pyrotek7x7
Smash Ace
ROUGH DRAFT! (Text size is small to save space)
Comment and correct if you want. ^.^
Comment and correct if you want. ^.^
In the wide world of Super Smash Bros. Melee, there are many characters. Some are fast, some are slow. Others are heavy, while others are light. A few have projectiles, but many of them are left without this luxury. Young Link is a very interesting, original Super Smash Bros. Melee character that has many various differences from Link, projectile strategies, and general strategies for defeating your opponent.
When choosing a favorite Melee characters, many go for Link. This works well until they finally unlock Young Link. Who should they play? Which one is better? Generally, Young Link falls behind Link for a variety of reasons (Kokiri Konquerer).
In terms of movement, there is a large difference between the two elves. Link is heavier and lasts much longer on the field (Kokiri Konquerer). He also is a much more efficient fast faller (Kokiri Konquerer). However, his younger counterpart “dashes faster, jumps quicker, and wave-dashes farther” (Kokiri Konquerer). Not only that, but Young Link receives a far better recovery from his spin attack, and he can “wall jump at will” (Kokiri Konquerer). It is obvious that Young Link excels in movement compared to Link, but what about projectiles?
Both Link and Young Link share the same projectiles, but with minor differences. Link’s bow and boomerang each have a longer range than Young Link’s bow and boomerang. Young Link has the benefit of a bow that charges faster, which is “more practical to use in fast battles” (Kokiri Konquerer). The younger of the two can also throw his boomerang at “steeper angles” (Kokiri Konquerer). Lastly, the major reason that tips the scales and show that Young Link has better projectiles than Link is simply the fact that his projectiles do far more damage (Kokiri Konquerer).
After reading about movement and projectiles, some may think that Young Link is far better than Link. Unfortunately, that’s not how it is. When it comes down to basic attacks, Young Link loses the battle. Link’s sword simply a lot more damage and knockback (Kokiri Konquerer). Agility and projectile advantages hardly help Young Link when he can hardly get in the kill.
A primary reason why Young Link has trouble getting in a kill is because he has to go through a variety of stages to do it. According to the Kokiri Konquerer, there are four main stages for getting a kill with Young Link: “strafe, ensnare, strike, and konquer” (Kokiri Konquerer).
When Young Link strafes, the primary goal is to deal damage without taking it (Kokiri Konquerer). This is essentially done with a constant wall of projectiles.
The ensnare step is similar to the strafe step. However, when ensnaring, the goal is to bait the opponent into a trap and prepare for the next step (Kokiri Konquerer).
After using projectiles to strafe and ensnare, Young Link readies his sword for the strike. Though relatively weak compared to most characters, the tiny elf can still send the opponent off of the stage with a well-placed sword attack.
“Konquer” is a play on the word conquer. When paired with Young Link’s home, Kokiri, it makes the alliteration “Kokiri Konquerer”. Konquering’s definition is therefore to conquer with Young Link. To konquer, Young Link finishes off the opponent with a variety of edge guards and finishing moves (Kokiri Konquerer).
Within the steps of strafing and ensnaring, there are many different strategies concerning projectiles at your disposable. Young Link has three different projectiles each with “unique properties perfect for various situations” (Kokiri Konquerer). This possibly makes him the most projectile-savvy of all of the characters.
Young Link’s fire bow is the least used of the projectiles. It isn’t useless, though. It should only be used “when the boomerang is already out and you already have a bomb on hand” (Kokiri Konquerer). Also, in an attempt to stay moving, “you need to charge the bow almost always while falling” (Kokiri Konquerer).
The boomerang is the next projectile. It is extremely useful and should be kept “flying around as often as possible” (Kokiri Konquerer). The boomerang can be thrown at various intensities, though a smash throw is usually preferred, and it can also be throw at steep angles (Kokiri Konquerer). Just be careful to throw a bomb before a boomerang. Otherwise, it may knock the bomb back at you (Kokiri Konquerer).
The most useful of all of Young Link’s projectiles, and possibly the most useful projectile in all of Super Smash Bros. Melee, is the bomb. It is “the single most important projectile because it is the most versatile” (Bombs Away!). Young Link can use other attacks and projectiles while holding the bomb as well in case another move is needed for that situation (Bombs Away!). Bombs, because they explode, also have a very high priority (Bombs Away!). They cannot be blocked or attacked, just dodged. Because of these reasons, “any free moment should be used to pull out a bomb” (Kokiri Konquerer).
Bombs can be seen as items that are only created by Young Link. They can by caught, dropped, and thrown. In fact, opponents can catch Young Link’s bombs and throw them back.
These explosive accessories should usually be smash thrown (Bombs Away!). A normal throw takes just as long but doesn’t do nearly as much damage. Dash throws do more damage and deal more knockback, but leave you more susceptible to attack because of the added lag.
Another useful part of having bombs act like items is that they can change your direction in the air (Bombs Away!). By using the “c stick” to throw backwards, for example, Young Link’s forward momentum is maintained while he changes direction to throw (Bombs Away!).
Bombs, though primarily an offensive weapon, can also save your life. When holding a bomb, if Young Link is attacked, he may drop the bomb (Bombs Away!). The explosion will hurt him, but will also hurt the opponent and prevent him from flying off the stage to his death (Bombs Away!). This stun affect of bombs also allows for an opening for attack. By throwing a bomb at an opponent and stunning them, an aerial can easily follow and start into a combo (Bombs Away!).
The uses of bombs can also get very complicated. For example, if you throw a bomb at an opponent, they are likely to shield and deflect the bomb. When this happens, run up, grab the bomb out of the air, and throw it at the opponent’s head (Bombs Away!). It’s an unexpected counter to their defense, and most opponents never see it coming (Bombs Away!).
Bombs also have useless uses, often for showing off. Juggling bombs is a very provocative way to do this. To accomplish this feat, you “throw a bomb into the air directly above you . . . then quickly dash forward and throw a bomb into the air right next to the first bomb” (Bombs Away!). Before the first bomb lands, dash back to it and throw it back (Bombs Away!).
After strafing and ensnaring with projectiles, it is time for the strike. As said before, the main point of striking is to get the opponent off of the stage (Kokiri Konquerer). This is done with kill moves, which are defined as “a move used to kill your opponent” (Kill Guide). Striking is the hardest step for Young Link because “most of his moves have low knockback and it can be quite tedious to get the kill in when you really need it” (Kill Guide).
The first of Young Link’s kill moves is the forward tilt. It is a “very useful move that comes out quickly and kills at higher percents” (Kill Guide). Compared to the neutral air, it has more knockback, so it should usually be used when standing at the edge of the stage and when your opponent is trying to make a recovery (Kill Guide). It also a has a sweetspot that is found on the tip of the blade (Kill Guide). Every time the forward tilt is used, you should be trying to hit the opponent with the sweetspot.
Another of Young Link’s kill moves is the down smash. The down smash is one of Young Link’s moves that has the most knockback (Kill Guide). “It comes out very quickly and has very little lag” (Kill Guide). Like the forward tilt, the tip of the blade is the down smash’s sweetspot (Kill Guide).
The up air is a move to use when the opponent is already up in the air and is coming down, ready to attack. It “can be easily chained” for juggling opponents and “beats out the majority of most characters’ down aerials” because it has a disjointed hitbox (Kill Guide).
Young Link’s swordplant, or down air, is one of his strongest moves. It kills easily and it “beats out almost every character’s up air because of its disjointed hitbox” (Kill Guide). The swordplant should be used sparingly because it has an incredibly large amount of lag and is easily countered (Kill Guide).
After using one of these moves for the strike, it is time for the Kokiri to konquer. These are the final moves to pull off. While the strike sends opponents off, konquering requires sending them too far to return.
The swordplant is one of Young Link’s strike moves, but under certain circumstances, it can konquer. It has a sweetspot that is found not on the tip of the blade, but on the handle (Kill Guide). When an opponent hits this area, they are lit on fire and are sent flying straight down with no chance of recovery.
One of Young Link’s most common konquering moves is the down tilt. The down tilt is a spike as well as the fire spike (Kill Guide). Its only useful for poking opponents in the face when they are trying to return to the stage by grabbing the edge (Kill Guide). Like most of Young Link’s sword attacks, it has a sweetspot on the very tip of the blade (Kill Guide). It’s important to know to never stand at the very edge of the stage when trying to do this attack though, because Young Link can be easily hit by the opponent’s third jump.
Towering above all strike and konquer moves is the neutral air. It is so important because it has little lag, comes out quickly, can be chained, and has high knockback (Kill Guide). Usually used when “your opponent is off the edge and they are recovering,” the neutral air will make sure they don’t do that. A very important fact to know is that the neutral air “has the most knockback when it hits your opponent the moment it comes out” (Kill Guide). If timed correctly, it can pack a large amount of pain.
With such a variety of projectiles and moves Young Link seems like an excellent character. Unfortunately, that’s not how it is. But played correctly, he can be an unexpectedly strong opponent and ally.
