8000's Link Guide

Introduction

OY’ ok this is a different introduction than that of my n00b guide. The reason for this is because it’s a completely new guide!! I changed the moves list and took out some of the stuff that Garde actually took the time to write so if you wanna see a great moves list go to the Garde guide. For everything else (that’s better than Garde’s Lol) look at the rest of my guide. I’ve explained in detail everything you should know about Link and put down just about every combo I use. (except the secret ones shhhhhh) So enjoy reading and please give me some feedback of whether or not the guide is good or if I’ve missed anything.

This guide should only be seen on;

http://www.smashboards.com

and

http://www.smashdomain.com

..-I The Many Styles of Link

This was origionally discussed in the topic of Link's Styles but it seemed important so i thought i should add the basics. Most of this comes from Radnortuws so give him most credit for this:

http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=58706

Tank Link - This is probably one of the most used styles of Link play. It involves serious SHFFL abilities joined with power attacks to make Link's sword become his number one threat. Link has very powerful attacks and when linked together (no pun intended) he can be very devestating. Chain grabbing and grab combos are used to their full potential in 'Tank' style and require Link to be merciless on the battle field. 'Tank' Link never stops attacking and doesn't give his opponent any room to breathe.

Advantages

- constant attacks leave opponent confused and surprised
- combos are used over and over again reaping a lot of damage
- discourages your opponent and may cause them to lose hope or even give up

Disadvantages

- mindgames work well on you
- attacks can be anticipated and counter with Shield Grabs, WD etc.
- may loose focus and get pwned from slowing down

Sniper Link - This is another common Link play style. It involves a constant spam of the projectiles to keep your opponent away from you and build up damage so you can knock them off with a smash later. This is a very effective style of play because Link has so many great projectiles that it makes movement for your opponent almost impossible.

Advantages

- distance creates little chance of damage
- acts as a mind game
- can control the stage if used properly

Disadvantages

- if your opponent finds a way to counter this you're ******
- must develop perfect accuracy
- in some stages (ie. stadium) projectiles are useful only for edgeguarding

Balanced Link - Balanced Link is just what it sounds like. This is a balance between Sinper and Tank to try and get as much of the pros out of both styles. You have to learn to use all of your projectiles in unison so you can constantly switch between boomerang, bombs and arrows. In sync with your projectiles you have to use a lot of SHFFLed attackes as well as chainthrows and grabbing combos. In short Balanced Link is a combination of projectiles to weaken your opponent and confuse them to allow you an opening to go into 'Tank' mode and blast the **** out of them with some grab combos.

Advantages

- creates a powerful mindgame
- lots of damage is built with little harm to yourslef
- a mix of 'Tank' and Sniper which covers the disadvantages for each

Disadvantages

- easy to predict
- can be tricked by other mindgames
- instict is useless you have to think while playing

Response Link - One way of playing Link is to simply respond to what your enemy does. This is where those Links who think, "If he uses fair, ill outprioritize him with nair everytime" fall. I'll say right now this is not my preferred style, I'll get into that part of this next post. However, it is still a good component to know. This type of Link style requires extensive knowledge of situational priority battles. The fact is that Link has some very good priority moves, and this style abuses them to counteract anything the opponent might try. Unlike some of the styles Ive mentioned before though, this is not a black and white contrast between response and another style.

Advantages

- high priority ensures little risk to yourslef
- can screw up opponents combos
- high priority usually means little lag time

Disadvantages

- you yourslef are very predictable
- damage dealing is very low
- discard the use of exceptional chain throwing

Now if you don't understand some of the things i'm talking about right now thats ok. Read a bit lower and you will see a terminology list of everything you need to know. If you read that this will make more sense to you.

I..Terminology Of Smash

In this section I will explain all of the terminology I will be using in the upcoming guide and how to perform these basic moves.
Let's start with the most basic terms, as all of you should know, every character can jump (DUH). Another thing EVERY character can do is;

Short Hop - Short Hopping is pretty self explanitory, instead of performing a regular jump, a character will hop a fraction of the height. This can be done with EVERYONE!! So learn it. Short Hopping is performed by simply pressing the X or Y button (very gently). This is very useful in chains and combos, especially with Link.

Dodge Rolling - Explained in the handbook, Dodge Rolling is when you press either L or R and a direction (on the ground) and roll in that direction, avoiding all attacks in the process.

SideStep/Dodge - A SideStep/Dodge is performed on the ground by pressin L or R and down on the control stick.

Midair Dodge - Press L or R in the air to perform a Midair Dodge, avoiding attacks for a short period of time. This can also be used as a recovery if DI-ed.

Spamming - This is a constant repition of the same tactic or strategy. Considered to be "Cheap" Spamming is frowned upon but is used quite frequently. Hey, whatever works right?

Meteor Smash Many characters have a Meteor Smash. This is basically a smash that sends your opponent downward and is designated by the game as a special move. Meteor Smashes, while powerful, can be meteor recovered.

Spike - The term most people use to refer to an attack that sends your opponent straight or close to straight down, allowing you to get kills at a very low percent if your opponent is off of the edge. This is different from a Meteor smash in two ways. First, a Spike cannot be recovered from, so it is much more effective. Second, it is almost always a characters Down-A (unless it is already a Meteor Smash). A good example of the difference is Marth. His Down Ariel is a Spike, and it cannot be recovered from. However he also has a Meteor Smash (On his third B in the Sword Dance press down).

Directional Influencing (DI) - Learning to DI is not hard at all. When recovering from a fall, attacking, or caught in a combo, just move the control stick to the direction you want to go. Your character will move along with the direction you set you control stick.

Wave Dashing (WDing) - Wave Dashing is when a character performs a midair dodge on the ground. I know it may sound confusing but just bear with me, all will be explained in time. WDing is another form of dodge rolling (using L / R + Forward or Backwards). This used much more however due to the fact that it is faster and you can attack while performing WDing. To perform a Wave Dash jump with either the X button or Y button (it's easier to short hop) and point the control stick downwards (on a slant) and press L or R to perform a midair dodge. This can be quite tricky at first but all competitive players use this. Note: Link is one of the hardest characters in the game to do this with so i reccomend practicing with someone easier. EX. Luigi, Mario or Marth.

L-Canceling - L-Canceling can also be done with R or Z but it is prefered to be called L-Cancelling. This technique is performed when your character makes contact to the ground after performing an airial attack. This reduces the Lag time of the attack and allows your character to recover faster and give him/her the opportunity to perform another attack or grab. Only A moves can be L-Canceled. This means if you try L-Canceling on a special move EX. Boomerang, Arrow, Bomb or a grab, nothing will happen. To do this, you must press L, R or Z as soon as you hit the ground. The timing has to be perfect but this is a crutial skill which everyone uses.

Wave Landing - This is a WD as soon as you land. You need the timing of L-Canceling to do this. When you land, WD right before you hit the ground and instead of landing on the ground you will immediately start to WD.

Teching - Teching is a form of recovery used when you lose control of your character. If you learn to L-Cancel you should know how to Tech since they have the same principles. When your character is stunned or hitting the floor, press L, R or Z to have your character jump back up. You can influence the direction you Tech by moving the control stick. The same can be said for Wall Jumping.

Wall Jumping - Wall Jumping is performed by running into a wall while in the air and pressing the opposite direction. It is used as a form of recovery, Link cannot perform a wall jump but he can Bomb Tech. A Bomb tech is like a wall jump in the sense that when you aim for a wall you throw the bomb at it and press L/R and Up on the control stick. This can be done at a minimum of 34% damage.

Preassure Dropping/Fast Falling - Fast Falling is exactly what it sounds like. At the peak of your character's jump, push down on the control stick to have your character fall really fast. Usefull for recovering quickly after performing an attack.

Crouch Canceling (CC) - Hold down on the control stick to crouch cancel, this will negate the effect of attacks that send you soaring across the screen. Instead you will remain grounded.

SHFFL-ing - Short Hop, Fast Fall, L-Cancel. Combine this with an attack in the air and become the bringer of havoc on the battlefield.
Shield Grabbing: Shield Grabbing is performed by pressing A while shielding. This is used mainly when blocking a smash attack or a combo. *Note: Link, Y. Link and Samus are the only characters who cannot grab people in the air.

Lag - Lag is the time it takes for a character to recover from an attack they just used.

Knockback - Knockback is the distance a character will make their enemy travel after performing certin attacks. If Knockback is high, enemies will get sent far away. If Knockback is low, enemies will travel a short distance from where you hit them.

Priority - Priority determins which attacks will hit people over other attakcs. A high Priority attack will hit through a low one and sometimes cancel each other out if used against another high Priority attack.

II..Pros Vs. Cons

This section will remain very short. There isn't much to say, but everything i can think of, i'll put down right here.

Pros

Hylian Shield: Maybe my most favorite thing about Link. His Hylian Shield can absorb all projectile attacks (Including Items) when they are thrown at you. If the projectile hits the shield, Link will be unphased by it. The only effect it will have on Link is a small shift in the backwards direction, caused by the preassure added to his shield. To have the Hylian Shield work with Link you must stay perfectly still while an item is coming at you. Sometimes you will need to crouch to achieve the same result if a projectile is headed towards your legs.

Weight: Link is a relatively heavy character which means it is harder to knock him off of the stage.

Attacks: In the case of attacks, Link is one of the most well rounded characters in the game. He doesn't have the most powerful attacks, but all of them have fairly good knockback and priority over other character's.

Hookshot: Link's hookshot is a ranged grab. This means that he has the grabbing advantage over most characters in the game. Link's grab is the fastest ranged grab and is great if used in shield grabbing. Only Link, Y. Link and Samus have long ranged grabs.

Hookshot Recovery: Used as a recovery Link can shoot his hookshot into a solid structure. Ex. Ground, Walls, etc. This can be used as a recovery if you're too far down to use an up - B to get onto the stage or grab onto the ledge. The hookshot can also be released after mid air dodging.

Shield Grab: Link has an extraordinary Shield Grab. Normally Link cannot air grab but this is a common misconception. Link can airgrab but the opponent must be very close to him. The Shield Grab allows Link to airgrab because unless you're playing Marth with his long reach anyone who attacks you is close enough for an air grab.

SHFFL: Link is an amazing SHFFLer. It is a must learn for Link. If you every plan to use Link you have to use SHFFLs. His U-air and Dair may be a pain to SHFFL but if you can you can make Link a killing machine. He'll replace Arnold as the next Terminator.

Up - B Attack: Some people say Link has no Spike Attacks. I disagree, Link's spike attack is his Up - B. If anyone hits Link's Up - B attack (grounded) after the initial attack, they will be sent soaring down to the ground and in most cases off of the stage.

Lord HDL said:

Any part of the sword will spike as long as the opponent is hit after the initial execution of the move. Meaning they cannot be hit as soon as you do the spin attack. You do the move, a very slight and short delay passes, and then if they’re hit with any part of the sword they get spiked. This is true for even the middle of the sword. The only time they won’t get spiked when this happens is if they touch Link himself (like if they land on top of him). Then they will get a less powerful type of "normal" knockback.

Click to expand...

Cons

Weight/Speed: Link is heavy, thus Link is also slow. To make Link very fast, you must master Wave Dashing and SHFFL-ing.

Wave Dashing: 1 being the easiest and 25 being the hardest, Link places 24th on the Wave Dashing List.

Hookshot: If Link misses a grab he will always be punished for it. It takes Link a long time to retract his hookshot if it misses grabbing someone.

Attacks: Link's Down - A and Up - A arial attacks have horrible lag time. Even with L-Canceling, lag time is horendously slow. Also, Link's Side Tilt and Down Tilt take a long time to perform and are almost never used.

Up - B Attack: Link's Up - B attack (Aerial) can easily be DI-ed out of. So never use this on someone who knows how to DI out of attacks.

Link Is All About Skill: Link is in my opinion, one of the hardest character to master.

III..Moves List


Standard Attacks

Slash, Single Neutral-A
Damage: 2-5%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: almost none
Range: Average
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: Very Low

Counter Slash, Second Neutral-A (used directly after Slash)
Damage: 1-3%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: almost none
Range: Average
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very Low

Stab, Third Neutral-A (used directly after Counter Slash)
Damage: 3-6%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: Bad
Range: Good
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: Medium-Low

Illusion Stab, in place of Stab, repeatedly press A
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!)

Running Hack, A (while dashing)
Damage: 6-12%
Wind Up Lag: None
Duration: Fast
Wind Down Lag: Bad
Range: Good (full sword length WHILE moving forward, giving increased range)
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Medium

Tilt Attacks

These are in general Link's slowest attacks, but they are never to be overlooked.

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

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

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

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
Priority: Medium-High
Knockback: High

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
Priority: High
Knockback: Very High

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

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

Aerial Attacks

Although Link is slow, his aerial attacks are amazing. 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

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)

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

Stab-Up, Up+A (while in Air)
Damage: 6-16%
Wind Up Lag: A little
Duration: Long
Wind Down Lag: Bad
Range: Excellent
Priority: Very High
Knockback: Decent-High

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
Range: Poor
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very High

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

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.

Hilt Strike, A or Z (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 1-3%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: N/A

Note: None of Link's throws are KO throws, so the knockback rating is given according to Link only, Link is meant to combo with his throws, not KO.

Kick Out, Forward (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 1-3%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Poor

Reverse Kick Out, Backward (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 1-3%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Poor-Medium

Sword Launch, Up (while Holding opponent)
Damage: 3-6%
Speed: N/A
Range: N/A
Priority: N/A
Knockback: Decent

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)

Special Attacks: B Moves

Bow, Neutral-B
Damage: 2-18%
Speed: Special
Range: Special
Priority: Very High
Knockback: Low-Medium

Boomerang, Forward+B
Damage: 3-16% (when thrown outward) 1-3% (when returning to Link)
Speed: Slow-Medium
Range: Special
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Low

Spin Attack, Up+B (while on Ground)
Damage: 8-15%
Speed: Fast
Range: Good
Priority: High
Knockback: Very High

Spin Attack, Up+B (while in Air)
Damage: 1-4% (per hit)
Speed: Fast
Range: Good
Priority: Medium
Knockback: Very Low-High

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

IV..Did You Know?

Some quick information you may or may not know.

Back Grabbing - While taking out his Hookshot to grab, Link swings it around his back. The process of grabbing starts around Link's back which means that Link can grab people that are facing the opposite direction by grabbing them as close to him as possible. This works best against big characters since it is easier to get closer to them.

Bomb Stun - Any attack that can stun you when you have a bomb in hand will make you drop the bomb. The bomb will explode on the enemy you're facing and prevent you from being sent far away. You still take full damage from bombs and the attack that hit you, but you don't go flying. This is usefull when your damage percentage is very high.

Bomb Dropping - You can drop a bomb without it exploding until it hits the ground. Useful for stunning and starting chains. To do this, simply tap Z in the air.

Shot Stopper - This is a technique i discovered while playing against Samus. Shoot an arrow into the ground while Samus takes her Charge Shot and the Shot will hit the arrow instead of you.

V..Tricks

Edge/Ledge Comeback - This is a technique where instead of jumping, rolling or climbing onto the stage from the edge you attack. You can perform any of Link's aerial attacks but some are harder than others. You can also pull a bomb out and re-land on the edge ready to throw at after you come back. To do this, tap away from the stage or down from the stage gently, jump, select an attack Ex. Hylian Kick (neutral a) or pull out a bomb, Then DI back onto the stage. This took me half an hour to perfect so good luck. This is really useful for when expert edge guarders have you cornered.

Bomb Jump - The Bomb Jump can be done with either Samus or Link. It's really easy with Samus because all you have to do it keep pressing Down - B. Link's Bomb Jump is very hard however. To perform Link's Bomb Jump, pull out your bomb, throw it in the air, then perform an Up - B. (Here's the tricky part) The bomb has to make contact with Link's back in order for this to work. To do this you must DI while performing your Up - B. DI towards the stage, and then away from it (towards you bomb) If this is done correctly you should have Link's bomb hit him on his upper back. This will phase you just enough to perform another Bomb Jump, perform another Up - B or Hookshot into the stage wall.

Bomb Canceling - A variation to the Bomb Jump, Bomb Canceling is using Up - B right before the bomb explodes to prepare you for another attack, Bomb Jump ect.

Quick Stopping - While running, press down on the sontrol stick and you can perform a smash attack. This is very useful because it doesn't involve the stop-running lag that is normal, instead, you go directly into your smash.

Reverse Grabbing - This is fairly easy to master. It involves a SHFFL where your opponent ends up behind you. Normally when you would land you opponent would be behind you. In this case he would be in front of you. When you land, simply turn the control stick in the opposite direction, you will be facing your opponent and should be ready to grab.

Super Jump - The Super Jump is a technique used by very few, it is only in the older versions of Melee, throw your boomerang while you're falling, implant your hookshot into the wall of a ledge and when the boomerang comes back and you catch it you will soar into the air. Used as a stall tactic or just to have fun..

n00bing - Have you ever been in a situation where you, as the experienced smash player playes one of the worst players in the world. Regardless of all of the advanced techniques and tactics you know something about playing a n00b screws you up. They do stupid things like charging their smash while you're a far distance away from them. Even at their talentless playing style they still manage to give you a hard time in beating them. Here is where your instinct should never be used. If you're used to playing good smashers a ****** one will screw your whole sense of timing off. Their stupid moves result you to make stupid moves. What you do in a situation like this is to wait for them. If you're a good player they will make the mistake before you by charging a smash for example. Wait for their lag and grab them. Or just spam projectiles. If you think about it, beating n00bing is as easy as 1,2,3. The trick is you have to think not play by instinct.

Hookshot Recovery - The Hookshot implants itself into the stage wall, It's that simple.

Bomb Setting - This is a technique I never use but i feel obligated to list it here anyway. Bomb Setting is where you would Set a bomb on the ground without it exploding. This would allow you to pick the bomb up after you do other moves. This is done by tapping Z the moment you hit the floor, kinda like L-Canceling.

VII..Edgeguarding

Basic Edgeguarding:

Roll – If you’re edgeguarding and your opponent rolls, turn around and grab them when they come out of their roll, do a Sword Sweep or SHFFL a Sword Plant at the point that they land.

Attack – If they start to get up they will usually attack you at the same time, perform your Up – B to spike them down or if you’re too late and they’ve started their attack, grab them, charge a smash or wait for the attack to finish and use Up – B.

Jump – If they jump from the edge to the stage, jump yourself and use your Hylian Kick or your Sword Plant to finish them off. Up Stab also works well if they jump too far over you or you mess up your jump.

WD - It's a common technique where you would WD backwards to grab onto the ledge. This takes less time than Jumping or Short Hopping and is a Edgehogging technique. (grab the edge so that no one else can grab on) Other things you might try to do is to WD towards and away from the ledge (facing it). Used as a mindgame when someone has already grabbed the edge. If they use a Edge/Ledge comback you can WD away as soon as they try to jump onto the stage. Upon their landing or when they enter their Lag you can Grab them, use your Up - B, SHFFL or Smash.

Tilts - You're gonna need some expert timing to use this form of edguguarding. Like Marth's Dtilt, Link's Ftilt and Dtilt act as a spike. You'll need great timing to do this and the Dtilt is very risky because if you miss you're screwed. When your opponent is using their Up - B or another form of recovery like an air dodge aimed upwards, use Ftilt or Dtilt to spike them. Link's Spin Attack works when your enemy is trying to climb onto the ledge. This Tilt form of guarding is for Up - B's and recoveries that miss the edge grab.

Ex. Marth's Dolphin Slash, Samus' Screw Attack, Falcon's Falcon Dive. (there are others but you should get the idea of what recoveries apply to Tilt guarding) For more on edgeguarding of specific characters go to the Character Specific part of the guide.

VIII..Stage Domination

Platforming - What you will want to do is stay on the low ground unless you plan to SHFFL through the platforms when coming down from an attack. While on the lower ground you can dominate the stage from below but if they are on the same level as you then you will have to jump over them and land on the platforms to use this technique. You will want to control the platforms using your projectiles. This means ALL of them including the arrows. Don’t be fooled, the arrows have a use, you can always shoot a stray uncharged arrow down to ensure a safe landing. Bombs must be used in a variety of ways. Dropping is crucial as is throwing down, you may want to throw forward but unless you’re sure that they will jump into it then I would throw with the limited strength meaning don’t smash throw. The Boomerang is also a great tool for this tactic, use it in accordance where you opponent will land. For example if they start to fall, throw the Boomerang below them whether it is a forward throw or you DI the Boomerang down. Don’t throw it at where they are at the moment but try to predict their landings and when the Boomerang stuns them you’ll want to move in for an attack. When Platforming be moving a lot. Never stay in the same spot, master Wave Landing because it is an amazing tool when Platforming. You can switch platforms instantaneous and confuse the hell out of your enemy.

Final Destination – Generally in this stage you’ll want to do a lot of SHFFL and WD. Mind games are the key to playing well in this stage. There is a lot of room to maneuver around in which actually gives Link a disadvantage. He usually takes control of smaller stages or platforms where other characters’ movements are limited. Use a lot of bombs and boomerangs when playing in this stage.

Never play – Sheik, Fox, Falco, Samus, C. Falcon

Kirby 64 – My favorite level, this is the perfect stage to play faster characters like Sheik or Fox. Here you can dominate the stage control area by using your boomerang in accordance with your bombs and even your arrows! Use the Platform Strategy on this stage because it seems to work best here. This stage can mess up your recovery a lot since you don’t get much horizontal distance with your Up – B attack. You have got to master the Bomb Jump before you can master domination with this stage. A lot of characters can recover from their horizontal distance gained in their Up – B’s like Bowser, DK, Roy, and even Samus. This is a perfect level for facing characters such as Sheik or Marth because of their horrible horizontal distance when using their recoveries.

Never play – Peach, Link, Y. Link, C. Falcon, Samus, Roy, Kirby, Bowser

Fountain of Dreams – Generally this is a great stage for Link, his Platforming is great to use here. The only problem is the shifting of the platforms. If you play here enough you’ll learn how to deal with it but if you’re new to the stage then Platforming isn’t for you. You may screw up and commit suicide and we don’t want that for Link. Learn to compensate for this stage. Stay on the bottom level of the stage and use projectiles a lot. SHFFL rarely, only use attacks like Bair or Nair because they can be recovered rather quickly if you mess up. Get enemies to the edge platform of the stage and Utilt as much as possible. It will mess them up and hold them there for a surprisingly long time.

Never play – Marth, Kirby, Jigglypuff, Link, Y. Link, Ice Climbers, Ganondorf, Samus

Yoshi Story – If you are prone to mind games this level is not for you. There are Shy Guys who roam the stage and can throw you off guard if you’re not careful. Otherwise this stage is good for Platforming. Avoid using projectiles when the Shy Guys appear on the screen. You may hit them and mess up your entire game. Keep a keep eye on the cloud circling the bottom of the level, it has saved me more than once.

Never Play – Ice Climbers, Link, Y. Link, Ganondorf, Kirby, Jigglypuff, Falco

Battlefield – Basically this is just another great level for Platforming. Don’t let up with projectiles and try to get your opponent under the stage. Only Samus is someone I would expect to come back from a distance hit. This level is so small recoveries are near impossible to do properly. The best you can hope to fight here are Jiggs, Kirby, Samus and maybe Link & Y. Link. The stage is small so try to learn the Bomb Jump before fighting here.

Never play – Marth, Link, Y. Link, Falco

Pokemon Stadium – One of the most fair of all the neutral stages, the stadium is another Platforming stage. The two platforms in the middle allow dominance for the diagonal paths underneath. If you can control those Platforms you control the level. When it switches to Fire, use the Hookshot on the big cliff to your advantage by pressing A to get an extra jump out of it. It really helps for mind games and fast movement around the stage. If it becomes Water, use projectiles when standing on the left side of the stage. It slopes a bit so your projectiles will have the advantage on the high ground. If it becomes Grass, use Platforming on the Platforms above the stage.

Never play – Fox, Falco, Marth, C. Falcon, Samus, Link, Y. Link, Peach, Sheik

- Restrict fast characters movements with smaller levels like Yoshi Story and Fountain of Dreams. Platforming is a skill you should learn. Check out the visual guide for more information and visuals as to what Platforming looks like. (Soon to be made)

IX..Combos


# 1. Slash, Counter Slash, Sword Sweep.

(A,A,Dsmash)

# 2. Slash, Counter Slash, Grab.

(A,A,Grab)

*Note: I find it easier to grab with L + A instead of Z with this combo since it takes perfect timing to perform.

# 3. Grab, Sword Launch Up, Short Hop, Double Kick, Short Hop, Hylian Kick.

(Grab, Up on control stick, Short Hop, Bair, Short Hop, Nair)

# 4. Grab, Sword Launch Up, Half Moon Swipe, Jump, Stab Up.

(Grab, Up on control stick, Utilt, Jump, Uair)

*Note: Tripple Sword Slice is better to use than the Half Moon Swipe on heavy or fast falling characters.

# 5. Grab, Flying Elbow, Sword Sweep, Short Hop, Sword Plant.

(Grab, Down on control stick, Dsmash, Short Hop, Dair)

# 6. Grab, Kick Out, Slash, Grab, Reverse Kick Out, Running Hack.

(Grab, Forward on control stick, A, Grab, Back on control stick, Dash A)

Note: The Running Hack is done very fast and in reverse.

# 7. Running Hack, Short Hop, Double Kick, Short Hop, Hylian Kick.

(Dash A, Short Hop, Bair, Short Hop, Nair)

# 8. Running Hack, Jump, Stab Up (repeat)

(Dash A, Jump, Uair)

# 9. Bomb Throw, Running Hack, Short Hop, Double Kick, Short Hop, Hylian Kick.

(Down – B, Throw forward, Dash A, Short Hop, Bair, Short Hop, Nair)

# 10. Bomb Throw, Sword Slice, Double Sword Slice, Jump, Stab Up (repeat).

(Down – B, Throw forward, Fsmash, Fsmash, Jump, Uair)

#11. IIlusion Stab Combo, Grab (timing must be perfect) Sword Launch, Half Moon Swipe (repeat), Short Hop, Stab Up (repeat)

(A,A,A,A,A etc. Grab, Up on control stick, Utilt, Short Hop, Uair)

Note: This is to be used at the beginning of the battle while your opponent's damage is low.

#12. Grab, Reverse Kick Out, SHFFL Double Kick, Reverse Grab, Flying Elbow, Sword Sweep, Jump, Sword Plant.

(Grab, Back on control stick, SHFFL Bair, Reverse Grab, Down on control stick, Dsmash, Jump, Dair)

#13. Grab, Reverse Kick Out, SHFFL Double Kick, Reverse Grab, Flying Elbow, Sword Sweep, SHFFL Double Kick, Reverse Grab, Sword Sweep, SHFFL Double Kick etc.

(Grab, Back on control stick, SHFFL Bair, Reverse Grab, Down on control stick, Dsmash, SHFFL Bair, Reverse Grab, Dsmash, SHFFL Bair etc.)

Note: This is a spamming combo and is horribly cheap

#14. Slash, Counter Slash, Half Moon Swipe (repeat as desired) Jump, Stab Up (repeat as desired)

(A, A, Utilt, Jump, Uair)

Note: This only works if your opponent is close to you.

#15. Running Hack, SHFFL Double Kick, Sword Sweep, Sword Chop, SHFFL Spinning Sword, Boomerang, Jump, Hylian Kick.

(Dash A, SHFFL Bair, Dsmash, Ftilt, SHFFL Fair, Side – B, Jump Nair)

Note: If done correctly this will KO an opponent

#16. SHFFL Spinning Sword, Sword Sweep, Slash, Counter Slash, Sword Sweep, SHFFL Spinning Sword (repeat) Boomerang, Jump, Hylian Kick.
(SHFFL Fair, Dsmash, A, A, Dsmash, SHFFL Fair, Side – B, Jump, Nair)

Note: This is again a KO combo

#17. Half Moon Swipe, Sword Chop, SHFFL Spinning Sword, Boomerang, Jump, Sword Plant.
(Utilt, Ftilt, SHFFL Ftilt, Side – B, Jump, Dair)

#18. Sword Sweep, SHFFL Double Kick, Sword Chop, Running Hack, Jump, Up Stab (repeat)

(Dsmash, SHFFL Bair, Ftilt, Dash A, Jump, Uair)

#19. Bomb Throw, Jump, Double Kick, Reverse Grab, Use any above grab combo.

(Down – B, Throw forward, Jump, Bair, Reverse Grab)

Note: This has to be played as a mind game for it to work.

#20. Grab, Flying Elbow, Spin Attack

(Grab, Down on control stick, Up – B)

Lol what a great last combo Just kidding;

#20-B. SHFFL Spinning Sword, SHFFL Spinning Sword, SHFFL Double Kick, Reverse Grab, Sword Launch (Up) SHFFL Hylian Kick, Boomerang, SHFFL Spinning Sword, Pull out Bomb, Boomerang, Bomb throw, Sword Slice, Double Sword Slice, Pull out bomb, Bomb Throw (up) Short Hop, Sword Plant.

(SHFFL Fair, SHFFL Fair, SHFFL Bair, Reverse Grab, Up on control stick, SHFFL Nair, Side – B, SHFFL Fair, Down – B, Side – B, Throw Forward, Fsmash, Fsmash, Down – B, Throw Up, Short Hop, Dair.)

X..Character Specific

This section of the guide will explain (to the best of my knowledge) how to deal with each character in the game (including dittos). I will include a tier list.

Top Tier
Sheik
Fox
Marth

Upper Tier
Peach
Falco
C. Falcon
Samus

High Tier
Jigglypuff
Dr. Mario
Ganondorf
Mario
Ice Climbers

Middle Tier
Luigi
Link
Roy
DK
Pikachu
Zelda

Lower Tier
Ness
Young Link
Yoshi
Kirby
Mr. Game & Watch
Bowser

Bottom Tier
Mewtwo
Pichu

Top Tier

Sheik - @^%&!$)*#&)*!#_#!&% is all that comes to mind when playing Sheik, Link's # 1 worst enemy. She's fast, she can chain throw, she has the ultimate projectiles and some of the best aerial attacks (no wonder she's top tier) so what do you do? Well the answer ladies and gents is simple. RUN AWAY!! If you're in a stage such as Foutain of Dreams, Dreamland, Yoshi Story (anything that has platforms) use the stage terrain to your advanage. Force Sheik onto the platforms so that you are below him. (Sheik was actually changed into a man in his appearence in ocarina of time although it says differently on his trophy OMG who cares) When Sheik is on the platforms, attack him using a barrage of aerials such as Up Stab, Hylain Kick and Sword Plant (mostly used in FoD becasue of the accent and decents of the platforms). If Sheik somehow manages to escape the platforms and land on the low ground, you jump onto the platforms. Yes it seems crazy but do it! Pull out a bomb and wait for Sheik. When he comes to attack you, jump and throw the bomb down at the stage. You could also try using a Sword Plant when he attacks as well. Keep this spamming tactic in mind when playing on any level other than Final Destination. If you happen to be playing on Final Destination your best option is to always keep a bomb handy and never stay grounded. Sheik is faster than you on the ground and will **** you like a dead horse. Use your projectiles to drive him away from you, SHFFL a lot and master shield grabbing and reverse grabbing. If you can't SHFFL as much as you would like and your projectiles don't deliver as much as you think, you can't reverse grab and you can't shield grab (WTF's wrong with you) use moves such as Slash and Counter Slash often and try to incorporate that grab into it as explained as combo # 2 in my EasyToLearn Combos section in my n00b guide. No good Sheik will ever use the chain, it's slow and can easily be DIed out of or just jumped over. Edgeguarding a Sheik is a limited category, if he uses Vanish, (up - B) misses the ledge and lands on the stage: short hop and do a Double Kick followed by a reverse grab and throw him off, jump off yourself and Double Kick him again to make sure he's out.

Fox - After playing against a Fox you will have a solid hatred for rodents. His deflector moves, ex. shine blind, wave shine can be quite the ***** so try to avoid them by reading your enemy and shielding before they hit you, you could also try to jump over them. CC is no good you'll just get ******. Fox has a variety of fast attacks so don't stay in one place for too long. Try not to short hop as much becasue of his shine blind. Just stay on the ground and wave dash around as much as possible. Interrupt his attacks with some fast attacks of your own, namely Slash and Counter Slash. If you grab him he's ******. Use any grab combos listed in the combo section. Use your arrows to mess up his side - B attack (if he ever uses it, a good fox player only does for recovery). Make him have contact with your bombs, even if he deflects or shields them don't stop, humans make mistakes, when he does, grab him. To edgeguard both Fox and Falco: If they use Firefox (up - B) use your own up - B attack so they can't grab the ledge. If they dash (side - B) shoot an arrow and prepare for their Firefox.

Marth - TT_TT The character I hate to play the most and for a good reason. His reach is so long you can't get in. His edgeguarding is so easy and near perfect and what to say about his aerial attacks. Brilliantly annoying. His aerial game is so good don't even try to match it. Stay on the ground unless you engage him while he's stunned, trying to recover or you have him in a combo. Don't jump towards him, only away. Spam your projectiles and charge using a Running Hack to fling him in the air. Grabs don't work very well against him so don't try it. Instead, Sword Sweep a lot and Sword Plant when he's stunned. He's floaty so he'll recover from attacks faster so keep that in mind. When he uses any attack, during his lag throw a bomb at him so he's temporarily stunned, run up to him and Running Hack. Repeat what's been written above. If he tries his Dancing Blade combo you should see a gap between where he turns around and when he strikes you with his sword. (3rd and 4th part of the combo) When you see this gap this is your chance to deliver some serious damage. His Dolphin Slash (up - B) can give you a guarenteed knock off of the stage at around %+60. It can K.O. in close range at around %75 but not many Marths do this. His counter isn't used much by skilled players because they believe that it's always better to do something else instead. Marth's 'sweetspot' is at the tip of his sword and the counter sends you far away from him. This gives him more of an advantage in distance combat. He doesn't have projectiles but when you engage him in close hand combat he's a monster. To edgeguard a Marth just Stab Up or Sword Plant when he gets back on the stage. I can only give unique Marth advice like this for edgeguarding because the only way he can get back onto the stage is to use his Dancing Blade, Dolphin Slash or get up from the edge.

Upper Tier

Peach – Peach is a hoe. Her turnips can easily be caught however. When/If she throws them at you, stand still and press A at the right moment to catch them, you can also Slash them away. A lot of Peaches will throw them at you while you're trying to recover. Regardless of the range from you to the ledge if a Peach throws her turnips at you just use your Spin Attack to get hit by them. They will stun you just enough to use another Spin Attack. It's like an unintentional Bomb Jump. Her bum thrust has a horrendous lag time so try to WD backwards IF she does it and then grab her or use something like an Illusion Stab or a Sword Sweep to really piss her off. Her Up – B can be a real nuisance so approach her from the bottom when she uses it with a Stab Up Spinning Sword or a Hylian Kick. (Basically anything as long as it’s from the bottom) Her Down Smash is the greatest threat I find. Avoid it as best you can. Her F – Tilt has great priority and will almost always cancel out or overpower your aerial attacks. Minor exceptions include Hylian Kick and a Bomb Throw. Her jumping is hard to predict so don’t focus on SFFFling when facing her. Instead, try to attack her as soon as she lands. Peach is a strong aerialist so again, confront her on the ground where she is most vunerable. Usually she will fly high enough to avoid your boomerang or arrows and because of her angle or what her player can do with her it is just safer to attack her when she is on the ground. For edgeguarding, when she uses her Parasol and is sure to grab onto the ledge or soar over it, throw a bomb, boomerang or arrow to stun her and then SHFFl a Hylian Kick. If she tries to float her way back and she’s at the height you ca reach her, try a mind game by jumping up to her and not attacking. When she dodges or breaks out of her float, attack her or throw a bomb and then attack.

Falco - Beware the Blaster spamming. SHFF (without the attack) over the laser blasts and make your way towards him. When he stops he'll usually WD, roll or go away from you somehow. Keep a bomb in hand for that purpose. Falco isn't nearly as ****** as Fox is when you grab him but he's still in trouble so try to grab anyways. Falco is just too much like Fox for me to repeat myself so look above at Fox tactics to get basically the same stuff i'd say here. His jumps are higher so intercept him only at a certin height. You’ll have to judge this on your own.

C. Falcon - Beware the dreaded Knee. His knee will **** you up so look for it and shiled, WD backwards or Half Moon Swipe it when he gets close. Falcon's best when he SHFFL with either his Knee or his Fist (B-air) His up - B isn't as good as Ganondorf so don't worry about it. Only be concerned about his up - tilt, down tilt and side - B. If he up tilts use a Hylian Kick, if he down tilts jump and use a Spinning Sword or Sword Plant him. Side - B can be countered by WDing back and throwing a Boomerang or Bomb, or short hopping and using Spinning Sword. Sword Plant won't work as well because he punches up. His Falcon Kick can easily be countered by jumping over it and Sword Planting it while it passes by. He's also pretty fast so use Slash and Counter Slash a lot also put in some down smashes to get him in the air. While he's flying with the eagles pull out a bomb and wait for his return to Earth. When he lands, throw the bomb in his face and grab him. He's a bit of a fast faller so grabbing combos should work well on him. Remember he is an aerialist like Peach, confront him on the ground not the air. Link has some overprioritized attacks compared to Falcon so attacking him in the air is not necessarily a bad thing to do. BUT the only problem with that is the Knee. If he hits you with it at high percentages you're gonna die so when you're severely damaged stay on the ground at all costs. For edgeguarding, when he does his Up - B, Jump off the stage and Double Kick him. Repeat this until he dies. If he does a Falcon Kick to get closer to the stage and then he does his Up - B jump off and Sword Plant him as soon as he starts to slow down his Falcon Kick and form it into his Up - B. This is a risky move you shouldn't do unless you've mastered L - Canceling. The lag time is bad, so if you miss him or don't L - Cancel properly you're ******. If you're unconfident in your L - Canceling abilities, drop a bomb on him instead. It doesn't look as cool but it's safer and in most cases more effective. The Sword Plant tactic should only really be done unless you wanna make a vid or you've spiked him with your Up - B and he's at minimal damage.

Samus - Missile spamming can be delt with easily, just let them hit your shield or Hylain Kick them to cancel them out. The Charge Shot can be blocked by the Shot Stopper. Samus' aerial attacks are insane so don't try to battle in the air. Do it occasionally but not always and don't abuse your Sword Plant and Up Stab. With all that armour on you'd think she'd be heavy but no. She's floaty so grab combos are almost useless against her. Grab her when you can but just try to bring in some damage with simpler combos such as some Hilt Strikes with a Sword Launch and some Up Stabs. Samus isn't a good hand to hand combat player, she usually waits for you to get in close and then she hits you back away from her. So don't just wait for her when she's spamming missiles she's a better ranged fighter than Link. If she tries to spike you off of the stage while you're trying to recover don't let her. Aerial dodge in the direction that best suits the situation and implant your hookshot inside of the stage, get back on a.s.a.p. Her mini bombs can be quite a hastle. They can be used to get distance away from you. Don't charge her since the little bombs will stun you, don't jump cuz you'll land on another bomb. try to Hylian Kick the bombs, throw a projectile at them (arrows work best) or play a patient game. Wait for her to stop and then run in, don't stay far away from her, she has the advantage. Her Screw Attack has bad lag time when she lands so just use your own Spin Attack. If she runs at you and is about to charge you with a shoulder then use your Up - B to piss her off or grab. If she grabs you you're ******. You're a heavy character so she can do so many combos on you. Don't get grabbed!! Edgeguarding Samus is a hastle. She's tough to knock off with her bomb jump so she'll almost allways get back onto the stage. Screw her bomb jump up by shooting arrows at her and mix it up with the boomerang and bombs.. If she grapples onto the stage you can't do anything but wait for her to come back up. Use general Edgeguarding for that.

High Tier

JigglyPuff - It's rare a good Jiggly will ever use Rest on you but be prepared anyways by not getting that close to her. No good will come from grabbing her, not even for damage, smashing is better. Her side - B is bad when facing her in the air so only cofront her with Up Stabs and an occasional Sword Plant. Now here is the exception, Jigglypuff might use Rest when she's in the air. This can be very bad for you so again approach her with Up Stabs and bombs. Spinning Sword is always good though ;P. Her rolling is nothing to worry about just jump over it. Her A attacks are satisfactory and you shouldn't worry about them too much. You can't do anything special to edgeguard her other than a Stab Up. Frankly i don't know why she's upper tier.

Dr Mario & Mario - Dr Mario's cape is longer and narrower and he's a little bit slower but other than that they're identical so this applies for both of them. Thier Cape is the only real thing to worry about. Other than that if he uses his Coin Jump, when he lands he should take a while to recover so use that time to grab him, smash him or short hop and Spinning Sword him. His Down - B can't move very far left or right but as soon as he starts to slow down and open into his big finishing punch on both sides charge in and be creative. The cape will mess up your recoveries, screw over your attcks and deflect your projectiles. A real Mario master will only use it for recoveries becasue of the lag time, it might also be used for deflection but this is rare. The only other difference between the Doc and the Plumber is their B attack. Doc's Pills move a little bit out of control while Mario's Fireballs hold an easy pattern to spot. For this short hop, Hylian Kick or hit back with your projectiles. If he ever uses his cape while he's grounded you should have enough of his lag time to allow you to short hop and Double Kick him. When you land, Reverse Grab him. Your grabs can work relatively well on both and better on Doc since he's slightly heavier. If you have a Mario trying to get back to the ledge don't use projectiles when he's using his cape. If he does something else shoot an arrow but don't take too long or make it obvious because then he'll use the cape. When he does his Coin Jump, jump off of the stage and Hylian Kick him to finish the job and earn a K.O.

Ganondorf - An epic battle! Ganon Vs. Link, a historic event, clash of the titans, an appocolyptic supermatch. Call it what you will but Ganondorf sucks *** when fighting Link. He may be upper tier but an above average Link can kill a master Ganondorf almost evenly. Ganon's most annoying attack is his grounded neutral A. It sets you up for all kinds of ****. Ganondorf is much like C. Falcon in the sense of aerial attacks. The only real difference is the lack of the Knee. The Knee is replaced with a forward Arm Stab which doesn't seem to be as effective but it can still reak some havoc. Now he's a master SHFFLer so you have to master Shield Gabbing. Other than that he's pretty bad in the air because he's so heavy he can't jump high and his aerial attacks are mostly ****. The only thing worth mentioning is his Bair, shield that, it's not hard to spot. If he does a Side - B then WD backwards and throw something like a bomb or short hop and use Spinning Sword. His Wizzard's Foot is just like C. Falcon's Falcon Kick so jump and Sword Plant it. His Dark Diver is something to worry about. It's horribly annoying and for some reason can grab in some situations Falcon's cannot. It's hard to spot when it's used on the ground but when in the air simply air dodge it or fast fall. Ganondorf is a master SHFFLer so you'll want to just jump high where he can't hit and throw a bomb down or use a Sword Plant. If you grab him he's in a load of trouble, he's one of the heaviest characters in the game so you can pulverize him with grabbing combos. When he does his Up - B for recovery, jump off the stage and Double Kick him. Repeat this until he dies. If he does a Falcon Kick to get closer to the stage and then he does his Up - B jump off and Sword Plant him as soon as he starts to slow down his Falcon Kick and form it into his Up - B. This is a risky move you shouldn't do unless you've mastered L - Canceling. The lag time is bad, so if you miss him or don't L - Cancel properly you're ******. If you're unconfident in your L - Canceling abilities, drop a bomb on him instead. It doesn't look as cool but it's safer and in most cases more effective. The Sword Plant tactic should only really be done unless you wanna make a vid or you've spiked him with your Up - B and he's at minimal damage.

Ice Climbers - They work together but their range is very limited. All of your smash attacks can devestate them if used properly. Judge the distance they can use their mallots and use your sword to full advantage. Try not to grab them at all because the other Climber will attack you while you're working on the one you've grabbed. Their Ice Shooting thing can be easily blocked by just crouching and letting them hit you Hylian Shield. Their Side - B travels a fair distance so when they do it jump and Sword Plant. ( O I LUV The SWORD PLANT ) Their Up - B goes really high but only if both of them are involved. Popo will land far away from Nana so use this to your advantage and abuse your smash and Up - B. If they try to recover pull out a bomb. Chances are Popo will go over you too far for you to jump so wait for his landing. If Nana is still alive kill her while Popo lands. When he lands either throw the bomb at him and now you're free to grab or use projectiles to force him to the edge, then smash him.

Middle Tier

Luigi - He's lighter than Mario and is extremely floaty. This means, don't grab at all, he'll escape any combo you've developed. His Side - B can travel much further than Mario's but you can still use the same tactic against it. His Coin Jump is straighter than Mario's so you should predict where he lands. Either use a Sword Plant when he lands or Up Stab to juggle him. His Fireballs travel on a straight path and will rarely be used by and experienced player so don't worry about them. His Side - B will take too much time to use so you should be able to short hop and Sword Plant him when he uses it on you as an attack. Since his Coin Jump does extreme damage to you at close range, try to stay at an even distance away from him, your sword has more reach than his fists. His aerial attacks are pretty bad so try to engage him in the air using SHFFL. His smash attacks may pack a punch but the only one to really look out for is the breakdancing. When you're close to him he'll either neutral A attack you (on the ground) Down Smash, grab you or side smash. Side smash can be seen easily and you should dodge it or shield grab, it takes Luigi to move his foot out in front of him before he jabs you with his fingers. If he uses his Side - B blast attack to try to return to the edge try to do an Up Stab or a jump (if you can get over him) and Sword Plant. His Cion Jump should just be SHFFL with a Spinning Sword.

Link - For ditto matches you're in for some fun. Usually i hate dittos but Link vs. Link is actually quite fun, you get to test each others skill with that same character. Anywho, If you can grab him the possibilities are endless. Link is almost doomed when grabbed by another Link. He's heavy enough for all of the best combos to work on him, you can chain grab him easily and you can join your combos together much more effectively with the boomerang because of the knockback. You'll have enough time to use some smash attacks, this is a rare oppurtunity so take hold of it. Slash and Counter Slash can be a bother if used against you so when Link is in his Lag time while doing Slash and Counter Slash try to grab yourself or give him a Slash of your own. Shield Grabbing is usefull and pays off when he's trying to eat your shield. If YOU get grabbed, your best option is to pull out a bomb whenever you can and try to drop it on him. If he uses his Up - B on you then try to shield the first part of it and then smash or grab as soon as the sword stops hitting your shield. There may be a lot of reverse grabbing that your opponent might use so after a SHFFL with a Double Kick (against you) Try to Sidestep just in case of a grab. If Link uses his aerial Up - B to get back to the stage throw a bomb at him, jump and use a Spinning Sword. If he tries to use the bomb jump then when he's close enough just perform a Hylian Kick to get him off of the stage. If he hookshotsonto the ledge then wait for him to come back and deal with general ledge guarding.

Roy - Roy is very different from Marth. His aerial attacks are much slower, HE is much slower and somehow a little bit lighter. His throws aren't as effective but his recovery can be used at a greater distance which poses some advantages and disadvantages. One major disadvantage is that there are no good mindgames when trying to get on the ledge, in addition it's slower and easier to predict. This is good for you but the fact that he can get back at a greater distance than Marth isn't good. Roy's Up - B goes on an angle and recovers faster than Marth's so don't use the same approach you would against Math. Alter that approach with a more mindgamish, more cautious outlook. Try to deek him out so that Roy will do another type of attack that causes more lag. Ex. F - Tilt. From what I have noticed, Roy has more lag time than Marth so take this into consideration when playing him. For anything else, check out the Marth tactics listed above.

Donkey Kong – DK is a huge target just waiting for some pummeling. His size makes him an easy target for Link. Your grabbing will be your trump card in these fights. DK is very heavy and most if not all grab combos will work on him. His Up – B is easy to get around since it only really goes sideways. When he uses it jump over him and do a Sword Plant. If he uses his Side – B attack there’s really nothing you can do if you get hit by it. If you manage to avoid it then grab him or smash him. His lag time is so slow that you will have time to do just about anything. His Down – B also has some pretty bad lag time so if you can avoid it or land far away then grab and combo. Of course the much easier and sometimes more preferred alternative is to Sword Plant him upon your decent. His B attack is also a very easy situation to handle. If he ever uses it on you and he misses then charge in while he’s in his lag time. His aerials are nothing to worry about, they take too much time to use. The only ones to be slightly concerned about are his Dair and his Bair. His Bair acts like Samus’ and will send you flying away. His Dair, much like Falcon’s or Ganondorf’s will send you down to the ground. If you see him uses a Dair be prepared to tech when you hit the ground. You may also want to air dodge and use the aerial hookshot as a vengeance. If he uses Bair, same tactic. For a edgeguarding situation use what you would do when DK uses his Up – B.

Pikachu – This little rodent isn’t too difficult to kill but there may be some problems. His B attack poses no threat. You have your shield and can easily CC the attack. His Thunder is also pretty easy to deal with. WD backwards and grab him while he’s going Super Saiyan!! His aerials are nothing special so just move out of the way by WDing or jumping. Wait for the lag time or for another attack to move in. His grabs don’t send you very far but leave you open for comboing. Tech out of them to end the cycle. His Quick Attack is used more for recovery. When he’s recovering, he has little opportunity to be hit. Predict where he lands and use a Sword Sweep or an Up – B of your own.

Zelda – Zelda is a lot like Peach. Her jumping is confusing, her Up – B is annoying and she wears a pink dress . Her B attack will reflect projectiles so try to stay off of throwing them at her. Her Side – B is really nothing but a stall tactic. (and not a very good one at that) The only B attack to worry about is the Up – B. Her recovery attack is one of the best in terms of distance in the game. She is invulnerable while she’s using it so as I say many times; predict and strike. Her aerial attacks are somewhat slow so don’t worry about them . The only one worth mentioning is her Heel. This will KO you fairly quickly when you have little damage so watch out. Her other attacks take time to perform and aren’t to strong either. Her grounded attacks have bad range but seem to have great knockback and pack a punch. When she’s grounded try to SHFFL her because the air is her weakness. If she transforms into her alter ego, Sheik then see above for what to do. Her recoveries are dealt with how I mentioned above.

Lower Tier

Ness – his PKThunder is annoying but you can just shield it if it comes after you. PK Fire is something you have to run away from. If you get caught up in it there’s little chance to DI out of it before Ness attacks you. His Down – B attack will heal him if he gets hit with projectiles. Even so, keep throwing them at him because of his lag. When doing the move, even if he regains health you can combo him on his lag. His PK Cross or whatever you call it is more of a edgeguarding tool. He can use it when you’re trying to recover so I recommend to air dodge down or use a hookshot recovery to avoid the blast. His aerials are extremely annoying if spammed. His Fair spammed followed by a Bair is the most annoying thing Ness can do to you. Shield Grabbing is a must learn. Make it an instinct when playing Ness. His jumps are fairly easy to predict so attack him in the air only when he’s jumping. (Otherwise he’ll spam you.) His Down Smash is one of his worst attacks so look for it when used against you. It has very little knockback so you can recover easily and attack him. For edgeguarding, if Ness uses his PK Thunder on you throw a bomb while he’s coming towards the stage, jump off and perform a Hylian Kick to finish him.

Young Link – His style is more aggressive than Link’s. His projectiles curve more, he’s lighter and he can jump higher. This means combat him in the air by only using a Sword Plant or an Up Stab. His projectiles are more accurate than yours but they don’t go as far. This gives you a big advantage in this fight. Use your projectiles when he uses his (at a distance). Most likely his won’t reach you and your will hit him. Then while he’s stunned charge in and use a Running Hack to juggle him in the air. If he grabs at you, grab at him. The point I’m trying to get across is, mimic Y. Link. Whatever he does, you can do better, so do it better and kick his ***. For Edgeguarding look at Link tactics because they’re about the same.

Yoshi – His grabs are very slow so it’s unlikely that he will grab you unless you are playing carelessly, for that I can give no advice. However, His Down – B attack unleashes little stars at the side so when he uses it on you, don’t approach him until he starts to get back up. If anything, throw a bomb or a boomerang at him. His Side – B roll can be stopped easily by Slash or even by grabbing him when he gets close. Try to stay off of the grabs when he’s rolling though because he can just go back a bit and come after you again. His Up – B is an easy attack to get around, use a Hylian Kick to cancel out the egg. His A attacks take time to perform and most of yours are faster and stronger anyways. If he pops you into his mouth with his B attack then tap the control like a mad man and try to refrain from pressing B or A just in case you escape when you’re not prepared. When you escape you should SHFFL a Spinning Sword or a Hylian Kick. Since Yoshi has no real recovery save his jumping, just wait for him to grab onto the edge or when he get over it use a Hylian Kick or a Spinning Sword, his aerials take too much time to perform so you should be able to get off any of your own.

Kirby – Avoid edge battling with this guy. At a certain amount of damage he can throw you backwards off of the edge and leave himself perfectly ok. That being said fight Kirby at the center part of the stage always. If he starts sucking at you throw something at him, if he sucks you in, struggle to get out and like what you do with Yoshi, don’t tap A or B. His Up – B has some range in it so try to judge it and use a SHFFLed Spinning Sword. If you get caught in the first part of it, while he’s rising into the air, DI away from the attack and try to jump again to avoid the ranged part of it. If he uses the Block on you simply WD out of the way or wait for the landing to grab him. Keep in mind Link cannot grab opponents that are in the air unless they are less than a millimeter away from him. His Mallet takes too long to use effectively so when he does it, move away and wait for the lag or just over prioritize it with Slash. For edgeguarding, if Kirby just starts to inflate to the stage, jump off and use Hylian Kick. If he uses his Up – B, wait for the part where he reaches his peak and then hit him with a Hylian Kick. If he’s above you don’t attack, wait for him to come down to you. Remember he can use that Block on you and even if you air dodge it you’ll be vulnerable upon your decent.

Mr. Game & Watch – All of his attacks have poor range; use your smashes a lot in this fight. His Dtilt and Ftilt are the only A attacks to really worry about. To avoid the Dtilt approach with a SHFFL and to avoid the Ftilt try to Dash Cancel it or to WD away and play some mind games like DD. His Sausage Throw is nothing to be concerned about, watch the sausages and move in accordingly, keep an eye out for Mr. G & W just in case he tries something tricky while you’re preoccupied with the food. His Side – B is also nothing to worry about. It has poor range and doesn’t have a good chance of dealing high damage to you. His Up – B has the largest ammout of distance so chances are he’ll attack you a lot in the air with it since he’ll reach the ground before you. His Nair is a ***** but only at close range, throw a bomb at him to make him stop and then use your own aerial attack. For edgeguarding, if he uses his Up – B cancel it out with a Hylian Kick as said too many times before.

Bowser – He’s big, slow and his range is tiny. Even a n00b Link can own an above average Bowser. His attacks take way, way too much time to perform so you can rush in and attack him before he gets his off with almost every attack. Exceptions: Dsmash, A, A, Dtilt, Ftilt, Fire, Shell Dash. His attacks also have immense lag time and you can combo him crazily after he uses a move. His Fire can mess up a lot of opportunities but this will only last for a short time. His breath slowly deteriorates after time and eventually you’ll be able to escape and grab him or SHFFL. His Side – B is another one of those attacks that takes too much time to use. Just rush in and attack him before he grabs you. His Shell Spin does little damage but is one of Bowser’s fasters attacks grounded. His Butt Slam can easily be spotted so just WD backwards and grab him as he lands. He’s so heavy all of your grab combos should work against him. His faster A attacks like A, A or Dtilt, Dtilt are only fast if used twice. After they’re used he has some lag time which allows you to move in or go away, it’s your own choice and should be decided by situation. Ex. If he has high damage move in, if its low move away. For edgeguarding, use your boomerang to mess up his Shell Spin and finish him with a Hylian Kick.

Bottom Tier

Mewtwo – His Down Smash is one of his biggest weaknesses. His Dsmash acts like Samus’ Dtilt but is slower, approach Mewtwo from behind to get an almost assured attack in. his throws are the coolest in the game but sadly for him it is extremely hard for him to combo them. When thrown just gain some distance and ready yourself for another attack or come back infuriated and ready to deal some damage. His Side – B attack may flip you over but you still can recover from it and screw him up big time. If he uses his Down – B on you prey that he screws up so you can recover quickly. There’s really nothing for you to do, just try and avoid it all together. His Up – B can go pretty far and is somewhat hard to predict. When he lands or where you think he will land will be where you throw your boomerang or bomb. After the stun run in a start comboing. His reach is poor and so is his priority. Attack him in the air mostly because that’s where you have a huge advantage. Like Bowser, Mewtwo has slow aerial attacks which can be over powered and over prioritized by yours. He’s light and floaty but this also means you can KO him at low damage. His Smashes take time to use as well so like Bowser, move in before he can perform them. Throwing things also works quite well . Edguarding is also very simple. There’s nothing you can do except wait for him to use his Up – B and try to land on the stage or grab the edge. Edgehog, attack or grab when he comes up or if you’re fast enough, Hylian Kick him before he uses his recovery.

Pichu – Pichu is very fast but the problem with him is that he hurts himself with almost every attack and that he is very light. What I normally do with him is let him hut himself by using some stall tactics, he may give himself about 50 damage and then go in for the kill. A good player will no that this is stupid to be attacking and they will follow you without hurting themselves. When they do this fight them as you would a Pikachu.

Closing Words
OMFG I’m done. That’s it, no more typing about SSBM ^-^
Now I would appreciate some feedback please!! Good or Bad I don’t care I’d just like to do what I can to make this guide as good as possible. Thank you for reading or if you’ve just skipped to the end then **** you go back and read. (it’s good for you)
Well this is all for now i will inform all with an update of my visual guide when it becomes complete. I haven't started working on it though because of some issues with a sound and video card but i hope to solve these problems and post that guide up sometime soon. Not making any promises but i hope it can be done before the end of the month.
Special Thanks to Garde for an amazing moves list (made some variations)

Nice guide overall

w00t to see bomb stun and Bomb set in there. They may not be the most useful of things, but they still rock.

Although, i can't help but feel you need to add ledgehopped attacks and Ledge WD's to Edgegaurding, though Turning and Grabbing or the spin attack should take care of them.

Great guide, i applaude you 8000.

You know what's awesome? Link guides that aren't stolen from other people's work (Like the previous Link guide floating around here somewhere). Good job. I didn't read all of the matchups, but you have a good idea as to what to do vs a Falcon. That's all I can really say.

Nice work.

Since general concensus is that this is a good guide, I'll sticky it for now.

*Sticky Stamp*

good job. you put the actual moves and not just the move names, that makes it a lot easier. and you got it stickied. good **** son.

OMFG STICKIED!!!

i'm so happy i can cry, my mouth was opened for a whole min. when i saw this.

Thanks for all of the feedback,

NitroBlazer I will write in some WD techniques for edgeguarding but i put the Ledgehopping was put under the Character Specific.

Boogeyman I put the actual moves like ex. A,A, Dsmash there cuz you suggested it to me in the other guide. Thanks for opening my eyes Lol . Still I keep my position and say that if you use Link you should memorize the actual names of his attacks. I'm more used to writing Sword Plant and Spinning Sword then Dair, and Fair. But that's just me and it might be easier or more practical to write Fair or Dair. Whatever.

THANK YOUUUUUUU!!!!

JigglyPuff - It's rare a good Jiggly will ever use Rest on you but be prepared anyways by not getting that close to her. No good will come from grabbing her, not even for damage, smashing is better. Her side - B is bad when facing her in the air so only cofront her with Up Stabs and an occasional Sword Plant. Spinning Sword is always good though ;P. Her rolling is nothing to worry about just jump over it. Her A attacks are satisfactory and you shouldn't worry about them too much. You can't do anything special to edgeguard her other than a Stab Up. Frankly i don't know why she's upper tier.

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What do you mean "her A attacks are satisfactory"? Jiggs best moves are the fair and bair! Bair is what makes her Upper tier material, combined with the best aerial maneoverbility in the game. It's called Wall of Pain lol

SonicZeroX said:

What do you mean "her A attacks are satisfactory"? Jiggs best moves are the fair and bair! Bair is what makes her Upper tier material, combined with the best aerial maneoverbility in the game. It's called Wall of Pain lol

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O come on...Maybe Jigglypuff isn't all that bad but i have never encountered a near decent one in my life.

I don't know about a lot of those combos. They all depend on the type of character you're facing, DI, and stage, not too mention what % they're at. Very situational.

And that part about Jiggs is a joke.

Thwick said:

I don't know about a lot of those combos. They all depend on the type of character you're facing, DI, and stage, not too mention what % they're at. Very situational.

And that part about Jiggs is a joke.

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Ok most of those combos are very general, if there is a situation that calls for the combo to be explained in detail i will write it below the combo in a Note: format. I did that for non-general combos. Give me an example of something that is specific and not explained and i will try to make it clearer.

I know the JigglyPuff thing was a joke i mean i saw the Lol man.

But seriously i just haven't encountered a good Jiggly.

I agree the combos are just general as are the matchup descriptions. In the long run to become skilled and experienced you’re going to have to know when and where to use those combos and take into account a lot of factors like characters, DI, percentages, stages, etc. It’s just too much information to cover in a single guide, so general lists will do and other Link players can just build it from there once they have the basic foundation in view.

Very nice guide mate, I'm very impressed overall since you've obviously put alot of time into it.

BUT....

"Dont worry about DK's aerials they are slow"- Not a good thing to say. I'll agree by saying that Link has a big advantage over DK, but you should tell people that Link shouldnt try to take DK in the air, rather Link should stay on the ground as much as possible, spam projectiles and let DK do the approaching. DK can add 50%+ damage onto link from one grab (Aniki Link vs Captain Jack DK for a video of this) by doing five or so U-airs into b-air or since Link is the perfect weight for DK to juggle. U-air comes out faster than link can pull his D-air and Dk has a massive aerial mobility advantage over Link so he can follow links in the air easily.

Other than that good stuff

Just giving my 5c worth

peace out

Ya DK can do some pretty devastating things to Link when he's in the air but here's my reason for posting that;

Link's Uair has amazing priority and if SHFFL it is extremely fast and can usually hit DK before he uses his attacks. Besides Links Fair SHFFL can devastate DK in the air just as well as DK can hurt Link. Link has a bigger advantage in the air than DK does so that is why i didn't really consider DK's aerial game an important factor.

Thanks for the feedback however, i like everything that i can get out of this. If only that nickel could go through paypal. *sigh* o well.

P.S. In a couple of weeks i'll be updating the guide with Stage Specific Tactics. (have to balance it with school )

Stage Specific may not be the best idea. It would very drasticaally from Char to char tat your facing. You won't fight a sheik on FD the same way you'd a Falco.

Same arguement could be made for Character specific, so i dunno, its a new idea. Go for it!

True but i mean generally speaking, how to try and gain control of each and every level. It will be much shorter than the Char. Specific and hey maybe if i am really bored i may write a Stage Specific for each character

That's how much free time i have.

Again, great guide, but one thing:

Your definition of spike seems to be a bit vague. Just thinking you might want to add Meteor smash, and the fact that spikes can't be meteor recovered.

Thy will has been done, Meteor Smash and Spike have been updated using the terms list stickied in Melee Discussion.

Wow, instant service. Sweet.

Otehr than the fact that its a good guide, i have little else to say. Terminology lists aren't the most important part of a guide. In my opinion its the movelist and the Character matchups. Both of which you covered extrmely well. Terminology and everything else was covered really well as well.

That really means a lot to me *tear*

No but really it does. Thank you Nitro-Blazer, and nice avatar choice, stick with it.

btw, what happened to the sig?

This one? Sig is still here, i just turn it off for some posts, specially if they are short ones. Eventually i'll be getting one with Kirby AND Link. But i'm guessing that will be ina around a month, or until i come across a link picture i really like.

Anyway, just so this post has SOME Link-related information. the Kirby matchup. Edgebattling Kirby with Link is iffy. The suicide throws can be breaken out of by Rapidlyrotating the control stick and tapping Y or X. You should be realeased, fall, and hopefully recover. One thing you need to watch out for is his Anti-edgegaurd techniques. Both his Aerial hammer and Final cutter can catch you off gaurd.

With Link, most Kirby players won't want to swallow, as they have limited Archery epirience. However, if you ever face me, i may try to get it. Swallow is rather slow, but it has long range. Just jump it, then D-air or N-air.

One of the things you may want to watch out for is Kirby's Crouch cancelling. You can't hit him with the outer edge of the smpin attack, and at low damages, even your D-smash is useless.

But, you have a definate range and wiehgt advantage. Both your sword and your projecitles can harm. Keep him out of range with alot of your attacks, and Kirby is also succeptable to the Projectile Setups.

I would say its a general advantage for Link, IMO. Disjointed hitbox AND projectiles? a Kirby Nightmare.

Alos, i've only faced a good Link with Kirby, not a Godd Kirby with my Link, so i may be speaking from one side here. You may want to wait for someone like HDL, GERM, or SS4Ricky ro confrim this post though.

8000 said:

Avoid edge battling with this guy.

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Ya that sig, Niceness.

one person said that link on a scale of 1 being easiest and 25 being hardest he put link at 24 for being quite a difficult charcter to master

All characters are difficult to Master, but Link is actually quite easy to pick up at a non-competetive level, this is why alot of Newbs choose him.

nitro-blazer said:

All characters are difficult to Master, but Link is actually quite easy to pick up at a non-competetive level, this is why alot of Newbs choose him.

Click to expand...

Pssssssst...

Burn.

The post confuses me, i'm not sure if you agree or disagree, but i'll state my points.

The spin attack is an easily over-abused move, look at Nintendo's NYC tourney. He has fair range, Projectiles, and a sword. He's rather heavy, but not necessarily the slowest. He doesn't have bad power either. He allowed me back when i first got it to beat my brother easily. Plus, the D-air and U-air aretwo high priority moves, well, not Priority, but hte U-air has amazing range.

I just started playing Link not too long ago and this helped alot actually. Nice guide.

Alright i have decided to update the guide with Stage Specific as soon as my website gets up and running, we have the domain name but have done nothing with it as of yet. Hopefully it will be running shortly and when it is we shall be posting this guide there with the update, as well as a link from this thread to the other site where the guide will be.

Thank you for your responses =D

I've updated the guide with;

STAGE DOMINATION

It is entered under the edgeguarding tactics. The site keeps screwing up when i try to edit my tabel of contents so trust me it's there.

Mmm, nice guide 8000 it really helped me...a lot!!!

There have been some minor changes to the guide in the character specific aspect in Kirby and Peach. Also I have included 4 styles of Link which have been discussed in the thread of Links many different styles so check it out. That's all for updates so i'll keep you posted if i have anymore.

Beautiful guide, very well thought out. In particular I appreciated the sections on each individual stage and how to fight each opposing character.

kudos

Hey 8000, very nice guide to Link..

I've been playing Link as long as I've been playing SSBM and always knew there was more for me to learn from better players, so thanks a lot for posting what you know ^.^

thnx

yeah this guide really helps, especially when i was in the confusion of link's bomb tech, bomb jump and the fact that he doesn't wall jump. ne way, i still cant master him until ive learned his edge abilities fully

I don't know why people exclude two certain glitches/ whatever..

I guess it's because their useless but they should be mentioned... i guess...

When you get shot by Link's Arrow point blank you only get one precent damage from it and very little knock back... AND When you try to grab with link when you and whoever you're grabbing are reallly close to the wall (the person you're grabbing having his back facing the wall) it completely cancels Link's Grab and the animation looks like him scratching his back real quick X_x. I dunno... I'm just saying =P These are commonly know little glitches right?