KirinBlaze
Smash Lord
The Link Match-Up Guide
This thread is dedicated to the Hero of Time himself. Here we will discuss our favorite green hero and how he fares against the rest of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl cast. Each character below will include the pros and cons of each character against Link and vise versa as well as tips and tricks you'll need to use to claim victory. This weeks discussion is the Electric Mouse Pokemon; Pikachu.
Match-Up Discussion #1; Falco
25:75 Falco
25:75 Falco
Key Terms
Shdl = Short Hop Double Lazer.
Shine = Falco's reflector.
Zone = Track.
CG = Chain Grab.
Falco's Advantages:
* Superior projectile pressure, which can out-spam us.
* Abusable chain-throw, racks up to 40%+.
* A very big boost grab/pivot grab range.
* High-priority, auto-canceling aerial attacks with multi-hit properties.
* A large, ranged, and disjointed reflector, which out-ranges our Z-Air.
* Better recovery.
* Faster.
* More Aerial speed.
* Could easily gimp, and spike.
Link's Advantages:
* Heavier (Which won't really matter when Link bombs himself to 40% to stop Falco from chaingrabbing).
* Hylain Shield could block lazers (if standing).
* Has excellent edge guarding capabilities
* Slightly faster, and stronger smashes overall.
* Boomerang may interfere in chain-grab.
Specific Match-Up Points:
* No one can out camp Falco.
* First off, we have to approach; always. There's no doubt, unless
you want to take lasers all day long. And a silent laser/standing laser
nails Link right in the forehead while he's crouched shielding.
* Falco ***** Link at long range and close range. Ideally, Link wants Falco at middle range at all times.
Link is disjointed, and falco's range isn't anything to write home
about. Falco gets 65+% (CG to gatling combo(dash attack>usmash))
every single stock on link from a single grab, with possible follow-ups
(nair/bair/dair), and can then camp link effectively for the rest off
the stock.
* As far as I know, link can survive the chainspike fairly easily,
just by slamming the control stick and C-Stick toward the stage this causes Link to land on the stage ledge instead going offstage from the spike. What you're going to want
to do is shad through the SHDL with a bomb in hand. Battlefield is a
good choice for you, it allows you to travel over the platforms in a
fairly safe manner to get to Falco.
* Stay at mid-range, and abuse your disjointed hitboxes.
* The main thing to remember with Falco is that even with his chain grab to dair, if you don't jump then it won't kill you.
Strategic Notes:
* Every move can beat the latter half of phantasm, his hurtbox extends past his hitbox at this point, making him vulnerable to whatever you can time correctly.
* Laser lock; it's easy to DI out of, if you get hit by it, SDI out. DI up, away and down (which is the way most people would DI the dthrow anyways) lead to the jab.
* Falco's close range game is absolutely amazing. jabs tilts and the
shine will combo the hell out of you. the shine comes out faster than
the zair and out ranges it, so the only option when they shine you is
to power shield it and punish it. since falco is a fast faller you'll
be able to get jab combos off easily and maybe even set up jab locks,
so watch out for certain situations where you can set up jab locks.
Match Up Discussion #2; King Dedede
30:70 King Dedede
30:70 King Dedede
Dedede's Advantages:
* Massive ground range.
* Superior speed and priority on primary aerial attacks.
* High capacity for early KOs.
* Massive, nearly ungimpable recovery.
* Extremely heavy.
* A bit faster.
* Could gimp easily.
* Racks up damage faster
Link's Advantages:
* D3's sheer size doubles his susceptibility to combos
* Boomerang may interfere in chain grab.
* ZAir effectiveness.
* DTilt/Reverse DTilt Spike works wonder on D3.
King Dedede can prove extremely difficult for Link. His chaingrab absolutely destroys Link. DDD can effortlessly chain grab Link across the stage and Bair him to death when trying to recovery from it. This leads us to the common phrase among Link mains. "Always keep a bomb in hand." Keeping a bomb with you at all times lowers the chances that DDD can chain grab out across the stage since the bomb will explode and break the chain grab. DDD is an extremely large and extremely heavy character which makes Zair and amazing spacing tool as well as a combo starter. SHZAir>Grab, SHZAir>Dash Attack, SHZAir, Fsmash/Usmash are very good damage rackers out of a ZAir. You should probably use more Usmash on the last one to keep your Fsmash fresh for KOing. DDD's size also makes it much easier to score hits with your projectiles. DDD's Waddle Dee's make for an effective camping projectile and can cancel out a lot of Link's projectiles but well timed bombs do have the ability to go through a waddle dee and hit DDD directly though the occurance may be rare. Focus on keeping DDD out of your comfort zone with retreating Zair's at times and racking up damage with projectiles and the combos mentioned before at lower percents. DDD can be very difficult to KO and you should always be aiming to KO him horizontally so do your best to keep your Fsmash fresh for this.
Match-Up Discussion #3; Wario
40:60 Wario
40:60 Wario
Key Terms
CG = Grab Chain
Wario = Fat
Wario's match-up was a very hard one for us to decide. Most of the mediocre Links believed it to be in Wario's favor, while Deva was aiming for a neutral, or a really close match-up.
Learn These Advanced Techniques.
In progress..
How do I use my projectiles?
(Note; ZAIR is included in projectiles).
ZAir = Airdodge > ZAir (combo after it if nesseciry).
Boomerang = Even though Wario's a heavyweight, jabloccking him after a direct of our gale boomerang ISN'T easy. So you'd want to combo boomerang in the jabs and dash attacks at close range. At further range, try combing it with bombs.
Bombs = Full hop draw bombs, and then RETREAT. Space with ZAIRS till you could land your bomb, and then try comboing with DACS.
Arrows = Only use arrows to **** around with Wario's recovery.
Ways to avoid getting gimped/comboed.
You should never get gimped if you know how to DI.
Learn to DI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQIy7P7RWo - Credits to Arkive.
Other then that, be focused on how you recover. Link may have a tough time recovering, but he isn't as limited as you might think he is. Watch out for Wario's attacks, get below them, recover.
A proper ff dair > ff nair > ff nair > fsmash will put you off the edge and rack up like 49% on you, which will be VERY hard for you to escape b/c of your weight. All Wario has to do at that point is either fair you once or nair you, nair and fair go through both your projectiles and are great at eating double jumps. Hell, I have a video where I gimp a link by using the second weakest waft in the game, while he's practically right next to the FD edge, it's kinda sad :\ This of course doesn't include the myriad of bite annoyance Wario can throw at your defensive game, doesn't include bike gimps (both by throwing it or running into you offstage (lol)). A half waft will also often put you beyond recovery.
How do I edge-guard, damage and Kill Wario?
NAir gimps may not be enough to stop Wario, but they are worth a shot. Use your projectiles/spacing to damage Wario, then ONLY try killing him at around 130% (with whatever kill move you want).
zair and ftilt has same range, but you avoid his ftilt if you zair... just wanted to throw it out, also gordos is no fun, watch out for swallowcides when edgeguarding and also dair edgeguard seems to be a good damage racker(after the D3 matches I have played it seem so). In this matchup zair > DAC combo works good, BAL > DAC seems to work well too, dont dair when you are sent upwards and are recovering down, D3s Uair beats it( more extended disjoint). Also have patience with your kills and your game in general, have no hurry.
Be careful with your range so you don't sweep the bike offstage, you want it to be on the stage since it is a part of his recovery. try to be centerstaged against wario, cause at least I somehow always end up cornered if I play close to the ledges, try to have a bomb in hand in case he uses his bike to hit him of from it with little risk. Warios like their Fsmash cause of the SA frames, lol at him every time you punish him for it. Link plays great with biker part, pick the big tire(s don exits) use DAC to pick it up just cause you can. warios are scary close range, they are moving around all over the place. I dont like warios...
His ridiculous aerial prowess, insane airdode and his jumps make the matchup extremely difficult. You have to be extremely elusive and think on your toes against really good warios. Proper use of bite and aerials (WHICH SHOULD BE FAST FALLED ARKIVE =/) are really devastating for link. Nair goes through the rang so his ability to gimp link is almost unmatched. Wario is really frickin fast in the air and his weird DI and movements combined with freaky mindgames and great jumps make wario a force. Did I mention that uair out prioritizes links dair and his fsmash is very spammable with a superarmor? \
Which stage do I chose?
Final Destination so you could camp easier.
Match Up Discussion #4; Marth
40:60 Marth
40:60 Marth
Key Terms
CG = Grab Chain
Tiara boy can tear Link apart. It's incredibly easy to put pressure on Link, because of sword cancelling projectiles (including bombs for all of you who think "LOL Martha can't stop that"). Untippered Fair can combo Link at low percents on the ground or in the air.
The main thing is to tell Marth get the crap off you. Jab Marth on the ground to knock him away (don't do jab cancels, Marth can break right through with his Dancing Blade, jabs and UpB). UpB works occasionally but only do it at mid-percents. Full hop fastfall a lot of nairs will also push Marth back.
Learn These Advanced Techniques.
DAC (Dash Attack Cancel) into Bomb
Bombsildes into FSmash
ZAC/ or dropping bombs in mid-air.
How do I use my projectiles?
(Note, ZAIR is considered a projectile.)
Bombs = Marth's Fsmash tipper could stop the bombs. Fast fall after SH or FH bomb draws, or cancel the jump into arrows.
Arrows = Arrows will be actually have a few uses for once. Further ranges should allow you more time and space to charge your arrow and hopefull get it in. Also gimp his recovery with them.
Gale = Jab locking isn't effiecent here so you'd want to combo close range boomerang drops into other things, such as jabs/dash attacks/ grabs.
ZAIR= Zair is your main pressuring move! Space it properly. Use little tricks, such as, drawing a bomb > airdodging > ZAir > Bomb throw > DAC. Once again, use ZAIR to space!
Ways to avoid getting gimped/comboed.
You should never get gimped if you know how to DI.
Learn to DI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQIy7P7RWo - Credits to Arkive.
Space. Space as in don't get in tipper and grab range.
Most of your DI should be Upleft or Upright, cause most of Marth's moves kill forward, the only two moves which don't are his Usmash and Utilt (utilt kills in deeper percentages).
How do I edge-guard, damage and Kill Marth?
Be very patient when you're trying to rack up damage against Marth. Most of his moves out-prioritizes ours. Just be more focused on avoiding his moves rather than "just" recklessly running in with bombs/gales.
Your main kill moves should be, well, basically anything you could wiff up. Or play a bit more smarter by, wasting your Utilts to the extent where it doesn't have much of it's original knockback anymore, rack up damage with it by chaining them together. Then finally, kill with other moves, such as, DSmash, Fsmash, or FTilt.
Which stage do I chose?
Final Destination so you could camp Marth easier. Norfair is also an excellent choice due to Link being able to camp very well there and the low ceiling that KO's Marth very very early. Marth is lighter then Peach for crying outloud.
Match-Up Discussion #5; Donkey Kong
35:65 Donkey Kong
35:65 Donkey Kong
Key Terms
CG = Grab Chain
Ah it's time for us to discuss the big boy now.
Learn These Advanced Techniques.
In Progress..
How do I use my projectiles?
(Note, ZAIR is considered a projectile.)
Spam smart. Don't just chuck bombs and boomerangs and cancel catching lag with zair - SP's guide will help but only to a certain extent. To be honest, this is a matchup where you have to spam from the edge, not the center of the stage. DK can get through those projectiles easily, and you want him to be as far as possible. Those SA frames help him get to you fast, but remember, they're SA frames, not invincibility frames. He'll still take damage from your projectiles.
Bombs = Bomb, bomb and bomb. Bombing may be your best bet at gambling to avoid getting hit amongst your projectiles. None of DK's moves can out prioritize bombs, other than his Up B and his UTilt. So, you'd want to toy around with bombs as much as you can in this match-up. Jump in the air, Z drop bombs, or just the usual throw bomb > DAC. Dk's a heavy *******, spamming more than usual wouldn
't hurt now? Would it?
Arrows = You'd want to get as much arrows as you can when you're further away from Donkey Kong. It takes SEVERAL hits for us to KO him.
Gale = At close range, use the gale to set up jab locks (try ending those jab locks with even more combos to inflict heavy damage on DK). Be careful when you spam the boomerang at further range, DK could easily cancel/ or power shield his way threw it. So basically, be on your gaurds, even WHEN you're spamming.
ZAIR= Donkey Kongs UP + B has super Armour, which may go threw our ZAir if the timing is correct. DK's FSmash has almost as much range as our ZAir, but 10 times the power. Space yourself properly, and use as much combos out of ZAir as you can. DK's easily comboable after ZAir, so take this as a advantage.
Ways to avoid getting gimped, comboed and killed.
You should never get gimped if you know how to DI.
Learn to DI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQIy7P7RWo - Credits to Arkive.
For Combos.. DK doesn't have "much" moves that could be chained after one another. The only few are, his Dtilt (repetitively), his Down throw CG, and a few others. His Utilt spam could be dealt with a buffered shield when landing. And..the same method for most of his other "combos", but with a air dodge for some of them. His down b - it has more range than you think, both behind him and
in front of him. Just because you're standing just out of range of the
little "dirt specs" or whatever they are, does not mean you will not
get hit.
Not getting killed may be one heck of a problem against Donkey Kong. He could get you off stage in an instant. Both vertically AND horizontally. I wouldn't be surprised if Donkey Kong Kills you in only 7 hits. The best you could do is properly space yourself with ZAirs, avoid his moves and punish (luckily he isn't a Game & Watch, most of his moves can be punished).
Sasook - His smashes. All of them, up, down,
and side, have very little lag. This is a problem for you - DO NOT
underestimate their power. They rack up damage fast, and if you get in
a dtilt trip chain, or a utilt juggle, and then get smashed, expect at
least 40% on you. Again, that might not sound like much. "Psch, 40%? A
few bombs and zairs will get him there easily" - except that DK, as if
not having ridiculous defense already, has one more thing that every
character has: a shield. Powershielding, SA frames, great offstage
game, being very heavy, being very powerful, and eating through your
projectiles make this a hard matchup. Do not ever, ever try to do the common "jump above, throw a bomb down, FF nair, jab canceled dsmash" combo on him. He'll nullify it right from the start by knocking away your bomb with a utilt, and then can follow you (surprisingly well) to where you''ll land and usmash. "Well, that's what airdodging is for" - this is why I mentioned the lag on his smashes. That usmash ends, fast, REAL fast. You might airdodge it, but expect an fsmash coming right after it. Powershielding is key in this matchup.
How do I edge-guard, damage and Kill Donkey Kong?
If, by some unholy reason, you pull off a jab lock in this match, hats off to you. My recommendation - don't try to set one up.
Stay out of his ftilt range - it's surprisingly long (almost as long as your zair) and he can use it as a shield poke quite well. Every time you zair, do a retreating craq walk. As much as possible. Another thing - OoS Upsmashing, it's a must. Link's usmash is a great damage racker, and serves it's purpose well in this matchup.
Kill horizontally - even though DK has a great horizontal recovery, go for horizontal kills, not vertical ones. You try to kill vertically, he's not dying any time soon. Dairing a DK at 150%? If he has good DI, you'll barely make him go into the magnifying glass. Go for horizontal kills - fsmash, ftilt, etc.
Hopefully I've opened your eyes about this matchup, because it's a common misconception that Link can just zair him to no end. DK sound a bit scarier now? Good, he should, and you'll be prepared. This matchup isn't impossible, but it's definitely not easy. As a final note, the main thing to do is never let him use those setups -
Keep up the pressure on him at all times, no matter what. Wait for him to mess up so you can punish, do not ever try to KO him deliberately because his % gets high.
Which stage do I chose?
Final Destination so you could camp Donkey Kong easier. NEVER EVER take him to Battlefield. If you have a ban you should ban either Jungle Japes are Luigi's Mansion depending on what your region allows in tournament.
Match-Up Discussion #6; R.O.B
30:70 R.O.B
30:70 R.O.B
Key Terms
CG = Grab Chain
May as well sum up the general facts.
1. R.O.B. can out camp Link. Link has limited approaches, really and being out camped hurts him bad.
2. R.O.B. has an amazing offstage game. Link's recovery is crap. 'Nuff. Said.
3. Link is just generally slow and heavy, utter bait for R.O.B.'s up close shenanigans.
Learn These Advanced Techniques.
In progress..
How do I use my projectiles?
(Note, ZAIR is considered a projectile.)
Bombs = Always full hop or double jump draw bombs. Bomb spam a lot in this match-up, arrows and boomerang are either to laggy or have low priority against Rob.
Arrows = Intercept his recovery with arrows, for a couple of damage.
Gale = Jab locking isn't efficient here so you'd want to combo close range boomerang drops into other things, such as jabs/dash attacks/ grabs.
ZAIR= Watch the videos posted below, and learn how to ZAir could annoy the crap out of R.O.B. Use it to space, just like you would with anyone. Rob has quite some range on his tilts, so be more aware of that while spacing ZAir.
Ways to avoid getting gimped/comboed.
You should never get gimped if you know how to DI.
Learn to DI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQIy7P7RWo - Credits to Arkive.
ROB outcamps link from far away, easily. Link has to approach to the midground. All of links projectiles are slugish and can be taken care of with a quick laser when Link SH/Full hops. The only really annoying thing ROB has to watch out for is ZAir, IMO. An aggro ROB would probably actually work in this match as well if you know the general Link playstyle.
A problem with this match-up is that, ROB can also easily control the stage with his projectiles and there's..two parts of the stage where ROB's blindspot can be taken advantage of. One happens to be the spot where Link is most gimpable (going up on the left side) and a ROB doesn't have to move up quickly so his blindspot is still fairly covered. Conversely, Link has to move up quickly or fear getting gimped. The other portion Rob's blind spot would be an issue is going down on the right side, but that's a moot point as well because even if the Link has control of the right side and goes down first, ROB can ride a doughnut down and be fairly safe.
How do I edge-guard, damage and Kill Rob?
Quoted from a Rob main:
It's true ROB has a poor momentum cancel, but he's still heavy and if he doesn't die outright he will ALWAYS make it back. Pretty much the only character that even has a shot at gimping him is MK, and on top of that ROB is basically unspikeable. I'd take ROB's poor momentum cancel + amazing recovery over any other character's momentum cancel + recovery any day.
Apparently, Rob has a tough time momentum canceling. Quite the exact opposite of Link. Take this as a advantage. Rob has a tougher time mometum canceling vertically THAN horizontally. So your main kill moves should be, DSMash, USmash, DAir and maybe UAir.
Edge-gaurding Rob is honestly, impossible. You should just ZAir drop bombs in mid-air, or intercept with arrows for quick damage. Other than that, use DAir tricks while he's trying to recover from the ledge.
Which stage do I chose?
Choose Battlefield. The Platforms here help to stop his camping game a bit and help you get around it easier.
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKSF8AN74nw (Deva vs. ShadowRob)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_AYl0oKKQM (Deva vs. ShadowRob)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEySCHiA3Rk (Legan vs. Overswarm)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb084O3o1cc (Legan vs. Overswarm)
Match-Up Discussion #7; Diddy Kong
35:65 Diddy Kong
35:65 Diddy Kong
Key Terms
RJCT = Reverse Jump Canceled Throw
RBS = Reverse Bombslide
QCEH = Quarter Circle Edgehog
Link's Advantages
* Three Projectiles useful for offstage pressure as well as onstage.
* Very good ground range.
* Nair can be used as a combo breaker.
* Decent KO potential on the somewhat light Diddy Kong.
* Reverse Bombsliding is excellent for spacing and can be preformed with Diddy's bananas.
* Diddy lacks a combo breaker in the air and isn't difficult to juggle.
Diddy Kong's Advantages
* Very fast on the ground
* Various banana set ups that can become tedious to deal with.
* Glide Tossing can close the gap between Diddy and Link very quickly as well as interfere with projectile spacing.
* Diddy, like all others, has little trouble gimping Link.
* Overall better combo potential due to Link's heavy weight.
Where should I stage CP Diddy Kong?
Battlefield is a very good stage CP for Diddy. The platforms can interfere with his banana game, as well as your projectiles, but overall hurts Diddy's meta game a little more.
Match-Up Discussion #8; Sonic
40:60 Sonic
40:60 Sonic
Link's Advantages
* Link's projectiles can give Sonic a lot of trouble in approaching Link.
* Sonic's low priority attacks make it difficult to approach.
* Dair can hit Sonic during his UpB and can also provide him with a small jump if he hits his spring.
* Link's weight and great DI make it very hard to Sonic to KO him with his lack of KO power.
* Sonic does not have a projectile to combat Link with.
Sonic's Advantages
* Fastest character in the game.
* Very difficult to space against due to his speed.
* Zair is useless against Sonic.
* Disjointed hitboxes on his killing moves, Bair and Fsmash.
* Good combo game on the heavy Link.
* His excellent vertical recovery as well as horizontal recovery options allows Sonic to effortlessly go offstage and gimp Link.
"You're too slow!" You'll be hearing this a lot from Sonic in this match-up because quite frankly, Link is too slow. Sonic is a very difficult opponent to space against and one of Link's most important spacing tools, his Zair, is made completely useless by Sonic's speed and size. However, Link's projectiles can make it very difficult for Sonic to approach from the ground or the air with his low priority attacks. Link's projectiles will cancel out Sonic's spindash from the ground as well as the air. Sonic's incredible speed makes it extremely easy for him to get inside you and rack up damage quick with his good combo game. Sonic's speed as well as his spinshot technique allow him to close the distance between Link and himself extremely quickly. You need to stay on your toes and be able to keep an eye on Sonic as well as yourself so you don't get caught off guard during your projectile camping. Good Sonic players are extremely good at baiting players into doing what they want as well as playing extremely effective mindgames against other players. You should never attempt to gimp Sonic, it's impossible for Link. Sonic's amazing vertical recovery allows him to drift to the very bottom of some stages and spring himself back to the ledge, effecticly avoiding projectile pressure. The best you can do or try is to Dair guard him when he uses his UpB since Sonic himself does no damage during this. Timing and positioning this right can result in Dair stage spikes. Sonic can gimp Link very well with a Nair or the spring from his UpB. Even with all these positives Sonic has one glaring disadvantage that can prove fatal, Sonic lacks killing power. Sonic's two best KO moves are his Fsmash and his Bair, both of which Link can DI and MC extremely well and recover. Link's with good DI should not fear being KO'd by Sonic onstage until around 160% - 170% with proper DI.
Match-Up Discussion #9; Fox
30:70 Fox
30:70 Fox
Link's Advantages
* Both of Fox's recoveries are easily gimpable/intercepted. FowardB can be Dair guarded and Link can Nair or Bair Fox out of his UpB if he tries to recover from below.
* Fox's fast falling physics make him rather easy to combo.
* Fox's projectile does not cause Link to flinch.
* Fox is extremely light and can be KO'd at early percents.
Fox's Advantages
* Fox can very easily gimp Link offstage with his Shine.
* Fox's superior speed can make it difficult to space against Fox as distance between you will be close very fast.
* Fox's reflector neutralizes Link's projectiles.
* Fox has a very good combo starter in his Utilt combined with Link's weight makes him easy to combo as well.
* Helicopter Kicks provide Fox with a unique recovery option that is difficult to gimp or intercept.
Fox can effortlessly enter Link's comfort zone with his incredible speed and combo Link to high percents. Use your fast jab combo to kick him out giving you a chance to reset the spacing. While Fox does have a reflector he can't use it quickly enough to continuously reflect your projectiles while trying to get inside you so you should keep the pressure on with your projectiles and use them to bait the reflector and punish. Space your bomb throws so if Fox is using his reflector the bomb hits the ground at this feet which will hit Fox. Zair is an alright option here with Fox's average standing height but it may be difficult to hit him during a dash since he crouches down a bit. Fox can very easily gimp Link offstage with his shine or Nair. You have to remain very calm offstage and force him back onstage with bombs or boomerang. Try and time your boomerang so the push effect moves Fox onstage when he attempts to run off to gimp you. Fox's recovery, while bette then Falco's, is still very easy to edgeguard or gimp. You can simply Dair guard his FowardB when they aim for the ledge or try to recover directly onstage. If Fox tries to recovery from below with his UpB you can very easily run off Bair him during the long start up animation or during the attack itself and stage spike him. Fox's helicopter kick provides him with a third recovery option that can be very difficult to gimp. Pressure Fox offstage with projectiles, using his reflector will stall him and reflect your projectiles but will also cause him to lose any movement toward the stage he had opening him for a hit to send him further out. Fox is very very light and with Link's KO potential and range it shouldn't be very hard to KO him at the low 100's or so.
Where should I stage CP Fox?
Stages with small blast zones or ceilings can prove extremely useful for KOing Fox. Places like Halberd, Pokemon Stadium 1, and Brinstar have these. Your best bet is probably Norfair though since it has the best option for abusing you Dair with Norfair's very small ceiling and room to camp projectiles as well as aiding Link's recovery with the various platforms as well as the lava.
Match-Up Discussion #10; Lucario
40:60 Lucario
40:60 Lucario
Link's Advantages
* Link's projectiles give him the ability to out camp Lucario is most situations.
* Link's Zair is excellent for stopping aerial approaches from Lucario.
* Link's weight and DI make it difficult for Lucario to KO early in a match.
* Hylian Shield stops Aura Sphere's used from a standing position.
Lucario's Advantages
* Superior aerial game that can tear Link apart.
* Special Aura ability can make Lucario difficult to play against late in a match.
* Very good range on all attacks.
* Very safe, spamable, and low ending lag Fsmash that can cause problems for you if Lucario is behind in percent or stock.
* Excellent offstage game with Fair's that can gimp Link. This also makes gimping him difficult.
* Dair breaks combos and follow-ups.
* Force Palm chaingrab works great on the heavy Link.
Lucario is extremely difficult to play against, especially in the later part of a match. His ******** ability allows him to become one hundered times gayer since he powers up at percent disadvanatges as well as stock disadvantages. Lucario has some very safe, very spamable moves that can cause extreme problems for any character. His Fsmash is his best option and you should expect this to be used more often then usual toward the end of a game when you're nearing 100%. Aura Beasted Fsmash's have extreme knockback and can deal almost as much damage as a fresh Falcon Punch if Lucario is at a serious disadvantage in stock and percent. Link has some good options against Lucario though, mainly is projectiles. Link has the ability to out camp Lucario and rack up damage this way, saving his KO moves to finish Lucario off because if you don't he's going to go into Aura Beast mode and **** you furry style. Lucario does have a projectile of his own but it's very predictable and travels in a straight line with minimal up and down movement. AS used on the ground can be stopped with Link's Hylian Sheld. Lucario has an incredible aerial game that can tear Link apart as well as a FowardB Chain grab that can take Link from 0% to +50%. Offstage Lucario is an absolute terror for Link and can gimp him extremely well with Nair's and Fair's. Link really has no chance at gimping Lucario so you should stay away from him offstage.
Where should I stage CP Lucario?
Smashville is a decent stage CP here. Like Final Destination is provides room for camping to keep Lucario away from you and another less known fact is that Lucario cannot wall cling on this stage. This makes gimping Lucario a bit easier if he attempts to recover from extreme lows, something Lucario really doesn't care about on a stage like Final Destination.
Match-Up Discussion #11; Olimar
65:35 Olimar
[/color]
Match-Up Discussion #13; Samus
55:45 Samus
Link's Advantages
Where should I stage CP Samus?
You're best bet here is probably Norfair. Link's projectiles are not limited so horizontal movements only which makes camping Samus a lot easier with the aid of the many platforms. Take the high ground here and bombard her with bombs and Dairs. The low ceiling is also great for early Dair KO's. The various platforms and lava aid in Link's recovery making it harder to gimp him.
Match-Up Discussion #15; Ganondorf
60:40 Link
Match-Up Discussion #16; Pikachu
65:35 Pikachu
65:35 Olimar
[/color]
Link's Advantages[/color]
Where Should I Stage CP Olimar?
Link doesn't have a definte stage CP against Olimar. Frigate takes advantage of Olimar's terrible recovery but does the same for you, only play here if you feel comfortable on it. Rainbow Cruise is another option that should only be used if you feel comfortable on it. Olimar's camp game is very horizontal and the constant movement of the stage itself and lack of ledges can really hinder him. Final Destination is always a good choice since it provides room for Link to camp against his opponents.
[/color][/color]
- Olimar is extremely light and can be KO'd early by Link's good KO potential.
- Olimar is very easily gimped offstage and his recovery is easily Zedged.
- Zair hits Pikmin as well stops SHing Olimars from approaching.
- Jab's KO Pikmin quickly and refresh moves.
- Link's weight and DI make him difficult for Olimar to KO vertically.
- One of the best campers in the game.
- One of the best grab games/grab ranges in the game.
- Olimar's Pivot Grab greatly extends his already great grab range.
- Red Pikmin attached to Link stops his bombs causing them to explode on Link when thrown.
- Has a very good combo game on the heavy Link and has a few true combos at lower percents.
- Use of his whistle (DownB) grants him SA frames while recovering.
This match-up can be very difficult. As stated in the above quote Olimar has various ways to set up easy grabs on Link through his superior camp game. Olimar also has a few ways to combo and chain grab Link at lower percents. Link's projectile game provides him with a way to keep Olimar on his toes and gives his camping game a little bit of trouble, but not much. You never really want to approach Olimar and with Link's projectiles and range you shouldn't be anyway. Olimar is extremely light and can be KO'ed at very early percents with Link's Fsmash, Dsmash, and Dair the latter of which shouldn't be used too much in this match-up due to the punishement you can recive from it. RBS (Reverse Bomb Sliding) is an extremely important AT you should learn to use for this match-up, it provides for a quick retreat while hurling a bomb at your opponent and is a very good spacing tool and can even be used for a trick approach since it you can pivot boosted out of it. You need to keep an eye on what Pikmin latch to you and be very aware when red ones latch onto you since they can interfere with your bombs. Olimar doesn't have a lot of offstage options against you so recovering shouldn't really be a problem here. Olimar isn't terribly difficult to gimp, stop his drifting back to the stage with arrows and kick him out with Nairs. Zedgeing the ledge also works very well here since Olimar has the ability to gain AS frames with the use of his DownB.
Where Should I Stage CP Olimar?
Link doesn't have a definte stage CP against Olimar. Frigate takes advantage of Olimar's terrible recovery but does the same for you, only play here if you feel comfortable on it. Rainbow Cruise is another option that should only be used if you feel comfortable on it. Olimar's camp game is very horizontal and the constant movement of the stage itself and lack of ledges can really hinder him. Final Destination is always a good choice since it provides room for Link to camp against his opponents.
[/color][/color]
Match-Up Discussion #12; Snake
55:45 Snake
Arguable for 50:50
55:45 Snake
Arguable for 50:50
Links Advantages
Snake is a powerhouse. his tilts have insane range (ftilt and utilt) and deal lots of damage. he is a very slow character and i'm pretty sure Link can outspam him. Snake's recovery is decent, cypher including the C4 detonation. he can only have 2 grenades at a time so it may not be as hard to get around. he can also plant mines but boomerangs can just detonate them from far away. up close Snake will probably win. both his ftilt and utilt have broken range and his jabs have very good knockback so expect to get knocked around by those a lot. Snake can do things with his down throw such as tech chasing which comes in handy for him. his sliding mortar isn't the worst thing either since throwing a boomerang can knock him out of it, and if you're above him a simple nair can go through the mortar itself.
Now when facing Snake zair works pretty well against him since he is a very tall character. he's also VERY heavy so he can be juggled as well. this also means that he is pretty bad in the air. his moves are slow although pretty much all his aerials can deal a formidable amount of damage as well as send you flying. Snake being a heavy character will take a while to kill. he can easily kill you with utilt pretty easily. now being as heavy as he is you can juggle him easily and jab cancels work well on him too. offstage isn't that bad against Snake but expect to be edgeguarded by things such as the mortar.
zair, projectiles, and jabs will be the best options in this match. Snake being a heavy character makes him easy to juggle, easy to zair and easy to spam. but this also means he will take a while to kill especially if they have good DI. he can kill with his tilts which have broken range. if Snake gets too close, zair him. if he powershields it expect to be grabbed or get beat by tilts. if you shield his tilts punish with grabs or jabs whether you just do A,A,A for spacing or if you jab cancel and/or juggle him to build up damage. if you catch Snake recovering low then punish him because it's his fault for being stupid. if he C4 jumps then dair him if he flies high enough in the air. Snake is extremely vulnerable when he recovers so find a way to punish him if he gets too close to the stage.
It's in Snake's favor 55:45 or 60:40 at worst but still in his favor.
-KirinBlaze Input-
I definitely think this is even.
Link CAN out camp Snake. Snake cannot jump around the stage continuously dishing out projectiles like Link can. 2 of Snake's projectiles are stationary (The mine being SO easy to get rid of.), and he can only have two grenades out which are easily avoidable and take time to detonate. His FowardB is slow and leaves him open and easy to avoid. Link's Zair poses as a very big problem for Snake due to his height so Snake cannot effortlessly approach and Ftilt away unless he feels like power shielding it every singles time which is unrealestic. Arrows, Bombs, Zair, boomerang, these ALL stop Snake's best approach option, his DAC. RBS destorys his DAC, hell just even THROWING a bomb owns his DAC. Snake doesn't have much on Link offstage, mostly you can just expect time QCEH's from him, just toss a GaleRang or bomb and kick him back on. Link can KO Snake a lot better then some of the characters in this game. Jab cancels destroy him. Link can grab him out of his Ftilt so baiting him to Powershield through your projectiles into this is very good against him. Snake is garbage in the air and has a decent juggle game against him. Link can PUNISH the balls off of Snake if he slips up and recovers low, he eats Ftilts, Nairs, and Bairs and quickly racks up damage. Dair owns the common Snake players who AD when coming down to the stage or out of their cyhpers.
This match-up is 50:50 or 55:45 Snake at worst. I personally believe it's 50:50.
-DingDing Input-
Sry guys, but I'm gonna agree with KirinBlaze on this one. It's definitely a 50:50 matchup, IMO, mainly for reasons Kirin listed above.
As a side note: Snakes that try to DACUS link get owned...only if the link expects it and retaliates with a projectile or zair. From a LINKZONEload of personal experience, the absolute best way to fight a snake from a long range is with a wall of zairs and boomerangs. Both stop his grenades and his DACUS in their tracks, without having them explode. Bombs, on the other hand, may (and usually do) hurt you both if used on an approaching snake, and if snake throws a grenade in your face and you bomb it, then BAM 21 damage. D:
So, IMO, link's best weapons against snake are zair, jab cancel, smashes and rang. Snake's best weapons against link are grenade spam, unexpected DACUS, grabs and tilts. Overall, as long as Link is at a distance where he can effectively space with zair and rangs, he has the advantage. Only if the snake gets close and is on the ground does link have a major problem.
Granted, Snake with proper DI lives forever, but Link with proper DI can too (though not QUITE as long), but is actually a bit harder to gimp. As long as the Link knows the matchup well and can DI, it's definitely around a 50:50 matchup.
- Link's projectiles make approaching very difficult for Snake at times and rack up damage fast.
- All projectiles stop his best approach, his DAC or Mortar Slide.
- Link's KO power can KO Snake earlier then some other characters. Dair does a very good job at KOing Snake.
- Zair is very good at keeping Snake away from you due to his size. It also sets up for a few combos. Zair>Dash Attack/DAC/Grab.
- Snake is very easy to juggle due to a very poor aerial game.
- Snake doesn't have a lot to gimp you offstage with.
- Link can arguably out camp Snake.
- Even Snake may have a hard time KOing Link due to his weight and excellent DI.
- Very easy to punish his mediocre recovery.
- Powerful tilt attacks that are abused/spammed often.
- Above average projectile game.
- Just about everything Snake has can kill.
- DAC makes for an excellent approach.
- Link cannot reliably grab Snake out of his cyhper to gimp Snake.
- Overall better KO potential then Link.
Snake is a powerhouse. his tilts have insane range (ftilt and utilt) and deal lots of damage. he is a very slow character and i'm pretty sure Link can outspam him. Snake's recovery is decent, cypher including the C4 detonation. he can only have 2 grenades at a time so it may not be as hard to get around. he can also plant mines but boomerangs can just detonate them from far away. up close Snake will probably win. both his ftilt and utilt have broken range and his jabs have very good knockback so expect to get knocked around by those a lot. Snake can do things with his down throw such as tech chasing which comes in handy for him. his sliding mortar isn't the worst thing either since throwing a boomerang can knock him out of it, and if you're above him a simple nair can go through the mortar itself.
Now when facing Snake zair works pretty well against him since he is a very tall character. he's also VERY heavy so he can be juggled as well. this also means that he is pretty bad in the air. his moves are slow although pretty much all his aerials can deal a formidable amount of damage as well as send you flying. Snake being a heavy character will take a while to kill. he can easily kill you with utilt pretty easily. now being as heavy as he is you can juggle him easily and jab cancels work well on him too. offstage isn't that bad against Snake but expect to be edgeguarded by things such as the mortar.
zair, projectiles, and jabs will be the best options in this match. Snake being a heavy character makes him easy to juggle, easy to zair and easy to spam. but this also means he will take a while to kill especially if they have good DI. he can kill with his tilts which have broken range. if Snake gets too close, zair him. if he powershields it expect to be grabbed or get beat by tilts. if you shield his tilts punish with grabs or jabs whether you just do A,A,A for spacing or if you jab cancel and/or juggle him to build up damage. if you catch Snake recovering low then punish him because it's his fault for being stupid. if he C4 jumps then dair him if he flies high enough in the air. Snake is extremely vulnerable when he recovers so find a way to punish him if he gets too close to the stage.
It's in Snake's favor 55:45 or 60:40 at worst but still in his favor.
-KirinBlaze Input-
I definitely think this is even.
Link CAN out camp Snake. Snake cannot jump around the stage continuously dishing out projectiles like Link can. 2 of Snake's projectiles are stationary (The mine being SO easy to get rid of.), and he can only have two grenades out which are easily avoidable and take time to detonate. His FowardB is slow and leaves him open and easy to avoid. Link's Zair poses as a very big problem for Snake due to his height so Snake cannot effortlessly approach and Ftilt away unless he feels like power shielding it every singles time which is unrealestic. Arrows, Bombs, Zair, boomerang, these ALL stop Snake's best approach option, his DAC. RBS destorys his DAC, hell just even THROWING a bomb owns his DAC. Snake doesn't have much on Link offstage, mostly you can just expect time QCEH's from him, just toss a GaleRang or bomb and kick him back on. Link can KO Snake a lot better then some of the characters in this game. Jab cancels destroy him. Link can grab him out of his Ftilt so baiting him to Powershield through your projectiles into this is very good against him. Snake is garbage in the air and has a decent juggle game against him. Link can PUNISH the balls off of Snake if he slips up and recovers low, he eats Ftilts, Nairs, and Bairs and quickly racks up damage. Dair owns the common Snake players who AD when coming down to the stage or out of their cyhpers.
This match-up is 50:50 or 55:45 Snake at worst. I personally believe it's 50:50.
-DingDing Input-
Sry guys, but I'm gonna agree with KirinBlaze on this one. It's definitely a 50:50 matchup, IMO, mainly for reasons Kirin listed above.
As a side note: Snakes that try to DACUS link get owned...only if the link expects it and retaliates with a projectile or zair. From a LINKZONEload of personal experience, the absolute best way to fight a snake from a long range is with a wall of zairs and boomerangs. Both stop his grenades and his DACUS in their tracks, without having them explode. Bombs, on the other hand, may (and usually do) hurt you both if used on an approaching snake, and if snake throws a grenade in your face and you bomb it, then BAM 21 damage. D:
So, IMO, link's best weapons against snake are zair, jab cancel, smashes and rang. Snake's best weapons against link are grenade spam, unexpected DACUS, grabs and tilts. Overall, as long as Link is at a distance where he can effectively space with zair and rangs, he has the advantage. Only if the snake gets close and is on the ground does link have a major problem.
Granted, Snake with proper DI lives forever, but Link with proper DI can too (though not QUITE as long), but is actually a bit harder to gimp. As long as the Link knows the matchup well and can DI, it's definitely around a 50:50 matchup.
Match-Up Discussion #13; Samus
55:45 Samus
Link's Advantages
- Can reliably KO Samus.
- Can compete with Samus in terms of camping.
- Has more range and effectively out-spaces Samus.
- Link's weight and good DI make it very difficult for Samus to KO with her weak smashes and even her Dtilt.
- Due to her floaty physics she can escape Jab Cancel>Grab>Dsamsh>UpB and punish accordingly.
- All of her aerials auto-cancel which makes comboing very easy with Samus.
- Longer Zair and can be used as a WoP.
- Three projectiles that put her on par with Link in terms of camping.
Where should I stage CP Samus?
You're best bet here is probably Norfair. Link's projectiles are not limited so horizontal movements only which makes camping Samus a lot easier with the aid of the many platforms. Take the high ground here and bombard her with bombs and Dairs. The low ceiling is also great for early Dair KO's. The various platforms and lava aid in Link's recovery making it harder to gimp him.
Discussion #14; Pokemon Trainer
60:40 Pokemon Trainer
60:40 Pokemon Trainer
Charizard
50:50 Even
Link's Advantages
50:50 Even
Link's Advantages
- Charizard is very big target making him easy to hit with projectiles and Zair.
- Charizard has no projectile and is forced to approach Link which can be difficult due to his size.
- Charizard has trouble with projectile spam offstage. They force him to use up his jumps.
- His size makes is easier to Jab Lock or GBAL him then other characters.
- Charizard's Flamethower can stop most of Link's projectiles and is very good for spacing and racking up damage.
- Charizard has 3 offstage jumps, the least in the game for those with multi-jumps, and can use them to Fair gimp you.
- Charizards weight can make him difficult to KO at times.
- Grab Release Combos that work very well on most characters.
- Very impressive Out of Shield game.
Squirtle
65:35 Squirtle
65:35 Squirtle
Link's Advantages
- Squirtles light weight makes him very easy to KO.
- Projectiles and Zair can interfer with his aerial game.
- Very quick and can close the distance between himself and Link very quickly.
- Amazing aerial game which gives him incredible combo potential in the air.
- Hydro Grabbing can be used to grab or to appraoch into Jabs or Dtilt.
- His RJCUsmash is very similar to a DAC, but it can KO pretty early.
- Squirtle's Water Gun can be used just like Mario's FLUDD. Link is very easy to gimp with this.
Ivysaur
60:40 Link
60:40 Link
Link's Advantages
Where should I stage CP Pokemon Trainer?
Take Pokemon Trainer to a place like Halberd or Norfair. The small blastzones and ceilings make it easy to KO all three of them. Squirtle will die extremely early, Charizard won't live as long as he's used to, and Ivy will die a little earlier as well. Final Destination or Smashville is always an option due to their camp friendly structure. Try and stay away from Battlefield here.
- Projectiles give Ivysaur some real trouble.
- Very easy to gimp, even for Link.
- Bombs have 2x the normal knockback due to Ivysaur's Grass Type.
- Link has little trouble dealing with Razor Leaf.
- Bullet Seed is an amazing damage racker on heavy characters like Link.
- Can space well with his Bair
- Razor Leaf can set up for grabs or other attacks.
- Very good Nair that Ivy can combo out of.
- One of the best Usmash's and Uair's in the game.
Where should I stage CP Pokemon Trainer?
Take Pokemon Trainer to a place like Halberd or Norfair. The small blastzones and ceilings make it easy to KO all three of them. Squirtle will die extremely early, Charizard won't live as long as he's used to, and Ivy will die a little earlier as well. Final Destination or Smashville is always an option due to their camp friendly structure. Try and stay away from Battlefield here.
Match-Up Discussion #15; Ganondorf
60:40 Link
Link's Advantages
Where should I stage CP Ganondorf?
Final Destination. You can camp Ganondorf so hard here he won't be able to do much at all. Battlefield may give Ganondorf a little help, but it's still a stage where you can beat him on. Norfair is always an option as is Halberd.
- Projectiles destroy the slow, large Ganondorf.
- Zair spacing is very easy against Ganondorf.
- Ganondorf is extremely easy to Jab Lock or GBAL.
- Link's DI enables him to survive even Ganondorf's KO Power at percents others would usually die to.
- Ganondorf cannot deal with Link's Jab Cancel's. He has nothing to break them with.
- Ganondorf is very easy to gimp for Link. Arrows and Gale Boomerang destroy Ganon offstage.
- Incredible KO Power.
- Can appear very quick with the use of buffering.
- Reverse Uair Offstage gimps Link at any %.
- Powerful Dair Spike.
Where should I stage CP Ganondorf?
Final Destination. You can camp Ganondorf so hard here he won't be able to do much at all. Battlefield may give Ganondorf a little help, but it's still a stage where you can beat him on. Norfair is always an option as is Halberd.
Match-Up Discussion #16; Pikachu
65:35 Pikachu
Link's Advantages
Where should I stage CP Pikachu?
Try and take Pikachu to a spacious stage where you can keep your distance from him. Stages like Final Destination, Smashville, Halberd, and Norfair are good for these. Keep in mind that Halberd and Norfair will also help in the KO factor. Pikachu will be KO'd much much earlier off the tops and sides here. Norfair also helps to limit Pikachu's Projectile game while adding ours.
[/left]- Pikachu is a lightweight and will KO earlier to things like Dair, Dsmash, and Fsmash.
- Projectiles interfere with Pikachu's Skull Bash recovery.
- Hylian Shield blocks Thunder Jolts.
- Link out ranges Pikachu.
- Pikachu's lack of KO moves makes it difficult for finish Link off onstage.
- The newly discovered buffered Dthrow Chain Grab can do Link much harm.
- Pikachu's speed and size makes it easier for him to maneuver through Link's projectiles.
- Thunder Jolts cancel out most of Link's projectiles.
- Thunder Jolts offstage can gimp Link rather well.
Where should I stage CP Pikachu?
Try and take Pikachu to a spacious stage where you can keep your distance from him. Stages like Final Destination, Smashville, Halberd, and Norfair are good for these. Keep in mind that Halberd and Norfair will also help in the KO factor. Pikachu will be KO'd much much earlier off the tops and sides here. Norfair also helps to limit Pikachu's Projectile game while adding ours.
Match-Up Discussion #17; Pit
60:40 Pit
Link's Advantages
Where should I stage CP Pit?
Pit is more of less a watered down version of Meta Knight so you generally want to avoid stages like Battlefield, Frigate Orpheon, and Rainbow Cruise against him. The usually choice of Final Destination, Smashville, Norfair, and Halberd are viable options here. Halberd you might be a stage you wish to take him only if you feel comfortable enough, like Meta Knight, Pit can do very well here.
- Link out-ranges Pit on the ground.
- Zair helps in spacing his aerials and WoI Stalls.
- Projectiles also help stop the aforementioned stalling.
- Projectiles can pressure Pit offstage into wasting jumps.
- Pit's lack of range and power on his KO moves make KOing Link onstage difficult.
- Pit does not have too approach Link.
- Pit's arrows can be used quick enough to keep pace with Link's projectile game.
- Arrows can easily gimp Link offstage.
- Pit's jumps and WoI Stalling can help him avoid Link's projectiles.
- Pit can also gimp Link with aerials offstage which is very easy with Pit's 4 jumps.
Where should I stage CP Pit?
Pit is more of less a watered down version of Meta Knight so you generally want to avoid stages like Battlefield, Frigate Orpheon, and Rainbow Cruise against him. The usually choice of Final Destination, Smashville, Norfair, and Halberd are viable options here. Halberd you might be a stage you wish to take him only if you feel comfortable enough, like Meta Knight, Pit can do very well here.
Match-Up Discussion #18; Kirby
65:35 Kirby
Link's Advantages
Where should I stage CP Kirby?
For some reason Kirby does not preform so well on stages with a lot of platforms. Taking Kirby to places like Battlefield or Lylat Cruise is a good choice as a starter neutral. Final Destination is always a good option for Link. The counter pick stages are really what make this match-up interesting. Stages like Pokemon Stadium 1 become good ideas here due to the changing forms of the stage. The mountain and windmill stages can really make it difficult for Kirby to space his aerials correctly. PS1 also has a small ceiling and small blastzones making him very easy to OK on this stage. Halberd and Norfair, especially Norfair, are excellent CP stages for this match-up. Avoid stages like Frigate Orpheon, Rainbow Cruise, and Castle Siege.
[/center]- Projectiles and Zair make it very difficult for Kirby to approach Link in the air.
- Kirby's light weight makes him very easy to KO with Dsmash, Dair, and Fsmash.
- Link (Anyone for that matter) can DI out of the 'Gonzo Combo' by simply TDI/SDI upward when the Uair hits.
- Projectiles offstage help keep Kirby away from you. A well placed Nair will trade hits with his Dair.
- Kirby has too approach Link to do anything. Keep this in mind.
- Kirby's grab game can be very effective against Link.
- Kirby's Dair is very easy to connect against Link offstage.
- If Kirby manages to get inside it can be difficult to get him off you.
- Kirby has a surprisingly good amount of KO moves in Bair, Fsmash, and Usmash. These can even KO Link earlier then expected.
- Kirby can make excellent use of Link's arrows if he manages to copy his ability.
Where should I stage CP Kirby?
For some reason Kirby does not preform so well on stages with a lot of platforms. Taking Kirby to places like Battlefield or Lylat Cruise is a good choice as a starter neutral. Final Destination is always a good option for Link. The counter pick stages are really what make this match-up interesting. Stages like Pokemon Stadium 1 become good ideas here due to the changing forms of the stage. The mountain and windmill stages can really make it difficult for Kirby to space his aerials correctly. PS1 also has a small ceiling and small blastzones making him very easy to OK on this stage. Halberd and Norfair, especially Norfair, are excellent CP stages for this match-up. Avoid stages like Frigate Orpheon, Rainbow Cruise, and Castle Siege.
