Super Smash Bros.: Melee, many of the characters have been made much more equally than they had been in the previous game, where Link would once not hold a candle flame to many characters, he now stands a fighting chance when against skilled players (my skills have not been tested in a tournament yet, so I don't know exactly how effective my skills are, but I have not played a person I haven't defeated with Link yet). The reasons I've chosen Link is because I've been a fan of his since I was 3 years old, one of the first two video games I played on the NES (the two games were The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros.), and then the show came out, which I watched and loved (I actually have 11 of the episodes still! Yeah, I still watch 'em too!) to death, and well, he's just one of the coolest characters around. I've grown up with him being the dominant male figure in my life (just kidding, but since I've gone on so many adventures with him, I'm obligated to represent him in SSBM, and I've never doubted my choice). Think about it. Who wouldn't want to have the Master Sword, the sword that destroys all evil? Who wouldn't want to go save a beautiful princess in distress from the evil Gannon? There you have it, my sad and pathetic reasons to play as Link. Everyone SHOULD have their own reasons to play Link, mine are just a little different compared to most people's .


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Section III:: Pros vs. Cons


To my knowledge these are the Pros and Cons of Link:


Pros:

Powerful Attacks - not the most powerful, but he's got good overall strength in all of his moves

Being Heavy - Allows for Crouch Cancelling (CC, explained later), and it takes higher % to be KOed from the top and side of the screen in most cases (not including being spiked or meteored)

Good Priority - Attacks either cancel opponent's attacks (both attacks are stopped resulting in no damage), interrupt opponents attacks (cancels opponent's attack and deals damage to him/her) or goes through opponent's attacks (both attacks "miss" eachother and directly hit opposing characters, resulting in both characters recieving damage)

Decent Recovery - Link's recovery moves have been improved vastly from the N64, in which his recovery was ALWAYS taken advantage of by spikes and meteors (Kirby, Captain Falcon, Ness, and DK) I'll explain more later.

Grab - Good range and speed, awesome for Shield Grabbing characters such as Marth (will explain later).

Hylian Shield - When standing still (or crouching) without an item in hand, Link's shield has the chance of protecting him from projectile attacks (including thrown items) if the projectile hits his shield), how nifty is that?

Offensive/Defensive playing style - Link's capable of playing Defensively and Offensively at the same time, although it may be hard to explain or believe, he can be both if you play him the right way.

Cons:

Slow speed - Think Bowser is the slowest runner in the game? Think again. Also, his aerial up and down aerial attacks have horrendous lag time after the move has been used when landing, even if L-Cancelled (will explain later).

Grab - If you miss a throw, you will almost definitely be punished by a character of near Link's speed or anyone faster. Also, note that Link's grab, along with Young Link's and Samus's are the only grabs in the game which cannot grab opponents from the air.

Lack of abuseable Meteor/Spike - This can't really be considered a con, but I put here just in case. Link needs to kill people the old fashioned way, build up the % and knock 'em off the screen so they don't return, unlike Falco and his abuseable aerial down+A spike (for those of you that don't know, Falco can KO most characters at around 40% by spiking characters down below the stage, because they will be unable to recover from his attack).

Well, the pros and cons aren't very long (I feel as though I've missed some, if anyone catches any I missed, please notify me), but it's time to move on to the next part, probably what you've all been waiting for.... The moves, techniques, combos, tricks and just about everything else related to playing the game!

Section IV: Move List


Here we are, finally what you've all been waiting for, a brief description of each move with the official Nintendo names (thanks to Wavebuster) straight from the official guide along with the % range of each attack. Please note that these moves' knockback rating and Wind Up/Down Lag rating is only in relation to Link's moves, not to other characters.

I goofed guys, I suggest skimming over Section V before reading this is you're not familiar with terminology or tricks that I use.


Unclassified Moves

His taunt and well, the moves that were unclassifiable as tilts, smashes, grabs/throws, specials (B moves) or aerials. Don't underestimate these.

Taunt, Up (on Direction Pad, while on Ground)
Damage: N/A
Wind Up Lag: N/A
Duration: approx. 60 frames (1 sec.)
Wind Down Lag: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Description: Link stands up straight, sheaths his sword, runs a hand through his bangs and then redraws his sword. This is one of the shorter taunts in the game and is quite useful in pissing the opponent off.

Slash, Single Neutral-A
Damage: 2-5%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: almost none (there's lag time because of the time allowance for Counter Slash)
Range: Average (most characters can reach as far without a sword)
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: Very Low
Description: A single, quick, vertical slash downwards. This move may not pack much of a punch, but it's great to use to interrupt attacks from faster characters such as Sheik, Fox, and Falco. Great to use against Fox and Falco's forward+A smash, it will almost always cancel opponents attacks.

Counter Slash, Second Neutral-A (used directly after Slash)
Damage: 1-3%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: almost none (there's lag time because of the time allowance for Stab)
Range: Average
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very Low
Description: A single, quick, vertical slash upwards. This move doesn't pack much of a punch, but if you land a Slash on someone, you might as well use this, there's very little lag time on the move, so you can get away with it given the opponent wasn't crouch cancelling (CCing, explained later).

Stab, Third Neutral-A (used directly after Counter Slash)
Damage: 3-6%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: Bad
Range: Good (a full sword and arm length away, longer than the other two attacks in the combo)
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: Medium-Low
Description: A single, quick stab that has a little wind down lag. It does the most damage of the three attacks in the combo, but its lag makes it not worth using until opponents are at higher % (around 50% is usually safe, although heavy characters like Marth, Samus, Ganondorf DK, and Bowser will probably need more % to use the move without fear of being attacked while playing against skilled players)

Illusion Stab, in place of Stab, repeatedly press A (opponent must be hit by both Slash and Counter Slash for this move to be used)
Damage: 1%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Very Fast (Link's fastest attack)
Wind Down Lag: None (except for on last Illusion Stab, there's a little bit)
Range: Good (about same as Stab, but the diagonal hits are a little shorter)
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very Low (for a good reason!)
Description: Repeated, quick stabs in 3 directions (horizontal, slightly aimed above horizontal, and slightly aimed below horizontal). The non-horizontal attacks have less reach than the horizontal attack, and this CAN be Directional Influenced (DI, will be explained later) out of. Good for building up damage against opponents at lower %, a "n00b" move as some call it, rather annoying, and MAY piss off opponents :D . If DIed out of, stop pressing A, and you might want to Shield Grab (explained later also, I promise!) if the opponent reads this as an opening to use a forward+A smash against you.

Running Hack, A (while dashing)
Damage: 6-12%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: Bad (if this attack is dodged or shielded, you'll be in lots of trouble)
Range: Good (full sword length WHILE moving forward, giving increased range)
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Medium
Description: One big slash that Link throws his whole body into while running. It pops people above you, although barely at lower % (just about anything below 30%, people can CC it, so be careful). Good for setting up combos at higher %.


Tilt Attacks

These are in general Link's slowest attacks, but they are never to be overlooked, some people say that the only tilt worth using is the up+A, but I disagree. Each one was made for a specific reason, so see if you can find instances in which you can use them (not necessarily the ones I give, find some uses that I don't know, it can't be too hard, I don't know everything there is to know about Link).

Sword Chop, Forward+A Tilt
Damage: 7-15%
Wind Up Lag: Bad
Duration: Medium
Wind Down Lag: A little
Range: Good (covers above and in front of you at a sword and arm length away)
Priority: High
Knockback: Decently High
Description: Link brings sword from behind him above his head and brings it down in front of him with one mighty slash. A little slow from lag, but it has good knockback, it will rarely leave you open if you hit the enemy with it, and can be used from throws in combos (explained later).

Half-Moon Swipe, Up+A Tilt
Damage: 4-9%
Wind Up Lag: almost none
Duration: a while (somewhere between 15-25 frames)
Wind Down Lag: almost none
Range: Good (covers front, above, and behind Link)
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: Relatively Low
Description: Link brings his sword from in front of him to behind him with one long, vertical slash. This is my most used tilt attack with Link, it's great for using from Link's Downthrow (I'll explain this and everything else in the next two sections). Great for using against any character repeated times, meant to abuse. It pops the opponent into the air a little above Link, can be used and is unescapable until around 30% on most characters, maybe higher).

Grass Cutter, Down+A Tilt
Damage: 6-11%
Wind Up Lag: A little
Duration: Medium
Wind Down Lag: A little
Range: Medium (Lower attack, only about a sword length in reach)
Priority: Low
Knockback: Medium
Description: Link crouches and slowly slashes horizontally. This move is a spike (sends opponent downward) if you hit the opponent while they're in the air and can be used to edge guard some opponents if timed correctly. One of my least used moves because of its speed, I usually play against opponents like Fox, Falco, Marth and Roy, which have attacks that are not only faster than this, but have higher priority and can potentially KO Link while he uses this, plus if you DO hit with it, the people can CC it.

Smash Attacks

Link's smash attacks aren't as powerful as other people's but he's also heavier than others, allowing him to survive longer than most. His smashes can have some lag, so be careful when using them, fortunately they're relatively fast in getting the attack out, it's finishing the attack that takes a while....

Sword Slice, Forward+A Smash
Damage: 7-19% (depending on charge and usage of move)
Wind Up Lag: A little
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: Bad
Range: Decent (equal reach to the Sword Chop, but can't hit above you like the Sword Chop)
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: High
Description: Link charges holding the sword behind his head (even if you don't charge, it still does this animation for a split second) and swings his sword fast and hard horizontally across, leaving him open while he recovers from his hard swing. This is one of my most used attacks, it can be used with the C-Stick (C-Sticking, explained in the next section) with absolutely no charge, always faster than using Forward+A and it can be used in certain combos that I've made. This move is good for eating shields. Plus you can also do....

Double Sword Slice, A (directly after Sword Slice)
Damage: 9-17% (cannot be charged)
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Very Fast (faster than the Sword Slice)
Wind Down Lag: Bad (worse than Sword Slice's by a few frames)
Range: Decent (about same as Sword Slice)
Priority: High
Knockback: Very High
Description: Link does a second horizontal slash in the opposite direction of Sword Slice. This move is purely awesome, you can stall between using this move and the Sword Slice for about half a second allowing for a little bit of unpredictability. This move hits opponents skyward, and is one of Link's strongest moves in knockback, the only problem is hitting with it at higher % because the first hit tends to knock opponents away unless they shield or CC. If opponent shield the first slash, you may want to delay this attack a bit until they drop their shield or you may want to eat their shield even further if you want to go for a shield break against the opponent. Be careful though, this move has tremendous lag and CAN be shield grabbed by characters such as Marth, Roy, Samus, and Young Link. The trick to KOing with this move is missing with the first hit (by timing it correctly) and using this directly afterwards to hit the unexpecting opponent, this is trickier than it sounds, though.

Triple Sword Slice, Up+A Smash (this is NOT a third attack for the Forward+A Smash!)
Damage: 2-20% (It hits three times, max damage if hit by all 3 attacks is 20% total)
Wind Up Lag: Almost none
Duration: Very Long (The attack itself is fast, but it's three slashes so don't miss)
Wind Down Lag: A little
Range: Medium (only hits above Link, but at a sword length away)
Priority: High
Knockback: Poor-High
Description: Link looks upward and delivers three lightning fast slashes covering the area above him. Chances are you're NOT going to hit with all 3 slashes, the only time you will is if the opponent is near 0% (very near) or you're fighting against a fast falling opponent (like Fox, Falco, or Captain Falcon for example). If you hit with the first hit, however, you will most likely hit with the last slash which has high knockback. The first slash has low knockback, the second has very poor, while the third has high. I'd rather use Half-Moon Swipe personally, seeing as it's only one slash and the overall execution time is faster, it doesn't have as good knockback, but you can combo with much more easily (unless you're fighting against fast fallers, use the Up+A Tilt).

Sword Sweep, Down+A Smash
Damage: 7-17% (forward hit), 6-15% (backward hit)
Wind Up Lag: Almost none (less than the tilts' lag)
Duration: Fast (even though it's 2 attacks, it's still about the same speed as the Sword Slice)
Wind Down Lag: Almost none
Range: Good (it can hit beneath shielding opponents AND it hits on both sides of Link)
Priority: High (if an attack hits this, it will always cancel the other attack)
Knockback: Pretty High
Description: Link crouches and slashes horizontally twice, one in front of him (right above the ground) and behind him (also right above the ground). This move pops opponents up and can lead into juggling an opponent with other moves. It's also great for using against opponents who tend to roll behind you, fake them out by running at them, then use this move (if they try to shield grab you, you might be out of range, plus you can charge this move, so you can wait for their shield to shrink unless they used the light shield, all of this will be explained in the tricks or combos section, don't worry if it doesn't make sense right now).


Aerial Attacks

Although Link is slow, his aerial game is very good, IMO. Use it a lot, it's great for comboing and juggling because of the duration of his attacks and his priority.

Hylian Kick, Neutral-A (while in Air)
Damage: 3-9%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Long
Wind Down Lag: Barely any (none if L-Cancelled)
Range: Decent
Priority: Very High
Knockback: Medium
Description: Link does a jump kick, extending one leg while tucking the other in. This is probably my most used move, period. It is held for a long time and has insane priority, it can interrupt almost all attacks. Refered to as the "sex kick" on SWF (along with other characters' aerial Neutral-A attacks near identical to this one), it is abused by many different players and characters, and should never be overlooked. It can be used to edge guard people above the stage, it's knockback is high enough to keep an opponent from coming back, save Peach. This move can be pressure dropped (explained later, along with everything else) with and so you can drop onto opponents with this move which can lead into many other attacks.

Spinning Sword, Forward+A (while in Air)
Damage: 4-13%
Wind Up Lag: A little
Duration: Medium-Long
Wind Down Lag: A little (almost none if L-Cancelled)
Range: Decent
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Poor-High (depending on which part you hit with)
Description: Link does a huge horizontal slash making him turn 360 degrees in the air. This move CAN send people very far, if you hit them with the front part of the attack, but you can also hit with the back part of the attack, and when Link finishes his spin, the attack in front of him is also rather weak. Basically, you want to hit with the very first part of the attack in front of him, that's where the knockback power and damage is. Can be used to edge guard, but the Hylian Kick is much easier to edge guard with because Link holds it for so **** long. One of my lesser used moves, but it's still very useful.

Double Kick, Backward+A (while in Air)
Damage: 3-7% (first kick), 4-7% (second kick)
Wind Up Lag: Almost none
Duration: Fast-Medium (even with two attacks, it's still fast)
Wind Down Lag: Almost none
Range: Good (a whole leg's distance with Link extending in that direction away)
Priority: Poor-Medium
Knockback: Poor-Decent
Description: Link reaches extra far with his legs (so that he's near straight, but tilted at an angle) to deliver a spinning double kick. The first hit isn't strong, but the second one has decent knockback to get the opponent away, if you don't hit with the second attack, characters like Marth, Samus, and Luigi WILL get an attack on you (if playing against a skilled opponent or a CPU). I don't really use this move too much, although I should, instead I go for a backwards Sex Kick which has very limited range, while this is would be the ideal choice. (Yes, I still have much work to do before I even consider myself a Great Link player).

Stab-Up, Up+A (while in Air)
Damage: 6-16%
Wind Up Lag: A little
Duration: Long
Wind Down Lag: Bad (unless L-Cancelled, then it becomes A little)
Range: Excellent
Priority: Very High
Knockback: Decent-High
Description: Link stabs upward in the air with his sword and holds it for a LONG time. If you've played Link's Adventure, you'll know this move as the Up Thrust. This is one of my most used moves, I love to get opponents in the air and juggle them with this. This move is great because of its range, it can basically hit anywhere from Link's waist and above and has a wide range (although it doesn't seem like it), plus it's priority is insanely high, so if you don't keep the opponent from attacking, you'll at least exchange blows and send the opponent upwards once again. L-Cancelling this move is a must when getting to higher levels of play, if you don't the recovery time is ridiculous (almost as horrible as the Sword Plant). If the opponent makes it below you somehow, you can pressure drop onto the person and smack them with this, launching them into the air once more (make sure you L-Cancel), setting them up for more juggling punishment. Also, this moves range is very useful in the fact that you can destroy Samus' bombs with the tip of your sword without cancelling your attack or you suffering damage (double plus against samus), plus if you're playing against samus, she's a floaty character, so once you get her into the air and used her jumps, she'll have a one **** of a time getting back to the ground. A cool trick is baby jumping in to the opponent while using the C-Stick up (to perform the attack), then L-Cancel, a good way of setting up for combos.

Sword Plant, Down+A (while in Air)
Damage: 10-22% (first hit) 3-7% (any consecutive hits after first in the same attack)
Wind Up Lag: A little
Duration: Long
Wind Down Lag: Very Bad (even when L-Cancelled, this move has Bad Wind Down Lag), None (if L-Cancelled after 2nd hit)
Range: Poor
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very High
Description: Link crouches in mid-air, holding his sword pointed downward and stabs into the ground, then slowly pulls his sword out. People who have played Link's Adventure know this move as the Down Thrust. One of my most used finishing moves and great for building up damage, this move pops people upwards, so when you KO with this, they fly off the top of the screen. Said to be easy to dodge, but if you delay the attack or pressure drop with it, you can strike true, also, you bounce when you hit an enemy, allowing for multiple hits if aimed correctly (the first hit is the strongest in damage and knockback, however). Baby jumping into using this is a popular tactic, and L-Cancelling is a must. Not only does this move take a while to actually attack, but when Link stabs the ground, he's stuck for about half a second to three-quarters of a second pulling his ****ed sword out. L-Cancelling minimizes this time to about an eighth of a second instead. A favorite use of mine is instead of using the Up-Stab, I'll use this at the top of the screen when my opponent is too busy trying DI away from me. This pops the opponent up the usual amount, but since they're at the top of the screen, the ceiling is much closer and ends up KOing people around 50-70%. Almost a guaranteed KO around 120+% (some factors may prevent this from KOing, like an item).

Thanks to JesustheDarkLord for reminding me that you can perfectly L-Cancel the Sword Plant if you hit a second time with the attack. Since the duration of the attack is a given amount, your sword is out for a longer time because you bounce off the opponent, giving you more time to pull your sword back, and it IS L-Cancelling because it doesn't work unless you press L/R before you land. You can also do this without hitting if you jump off of a high enough area in a level, this is NOT because the animation of the attack is done, but it does seems as though pressing L/R shortens the duration of the attack, try it if you don't believe me. If you jump from the top of a high area (like the middle building in Four Side) and land all the way on the lower portion of the same building, you should not be able to get out of it even with double jumping before the attack. If you L-Cancel correctly, it will L-Cancel completely, not leaving you pulling your sword out of the ground, but just standing on the ground, ready to attack. This actually works not only with Link, but Roy as well, and it seems that if you have your midair jump left (for Roy anyways) and use your spike off the edge, you'll recover faster if you use your midair jump than his Up+B (meaning you might possibly be able to shorten Link's duration of his Sword Plant by pressing X/Y, but this is just theory).

Hookshot, Z (while in Air) or L/R+A
Damage: 6%
Wind Up Lag: A little (definitely noticeable when used as recovery)
Duration: Fast-Medium (depends on when you hit the person with the hookshot)
Wind Down Lag: Horrible (You can't do anything in the air when you use this, when you land there's a little)
Range: Excellent (his longest reaching move)
Priority: Decent
Knockback: Medium
Description: Link leans forward and extends his arm, shooting his renowned Hookshot in front of him. This can grab onto walls and can be used as a recovery, also, you can airdodge before using this as long as you use it while you are air dodging (this include the very last frames of the air dodge, so as long as you can't grab onto a ledge while air dodging, you can use this). Beware, being too close to a wall when using this will cancel the attack and you will fall to your death, it counts as using your Up+B technique. I highly recommend using the air dodge before this move, whether you're using it as an attack or a recovery tactic, you are invincible before you use this move (you can dodge a charged smash attack if you were in the air and then shoot them with the hook shot) and it will also give you distance in the direction you airdodged (provided you were holding down a direction).


Grabs/Throws

Grabs are tricky with Link, his Hookshot allows for him to grab enemies at a distance, but at a cost. He has a horrible lag after using the Hookshot if he misses, be very careful when you use this move, if playing against skilled opponents, you will be punished hard for making an opening such as this.

Hookshot, Z or L/R+A (while on Ground)
Damage: 0%

Duration: Fast
Range: Excellent
Priority: Best
Knockback: N/A
Description: Link positions himself so that he stays grounded when he shoots the hookshot to reel an unsuspecting opponent in (if he didn't, he might pull himself towards the opponent!). Use this move carefully, the Hookshot itself comes out fast, but it falls on the ground if it misses, and Link needs to retract it, leaving him open. A prefered use is to Shield Grab people (especially those faster than you) so that you have near a 100% chance to grab the opponent. One of Link's most prized moves, it has an extremely long reach and is the first step to many of his combos. Also note that Link cannot and will never be able to grab opponents that are not on the ground (in SSBM), so please do not attempt this. You may grab an opponent the instant before they touch the ground, but if they're falling (meaning they're not in control of their character), chances are they'll tech and you'll miss, leaving yourself open, so just be careful when you use this.


Hilt Strike, A or Z (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 1-3%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: N/A
Description: Link smacks the opponent he's holding with the hilt of his Master Sword. Use this once or twice against most opponents before throwing to get a little % in, I doubt it will change the outcome of a battle though.

Note: None of Link's throws are KO throws, so the knockback rating is given according to Link only, I know all of his throws have pretty bad knockback compared to Ness's and Mewtwo's back throws, but Link is meant to combo with his throws, not KO. With that out of the way....

Kick Out, Forward (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 1-3%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Poor
Description: Link kicks the opponent away from him (in the direction Link's facing). I don't use this throw very much, if I do, it's on accident, using his up and down throws are much better. It doesn't knock people very far away and the damage is the lowest for any of his throws, stay away from this throw in general.

Reverse Kick Out, Backward (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 1-3%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Poor-Medium
Description: Link swings the opponent around to his backside, and does a backwards standing kick to push the opponent away. This is also a weak throw, has a better knockback than the forward throw, but Link's up and down throws are what you should be using. There's one thing you can do with this throw, to my knowledge, and that's do a forward tilt (in the direction you threw the opponent, obviously) directly after you throw the opponent, chances are you'll hit the opponent and send him away from you, I'll give more info on this in the Combos section.

Sword Launch, Up (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 3-6%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Decent
Description: Link hoists the opponent above him and gives a mighty slash, sending the opponent upwards into the air, some opponents are unable to recover before you get an aerial attack in (I have Falco in mind, although there may be more characters who have horrible air recovery). This is tied as Link's best throw, possibly better than his downthrow. It can set up for many possible combos at lower % and can set up for juggling at higher %, plus, people cannot tech out of this throw, unlike Link's down throw.

Flying Elbow, Down (while Holding oppponent)
Damage: 2-4%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Almost none (Perfect for comboing if not teched out of)
Description: Link drops the opponent on his/her back on the ground, then proceeds by doing a body slam, wedging his elbow into the opponent, popping the opponent up a little if not teched out of. This is my favorite throw, although many players can and will tech out of this given the chance, the people I play against cannot tech out for some reason. This goes directly into several combos, but a very bad weakness of it is that it puts Jiggly Puff in the exact spot needed to hit with Rest, and other floaty characters such as Marth and Samus can attack Link before he can attack after performing this throw. This leads into many attacks, which will be explained in the combos section. When in doubt, use the Sword Launch instead.

Special (B) Moves

These moves are unique to Link and Young Link (although they are unique to each character since the moveset was changed between the two, the attacks look similar) and are really what defines them as the "Hero of Time" (or that item spamming ***** ). Unlike most characters, using the B moves is critical in Link winning against many opponents, they give him the edge (for example, Fox and Falco don't need their B attacks when on the offensive, but they can help) that he just doesn't seem to have while playing against skilled opponents. The characters that are most used in tournies or "top-tier" characters depend on their speed, L-Cancelling, and just about any other tactics more than their B moves (save for use of recovery) because of their other attacks' speeds, while the B moves tend to be laggy (sheik's throwing knives are a different story). Link however, is a slower character and can't depend on his speed as much as those characters, so he depends on his B moves much more. His bombs and boomerang help him out more than anyone can truely possibly imagine. Characters like Marth are extremely hard to beat, near impossible without using Link's B moves, while Marth wouldn't have to use his B moves to beat Link (because Marth is faster and outranges Link otherwise).

Note: The "Link Zone" is merely a joke to not be taken seriously, I made it up. Oh, and if you were wondering, I do have a bad sense of humor, I already know this, so don't bother posting, PMing, or emailing me with flames about it.

Bow, Neutral-B
Damage: 2-18%
Speed: Special
Range: Special
Priority: Very High
Knockback: Low-Medium
Description: Link pulls out his bow (from the "Link Zone") and pulls back on the bow string slowly, when the tip of the arrow begins sparkling, it is fully charged and can fly at incredible speeds. Of course, you don't have to fully charge the arrow, so the speed of the attack can vary, the less charge, the slower the arrow flies, and the worse trajectory it gets. Also, you cannot move while using this and it cannot be stored like Samus, Sheik, Mewtwo, and DK can store their Neutral-B attacks. This attack has insane priority, an uncharged arrow will either cancel out Samus's fully charged Charge Shot, or it will fly right through it. Also, if you shoot an uncharged arrow, it's trajectory will be as such that the arrow will stick out of the ground near vertical, which can be advantageous for blocking ranged attacks such as Samus's Charge Shot.

Boomerang, Forward+B
Damage: 3-16% (when thrown outward) 1-3% (when returning to Link)
Speed: Slow-Medium
Range: Special
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Low
Description: Link pulls out his boomerang (again, from the "Link Zone") and turns his torso to wind up for his throw, then spins back to the opposite direction which he twisted with his arm extended, releasing the boomerang. The range on this attack is special because not only can it be directed, but there are two different versions of this move, the Smash Forward+B and the Tilt Forward+B. Same damage (to my knowledge), different ranges. Obviously, the Smash Forward+B gets more distance of the two. This move is great for spamming and forcing opponents into positions that leave them horribly open to attacks. Link's main use of his projectiles isn't to build up damage (although it's rather nice when you do), but to force your opponent into where you want him. All of these moves are just distractions to keep your opponent's mind off of Link himself. Also, note that Link's boomerang does the most damage if you hit them with the boomerang directly out of Link's hand (I believe both damage and knockback are greater when close to an opponent), that's the only way to get this move to hit for 16%.

Spin Attack, Up+B (while on Ground)
Damage: 8-15%
Speed: Fast
Range: Good
Priority: High
Knockback: Very High
Description: Link spins around several times in one swing of the Master Sword with magical energy emanating from the blade, lengthening the range, and strengthening the attack. This move has a special "sweet spot" if you hit with the last part of the attack (the tip extends for a split second, hitting people close to the attack, but weren't in range originally) and are semi-spiked at a nasty angle of about 30 degrees below horizontal away from the attack, an awesome attack to use for edge guarding. This move can be used from shielding along with part of throw combos. More info on this later.

Spin Attack, Up+B (while in Air)
Damage: 1-4% (per hit)
Speed: Fast
Range: Good
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very Low-High
Description: Link gets boosted upwards while swinging his sword tilted up at an angle in the direction he's facing, can hit multiple times. Each hit, save the last, has very low knock back to keep the opponent in the attack the whole time, then the last hit has high knock back which can KO the opponent off the top of the screen if you use this to juggle (not recommended unless you KNOW it will hit). Most opponents can DI out of this, although not all can, so you might want to try it against your friends to see if they fall for it or not.

Bomb, Down+B
Damage: 1-6% (per hit)
Speed: Medium (take a little bit of time to pull out)
Range: Special
Priority: High (I think)
Knockback: Low-Medium
Description: Link pulls out a bomb (from the "Link Zone") and holds it. Beyond this, you can really use it in many different ways. It can be dropped in midair with Z, it can be thrown using the Tilt Direction+A button (same as throwing with Neutral-A, just directed) , Smash thrown with either Direction+A or Down+B (if a bomb is in your hand, you'll smash throw it forward if you press Down+B again, this also works in the original SSB for N64). This move has great range, seeing as you can use it in midair and while grounded, it allows for you to compensate for the trajectory of the attack, plus you can throw it in 4 directions, at 2 different speeds, AND you can drop it (dropping does the least amount of damage). Many people live and die by the bomb, they always have a bomb in their hand if given the chance to take one out, I however, do not play like this. The range on the attack itself is pretty strange, the vertical range of the explosion is about 3 times that of its horizontal range. You can throw a bomb from an arm's length away and NOT get hit by the explosion while the opponent is smothered in flames for a split second allowing you to execute a quick move (be it a Forward+A Smash, or a Neutral-A) against most opponents. If you throw from above and fall upon the opponent, there's a chance the explosion will hit both of you. I also forgot to mention that Link has a tolerance against his bombs, they hit him for less damage than they would an opponent (if it were Link vs. Link, each Link would be tolerant to their own bombs, but not each other's). This move is great for interrupting opponents in mid smash (given it's a slower smash) or tilt. It's also great to force opponents into situations they don't want to be in. For example, if Link throws the bomb at the opponent, the opponent can dodge, shield, or jump or possibly run away from it, all of these possibilities can be taken advantage of Link (unless the opponent has a strategy against Link's who use bombs to set up opponents). Anyways, I'm not going to get into this now, the description for this is already far too long, I'll describe it in the next section.

Thanks to JesustheDarkLord for this little trick: "The animation of Link pulling a bomb break's samus' grab. Time it so that you've started getting a bomb, but let Samus grab you before it is all the way out. The grapple goes away and Samus is stunned for a sec." -JesustheDarkLord

Section V: Tricks


Ok, this section is what everyone who has no clue what I'm talking about has been waiting for. This describes "tricks" in the game, most are usable with all characters (I'll make a note for if they apply to specific characters). Hope this makes my guide more understandable.

Roll Dodging - While holding L/R, press Left or Right on the Control Stick, your character will perform an evasive technique that moves along the ground (in most cases, a roll) and there are some invincible frames in each roll as well. This is the most basic generic move in the game, it's been around since SSB on the N64, a must in the game. Learn it or lose.

Air Dodging - Press L/R while in the air to become invincible for a short amount of time, this counts a recovery tactic (your character flashes and you are unable to perform any more techniques for the duration of that period while you're in the air. This is one of the most basic skills in the game, and is a must at any tourney level match. If you don't have this down, learn it, it WILL come in handy.

Ground Dodging - While holding L/R, press Down on the Control Stick, your character will either take a step (in most cases, some characters roll, others float, some lean) into the background or foreground and has some invincibility frames. A little more tricky than the other two, IMO, because the timing is the shortest of the three dodges and I find it hard to predict exactly what kind of attack my opponent will use. Almost useless against Mr. Game and Watch, many of his attacks have durations longer than Ground Dodges, meaning you will most likely get hit if you dodge some of his attacks (mainly his smashes) because you'll become uninvincible and still get hit by his attack. Almost useless against CPUs in my experience, the CPUs ***** rapid Neutral-A attacks, meaning you probably won't dodge the whole thing.

Short Hopping (Baby Jumping) - Lightly tap the X or Y button (meaning you release the pressure on the button as fast as possible, especially for the faster characters like Fox, C. Falcon, and Sheik). A must when playing in high level competition (like tournies, most people use these tactics, and the lack of them can hurt you tremendously). Should master it or at least be capable of doing it 50% of the time (preferably 80% or higher) with your chosen character.

Crouch Cancelling (CC) - Hold down on the control stick while being hit to stay on the ground and potentially unphased after the attack, with heavier characters this is to be taken advantage of because they stay unphased until much higher %'s and this can be used to interrupt certain moves/combos that might have lag. Also, it can keep you alive for a lot longer than you would have lasted without CCing because you get slammed into the ground at higher %'s where you are unable to cancel it out. Be careful though, when your % gets too high, a skyward sending attack will take you off the ground, and a horizontal sending attack will not only slam you into the ground, but you will slide across the level (especially characters with low traction, like Luigi, IC, and M2) and if you slide off, at a downward angle, but you still have a chance of recovering, so it's almost always advantageous to CC (don't against shiek when she uses her tilts). This is not necessary, but it is almost guaranteed to improve one's gaming ability.

Directional Influencing (DI) - Hold a direction while being hit (especially hit repeatedly) or after being hit to alter your trajectory (can be used to escape things such as downthrows if you missed teching). Not much more to it, but DIing shouldn't always be away from the opponent, for instance, Young Link's 2nd hit of his forward+A smash misses near the hilt of the sword, so if you're hit by the first hit, you might want to DI towards him so you're not hit by the second, FAR more powerful attack (given you're not playing Marth, Luigi or Samus and interrupt him with an aerial attack). Everyone practically starts out with this mastered, many people do this on accident (they're already masters and the don't know it ).

Teching - Press L/R the instant before you hit the ground (timing is different depending on the character's falling speed) to either flip onto your feet with having to fall on the ground or roll in either direction if you were holding a direction while pressing L/R. This can be used in many downthrows (but not all, Marth, Roy, C. Falcon, and GDorf's downthrow cannot be teched out of, probably more characters as well). Link's, Young Link's, Falco's, and Fox's downthrows are able to be teched out of, probably more are able to be teched out of as well. You should learn this for sure, mastering this is not hard.

L-Cancelling - Press L/R before landing while using an aerial attack (needs to be with C-Stick or A button, B moves cannot be L-Cancelled). This speeds up the wind down lag of practically every air move, even Fox's Drill Kick (aerial down+A), which has very little lag to begin with. Use this and master it, it's a must.

Wave Dashing (WD) - Press X/Y to start jumping, but then press any downward direction on the Control Stick (you can also hold the direction before jumping, but the WD doesn't go as far) and Press L/R to Air Dodge downwards in the direction you pressed. If performed correctly, the character should not air dodge or jump, but instead slide along the ground with a puff of smoke. Many character's WD's are short, this is due to the traction of the character. Please note that the closer to horizontal pressed on the Control Stick results in more distance travelled with the WD. Also, you can perform this while landing from a jump as well, and MAY get more distance than a normal WD, although this hasn't been proven (it may be that people are holding a more horizontal direction). Also, you are not invincible during a WD and you can perform attacks (with most characters, near the end of the WD, although characters with low traction such as Luigi, IC, and M2 an all perform attacks while sliding). If you're having trouble and you just seem to be jumping, with no air dodge, it's probably because you're pressing L/R too soon, you need to wait a little bit. A good practice for this technique is going into practice mode (obviously ) and holding Down on the Control Stick while learning the timing needed for pressing X/Y and L/R, once you get the puff of smoke, you don't jump, and you're not making an Air Dodging sound, you've gotten the hang of WDing. From there, practice going in different directions, first several times in one direction, then in the other. Then practice WDing back and forth (the trickiest of WDing training), when you can get 6 WD's in a row, you are ready to kick some serious butt with this. Note: Link's WD isn't very useful, but learning this IS helpful, and you'll see top-class SSBM players incorporating this into their tactics.

Pressure Dropping (Fast Falling) - Pressing Down on the Control Stick while in the air to increase your downward velocity. This can often be used on accident while performing Down+A aerial attacks, but mastering this can be extremely useful when playing against opponents who can't tell exactly what you're going to do while you're in the air. Make them guess, keep them on their toes, and catch them off guard by throwing in Pressure Dropping with some aerial attacks. Learning this is a must, and learning how NOT to do it might be even more important (Can be avoided by using the C-Stick in Multiplayer, but the C-Stick cannot be used in Single Player mode).

C-Sticking - Using the C-Stick in Multiplayer mode to either perform Smash attacks while on the ground or aerial attacks while in the air (who would've thought, aerial attacks in the air? ). This is extremely useful for smash attacks, and probably more useful for aerial attacks. While on the ground, this performs a smash attack with no charging whatsoever, which means it's the fastest possible smash attack you can get (I don't care how fast your fingers are, you will not be able to smash with the Control Stick as fast as you can with the C-Stick). Note that for smash attacks, you can charge with the A or Z buttons (preferable the Z button because you use a different finger to press that) while using the C-Stick. For aerial attacks, using the C-Stick allows you to perform aerial attacks with altering your trajectory (such as using a back+A aerial without losing forward momentum, or using a down+A aerial without the chance of accidentally Pressure Dropping). Not necessary to play, but it should be at least considered, I know it was hard for me to change over, but I have no regrets.

Shield Grabbing - Right after shielding an attack (while holding L or R), press A, you will instantly come out of your shield and grab the opponent if they are in range. I cannot stress how useful this tactic is, especially since people can shield aerial attacks and grab people from the air (a favored tactic of mine, especially with Link since no one thinks he can grab people out of the air, Sheik can L-Cancel and dodge this, but I think she's the only one). This is a great move for any player that is defensive, don't overuse it and you should do fine with it.

Jump Cancelling - While running, press X/Y and immediately press Z. If performed correctly, you should slide slightly from running, but perform a normal standing grab (no jumping involved) as opposed to the running grab. This is very useful with many characters because many character's standing grabs have longer reach than their running grabs, so the forward movement from sliding (which can obscure the fact that most standing grabs have longer reach than their running counter parts) extends the reach of your standing grab so that it can grab further. Not a tactic I use much, it's practically useless with Link, Young Link, and Samus since their grabs are already ranged (plus YLink's running grab actually does have more range than his standing grab). Link's running and standing grab are no different from one another, and I believe the same with Samus as well. With just about any other character, you should learn this, unless you're playing as a character with low traction, or you've mastered WDing, use this. WD grabbing is much more effective with characters such as Luigi, Mewtwo, Ice Climbers, and Marth than Jump Cancel grabbing is, you get more distance from the wave dash in these cases (this is especially noticable with Luigi), although it really depends on how good at WDing you are.

Quick Stopping - While running, press Down on the Control Stick quickly (like for a smash attack) and you can perform a smash attack with the C-Stick, or if you're fast enough, by using the Control Stick and the A-Button. This is very useful because it doesn't involve the stop-running lag that is normal, instead, you go directly into your smash attack, very useful indeed... You really should learn this, it's something many people use, whether they be top-class, they just read on the SWF, or somewhere inbetween the two.

Dash Dancing - During the start up frames of your character's run, switch directions repeatedly (going back and forth) making your moves unpredictable. This CAN be useful, although I don't incorporate it into my own playing. Mainly used with faster characters that have long starting times for their runs (Captain Falcon, for example).

Wave Dancing - Wavedash back and forth repeatedly, making smoke appear all around your character. This causes your opponent to not know what you're going to do, since you're moving back and forth, but you can still do anything you would normally, since it's WDing. I don't use this, it's very difficult to perform on command (timing is hard to go back and forth WDing repeatedly) and you won't really see many characters using this. You MAY see a Fox use this, other than that, it's really not useful, but it's still a trick that any character can do...

Power Shielding
Melee attacks - Press L/R (to shield) right as you are attacked. If you timed it right, your shield will disappear with a sparkle when used. If you get hit, you're too slow, if you shield and it doesn't go away, your shielding too soon (I think that this is obvious, though you never know...). This is very useful because it completely cancels your shield animation, not having you locked in your shield what-so-ever, allowing you to perform attacks in the opponent's wind down frames of their attack (provided they used a move with wind down lag, so not a neutral-A attack).
Ranged attacks - Press L/R (to shield) right as the ranged attack will hit you. If you timed it right, your shield will have a circle that moves outward and bounces the item back at the opponent in the same path of travel it took towards you. This is useful because it can allow people without reflectors to have a chance against those with ranged attacks. Note that powershielding doesn't change the owner of a pokeball, although reflectors do.

Section VI: Combos and Tactics


This section describes combos and tactics that I use with Link. There are many combos and tactics not covered here, either because I don't know them, I don't use them, or I feel that you should only use them if you can figure them out (If you really want to know some that I haven't shared, email, PM, or IM me, contact info will be at the end of this guide). The point of this section is not to teach you thought up combos, SSBM is not about using long, strung out combos to KO opponents. Combos can help, but the longer a combo becomes, the more situational it becomes (meaning the less chances/opportunities will arise in which you can use the combo). I am not one for situational combos, they are practically pointless IMO because they make you rely on getting an opponent into a position that may not happen as often as you'd like. The combo is dependent upon a situation, and situations don't always occur (unless there's some secret I don't know about) because opponents learn, if you repeatedly use a combo, they'll learn to avoid the situation that allows the combo, therefore destroying your chances of using the combo. If you rely heavily upon situational combos, you are doomed to lose the match because when the situations do not arise, you are **** out of luck. So, what I plan on doing is sharing a few combos with you, they're not long, but I'll explain how they work, so you can understand how Link works (at least partially, I know there are combos that I don't know about, I know Link pretty well, but there are aspects of him that I do not choose to use or study, thus leaving a gap in my knowledge, also it's highly impractical to expect to know every possible combo for a character, there are too many situations and factors involved in the game to be able to think up all of them). Every combo is situational, I'm well aware, but I'm going to share some of the least situational combos with you just to give some examples of how Link works. Oh yeah, I haven't bothered to name any combos because I feel that it's rather pointless to name something that's only situational and can't be used at any time. Anyways, here goes....


Combo #1 - Hookshot (Grab), Hilt Strike (if you want to), Sword Launch, Up-Stab/Half-Moon Swipe/Triple Sword Slice (repeat this last attack as desired).

This is a decent combo that cannot be teched out of, leaving it less situational than Flying Elbow (downthrow) combos, but it's still highly situational. This can only be used IF you grab the opponent, a rather annoying hindrance to using this combo, anyone who's played against skilled players know that it's hard to grab opponents with Link, especially fast characters like Fox and Sheik who can L-Cancel their aerial attacks and dodge before Link can get his hookshot into the opponent. Also, some characters are capable of escaping this if they jump and you're timing isn't up to par. What I want to explain to you is HOW it works. Obviously you must find an opening for you to grab, once you've got them, throw them (you don't have to do the Hilt Strike, I don't) upward, so far everything makes sense. Now, why use Half-Moon Swipe (Tilt Up+A)? Because it has fairly low knockback and decent stunning ability so it can be used repeatedly. Why use Up-Stab instead? Because depending on the character's weight and %, they will travel upwards different distances, therefore you need to adapt to the situation, if they're too far away for you to use your Half-Moon Swipe, go for your Up-Stab. If fighting against a fast falling opponent (C. Falcon, Fox, Falco, etc.) or heavy opponent (Bowser, DK, GDorf, etc.), use Triple Sword Slice because it will most likely hit three times, and send the opponent into the air for juggling. Perfectly logical. You can build on or change this to adapt to situations, the more open a combo is, the more adaptable it is. See, if I had only included Half-Moon Swipe, it wouldn't be able to reach opponents that recover while in the air and out of reach of Link, so I included the Up-Stab to allow for adaptability. Still, it's situational, and you shouldn't just use memorized combos in battle. The point of this guide is to give examples of things that should be instinct to you, not just something you've memorized.

Combo #2 - Hookshot (Grab), Hilt Strike (if you want to), Sword Launch, Short Hop (or full jump depending on character and %), and Sword Plant.

This is a very short combo, basically 3-4 hits, still situational. The only thing you need to worry about is the opponent recovering while in air, which I can almost assure you they won't. One other thing is getting the Hookshot to connect, it's not as easy as some people may think when playing against skilled opponents. You NEED to connect with the Hookshot in order to do the combo (although that should be given, in order to combo, the attacks need to connect, but the Hookshot is harder to connect with than any other move of Link's, unless you shield grab or you know your opponent too well).

Combo #3 - Hookshot (Grab), Hilt Strike (if you want to), Sword Launch, Short Hop (or full jump depending on character and %), and Sex Kick (Hylian Kick).

Yet another variation on on the throw combo. When grabbing an opponent, you shouldn't plan to do any combo at first, you should just react to what happens when you throw your opponent. This one may not be as powerful as the others, but it can set up for other attacks, like pressure drop to a dash attack, for example (to where the opponent will land from the attack to pop them up again). There are so many throw combos with Link, it's hard to think of all of them.

Combo #4 - Throw bomb (given you've pulled a bomb out, and that you're very near the opponent), throw boomerang, Forward+A Smash (both hits if possible, if second smash hit connects, Up-Stab repeatedly).

This will almost always work, from my experiences. The bomb stuns them long enough for you to get a boomerang out (you should not have boomerang catching frames, you should be THAT close to the opponent) and the boomerang stuns for a long enough time for you to get out a barely charged Forward+A Smash (maybe an eighth to a quarter of a second, depending on % of the opponent). The second hit is what you really want to hit with, it can send them skyward so you can follow up with an Up-Stab before they recover.

Combo #5 - Throw bomb (given you've pulled a bomb out, and that you're near the opponent), use hookshot as opponent lands on the ground (they lift up a little bit, unless CCed) then proceed with Combo #1, 2, or 3 (or make up your own!).

This is great just because it stuns your enemy and does an additional 9% damage before starting one of the other combos I mentioned, and it adds variety to your attacks, making you slightly less predictable. Also, the opponent can try to dodge the bomb, but they will not dodge long enough to avoid the throw, and end up getting grabbed in the first place. Another instance you could use this is if the opponent shields the bomb, then you can grab them from their shield, and possible hit them with the bomb while you're reeling them in, still doing a little damage.

Some "tactics" (and rules that I follow) I use:

WD back to shield grab - This can be very useful against opponents that realize you shield grab them from the air and try to land behind you. Surprise surprise, they're still in front and you still shield grab them, if they catch onto this though, I don't know, people have never found away to get around my defensive playing style...

Projectiles - From the bomb, the boomerang, and the bow, Link has an arsenal of ranged attacks that are meant to not only hit opponents, but force opponents into positions that they would not like to be in (I can keep any of my opponents from getting near me until I want them to with my projectiles and using them to close out areas in which they can stay to avoid attacks). Also, preempting opponents is very useful with ranged attacks, like throwing your boomerang at an upwards angle instead of straight, the opponent may try to jump to avoid a normal boomerang throw, and if he doesn't, then they might disregard it's return and it'll smack them and interrupt them while they approach you or are attacking you, either setting them up for one of your own attacks or for saving your butt from their onslaught.

Timing and Coordination - This is not the same timing as timing the point at which your attacks hit, or your eye hand coordination. This is timing your attacks and coordinating them so they chain together in unescapable combos, so that you may attack an opponent without fearing that they might retaliate. If you learn the timing of each attack (like duration and wind up/down lag), you'll be able to make your own combos that are situational. You may not be aware of the combos you do, but you'll just do them by instinct when the opportunity arises for a combo that you see capable of happening.

Bomb Cancelling - Something Kenshin and I actually discussed this on AIM. You can use your up+B right before your bomb explodes, and CC it, so that you stay grounded and it cancels your attack after you hit with it. Pretty neat, huh? This is good for if you're not sure if your opponent will shield your up+B, this'll get you out of it much faster, and you'll be on the ground ready for another attack (you could use up+B again, or a forward+A smash, or whatever). Your % needs to be lower than 39%, in order to not be phased, however. If you are above, you slam into the ground, and you can use your attack while getting up (press A while lying on the ground) to catch the opponent off guard. Another way of doing this is throwing the bomb up and having it explode on you while it's falling, much less predictable and highly situational, but if you can pull it off, it's worth it, the opponent will never see it coming (hitting yourself with your own bomb, on purpose? YEAH RIGHT! Well, if you've read this, then I guess you won't be fooled...).


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Section VII: Last Words


Well, I hope this guide served it's purpose. I hope you all have a better understanding for Link, and more generally, the game. This was not meant to teach you how to play as Link, is was meant to let you understand Link, so you can learn how to use him with your own experience. I did include many things I have learned in my experiences, hoping to save you the time and trouble I went through learning this stuff over 10 months. I know my goals seems to be strange to most of you, but understanding how Link plays is one of the most important parts in using him (or playing against him for that matter). If you don't understand how he works, how do you plan on using him, or defeating him? Anyways, good luck with playing Link or playing against him!

I would like to thank many people who helped me with this guide and encouraged me through the time that I was writing this:

Smasha (tMoC), I'm eternally in your debt for your constant encouragement and guidance throughout these 10 months I've talked to you. You've always been supportive and helpful, and you've taught me almost all I know, whether you want to believe it or not. I've learned so much from this game because you've inspired me. On OCR, when you'd post several page long posts, showing your in-depth knowledge and love for the game. I've always wanted to reach your level of knowledge, love, and understanding, and I think I'm coming close by writing this guide. Thanks so much for all the praise you've given me, it's helped me stay motivated in writing this guide, and I'm glad I was able to meet you and learn so much. You've put up with me for so long, from when I really was a n00b to the game, all the way to now.... I don't know how you did it, but thanks for putting up with me for this long. Oh yeah, I can't believe I almost forgot, I can never thank you enough for the sig that I use on OCR, it was the first I had ever used, and you gave it to me as a gift of friendship 300 posts ago... Wow, I felt so good when you made me that sig, I was one of the people "in the group" with my "Wanna Smash?" sig... :D

JesustheDarkLord, I'm also eternally in your debt for you being there. You've helped me more than once with this guide, correcting my mistakes and by giving me additional info. You've also been very helpful in teaching me the ways of Link, and I'm forever grateful to what you've helped me accomplish, I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks for helping with the thread also, and for going through it all to pull out all the useful info thus far. Thanks for talking to me on AIM as much as you do, I wish our schedules were more convenient for each other to talk, but I'm thankful for the times we have talked...

Kenshin, I had to change this since you actually ended up reading it. Wow, I never thought you'd waste your time on someone like lowly little Garde here... Thanks a bunch man, you inspired me to write this guide about Link. After I read your guide on SWF, and the discussion of Link continued on for something like 9-10 pages, man, I just HAD to write something, so here it is. Sorry for making it so long, I know you're busy and all, but it really means a lot to me that you'd look over it for me, and that you'd encourage me to post it on SWF. I'm thinking of doing that now... If not anything else, it'll skyrocket my post count :D . Thanks again man, from one Hardcore Link Fan to another.

Wavebuster, thanks for giving me the list of the Official Move Names. Thanks for also testing out everything I asked you about on OCR, you didn't have to, but you did anyways. Also, you started out posting in a way that most of us didn't appreciate, but when asked, you started posting longer and more intelligently, without ever complaining or flaming us, thanks so much for being a great person. You've also seemed to learn a lot from the thread, and I think it shows in your posts, keep it up, and once again, I couldn't have made the guide what it is without you!

Chocobo150, thanks for reading through my guide and giving me positive feedback. I can't believe we've both been around since near the birth of the "OCR's Super Smash Bros. Melee Community" thread, and I can't thank you enough for your efforts on the thread (by going through the whole **** 230+ pages and getting links to all the useful info), writing your guide, and by reading mine.

GrayLightning, thanks for providing constant music to me while writing the guide :D. Also, I can't believe you read the whole guide, I mean, I just wanted to show you how long it was... I don't even know if you've played SSBM before (I know you played SSB), but you put up with my silliness (SP?) and was supportive of me also, thanks a lot man.

I'd like to thank OCR's Super Smash Bros. Melee Community for allowing me a place to really get into the game 9-10 months ago. I've loved the thread to it's many deaths throughout the 230+ pages where topics come back repeatedly. If only the new people that join the thread would READ all the pages before asking a question that's been asked 15 times or more.

I'd like to thank the Smash World Forums for providing me with access to hundreds of other smashers across the nation, allowing for productive debates where I learned a lot. Although I may not agree with everything the majority of the SWF says, it's a great source of information and my skills after going to SWF increased exponentially.

Wow, amazing guide. The tricks section is a must read for any player, much less a Link one. This is getting bookmarked just for that section. Great descriptions and tactics.

Excellent work. I've been thinking about picking up Link, and your guide breaks down every move AND its uses. This is very well written and gives me some ideas on how to improve my combos with Link. Your time and effort is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Travis, I remain extremely impressed by the extent of your guide. I'm glad that I could play even a small part, but you've gone beyond the expectations of everyone. I printed off one copy for my proofreading, but I thik I'll print off another one for my personal records.

You still won't be bothered if I incorporate this into my Smasha guide will you? tMoC is supposed to be looking at my Ness info right now, but who knows with is lazy self.

Wow guys. 42 views.... I know it's a long read, sorry bout that...

Thanks for the positive feedback guys, it really means a lot to me that you liked my guide. I spent something like 12-14 hours on it, and I'm glad it paid off. :D

JtDL, of course you can use it in your big guide. And yeah, tMoC will take his sweet old time on reading that info, although I don't really blame him. He's got that tourney to host, so he's probably occupied with that right now...

Dude, really awesome guide. There might be one more to add to the "Who is the mightiest Link of them ALL" Welcome to the club dude. Very few memebers. Like.....3...or 4...and with you it makes 4 or maybe 5 heheh.

For a person with little competition you made a very detailed guide. Nothing wrong with it really. So no correction needed, the only part with any great guide is that there is always room for more information .


So I'll get everything started with peoples idea's on certain aspects.


To add to the pros and cons.


Pro-

Link is the most well balanced character in the game. Everything he has can be covered by something else if thought out well enough. This can't be said with any other character. His speed, projectiles, heavy nature, priority, and power make him the best character in the game in my opinion. In any game you have the basic tier as the basic foundation and then everything is judged by player skill and level setting. Some characters do better than others, but with Link you don't excel in any area but you also don't lack anything. Meaning you have a WIDE adaptive ability for ANY character. You just have to work at it. On fast characters you rely on your projectiles to help you slow the enemy down, or as another aspect use them offensively as a replacement for that little difference in speed. Every character can be adapted to Link.

Con-

Though him being balanced, this is a well placed double-edged sword. Because he does not excel in anything you have nothing to exploit. Nothing you can use at an early stage of the game to kill someone right off. Meaning, and this will probably bite me in the *** later, BUT you have to work as a player more indeptly and more skillfully to keep up. You have to work harder then the person you playing against because lets face it, marth's C-stick and counter keep you off the stage either way, sheik's foward arial pwns you when you get caught into tilt combo's, mario's smash or even back throw, peach's ability to come back from EVERY finishing move you lay on her just to have her ***** slap you or down smash you into oblivion, her skirt will do enough damage to put you into kill range if used 3times or just once when crouch canceled. You have to work on your attacks, like Garde said, you have to build up the % then finish, everything has to be calculated. This is the biggest con ever because this is the main reason no one plays Link. He's to hard of a character to use effectively. He has nothing to exploit. People say his Up+B, but a ture Link player knows the extreme dangers of using that.




To add to peoples idea's


Link is slow, but in the right hands can keep up with any other character.

It just depends on if your skilled enough as a smasher to bring out his full potential.

Link is all skill. Tier does not exist when using him. Its all determined on the player. Nothing to exploit, but also nothing lacking.


Post up idea's, opinions, or even questions for garde. This is his guide. If you come up and say "Link gets pwned by this character", be prepared to be proven WRONG IN EVERYWAY. I trust in Garde's Link, and soon......you all will FEAR IT!!


"Sheik pwns Link, her arial is so much blah blah blah, and she can blah blah blah"

"Fox is higher tier blah blah blah, generally better, blah blah blah"


Very soon Link won't be the "oh, hes a n00b character." No with this guide is the first step of many of turning Link into a player based character.

"Crap he chose Link.....is he a master.....crap I might lose....what do I do...."


FEAR.....soon Link will put fear into everyone who sees him chosen.

Heres a truth about link . . . Though I enjoy cremating the little ******* because he's just the right weight for me to do practically all of my combo's that i've created (even the 100% dmg'ing ones) He is a freaking dangerous character.

I say that Link belongs in a tier of his own because of his awesome-ness.

From playing smash bro's i've learned something very appealing . . . Characters who have up B's out from shielding are more dangerous than characters who don't. Thus, Bowser is a great defensive character because he can grab and do a spin out attack to kill people as well as move and retreat.

Link has this as well, and it has abhorable power.

Characters with projectiles have a big defense, because they are attacking from long range, and are ready to attack or shield grab when your are close.

The glory of Link is that he's a TANK. I've described him as this in the other version as well, whenever I play as him I feel like i've got some kind of huge tank in my hands. Link is really powerful, just about all his smashes are good killers, even the up tilt is fatal much like Zelda's up tilt or Bowsers. And with this strength of smashes, he even has one of the FASTEST and most POWERFUL downsmashes in the game. And since its fast and powerful, why not take it a step further and make it combo well too. Yes it does.

Smashes are powerful, and adding to that the up and B is powerful, this makes for a funny contrast.

Link's huge defensive with throwing projectiles and setting up for smashes that KILL. A defensive that has a fast and long reach from shielding, and a up B out of shielding that covers either side. . . your in for a deal of trouble if you face link.

In my opinion, Link is one of the best characters out there, he should be up on the tier next to samus and Ganondorf if he already isnt.

********

now young link . . . I just like him better because his up and B doesn't kill so easily, and again in my own opinion, A Link's up and B is too poweful, it seems like a broken move and an advantage he really doesn't need. The downsmash from a shield grab (possible to do that very fast) and a great shield grab is all he really neads.


Link, more power to ya, but your still not getting my Triforce of Power.

-cackles and swings odens sword around-

Oh I forgot to say, Garde, you did an extrodinary job on your guide. I enjoyed to see that you used the CORRECT names for Link's moves, and you did similar things in your guide that I did with mine. Overal you improved yours in some ways but left out some things that were in mine (minor things, not much) I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Most of the things I read, I already know, having experienced a grand Link player myself (and being remotely skilled with him) You had a few tricks I havn't though of using (the short arrow sticking in the ground to block Skankus Khans, or Skamus 's(samus) fully charged blaster.
Might I say, I've enjoyed the section dedicated to Wave-dashing, i'm proud that you put so much into it.

I'm glad that you posted this my friend, -smiles-

Kenshin, there's a Link club?
Haha when did this happen?
I've desided to overhaul my Link (and actualy train with him). He needs to get way better.
In the past i've been a projectile spammer, weakening my prey before i go in for the kill.
But now i'm rounding out my game. I've played Kenshin alot and i'll be taking up his Taijutsu skills. Shouldn't be to hard i copy most of them in the middle of battle anyway.
I'm also working on a true life Sharingan, hahaha.
Kenshin you're gona get mad. I'm taking everthing you have and using it as my own.
Oh yah nice guide.

Sweet^_^ Finally a smash player who really does Link justice with a good guide-type thing and it should be noted nothing is as good for your play with Link as practice, practice, practice!

There might be one more to add to the "Who is the mightiest Link of them ALL" Welcome to the club dude. Very few memebers. Like.....3...or 4...and with you it makes 4 or maybe 5 heheh.

Click to expand...

lol, i guess i gotta make a Link FAQ if i'm ever to join the club....

Anyways, great FAQ, lots of stuff I do, combo's etc. Link's been my main man ever since the beginning of Smash, and haven't changed since. I've thought up alot of combo's and strategies, and have seen just about all of them covered in your FAQ. Very good job.

Nice guide Garde (I know you from OCR, teehee), although I'd like to point out two minor things. One, his grab has a bit of a lag before it, more so than other character (except for Yoshi and Samus) I think this hurts his defensive game lots, as you can't shield-grab worth suat against an agile character. However, I also believe Link shouldn't ever be in one place shielding. Two, his forward smash #1 isn't all that powerful, and it ain't lag free. Nice guide anyways, and I commend you. Watch GAJK come in and ask you to put it in Project Imperforate >__>

I'm not taking up Link though, my brother's handling that just fine.

Kenshin, are you KenshinXx?

Thanks a lot. Kenshin, you were right, I've turned to the dark side... :D

Well, I don't really consider myself that good at the game, even though I know all that stuff, and I do incorporate it in my game, but I still don't think I'm that good. I took a long break while writing this guide, and my timing is off in general, although I tend to use up+B more than I used to, and I'm not happy with that. Ah well, I need to practice to get back to my good ol' self again. Since this guide is done, I have a lot more free time on my hands than I did before, so I should be able to put the time in and practice all the stuff I used to do. Time to smash.... *picks up nearest controller and starts smashing*

You know, I should make a post about how I am NOT kenshinXx. Seriously lol.

Dang Garde get with the program man, someone made a comment on the grab. Advise it, but add to it.


Though Link's grab is slower than the rest of the hand grabbers that is only natural since his is a grapple. BUT his does work as a hand grab when "A" close enough from the ground...."B" the enemy is in the air above you. You can actually grab people from out of the air....only thing is they have to be somewhat above you...practice it....with sheik i guess....mario would work to....

Go into training mode...down throw...immediatly turn around and grab....now mind you they have to be above your head to work....wish i could explain HOW far from you but i cant so ill let yall try it out.

Sorry Kenshin...

Kenshin is right though, Link's grab is practically instantaneous when you're right in someone's face, but they're in the air. I don't know what you mean by close enough from the ground, could you be more specific Kenshin? I do the air grab all the time, but just about everyone here doesn't believe Link can grab people from the air.

So, MetaKnight0, you're duran1, right?

Oh yeah, I feel my Link skills are becoming closer to what they were. Not totally up to par with how good I was, but getting there, give me a week or so. Writing this guide really took all my time away from SSBM, and now I'm really rusty. Anyways, sorry I wasn't on the ball Kenshin, I'll be on top of things faster from now on.

Hey my first post on Smashboards Anyway this is an excellent guide, pretty nice of you to spend all that time writing it down, it's appreciated. One thing though, I feel people underestimate Link's down tilt. I rarely use it for actual fighting, but when it comes to edgeguarding it's quite useful. It hits low enough to catch anyone trying to grab the edge, and by crouching while waiting for your opponent to come into range you can CC his Up+B attack and still spike him to death. Even if you don't manage to spike your target you'll still pop him (or her) up in the air, allowing you to follow with a quick aerial forward+A slash to finish the job.

Kenshin is right though, Link's grab is practically instantaneous when you're right in someone's face, but they're in the air. I don't know what you mean by close enough from the ground, could you be more specific Kenshin? I do the air grab all the time, but just about everyone here doesn't believe Link can grab people from the air.

Click to expand...

Yeah, i've done that before. I think you can chain grab with Fox or Falco...but playing a real person they'd probably tilt, or "DI" out of it.

You don't really have to be above them, just close, like body close. It's like your trying to do jigglypuff's rest, except you throw them. Well, not that close, pratice it in training mode.

See now, this is what I'm talking about. Garde has done Link great justice with this guide. I was considering writing up a guide myself, but I'd much rather just relocate myself to anyone who wants me to show them something, cause I hate typing. Anyway though, Garde hit tons of crucial points about Link. As of late, I've found myself using the hookshot alot not only to grab people with, but as my 6% attack friend. ALL of my opponents have been caught of guard by me using my hookshot to stop them in their tracks as they are about to pull out some move that certainly would have sent me to my doom. Hitting someone with the hookshot immediately interrupts pretty much every move that they can perform (with some exceptions I have found), and it really surprises the **** out of the opponent. It adds a medium range of fighting that you can incorporate between closer range attacks and long range attacks. I've also been using it to edge guard, as it's reach allows you to stay on the level, while smacking your opponent out of their recovery. I am glad that it was mentioned in the guide.

Also, while I know many people might frown on this, I've been using the "throw your bomb in the air and spin attack into it" recovery. I don't see too many Link users perform this move, and I think that it should see the light of day more often, as it really extends Link's recovery by great lengths. On Final Destination, I can return from a "magnified" distance that even the hook shot can't make. Very very useful, and I would urge people to try it.

I don't want to turn this topic into my Jedi mind tricks with Link, otherwise I'll just go on forever about running under the Great Fox in the Venom level. Anyway, thanks again to Garde for the guide, this is bringing much reawareness to Link's prowess. And if anyone wants to discuss Link tactics with me, my aim sn is the same as my board name. Peace everyone.

Garde, I've already tld you what I think. I think it's nuts.

Wow Kubuu, thanks for the review! I know it's a really long read, and it means a lot to me that all of you guys read it. Also, the hookshot technique is very useful, but I don't use it all that often, in fact, I've only used it once or twice, so I need to practice up and get it down. Even if the opponent IS expecting it, it still adds a little more mental power to your side because they don't know WHEN you will use it. Also, about the down+A tilt, I don't use it often, because you can edge hog instead. Also, you can only CC certain attacks given you are under a certain %, so it sort of adds more of a risk to it. I'm usually at very high % because I tend to not die (so I'm around 120-170%, which makes CCing VERY useful, but at the same time, you wouldn't purposefully get hit by an attack when you could just as easily not get hit, right?). Also, I've never been able to throw a bomb and hit it, giving me an extra jump, I'd like it if someone explained that to me (the bomb always bounces off my sword and I don't get hit), and so I don't rely on it since I cannot do it myself, I should have mentioned it in my guide though, thanks. I do know of using your up+B right when a bomb in your hand is going to explode, I've used that since the original SSB. Oh yeah, I'll IM you some time *puts Kubuu on buddy list*

What I mean't by closer by ground. I mean't it as in hes close to you while standing. Sorry, I really can't type on this forum or chat rooms for that matter. You get so used to just typing gibberish and hope the other person understands. If y'all are wondering about the sudden change in grammer, spelling, and other ****. Well that's because I have to write a paper for english and I really do not want to retype that **** when I find out I completely screwed something up, so yeah.


I mean't it as he is close to you by the ground as in he is standing next to you.


Second, about the edge gaurding. Chances are doesn't matter crouch canceling or not, your gonna be stunned by their UP+B. I really do not know what kinda peeps you play but nowadays everyone sweetspots the edge. Meaning once your stunned with the Up+B no matter HOW fast you are, they will end up grabbing the ledge gaining that one second of invunerability and you would have missed your chance. I have found out a new way of edge gaurding that works PERFECTLY. Only thing is I was never proned to edge guarding off the stage or even edge hogging for that matter. So when I remind myself to use it, its ****ing awesome. When I don't remember, I get it up the ***.

Will mention more about that technique later though. Have to perfect it, find out pro's, con's, and etc.



About the whole hookshot attack thing. I used that once for a game. As in just that one move. It was pretty fun. But all and all useless in a match. Link is a slow character, that is a fact. No matter how much L-cancelling you do, if your opponent does the samething, chances are he's a hella lot faster than you are. So pulling out something like that is really wasting a move. Now using it to gaurd yourself from certain situations is not a waste. I used it to save my *** more than once and I thanked god I could do that, but on the attack its just stupid. You really don't have time to waste moves. What I mean by wasted moves is that, if you choose at that moment to use up the time given to pull out a move that has really no place in that situation, meaning you just pulled it out just for damage sake, then thats a wasted move. Like, if someone has the chance to kill someone with an up+B but instead they do a arrow and sex kick combo, well that right there is a wasted move. The person is still alive and they still have the chance to kill you.


With Link you have to cut your move usage down. Find out what works for when and whats the efficiency of it. Don't choose something just because its stronger. Forward+tilt in some opinion is better than the forward smash. I don't have this believe, since hey, the forward smash pulls out faster. Anyone who uses Link to an extreme extent would know what I'm talking about. Forward tilt is insanely slow compared to forward smash. But that also doesn't mean abuse one move. No it means cut your usage down in certain situations. We in the d-krew have something called a tool box. Meaning during one situation we have a possibilty of doing 3 to 5 different things that work to a great degree. If a person catches on to one possibility then switch it up. You can't tool box something by just throwing moves out there. Nothing is calculated and your just basically swinging your sword out in the dark hoping your gonna hit something. With every move that I do there is always a back up. If you hear me yell "****" that means I know I'm screwed. That only happens on 2 occations. Missed grab or up+b. Other than that, everything is calculated.

I know the potential pro's and con's of every action against every character.

Lean the efficiency of your moves. I know in a boomerang, or even using that time to pull out a bomb could be more well spent that using a hookshot for attack purposes.

Could add more, but I'm going off into sleepy mode so eh....

Thats my 2 cents

About the hookshot thing, when I play, I use it more as a combo breaker, or a deathblow stopper more than anything else. I don't make a strategy purely around using the hookshot to attack. But after playing the DA crew, you learn that you have become freaking innovative. While we all know being gully with Link's projectiles will help your game out tremendously, there are just some situations where you have to pull something out that's insanely different, like a hookshot attack. I mean, I'll never give up KO'ing someone to use the attack, but there are certain times where I've found myself with no other alternative and smacking that opponent back with that hookshot saved me a stock. It's one of those things that you see in action, and then you're like "Oh, I see now", at least thats how I see it.

I think I said in my guide to use it as an attack. If I did, I meant that you can attack the opponent with it when you'd be attacked and screwed otherwise. I still haven't gotten that down, I'm not to good at air recovering yet (tapping the control stick left and right to regain control of my character), it's not second nature to me, so I need practice up.

Kenshin, your point is very clear, and I don't think any of us would actually be stupid enough to use the move instead of finishing someone off, although I see your point in that instead of using the move, you can use a different move that would do more damage, and a move that's faster, allowing you to combo and not leave yourself as open, so thanks for posting that little bit!

About the down tilt again...

Well I don't know, so far I've never really had any problem spiking with it as it seems most characters can't grab the edge without getting hit by it first. And as for crouch-cancelling, it's a pretty uncommon sight since Link's sword has enough range to keep people from hitting him with their up+B, but I do recall crouch-cancelling my friend's aerial spin slash (he was playing as Young Link) and then spiking him to his doom before he could grab the edge.

The thing is, if people can use their recovery to perfectly grab onto the ledge (I'm pretty sure every character can), they will not get hit by it, and can attack you during your wind down lag. This is very bad, because you could be KOed instead of the opponent if you're at a high enough %, or you'll just give away an advantage you had. Sometimes it's wise to use the down tilt to CC through their recovery and send them downwards the instant before they grab on. I tend to like to jump out off the level and use the sex kick, personally. It seems a lot safer to me, so I usually use that.

Hmm... Well I never saw anyone grab the edge without getting hit by the slash, but then again I don't use it that often, so maybe every single time my opponent didn't time his last jump correctly. I never thought about using the sex kick when edgeguarding, doesn't it lack power a bit?

Originally posted by Garde
The thing is, if people can use their recovery to perfectly grab onto the ledge (I'm pretty sure every character can), they will not get hit by it, and can attack you during your wind down lag. This is very bad, because you could be KOed instead of the opponent if you're at a high enough %, or you'll just give away an advantage you had. Sometimes it's wise to use the down tilt to CC through their recovery and send them downwards the instant before they grab on. I tend to like to jump out off the level and use the sex kick, personally. It seems a lot safer to me, so I usually use that.

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The sex kick is certainly not the most powerful move in the game, or even in Link's arsenal. It, however, has a very high priority (at least in my experience), and the knockback is decent enough that Link has enough time to recover and attack again even if he doesn't L-cancel. It's not necessarily my first choice for edge-guarding, but I would recommend that you never rule it out - run off the side, sex kick, and recover to the stage. If your opponent is above 60%, it's almost a guaranteed KO - unless you are playing against one of those dastardly princesses.

edgeguarding is a lot harder then you think it would be, especially with Link. The thing about is, you should RARELY ever encounter someone who can't sweet spot anymore. Everyone can sweet spot the ledge. If they are above the stage, they pressure drop below the ledge and again sweet spot. The sex kick off the stage is the best way to handle things in most cases. Just because they are low on damage doesnt mean anything because of 2 reasons "A" they're obviously NOT crouch canceling...and "B" their in the air which means the sex kick will have a lot more knockback, especially with them flying into it. However like mentioned some characters can come back from this, not only is the peach annoying but there are many other characters that can get around edgegaurding. Really edge gaurding is all genjutsu (aka mindgames) depending on how well you can read your opponent and how pressured they are will depend on the outcome of the edge gaurd. If they are calm and you have no idea what their going to do....there on the stage.....if they are pressured, then there will be some lag time in movement and decisions......but if you have both...then you have edgegaurding....



Again, everything is mostly situational...I use the UP+B even if someone is above the ledge and the EDGE of the stage...they still fall around the sword and sweet spot the ledge....so again.....DECIDE what your going to do...


"the best decisions are made when you place them under impossible odds" meaning if you plan your opponent to be the BEST in the world and plan him to KNOW everyone of your moves...they you can cover your butt pretty well


Thats my 2 cents

Originally posted by JesustheDarkLord
It, however, has a very high priority (at least in my experience)

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****, tell me about it... that thing goes through EVERYTHING! and it's not like a weak hitting move, it has decent stun and good knockback on top of its overwhelming priority... stupid sex kick beating out everything doc has... i hate you, kenshin...

Hum well that's most interesting, I'll have to try that move for edgeguarding next time I play...

excelent guild dude, I'm thinkin of makeing a Young Link one and was wondering if I could use some of the stuff from yours, well because I'm one lazy dude. Again great job.

Well guys, I can say a few things for sure. I've learned many things since I wrote this guide, and I can tell you one thing's for sure. I was definitely right about learning WDing, even if Link's is crap. I just played against X Japan, DA's Link, and he kicked my butt (along with blk-samus4life, bluchu, and Evil_Peach18). I was out in NYC and we played a little bit, and WDing makes a huge difference in playing. Also, edge guarding with Link IS difficult, and I can tell you that using a sex kick against Samus will most likely not KO her if she can bomb jump (something I hadn't really seen used well until blk-samus4life used it).

Back to WDing though. The DA crew (or at least the members I played) used WDing a lot, I can definitely say that they have mastered it, because they were Wave-Dancing with each of their characters when they'd KO me (without messing up once). Shield grabbing with Link is very hard to do against the upper tier characters, and WDing backwards into a forward smash is much more effective. Also, stay on your toes, you never know when someone (blk-samus4life) will catch it and throw it right back in your face, EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don't mean to be giving away secrets, but after playing them, I've realized that I have a lot of work to do before I can even consider myself good at using Link. Where they were masters at L-Cancelling and WDing, I still mess up on them often, and their timing and mastery of character specific tricks puts them several levels above me in skill. WDing works, it's much better than rolling away from an opponent. While rolling leaves you open against fast characters, WDing doesn't. You aren't stunned while WDing, but you are when you roll. WDing doesn't get you as far, so you need to compensate, or WD twice (the DA crew can Wave-Dance for heaven's sake, learning how to WD twice in one direction is not hard, I can do that). You travel around the same speed, except you're not left paralyzed like in a roll. I know this sort of came out of nowhere, but I couldn't really think of a more suitable thread to post it in than in my Link Guide since it's still concerning stuff I learned about Link, and that I think others should know. Oh yeah, I gotta thank the DA crew for playing me, sorry I wasn't more of a challenge, but I hope that by next TG (which I will hopefully make it to) I'll be a lot better, maybe near your guys' level of skill. Thanks for teaching me some cool stuff.

Oh yeah, that reminds me, I gotta say that you can use the hookshot AFTER you air dodge, but only for a limited time, I've always used during my air dodge, but I noticed X Japan using it afterwards, and I asked him about it, thanks for that little bit of info X Japan. Oh yeah, using your hookshot while in the air can also be useful, but it depends on the situation. It should be used while Air Dodging to avoid an attack and while the opponent is at a medium amount of %, so that the opponent won't recover instantly and smack you (like Luigi can). I'm not sure if it can be L-Cancelled, but I'm gonna check after I finish typing this post.

X Japan, if you read this, remember what we both said, "If only Link had a wall jump." Also, thanks for playing against me, it was awesome to see a **** good Link, and well, I liked it when you beat Bluchu also, it's good to see Link win. Oh yeah, I learned from watching you to grab bombs that opponents shield away and throw them again, thanks for that, it's really helped me.

Y.Linkpwnsurmom, you can use anything from my guide, just as long as I get credit. The whole point of my guide is to help people, whether it be learning Link, or writing a guide .

Edit: I think I may have come up with an idea on how to beat Samus' uber recovery. Samus' bomb jump is really good, but the samus I played against used it in combination with the grapple beam to wall jump, then midair jump to forward+A aerial onto the stage. If you can get in the way of the grapple beam, bye bye samus, I think. Of course, Samus COULD use her up+B instead of using the grapple beam and then you could possibly get screwed instead, so it's sort of risky business, but if you can pull it off and get back go for it. I know this is off topic, but I had to say it.

awesome guide man, link is definitely worthy of all this time and effort. i've played ss4Ricky a lot, and this guide pretty much sums up all that i fear about link...

hah hah, liked the way you described him kenshin, link (along with samus) is probably the most capable character in the entire game, the type of character that the mass majority of players will never even touch the potential. i see him on the tier list, and i laugh my *** off at these people, and how they underestimate him.

i definitely agree, that link is in his own tier, a new breed of warrior that has near limitless potential, but requires true skill to unlock it.

well sorry garde...

I really wanted to come to the smashfest you had but I found out about it too late....



well i'm sure you'll get to see DA's marth one of these days...



until then

MUHAHAHAHAHA


I mean uhh....

i'm out