I've recently been struggling in this matchup. A friend of mine converts any grab or boomerang into a lot of damage, and makes it very difficult to approach him with his use of Link's projectiles. If anyone has any experience in this matchup I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
-
Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!
You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!
Sheik vs Link advice wanted.
- Thread starter Bl00dless
- Start date
4tlas
Smash Lord
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2014
- Messages
- 1,298
I think your main tools here are crawl, ftilt/dtilt, nair/bair (for clanking projectiles if you're in the air as well as easy edgeguards), and dash attack/boost grab.
Crawl, when used in conjunction with short hops, shields, and spot dodges, should allow you to get past projectiles. Of course you have to use these carefully and correctly, but playing intelligently is just too much to cover in a quick post. If you do happen to be in the air, you can easily use nair/bair to clank any non-bomb projectiles.
When you finally get near him, you will only have a brief moment to act (unless you both know each other so well you can mindgame with empty hops/approaches/shields). If you are crouching/crawling, a dtilt is your best option. If you can get in close and you think he will be shielding, grab. This will give you a potential conversion depending on DI. If you are still a decent ways away from him (so you can act but his options are too slow), then it depends on whether you are dashing or not. If you are dashing and think he can get in a shield, boost grab. If he can't do anything, dash attack is your only conversion other than grab, and I like dash attack's followups better vs Link. Finally, if you are not dashing but are at the correct spacing for an ftilt but he cannot act, then do so to launch him for more ftilts (at low %) or a finisher (at high %). If he has time to shield or dodge while you are standing outside of grab range, you didn't actually get in during a vulnerable window. Try again. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
One thing I like to do is charge my needles whenever an enemy Link camps. If you can hit them with the needles enough times, the opponent will likely start approaching you, at which point it is easier to find a way through the projectiles. Remember his Hylian Shield will block the needles when he is standing or walking, but not running.
Crawl, when used in conjunction with short hops, shields, and spot dodges, should allow you to get past projectiles. Of course you have to use these carefully and correctly, but playing intelligently is just too much to cover in a quick post. If you do happen to be in the air, you can easily use nair/bair to clank any non-bomb projectiles.
When you finally get near him, you will only have a brief moment to act (unless you both know each other so well you can mindgame with empty hops/approaches/shields). If you are crouching/crawling, a dtilt is your best option. If you can get in close and you think he will be shielding, grab. This will give you a potential conversion depending on DI. If you are still a decent ways away from him (so you can act but his options are too slow), then it depends on whether you are dashing or not. If you are dashing and think he can get in a shield, boost grab. If he can't do anything, dash attack is your only conversion other than grab, and I like dash attack's followups better vs Link. Finally, if you are not dashing but are at the correct spacing for an ftilt but he cannot act, then do so to launch him for more ftilts (at low %) or a finisher (at high %). If he has time to shield or dodge while you are standing outside of grab range, you didn't actually get in during a vulnerable window. Try again. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.
One thing I like to do is charge my needles whenever an enemy Link camps. If you can hit them with the needles enough times, the opponent will likely start approaching you, at which point it is easier to find a way through the projectiles. Remember his Hylian Shield will block the needles when he is standing or walking, but not running.
ECHOnce
Smash Lord
Learning to foxtrot and dash cancel into shield on reaction is really helpful against projectile camping. If he's far away, shield beats out all of his projectiles (including boomerang; once boomerang is shielded it loss its hitbox iirc) without worry of any approaches, given his relatively slow movement. When closer up, observe what he does and try reading any approaches or efforts to create more space with projectiles or defensive SHFFLing. As long as you react quick enough and position yourself well, needles can beat pretty much anything when close - you can needle projectiles aimed at you (whether grounded or aerial), and obv he'll just get hit if he throws out sword moves. So when up close, needles > land-cancel > boost grab is pretty safe, as with most characters lol. Even if he shields, if you had enough needles charged, he'll probably still be stuck in shield hitstun or whatever it's called.
Also, for those that don't know, if you anticipate a Link up-Bing oos and you're "within" the sword range (like...within the range of his sword disjoint while spinning), you only need to shield the first hit or something. The hitboxes for the remainder of the move are only on the tips of the sword, so you can just grab him out of it mid-animation. That also means WLing on stage and shielding an up-B edgeguard from Link before your invincibility runs out...should (?) be safe; haven't tried it myself, but if they're close enough to the edge then it should be doable.
Also, for those that don't know, if you anticipate a Link up-Bing oos and you're "within" the sword range (like...within the range of his sword disjoint while spinning), you only need to shield the first hit or something. The hitboxes for the remainder of the move are only on the tips of the sword, so you can just grab him out of it mid-animation. That also means WLing on stage and shielding an up-B edgeguard from Link before your invincibility runs out...should (?) be safe; haven't tried it myself, but if they're close enough to the edge then it should be doable.
Last edited:
Missile
Smash Apprentice
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2008
- Messages
- 95
I played a Link main for a few hours straight yesterday. Been playing with him since almost the beginning of 3.02 and have seen him improve and adapt to me in various occasions. I can tell you that the worst part of this matchup is Sheik's ability to chase link out of her throws.
My main issues with Link as Sheik:
1. Projectiles
2. Zair
3. Jabs
4. Nair/Bair
1. Projectiles:
Link's bomb and boomerang can be quite annoying if you don't know how to deal with them. In a nutshell, you want to be very aware of the bombs and want to either powershield or dodge the boomerang entirely as much as possible.
The way I cope with them is by tapping the shield against the bombs, which makes them bounce off me and not explode. I then either grab them and throw them back, or just let them land wherever they do.
How I deal with the boomerang is almost the same way. I tap the shield against the boomerang, so that it either returns or gets powershielded. If the Link is not cautious enough to NOT throw the boomerang horizontally while grounded, meaning he does it often, Sheik can just crawl under it. They will wise up and end up throwing it down at you or jumping and throwing it down. You can easily read this, and react accordingly. If you crawl under the boomerang and it goes past you, run at the Link and throw a boost grab, jump cancelled grab, dash attack, down smash, pivot grab, etc.
2. Zair:
Link's Zair will hurt in basically all percents. He has uair to follow up with, and in some percentages it true combos Sheik regardless of DI. Be mindful of it, and don't try to punish it out of shield every time he does it to you. He has next to no lag after doing Zair, so he can react to your attempt at punishing him and punish you back.
3. Jabs
His jabs will eat most options out of shield from Sheik, but require his full attention and very good reaction time. You can roll away from him, or if you're fast enough you can sh-nair out of shield. They will stun lock you into a grab if you get hit by both. Best you can do is crouch cancel them if you do get it, and retaliate with a dtilt before his grab comes out.
4. Nair/Bair
He can use nair to predict your up-b and hit you out of it when recovering. He can throw it out to eat your nair from above, and it has very very good priority over some of Sheik's moves. Bair has pretty good hitboxes as well, and will catch you off guard if you don't expect it, especially out of shield, since it is so quick.
My main issues with Link as Sheik:
1. Projectiles
2. Zair
3. Jabs
4. Nair/Bair
1. Projectiles:
Link's bomb and boomerang can be quite annoying if you don't know how to deal with them. In a nutshell, you want to be very aware of the bombs and want to either powershield or dodge the boomerang entirely as much as possible.
The way I cope with them is by tapping the shield against the bombs, which makes them bounce off me and not explode. I then either grab them and throw them back, or just let them land wherever they do.
How I deal with the boomerang is almost the same way. I tap the shield against the boomerang, so that it either returns or gets powershielded. If the Link is not cautious enough to NOT throw the boomerang horizontally while grounded, meaning he does it often, Sheik can just crawl under it. They will wise up and end up throwing it down at you or jumping and throwing it down. You can easily read this, and react accordingly. If you crawl under the boomerang and it goes past you, run at the Link and throw a boost grab, jump cancelled grab, dash attack, down smash, pivot grab, etc.
2. Zair:
Link's Zair will hurt in basically all percents. He has uair to follow up with, and in some percentages it true combos Sheik regardless of DI. Be mindful of it, and don't try to punish it out of shield every time he does it to you. He has next to no lag after doing Zair, so he can react to your attempt at punishing him and punish you back.
3. Jabs
His jabs will eat most options out of shield from Sheik, but require his full attention and very good reaction time. You can roll away from him, or if you're fast enough you can sh-nair out of shield. They will stun lock you into a grab if you get hit by both. Best you can do is crouch cancel them if you do get it, and retaliate with a dtilt before his grab comes out.
4. Nair/Bair
He can use nair to predict your up-b and hit you out of it when recovering. He can throw it out to eat your nair from above, and it has very very good priority over some of Sheik's moves. Bair has pretty good hitboxes as well, and will catch you off guard if you don't expect it, especially out of shield, since it is so quick.