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Skler's Incredibly Awesome Link Guide! Discussion too!

rhan

Smash Hero
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
6,107
Location
SoVA 757
I know right? And it's always the link mains... Auuugh. Can't wait to relax and go to pound.
I would much rather play 1000 sheik vs link sets than type this paper i'm procrastinating.
You procrastinate on EVERYTHING anyway.
 

rhan

Smash Hero
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
6,107
Location
SoVA 757
JUst because you don't have a life doesn't mean I don't.. lmao

Hey Sklerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
4,514
Location
On top of Milktea
JUst because you don't have a life doesn't mean I don't.. lmao

Hey Sklerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Howdy!

I wish my work during finals week was spread out. Unfortunately I have a final and final paper due within a day of each other. The test is the first possible day we can have finals. Why is my paper due so damn early?

Balls.
 

HiIH

Smash Lord
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
1,036
Location
Atlanta, Ga
So after my last tournament this weekend, I have a new extremely effective Link counterpicking strat. You go to a stage that everybody hates, and you make the entire match miserable for them. That way they KNOW if they win, they're going somewhere they are going to HATE, Like brinstar. especially spacies. Every stage that everybody HATES has some cool tricks that don't take long to learn or think about, but nobody uses or does them, because they just HATE brinstar to DEATH.

I also used rainbow cruise this way, and warned everyone I played that this would happen (except for the Link ditto's I did with pikachad).
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
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On top of Milktea
RC is straight up awesome for Link.

Brinstar is right out though, it gimps Link more than any other stage. Your recovery doesn't matter (not that you can use it anyway), your projectiles get blocked by random crap and it has a fairly high ceiling. If you're competent on it it's still a really bad stage just because it flies against everything Link does.
 

HiIH

Smash Lord
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
1,036
Location
Atlanta, Ga
RC is straight up awesome for Link.

Brinstar is right out though, it gimps Link more than any other stage. Your recovery doesn't matter (not that you can use it anyway), your projectiles get blocked by random crap and it has a fairly high ceiling. If you're competent on it it's still a really bad stage just because it flies against everything Link does.
I just think it hurts spacies way more than it hurts link. It just straight out cuts out an illusion to the edge, and if you get hit by lava you'll take one or two hits, while that spacie will take way more. If they take to the platform early, you now have a nice place to camp, and if you're worred about your recovery, use the lava before you dj or upb. I'm not sure if I would take anything but a spacie there to be honest but you get a nice lazer wall shield and an alternate way to break up shield pressure .
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
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On top of Milktea
Meh, spacies can still work your face pretty hard. I prefer taking Fox to FoD and Falco to RC. Failing that, I take Fox to RC and hope he doesn't know how silly RC is for him too. I also take Falco to FoD a lot even though Falcos supposedly love the stage.

Brinstar, I just can't get over not have effective projectiles or a good recovery. FALCO can edgeguard you on Brinstar. That's embarrassing!
 

gametimer

Smash Rookie
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
1
Hey Skler!
before i ask you any questions id like to say that im a major fan of your (and deva's) playing style with link!:D
anyways im a recently new player (Oct 2010) and would like some advice on beating 2 of my friends. one of them actually introduced this game to me and uses CF. he is starting to get the hang of shffling me and he loves to knee me. all i can do is spam up and hope that he gets spiked down into it. my other friend. who is insanley good with sheik. does not know any "advanced" moves and hes just really good at comboing the hell out of me and then just f-aearialing me to my death. any advice?
sorry if im asking this question in the wrong spot of the forum.
 

cjugs

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
521
Location
Where amazing happens
Gamer- Try to post in links take over thread.
To answer you falcons a hard matchup but before you ask for advice try getting to where you can do everything with link like combo Wd l cancel stuff like that and try to be specific as you can how to play against falcon's sort of a vague question and by the way everyone is good at comboing with sheik.

Chival link goes even IC are Gay end of discussion.
 

condemned_soul

Smash Champion
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
2,100
Location
detroit MI
so wait how do you play the IC as link? dablackpacman uses the ICs as well and i just want to out of nowhere **** him with link

Discuss
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
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Messages
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The short of it is that you run away on platforms and throw bombs. The IC matchup is simple: don't touch the ground near them.

Game, try DIing away from people as long as you're at lower percents. It sounds like that's your primary problem.
 

BIGW1LY

Smash Rookie
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
1
recovery dair

I'm new to smashboards, so I apologize if this thread is too old to be posting on. I am trying to perfect Link, and I can preform most of his advanced techniques with some level of consistency, but I can't figure out how to come up from the edge into a dair (or any other A attack) as if I short hopped. I would really appreciate any advice.
 

Veetaak

Smash Lord
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
1,119
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
I'm new to smashboards, so I apologize if this thread is too old to be posting on. I am trying to perfect Link, and I can preform most of his advanced techniques with some level of consistency, but I can't figure out how to come up from the edge into a dair (or any other A attack) as if I short hopped. I would really appreciate any advice.
You need to drop down from the ledge and then instantly jump and press yourself towards the map and do the aireal.

I do my aerial just as I jump after dropping down. (Depends on the situation though)
 

MALVM MALVM

Smash Apprentice
Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
159
Location
Lynchburg and/or Vienna VA
Firstly, this guide was one of the first things I read on Smash Boards, and it has helped me immensely. However, I watched a spacing video which said that you should space for an opponent's longest and fastest attack. I'm not sure what these attacks are for the majority of the cast. Similarly, one cannot play the same way with a bomb as one would without. You lose options but you gain so many more. Spacing changes, movement changes, their play changes, etc. I'd like to know how. Sorry if this question has been asked too frequently or is just a stooopid question.
 

Problem2

Smash Champion
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
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Problem0
It's alright. Don't be afraid to ask questions around here. This is what the character boards are for. :p

The easiest way to learn the spacing of other characters is to try them out for a little while. You don't have to get good with them, but at least play around with them to see how they work. For fast characters, you want to space far enough away that you can protect yourself if they decided to short hop towards you out of dash (remember, when you jump out of a dash, you jump farther). This does not necessarily mean you should sit outside the range of their leap, but sit far enough to be able to throw out a move in reaction to their jump.

Primary spacing moves that I can think of:
Marth's short hop f-air
sheik's dash attack and f-tilt
Fox's dash short hop n-air
Falco's dash short hop n-air
Jigglypuff's b-air
Falcon's dash short hop n-air/f-air/d-air o_O
Ganondorf's f-air
Mario's/Doc's b-air
..and there's more, but these are the characters I have experience against.

Just think about what happens when you pull out a bomb. You lose all your standard A moves as well as your grab. However, you keep your sword spin and your other projectiles. Also, when in the air, it is easy to ditch the bomb quickly with Z and then follow up with whatever normal option you want. While holding the bomb, you get the advantage of having a fast projectile. You can change the distance you throw the bomb by using standard A, a tilt, or a smash. While you have a bomb, you are slightly safer in shield. If someone tries to put pressure on your shield, you can jump out and z-drop the bomb to stun your opponent. If you're already in the air, you can z-drop to use any of your normal moves. I commonly z-drop -> short hop -> move of my choice. I use the dropped bomb to try and trap my opponent. One common adjustment your opponent will probably make is that they will shield more often. When they shield, there is not a lot you can do because you lose your grab and most of your shield poke options. You can try and mindgame your opponent by spacing a good opportunity to toss the bomb, and not take it. You can try to throw the bomb at their feet, and you can also throw the bomb down from directly above and let it bounce off their shield which limits their options slightly.

Link's bomb is also arguably the safest projectile for him to spam. You can pull your bomb out at any point you are in a safe position and then choose to throw it at another time. Don't feel rushed to toss a bomb in your hand, you actually get a pretty good amount of time before it explodes. The boomerang on the other hand has some start up lag as Link winds up to throw it, and unlike the bomb, it always occurs before tossing. In addition, Link also receives cool down lag if he grabs his returning boomerang, though this can be avoided by performing another move or action when the boomerang comes in contact with you.

I hope I answered your question. :) If not, ask more questions.
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
4,514
Location
On top of Milktea
That's actually a really good idea for a section of the guide. I need to work on it more and school IS finally over for me...

But now I'm in that "real world" crap.

Edit: Dear World,

I officially promise a "Melee 10th anniversary" Link guide update.

Love,
Skler
 

Pico_Suarez

Smash Rookie
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
1
Location
Texas
This guide seems immensely helpful, Skler. It's been favorited, and I'll be working some of it into my game (WL back into double jump seems pretty sexy).
 

Problem2

Smash Champion
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Problem0
I just wanted to throw out. I was playing someone the other day who knew how to catch bombs easily. If you ever meet an opponent like that, try to mix up with boomerang as they'll be waiting for your bombs and throw your bombs at their feet. It will still hit them, yet they cannot easily grab it.
 

Problem2

Smash Champion
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Crowley/Fort Worth, TX
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Problem0
Ok so I played a Zelda and Ganon the other day. I had asked for advice on Ganon before, but was told to run away.. Well no ****, I'm going to run away. He's slow to approach. Is there any actual advice? Like when is a good chance to strike? Is there a move I have that can challenge his F-air? What are moves that are safe to use in close combat?
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
4,514
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On top of Milktea
It sounds like you want more offensive advice, so here it is.

If he's spamming fair just wait for him to commit to it and grab him as he's landing. If he isn't spamming fair then shield your approach with projectiles and give him the stabness. He isn't very fast or good at dealing with pressure on the front of his shield, so spacing a fair and proceeding to jab and such will generally force him to back up or roll.

The thing is good dorf players rarely shield and will try to avoid your attacks rather than deal with them head on. Just keep pressure up if you want to win that way. Running (or at least playing extremely defensive) and capitalizing off of projectiles is still the safest way to win, imo.

Link has absolutely no move that challenges the fair (your fair is roughly equal in range, but it gets blown away in the power department). It has more range and more power than anything Link's got, so actually hopping around and trying to out-shffl dorf is likely to result in sadness.
 

Problem2

Smash Champion
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Problem0
The reason I was asking was because I know how to run away, but Ganondorfs are used to being patient when approaching. I needed to know my options for close quarters. I'm seeing that Link's shield is useful for once. I guess I'm not used to that after playing nothing but Foxes, Sheiks, and Falcons all day.

EDIT: After getting some good practice in this match up, I've discovered that I like big stages vs ganon, but they must have platforms. On a stage like Final Destination, it is too easy to get cornered at the ledge. Ganondorf's aerials take up a lot of space, so having you cornered is his favorite spot. With platforms, I can usually run away easier and not have to confront him, so for now, I'm going Dreamland or Rainbow Cruise against Ganondorfs. I experimented with my options when he has me cornered. Most of the time, my sheild is pretty safe to throw up when he short hops. If he tries to hit me with an aerial, he eats a grab or up-b oos. Sometimes though, he can bait me by doing a mid air jump near the ground, or he can empty short hop to grab. I also happen to notice I can land a lot of u-tilts if I can predict when he's going to approach which combos into itself nicely or I can land u-airs which is safer. I want to say u-air is probably the safest move Link has against Ganon, but I can't 100% confirm that from just playing one day. When I had Ganon on a platform, u-airs made it particularly hard for him to escape pressure from underneath, more so than when Link does this to higher tiered characters. This is yet another good reason to want a stage with platforms.

As usual, a patient ganondorf is going to use his shield a lot to approach, so take advantage of his withering shield and fire some bombs and/or arrows at his feet. Ganondorf is actually so slow, he can't really punish you doing full or short hop arrows from afar. The thing not to do against ganondorf include trying to approach him from the air. I'm in the habit of hitting people with n-air a lot, and almost every time I used it, I was beat by f-air or u-air. Sometimes when trying to stop his recovery, I was even hit by his Dark Dive (up-b)! You can sometimes use d-air, but the ending lag has gives Link the usual consequences for it's misuse. I also noticed that spacing f-air to attack his attack (ie, he extends his hurtbox when he throws out a move) is good, but not great. It is an option to keep in mind. Overall, I learned to play this match up very reactionary. I'm going to try and sit there if I must. Committing to decisions sucks in this match up really hard.
 

Skler

Smash Master
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Messages
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On top of Milktea
Awesome! My favorite thing that I've heard somebody say is "You keep track of that!?" in reference to using returning boomerang slingshots.
 

Exia

Smash Rookie
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
2
Location
Lowell, MA
Wassup Link players!

Wassup guys, i'm new here and like to introduce myself. My name is Exia and i'm a new Link player and debuted at Mass Madness last week. I'm pretty confident in my skill as a Link player but i still need more advice from you guys! Thanks
 

Skler

Smash Master
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
4,514
Location
On top of Milktea
Awesome! You were pretty good for just coming on to the scene. Keep on going to tournaments and try to get a lot of practice in. You've got a ton of good players in the area so try and hit up any fests/etc they have. The best way to get good is by playing the game as much as possible. Since you're in an area that's more active than NH you should be rocking the mass madnesses in no time.
 

Dingding123

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
478
Location
Houston, TX
First time I check my CP in years and I see a new post here today. Fate must have brought me here to say this:

Link is awesome in Project: M. Go try him out!
 

Problem2

Smash Champion
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Messages
2,318
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Crowley/Fort Worth, TX
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Problem0
First time I check my CP in years and I see a new post here today. Fate must have brought me here to say this:

Link is awesome in Project: M. Go try him out!
meh, he's better for sure, but so is everyone else. I still think he's going to be low tier, but in the sense that the gap between what results can be accomplished in tournaments by high tiers compared to low tiers won't be as large as the gap is in Melee.
 
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