FartKnocker
Smash Apprentice
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2008
- Messages
- 99
Link: A Basic Guide
I) Overview
.....ia) Why play Link?
.....ib) Why don't more people pick him?
II) Link's Moves
.....iia) B Specials
.....iib) A Attacks
.....iic) Clawshot and Throws
III) Tips and Tricks
.....iiia) Link's Advanced Techs
.....iiib) Projectiles and Options
.....iiic) Using Bombs: "Drunken Monkey Style"
.....iiid) Other Tips and Tricks
IV) Videos (***under construction***)
V) Acknowledgements
Overview
I’ll spare you the history lesson and just say this; he’s big, he’s back, and fights are stacked in his favor. In a game that rewards patience, opportunism, and projectiles more than ever before, Link holds his own with the best. Why play Link?
Three great projectiles. If used correctly they are better than anybody else’s in the game due to their speed, range, and mix-up potential. Passive shield blocking (with his hylian shield). Just stand still when some projectiles are coming at you and his shield will block it. It doesn't work against every projectile and it will fail to block projectiles if Link goes into his idle animation (when he "fidgets"). You can crouch behind the shield to increase its effectiveness (since he covers more of himself behind it) and to stop the idle animation from making you eat a projectile.
Decent speed. He’s no Sonic, but he can keep up with the fastest characters thanks to his great projectile game, wide-sweeping sword moves, and fast SHFF (Short-Hop Fast Fall is essentially doing a short hop by tapping the jump button and slamming down on the control stick at the peak of your jump).
Decent (enough) recovery. Tether recovery (using his claw shot to connect to ledge) aside, his Uspecial does decent damage and will carry Link a considerable vertical distance. It’s not the best recovery but it’s certainly not the worst.
Strong KO moves. He’s got a move for every moment of every match. I will provide information later regarding which moves KO at which percents.
Several AT's - See the tips and tricks for more information.
Why don’t more people pick him?
Aside from tier-whores picking whoever looks to be at the top of the game (rather than deciding which character’s playstyle appeals to them most and developing that character), the number one reason why more people don’t play Link is his cuddly, fuzzy little counterpart, Toon Link. Toon Link is powerful for a few of the same reasons Link is, but that isn’t to say they both play the same or have the same priorities. I’ll avoid making this a Link vs Toon Link debate and instead just say this: play Link. If you don’t like him, try Toon Link and see if he caters to your playstyle. If you don’t like him or you feel that you aren’t winning enough, pick a character that caters to your slow, folly-ridden, noobish playstyle (just kidding!)Link's Moves
Let’s start with his specials since they are his most defining characteristic. If you notice anything misleading or incorrect here (which you are bound to since I'm forgetful) please let me know so I can correct it.All KO-death %'s were gathered from Final Destination fighting Marth in Training set to "Stop" (because he's an @$$hole)
B Specials
Bow (Neutral-special) – Firstly, you should familiarize yourself with Link’s “Quickdraw” tech. It’s merely landing on the ground as you start drawing an arrow to cancel the arrow-drawing animation and immediately fire it. Note that while this does NOT help your arrow recovery time (that animation is not canceled), it does lead to some interesting projectile combos and ultimately more options. For more information about Quickdraw, see http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=153528 (credit to Togaboy for his excellent guide). The bow can be charged for increased range/power by holding the special button longer before releasing. It can be done in the air (essential for his Quickdraw) and it combos well with his other projectiles. See the “Tips and Tricks” section for more on using them.Damage: 4% uncharged, 12% fully charged
KO: 200+%
Gale Boomerang (Side-special) – AKA GB, this projectile is one of his most noticeable changes from the old Smashes to the new. It’s his boomerang from Twilight Princess so it has the whirlwind effect around it (predominately located above and below the actual boomerang). The GB is hard to land with a direct hit, but its applications are limitless. Note that this boomerang will not return to him in this game if it clashes with the enemy's move or projectile, but will instead immediately disappear. This is advantageous since it allows Link to immediately chuck another GB rather than waiting for it to return. The GB has a strong pull as it returns to Link as well.. Many people discount it as being a gimmick, saying it’s too hard to angle it to get the desired result every time. I say practice with it and find some applications yourself and hopefully you’ll discover that its practicality is limited only by the mind of the person throwing it. Juggles great with his Bow and Bomb. Works great with short-hops and turn-arounds. You can angle this in any direction by pressing a direction on the control stick after you input Side+Special. Bounces off the ground (VERY SIGNIFICANT). See the “Tips and Tricks” section for more info on using them.
Damage: 5%
BOMBS! (Down-special) – Ah, good ‘ol bombs. So many flying body parts. So little Mr. Clean. These bombs more closely resemble his bombs from Melee than the original Smash64 (****). These are his bread-and-butter for ranged damage. They combo with many moves as well as his other projectiles. They’re great against reflectors since you can aim these at their feet or sometimes behind them and the explosion will hit them through their reflection. The more obvious reason is that they fly in a more curved trajectory so unless you’re very close to the person reflecting they won’t bounce back and hit you. Pressing Down+Special will put the bomb into Link’s hands (remember bombs are on a fuse so watch its color: red == dead). You can throw bombs in any direction by pressing Special or A or Grab and a direction on the control stick after you have one in your hand (see "tips and tricks" for an alternate way to drop these using Z in the air). They can actually KO at (very) high percentages. There is one thing you must keep in mind when using bombs: they can be caught by the enemy if they tap A as the bomb flies at them. Just remember: bombs are great for any situation, but don’t be too predictable with them or exclusively rely on them for damage. See the “Tips and Tricks” section for more info on using them.
Damage: 8-9% for direct hit, 5% for indirect hits
KO: 200+%
Spin Attack (Up-special) – This is Link's utility move. It serves as a stage recovery, as an air combo if you and your enemy are both in the air while he's spinning, or a chargeable (just hold down the button) knockback move on the ground. The ground version possesses a strong knockback and can be used out of a shield. While it starts off fast, Its lag time is anything but speedy. I’ll give you the advice I gave my friend when I taught him how to play Link years ago – never use this move saying, “It might hit them.” Use this move saying, “This WILL hit them” (this advice applies to most laggy Uspecial's). I presented him with an extreme qualification for using the move, but clever players will realize there are times to attempt this move even when you’re not guaranteed to hit them (i.e. air combos since he continues spinning for a while, possibly nullifying your enemy’s air dodge once they come out of it). This is a great move. It’s not his bread-and-butter so don't use it any more than you need to because it is so punishable. Fair knockback and decent damage if it all connects. I believe it can KO at low %'s (will test later)
Damage: Ground-12% uncharged, 19% charged...Air-14%
KO: 140% from center of stage on GROUND, 90% charged(!). Approx 150% in air
A Attacks
DashAttack - His Dash attack is essentially a quick chop which sends them into the air, allowing for some juggling applications. Lag is about average. Range is good. A solid move if not spammed (so they don't learn the spacing to avoid the move when they see you running). This is used in a tech that allows Link to do a sliding Usmash much farther than he usually can. See "Tips and Tricks" for more info.Damage: 11-12%
KO: 180%
3-hit combo (AAA) - He swings twice with his sword then stabs. Decent damage and there's decent knockback on 3rd hit. You can cancel (also called "jab faking") the second and third hits by shielding in the middle of the combo.
Damage: 12% (4-3-5)
KO: 200+%
Utilt –GREAT sweeping strikes above his head (like always). Perfect for punishing people without fantastic dairs coming at you since its range is deceptive. Also fantastic for punishing Shield-Rollers since it hits both in front and behind him and it does it fairly quickly. Great for juggling.
Damage: 9%
KO: 140%
Ftilt – Certainly not his fastest move, he does a single chop in front of him with one arm. However, the KO potential of this move is great and it does start above him, meaning it’s decent for people approaching you diagonally with aerials trying to get past your projectiles and sword sweeps. This is not a move to be spammed. If they’re getting to high percents and you haven’t used this move yet (read up on Diminishing Attacks here http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=141977), this is your KO’er right here.
Damage: 13%
KO: 150% from center of stage
Dtilt – Chops his opponent’s ankles. It’s decent for probing a defensive shield-heavy player (as their shield decreases their ankles become Link’s *****).
Damage: 12%
KO: 170%
Usmash – Chops three times in the air and Link looks like a badass doing it. Great for hyphen-smashing (http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=141501) since it starts fast and does decent damage. Frequently if my enemy gets hit by one swipe from this, he’ll get hit by the next one/two. Since the arc on his sword as he sweeps covers most of his body, this move’s defensive capabilities as well as offensive are great. Can KO at high percents.
Damage: 17% (4-3-10)
KO: 150%
Fsmash – This smash consists of two parts. Smashing Forward+Attack once will cause one swipe, pressing Attack again will cause a second swipe. This move is my favorite Fsmash in the game since it provides several mix-up options for a clever Link. Pressing FSmash+Attack again will cause two quick swipes. Why not delay that second swipe though and make them think the move is over and Link is lagging? You can delay the second hit for over a second after the first swipe (based on my observation). Or, if they’re expecting the second swipe, why not do the first swipe and then move on to hitting them with a projectile or landing a grab if they’re close? See “tips and tricks” for more info.
Damage: 31-32% (14-18)
KO: 150% for first hit, 130% for second hit
Dsmash – Crouches down a little and chops both sides of him one at a time. Great for punishing rollers (although I prefer Utilt for its juggle-ability) trying to pull a fast one on Link. Decent for edge-guarding (though I’d prefer several moves over this one if I’m guarding). Be careful using this because, while it is a decent move, it leaves him vulnerable to whatever direction he’s not slashing. Another KO move at certain percents (which I'll discover and add to this section later)
Damage: 14-17% on front hit, 16-17% on back hit
KO: 130%
Nair – He sticks out his foot in front of him in a regular jump kick. It’s seemingly weak when compared to his Bair but don’t discount this move’s utility (or any move for that matter). I find this move REALLY shines when combined with SHFF since there’s no landing lag from doing this move. You can literally spam a jump kick almost every second if you learn the timing for the SHFF+this move. This move will do decent damage and knockback if sweetspotted (hitting the enemy when Link’s foot is actually kicking out rather than hitting them with it after his foot is already extended). However, I find it more useful by not always trying to sweetspot it but rather just SHFF and fall down on them with my foot extended.
Damage: 10% sweetspotted, 6% regular
KO: 160% from center sweetspotted
Uair – Link sticks his sword straight up in the air. Great for combos if you’ve just knocked them in the air and you immediately jump to follow it with this move. It isn't exactly the most easy-to-land move so exercise caution since he'll stay in his sword-sticking-up-stance for several seconds, allowing your opponent to punish you. Decent knockback and KO. Try to hit people with this in aerial juggles instead of Uspecial due to this move's KO power and safety (Uspecial in the air certainly has its uses, however).
Damage: 15%
KO: 150% from ground and center of stage
Fair – A great move. He spins around in the air with his sword out, swinging it in front of him twice. Try using this with SH or SHFF if you want to cancel the second hit from the move and spam just the one slash (not recommended to use this variation frequently since the precision requirements for hitting with this move become greatly increased doing SHFF). This move is a defensive-minded player’s bane if they’re trying to keep Link from advancing by frequent rolling/dodging/projectile spam since he can come in from diagonally and hit twice in the air, creating a pseudo-wall of steel. It isn't the fastest move but it gets the job done. Place a priority on the second hit (when not mixing it up with SHFF) due to its increased damage and KO sending power over the first hit.
Damage: 21% (9-12)
KO: 140% on second hit from center of stage
Bair – His two aerial kicks behind him. First one does weaker damage/knockback than the second one. If you have to choose whether to put priority on hitting them with the first or second hit, always go for that second hit for KO and knockback. GREAT move when combined with his RAR (http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=140981) and SHFF since he can spam this move almost as fast as his Nair+SHFF due to its very little lag. Great when mixed with its Fair counterpart to keep them guessing the speed and direction of the attack coming at them.
Damage: 11% (4-7)
KO: 200+%
Dair – His patented down-stab. THIS-IS-NOT-L-CANCELLABLE. If you’re going to do this move, follow my advice to my friend I mentioned in the Up-Special discussion. It is severely punishable since the lack of any cancel means he has to pull the sword out of the ground when he lands. Now on to the good news. This is a KILLER move. Crazy KO potential here folks. See “tips and tricks” regarding more information for this move.
Damage: 18-22%
KO: 100%
Clawshot and Throws
Grab – His clawshot. He can use this for tether recovery when he’s returning to the edge of the stage by simply pressing the grab button (or shield+attack) as he gets close to the ledge. It will automatically connect to the ledge if close enough and allow Link to hang from the chain for a bit before it auto-reels him in. You can also hit people with this in the air (NOTE: HIT, NOT GRAB), giving you more mixup potential, a way to counter your opponent's air game (especially when combined with Link's super-strong SHFF), and a bit of damage to boot. It has no lag when he lands and is possibly comboable into other things since the hitstun seems long (Samus’s zair grapple can do this, although the enemy’s lag for Link’s clawshot hit seems less so don’t get your hopes up). One thing to note about his grab (and most grabs in the game) is he will recover from his grab faster if it’s a standing or shielding grab than if it were a running grab (Samus’s grab is the reverse case of Link’s grab in that it comes out faster and less laggier if it’s a running grab than if it’s a shield grab). For more information on these types of grabs and how to perform them, see (http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=141501). Credit to Ultimatum479 for vouching for this his zair's viability with respect to the damage it does and the way it behaves when combined with Link's SHFF.
Damage: 10% (4-6)
Uthrow - Link throws them directly above him and slashes. Can juggle with Uspecial or Uair after they're thrown (can combo those at low %'s if fast). See "tips and tricks" for more about this throw.
Damage: 7%
KO: 170%
Fthrow - Link kicks them (Sparta-style!) forward and up at a 45% angle away from him. Good for putting distance between you and a lower % opponent so you can range him with your projectiles until he's higher %. Good for KO'ing at higher %'s near edge of stage.
Damage: 7%
KO: 200+% from center of stage
Bthrow - Link kicks them behind him horizontally. Good for putting distance between you and a lower % opponent so you can range him with your projectiles until he's higher %. Good for KO'ing at high %'s near edge of stage.
Damage: 7%
KO: 200+% from center of stage
Dthrow - Link puts them on the ground and elbow drops them. They are sent in the air and behind Link allowing you to juggle them with Uspecial and Uair before they land.
Damage: 7%
KO: 200+%
Tips and Tricks
Advanced Techs
Dash-attack cancelled into sliding up-smash AKA kara-cancelling AKA wavesmashing http://youtube.com/watch?v=l7Q2gfVEf0k
Link can cancel a dash into a running upsmash, propelling him across the floor with great momentum. There are two ways I've been able to do this, both require having Tap Jump set to off and having your C-stick set to Smashes. I also bind Z to Attack (I think some people bind this to grab, it works fine for me when I set this to Attack). The first way is simple: run forward, press A, THEN IMMEDIATELY do an up-smash. The window to land those inputs is narrow, so you have to be VERY fast with that Smash after A is pressed the first time.
The other way to land it involves more buttons, but is arguably easier (and even seems to produce more slide than the prior method). While running, you press C-stick Down, then IMMEDIATELY PRESS UP on the control stick and Z at the same time.
Both of these take some getting used to, so expect to spend a bit of time in Training brushing up on them. I can't wait to see what combos people discover with this technique.
Bomb-sliding
Go to http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=161790 for an explanation of this technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuHCxBs4cPo
Jab Locking
Go to http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=161938 for an explanation of this technique.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=a56_AsrpaoA
Wavebouncing AKA B-sticking AKA recoil specials
Go to http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=156176 for an explanation of this technique (and all the other nifty things you can do with the C-stick).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kox5-m5JM3w&feature=related (watch 1:35)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=foFpmKZkkU8&feature=related (watch 2:58)
B Reversal
This is similar to B-sticking but not the same. See 0:51 of the youtube vid or http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=156176 for an explanation of it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UbxTBQgW0mQ&feature=related
Quickdraw AKA bow cancelling
See "Bow Cancelling" section of this compendium of AT's http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=142139
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XcODP-_bhrI
Zair Bomb Dropping
Thx for the great tip Orly. I'll try to find video representation of this move being performed in a match vid later.Orly said:
You may notice that I have ALOT to say about projectiles. Understand that this in no way implies that his ENTIRE game is projectiles or that you should focus more on shooting projectiles than whacking them with that sword. I simply believe that the strongest part of Link's game is his mix-up with his sword attacks + projectiles. I certainly do not advocate trying to "camp" with Link by trying to keep away from the enemy the entire match. On the contrary, I think any time you can hit them with a sword attack that does more damage than his projectiles, you should do it.
Projectiles and Options
You can spam bombs and probably win a few matches, but what the hell’s the point against a competent opponent if the enemy will just learn how to dodge or catch the bomb flying at him? But can that same enemy dodge a bomb, a boomerang, and a sword flying at him at the same time? How about a bomb, a bowshot, and a boomerang? Learning how to mix up your projectiles is key to using Link effectively. Everybody expects to be hit by projectiles when fighting Link so you must do your best to drive them insane. Seriously. Pretend you’re deliberately trying to send somebody to Looney Town when you’re playing Link. “Ok, so I’m going to draw a bomb and throw it. Ok it worked. Now THIS time, I’m going to draw a bomb and shoot an arrow and THEN throw the bomb I’ve had in my hand the whole time. Ok it worked but he almost got away from that by going aerial. Now THIS time I’m going to draw the bomb, jump in the air and chuck the boomerang, run at him full speed, throw the bomb, then continue running to come in with my sword and clean up.” That’s the mind of a good Link player: cutting off their options and forcing them to play a way they don’t want to play.
By utilizing multiple kinds of projectiles and sword attacks in different directions/trajectories, you’re cutting off their options. If they jump they’ll get hit by the GB, but if they stay on the ground by the bomb, but if they don’t move at all then Link’s sword will get them. Many people’s approach to Link is to simply throw a projectile, hope it hits, whack and stab some, then throw another. This approach is flawed since you’re still fighting one man with a ranged attack. Make them fight a ****ing army of demon-possessed bombs, satanic boomerangs, and festering arrows with a magical sword that always seems to show up in the places they don’t want it to. Just because projectiles are in motion doesn’t mean Link has to be stationary. Follow that GB! Chase that bomb! Always be guessing how they’ll deal with your projectiles so you can punish them with that sword. Always be forcing them to guess which projectiles they’ll have to deal with by mixing them up.
I leave you with a simple question and answer:
Does Link ever have times where he’s standing still and just waiting for them to advance or return to the stage?
Answer: An emphatic….. NO CUZ HE’S TOO BUSY PEW PEW’ING AND PULLING OUT MORE BOMBS LOLZORZ.
Throwing the projectiles from the ground is nice. Throwing it while advancing/retreating is better. If you throw a GB or shoot an arrow from the ground, Link plants his feet for a second while he does it, causing him to be immobile and vulnerable to attack. If you short hop or long hop and shoot that projectile, however, your momentum will carry you whatever direction you were facing before, allowing you to be a moving turret. This is essential when following projectiles with a sword. My most effective application of this is running away from them, short hopping, and throwing the boomerang in the opposite direction I’m facing and angled at the ground to give it a bounce and wider area of influence. Oftentimes the GB will hit them further away from me, allowing me to get a few more pot shots off with my projectiles before they close the gap again. Other times I simply miss and get ready to smash as it returns to me in case it pulls them to me (NOTE: This doesn't mean I stand there with a charged smash). Other times it does NOTHNIG other than limit the opponent's movement by cutting off an area of the stage for a second. It's a Win/Win/Win situation.
Speaking of projectiles, did you realize that when you pull out a bomb and shoot an arrow or throw the GB that the bomb is hidden on his side? Very good for bomb mixups. He can actually draw a bomb, throw a GB, shoot an arrow, then throw the bomb before it goes off. Let’s face it; whenever we pull a bomb most people expect to need to dodge the bomb. Most don’t expect the bomb to be the second or third in a series of projectile pwnage with your sword following up.
Speaking of following up with your sword after projectiles, consider that players without reflections or good dodging/rolling skills will usually shield against projectiles. This is great news for you. If you suspect you’re fighting someone like that, learn to follow your projectiles with a dashing shield grab (referenced earlier). Sometimes they’ll still be lagged by that projectile that bounced off their shield, allowing you to grab them before they can even recover (even if this isn't the case, their reaction time might suck). It's especially nice if you’re a bit closer when you throw that projectile.
Speaking of shields and satanic projectiles, a fun thing (albeit not super effective but good for mixups) to do with Link against an overly defensive opponent expecting bombs is to pull a bomb out, run at them full speed, throw it in the air and immediately grab the enemy. Then up throw them right into the bomb that’s still in the air rising or falling. I lick the tears off their face when I see them cry about this one (so tasty!). Note: If they’re too low % or heavy, they’ll air control or dodge the bomb so you always need to be ready to move if you do this at low % or you’ll blow yourself up. This move is REALLY easy to see coming so it's best used when you haven't tried it during the match yet (or you're just playing somebody ********).
I’ve mentioned several times the importance of following projectiles with swords (grabs if you’re close enough). One reason to do this is you can frequently follow up the enemy’s hit animation with an attack for a true combo. For instance, draw a bomb. Jump over them and throw the bomb down. Fast fall with your Dair. I can’t remember if I ever discovered a low % where the Dair isn’t guaranteed, but I’m pretty sure after testing I verified that this is always a guaranteed hit for Dair if they get hit by the bomb. The bomb hits them, their character goes into the “oh **** that bomb hurts” animation and lose control, and during that time you’re slamming them with your hardest-hitting KO move. Possibilities are limitless when you consider this. Stand in their face. Just tap A to toss the bomb. Grab them. If they got hit by the bomb, you’ll usually land that grab (I need to do more testing on this combo since I can’t remember if this one was percentage based or guaranteed at any %). COUGHorthebombbouncesofftheirshieldandhitsyouasyoulandthegrabandyourelikewtffartCOUGH
More of these combos have yet to be discovered. Start discovering them!
You can’t do any A moves when you have a bomb in your hand, but you can do all your other special moves. Except more bombs of course. Remember that having a bomb in your hand should NEVER mean that you must throw the bomb as your next move. Only throw the bomb when it is effective in damaging, comboing, or otherwise helping you in any other way, even if it's just to force them into a position where you can follow up with your sword. Don't just throw them because it's there.
The boomerang is a tricky beast. I sincerely believe that its full potential has not yet been realized (even by this author). There has been lots of theorying and speculation regarding applications for this move such as sucking people off the stage or preventing them from getting back. However, I haven't seen any of these confirmed to be reliable functions of the GB. That isn't to say that the GB can't do these things, but rather to say that I didn't see the in-game or video proof yet.. One nice use I DID find for it was against my friend playing Pit. He would camp and spam projectiles against Link and wait for me to try and approach with my sword and projectiles before hitting me back with his sideB or AAA. If I tried to throw projectiles during the advance, he'd mirror shield them back at me (except the bombs but I only hit with those through Pit's shield 1/4 times). I found a much more elegant solution: Hop and/or DI above the projectiles (I usually catch one in the foot as I do this) and, when above them, throw the boomerang out BEHIND Pit and get ready to Fsmash. It wil drag the camping Pit player over to your waiting sword where you can show him why he shouldn't try to out Pew Pew the Grand Master Poo Bah of Pew Pews.
When you're flying back to the edge of the stage but have a few moments before you need to double jump or Uspecial, why not fire an arrow or two at the guy edge-guarding you? You can throw a boomerang or bomb if you have one out, too.
Using Bombs: "Drunken Monkey Style"
Yes, bombs hurt you. But, hey, they hurt them too and chances are they're going to be a lighter, more easily KO'able character than Link is anyway. You'll miss out on alot of great combos and setups if you're too afraid of them being too close to you when you throw one. Hell, some players that expect a bomb behind every bush will catch them any time you throw them from a long distance anyway so why not close that gap and take a small chance when you throw them from 5 feet away?
Blowing yourself up is great fun. If you've got a bomb in hand and they're rolling/dodging/all over your nuts, throw it at your feet to put some space between you and them after you both land (think of it as "resetting the fight").
You held on to a bomb too long (whoops!). Now they think you're a n00b. Stay on the ground for a second and see if they approach you. If they start to, play dead for a bit and wait for them to get close before doing a rising attack and using your free invincibility frames. This isn't necessarily limited to blowing yourself up, but I find myself playing dead more often after blowing myself up because it always seems like they're the most eager to approach me at that point. Maybe they thought I went emo and gave up and let go of the controller after blowing myself up? Who knows and who cares?
Perhaps the most useful reason to blow yourself up is for knockback recovery. How many times have you been knocked waaaaaay towards the side of the screen with Link's spin attack unable to get you back to the edge? Remember: you can Uspecial only once in the air unless you hit the ground or get hit. In other words, if you have a bomb in your hands when you go flying, you'll be able to do Uspecial, wait for the bomb to blow up in your hands, then do another Uspecial. While it isn't recommended that you try to keep a bomb in your hands at all times just for the occasion (you gotta get those stabby stab stabs in somehow emirite?), it IS recommended that you be mindful of your damage and KO'ability. If I get to the 125ish % mark, I'll start using more bombs to increase the chance that I'll have a bomb in hand when I need it. Sometimes you can also, depending how far/fast you got knocked away, pull out a bomb in mid-flight and use it.
So you've got a quick character rolling/running circles around you. You've got a bomb in hand. Sure, you can throw it at your feet so you both bite it (or possibly just you while your enemy laughs). OR you can see if they fall for the 'ol shield bomb. Simply hold on to the bomb when it starts flashing red and make sure you're shielded when it goes off. You won't take damage (since you're shielded) but anybody around you will get blown up. Nifty if you've never seen it before, a no-brainer for Link Vets.
Please realize these are just a few tricks I've learned with bombs in this game and from prior smash titles. I'm looking forward to seeing what other uses people can discover for bombs in Brawl. The name "Drunken Monkey Style" is not an attempt to name any of these things I've described. It's the phrase I've been using with my friends when I played Link for the last 8 or 9 years to describe blowing myself up intelligently because it's effective though it makes me look like a fool. My one friend used to call it "Mohammad Ali-Bomba Link." But that's not PC. Though it is pretty funny.
Other Tips and Tricks
Standing idly will cause Link’s shield to block incoming projectiles…sometimes. They can still go over or under the shield and hit Link or, sometimes, it just seems like they ignore the shield. To increase the shield’s effectiveness, crouch down behind it to expose less of a hittable area. Just note that this is situational since I couldn’t find a way to advance with my shield blocking projectiles for me as reliably as just standing, meaning you’ll be doing a whole lot of standing still doing nothing trying to block them with this shield. Not the most effective technique but keep that in mind.
His Dair, if it hits the ground, lags him considerably as he has to pull his sword out. However, he will NOT stay in the Dair move the entire duration of his jump provided he doesn't hit the ground for a long enough time. Because of this, if you input Dair while he’s slow-falling/has upward momentum/doesn’t otherwise hit the ground for several seconds, he’ll come out of the move himself, allowing him to land with no lag. This move is GREAT for ledge-guarding since most people assume they’re safe as long as they stay out of Link’s smash range and come up from the bottom. WRONG! As long as you don’t jump over the ledge and fast fall as you dair (which will cause you to die and your opponent to gigge), you can jump off and Dair on them as they’re going for that ledge and STILL have time to use your double jump and Up-Special to get back to the edge. Pretty neat that you have a way to edgeguard with Link’s arguably most powerful KO move, eh?
Recall that for Link's Fsmash you can either press the Attack button fast twice as you attack for two quick hits, or you can wait a second after the first swing before following up with that second. Here’s the interesting part about that: If you CHARGE your Fsmash, the second hit receives a power bonus for that charge. Even if you whiff the first hit, that second, delayed, charge hit will pack some serious sending power and KO’ing goodness.
Utilt to juggle them at low percents before following them into the air to Uair or Uspecial. This should be a no-brainer for anybody that’s played Link for more than two minutes. Utilt = juggling goodness.
Neat stuff. Thanks for that Jink.Jink said:
Videos (***under construction***)
I've created a separate section for Link's Advanced Techniques. Go there for Link's AT videos.This section will eventually have match/tourney vids. If you see any vids that you think are worthwhile or that offer something to the Link community as a whole, please feel free to contribute.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Orly, Ultimatum479, Jink, Eten, and the rest of the smash community for all of their findings, past and future.
Thanks to Adi for maintaining the Compilation of New Techniques/Discoveries Sticky (http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=142139)
Thanks to Dull_Razer for his Link compendium (a great place to start if you're new to Link or having trouble learning the game's lingo) http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=155405
Thanks to my older brother for WORKING me with Link for years. What a *******.
