Help with Link Match-up?

[Pippu]

I go to a local tourney, and I do pretty well (usually ending up in semifinals in winners and finals in losers bracket). I study Peach often putting in loads of hours of practice with her, learning all of her tech skill and whatnot.
My one match-up that always gets me is against this player who mains link. I started learning a counter pick to him but it didn't feel right.

Any advice or tactics I could use against this player?
He plays like any Link on for glory
I would really like to understand this matchup more as well.

 

[SleeplessInKyoto]

I play with a friend who mains Link, and isn't the best player in the world but plays the campy projectile style that is so quintessential to this matchup. Constantly stay on the offensive. In terms of approach, I prefer run > perfect shield to start closing the gap because at this point you'll be out of grab range. Some people prefer to use float, but Gale boomerang makes it hard to float at a low enough height to actually put any pressure with aerials + you have to deal with landing lag. You can always float with a turnip in hand to try and threaten with your own projectile and that can give you some breathing room.

The most important thing is mixing up your approach so you're not predictable. It will turn into a rock-paper scissors situation once you finally get close and personal but if you observe your opponent carefully you'll be able to read the situation. So for example, let's say you successfully approach Link using float/shield or even a roll :

Rock - Link attacks you with Jab/Smash attack and resets the projectile game.

Paper - Link rolls backwards or forwards to create more distance and resets the projectile game.

Scissors - Link grabs you with hookshot and throws you off stage or into the air where we enter aerial game.

I'm simplifying things of course, for sake of argument, but you get the idea. Camping playstyles basically win through attrition and frustrating you through pressure. Broadly speaking, these would be the counters :

Rock - Peach shields the attack and either grabs or performs an out of shield attack. I'd suggest d-throw or d-tilt at low-mid percents to start a combo chain. The punishes have to be severe.

Paper - Peach reads the roll correctly, countering a backwards roll (or flip, rather) with Peach Bomber/Dash attack and a forward roll with d-smash.

Scissors - Peach spot dodges the grab and instantly punishes with F-Smash/D-tilt/Jab

Alternatively, you can play the neutral game by just baiting out the attacks and then responding accordingly.


You don't necessarily have to get in his face all the time, particularly at higher %. There's mindgames you can play with Toad, I.E trying to get your opponent to commit to a grab and then punishing - this applies to this matchup since the grab is super punishable; you can use pivot throwing turnips as a way to create distance or get behind your opponent, etc.

 

[Luxent]

Im a really awful player, but from what I see, most people who play as Link usually spam Boomerang-Arrow-Bomb.
I usually approach by floating, just above head level, and while they're drawing a bow, or throwing the boomerage I initiate a combo with F-air. Since you're relatively close to the ground, it lets you follow up with a dash attack/another Fair.

 

[Pippu]

I play with a friend who mains Link, and isn't the best player in the world but plays the campy projectile style that is so quintessential to this matchup. Constantly stay on the offensive. In terms of approach, I prefer run > perfect shield to start closing the gap because at this point you'll be out of grab range. Some people prefer to use float, but Gale boomerang makes it hard to float at a low enough height to actually put any pressure with aerials + you have to deal with landing lag. You can always float with a turnip in hand to try and threaten with your own projectile and that can give you some breathing room.

The most important thing is mixing up your approach so you're not predictable. It will turn into a rock-paper scissors situation once you finally get close and personal but if you observe your opponent carefully you'll be able to read the situation. So for example, let's say you successfully approach Link using float/shield or even a roll :

Rock - Link attacks you with Jab/Smash attack and resets the projectile game.

Paper - Link rolls backwards or forwards to create more distance and resets the projectile game.

Scissors - Link grabs you with hookshot and throws you off stage or into the air where we enter aerial game.

I'm simplifying things of course, for sake of argument, but you get the idea. Camping playstyles basically win through attrition and frustrating you through pressure. Broadly speaking, these would be the counters :

Rock - Peach shields the attack and either grabs or performs an out of shield attack. I'd suggest d-throw or d-tilt at low-mid percents to start a combo chain. The punishes have to be severe.

Paper - Peach reads the roll correctly, countering a backwards roll (or flip, rather) with Peach Bomber/Dash attack and a forward roll with d-smash.

Scissors - Peach spot dodges the grab and instantly punishes with F-Smash/D-tilt/Jab

Alternatively, you can play the neutral game by just baiting out the attacks and then responding accordingly.


You don't necessarily have to get in his face all the time, particularly at higher %. There's mindgames you can play with Toad, I.E trying to get your opponent to commit to a grab and then punishing - this applies to this matchup since the grab is super punishable; you can use pivot throwing turnips as a way to create distance or get behind your opponent, etc.

Thank you so so much for this. This honestly is such a good helpful guide. Have you considered making a matchup guide? You seem to have a lot of knowledge and understanding of opponents and their tactics.

 

[deepseadiva]

Switch to a reflector character.

>_>

 

[Pippu]

Switch to a reflector character.

>_>

I really don't want to learn a counterpick, and reflectors have a lag downtime that can be punished.
I was learning MegaMan which is a heavy counterpick for link. But I felt I'd be more fulfilled winning and learning the matchup with Peach.