How Do You Play in the Neutral Against Evasive Projectile Characters?

[Uffe]

As the topic asks, how do you do this? Anytime I come across a Young Link or Toon Link, or just any character who can run away the whole time while racking up damage on me, I get flustered and feel helpless. I could just sit back and not chase them, but then I'm still having to deal with projectile, and honestly, shield in this game isn't good. Parrying works, but the problem with how it works is that if I drop shield too early, I'm going to take damage. Against a Toon Link, I'll get through the projectile, but then they'll just jump onto the platforms and jump around dropping bombs and whatnot. PK Fire obviously isn't going to do much here if my opponent is a platform above me, anyway. I could use PK Thunder, but then I either get hit by a bomb or they evade the attack entirely and punish me for it. Looking for some valuable tips. Thanks.

 

[PuffinToast34]

Simple answer!
Ｒｅｆｌｅｃｔ！!

But, seriously. My number one is watch the pattern of your opponent. Take for example, a Toonie. If we know he'll go for a Side B everytime you so much as move a centimeter, anticipate and PUNISH! Try rolling behind him, getting a grab to down throw. Trick him. Try spicing up your play style mid match. That's sure to throw them off!
Maybe you knew this, but you can hit projectiles back with Ness's forward smash. You also could try using PK Fire on an incoming boomerang. As for bomb? PSI Magnet absorbs the blast, and seeing as it exploded on impact, that might help you.

Hope I helped!

 

[DirtyFlamingo]

There are two ways you can counter projectiles, the first way is by playing super aggressive and rushing down the projectile user to limit them from using projectiles. The second way is to try to be extremely patient and learn their projectile pattern so you can understand when to go in or bat the projectile back to use their momentum against them.

 

[Blade of Evil's Bane]

Maybe you knew this, but you can hit projectiles back with Ness's forward smash.

Excellent answer overall, just wanted to add that Ness f-smash is particularly efficient when sending back the boomerang. Since it's relatively slow and telegraphed, getting the right timing on it seems easier. Plus it's usually the first projectile in the 'pattern' so sending it back will likely keep a Link, YLink or TLink player from starting a projectiles barrage.

I should also mention that if you successfully send back or absorb projectiles a few times during a match, you're likely to see more hesitation from your opponent afterwards. Personally (as a Link player) i always test a Ness opponent with a few projectiles, if they know how to use f-smash and Psi-magnet, i'll be way more careful with my projectiles.

 

[PuffinToast34]

I should also mention that if you successfully send back or absorb projectiles a few times during a match, you're likely to see more hesitation from your opponent afterwards. Personally (as a Link player) i always test a Ness opponent with a few projectiles, if they know how to use f-smash and Psi-magnet, i'll be way more careful with my projectiles.

This! I forgot about this.
For example, I'm a Villager submain. When I play online, I tend to run into a few Clouds. I pocket the projectile they all throw out first. Usually, I keep doing this, and they realize that using any projectile against me is pointless, forcing them to switch up the game plan.

There are two ways you can counter projectiles, the first way is by playing super aggressive and rushing down the projectile user to limit them from using projectiles. The second way is to try to be extremely patient and learn their projectile pattern so you can understand when to go in or bat the projectile back to use their momentum against them.

Playing aggressively and not letting your opponent get too far away from you is an amazing strategy!

 

[Uffe]

Simple answer!
Ｒｅｆｌｅｃｔ！!

But, seriously. My number one is watch the pattern of your opponent. Take for example, a Toonie. If we know he'll go for a Side B everytime you so much as move a centimeter, anticipate and PUNISH! Try rolling behind him, getting a grab to down throw. Trick him. Try spicing up your play style mid match. That's sure to throw them off!
Maybe you knew this, but you can hit projectiles back with Ness's forward smash. You also could try using PK Fire on an incoming boomerang. As for bomb? PSI Magnet absorbs the blast, and seeing as it exploded on impact, that might help you.

Hope I helped!

I'm aware f-smash reflects projectile. The problem is that when I fight Young Link or Toon Link as of recently, I'm only going to reflect one projectile out of the three being thrown at me. But maybe I should take a slower approach. PKF definitely works against boomerang. A smart Toon/Y. Link won't go for bomb first. Usually they barrage me with other projectile before using bomb, because the expect PSIM. Thanks for your help, though. I'll consider it the next time I fight one.

There are two ways you can counter projectiles, the first way is by playing super aggressive and rushing down the projectile user to limit them from using projectiles. The second way is to try to be extremely patient and learn their projectile pattern so you can understand when to go in or bat the projectile back to use their momentum against them.

I've tried to be super aggressive, but they just jump on platforms and run off the whole time, so it's hard for me to even connect an attack. I may have to be extremely patient. I know this is one fault in my game play. Getting some tips, though, so much appreciated.

Excellent answer overall, just wanted to add that Ness f-smash is particularly efficient when sending back the boomerang. Since it's relatively slow and telegraphed, getting the right timing on it seems easier. Plus it's usually the first projectile in the 'pattern' so sending it back will likely keep a Link, YLink or TLink player from starting a projectiles barrage.

I should also mention that if you successfully send back or absorb projectiles a few times during a match, you're likely to see more hesitation from your opponent afterwards. Personally (as a Link player) i always test a Ness opponent with a few projectiles, if they know how to use f-smash and Psi-magnet, i'll be way more careful with my projectiles.

I use PKF against boomerang. Arrows seem to connect against me a lot, though, because both Toon Link and Young Link can just spam very quickly with them. Your last sentence is actually what I had to do against a Lucas I fought against earlier. He started to read my PKF and he'd absorb them, so I had to use a different approach. Still, I really do appreciate your guys/gals help. Thanks!

 

[CHOVI]

I've tried to be super aggressive, but they just jump on platforms and run off the whole time, so it's hard for me to even connect an attack. I may have to be extremely patient. I know this is one fault in my game play. Getting some tips, though, so much appreciated.

Yeah, Ness is too slow to rushdown characters trying to run away.

 

[Uffe]

Yeah, Ness is too slow to rushdown characters trying to run away.

Which is odd, because I've heard he's a rush down character. But I've tried rushing down a lot of players only to find myself taking more damage than what could have been easily avoided.

 

[CHOVI]

Which is odd, because I've heard he's a rush down character. But I've tried rushing down a lot of players only to find myself taking more damage than what could have been easily avoided.

Well he has a lot of fast attacks, and lots of combos/mixups. But you can't just rush down the whole match because his air speed and run speed are not great