is young link a viable main?

[LucidVoid]

Okay, so i have been playing melee for a while (around 5 and a half months or more) and i am a pikachu main, however i feel that his movement sometimes can be very clunky and doesn't fit well with my hands. this is where young link comes into the picture, in my experience young link has the smoothest movement in the game for me, and i would love to get good at him, to the point that he is my main. But, evidently, i am hesitant. Right now i don't think he is that bad of a character, and he kinda just needs people to play him to make him rise in the meta. but what do you think? is he viable for competitive play as a main? if so what should i be practicing?

i should add, that for me movement in any game is the most important thing. and young link just feels right.

P.S secondaries are cool, but i am more interested in focusing on one character.

 

[KirinKQP]

Honestly, if you feel better using Young Link as he seems more fun and fits with how you play, main him. He does have some good strengths and is probably at the very bottom of the "Viable characters." You're right that more people need to play him to develop his stance in the current meta, but you can work on it yourself as there probably isn't too many guides or tips on how to use him. Similar case with Marth for M2K, he didn't have much to look off of, so he just played him a lot.

 

[DAYDAYDAY]

No but is

 

[Benny P]

No but is

get that boi outta here gross

 

[LucidVoid]

Honestly, if you feel better using Young Link as he seems more fun and fits with how you play, main him. He does have some good strengths and is probably at the very bottom of the "Viable characters." You're right that more people need to play him to develop his stance in the current meta, but you can work on it yourself as there probably isn't too many guides or tips on how to use him. Similar case with Marth for M2K, he didn't have much to look off of, so he just played him a lot.

Cheers, yeah i think i'll end up having more fun with the game if i play a character that i can move around with naturally. i also love to figure stuff out, so i think that maining young link should be pretty fun. i also think that he can do some cool stuff.

 

[Smashplayer11]

Young link is only a viable counter pick but find a different main

 

[Benny P]

Cheers, yeah i think i'll end up having more fun with the game if i play a character that i can move around with naturally. i also love to figure stuff out, so i think that maining young link should be pretty fun. i also think that he can do some cool stuff.

I don't think he's viable but have fun with him!

 

[DAYDAYDAY]

I don't think he's viable (yet!) but have fun with him!

have fun with a low tier or whatever is your main

 

[_zong]

anyone is viable for competitive play if you put your mind to it

 

[CAUP]

It really depends on how far you want to go. If you really just want to enjoy the game and don't care too much about losing or playing losing matchups a lot, then have fun.

I would not say young link is viable as a single main. He loses too hard to Fox, Falco, sheik, marth, and falcon. As a counter pick, young link can be solid against peach, puff, and ICs. So yeah. I don't think he is really that viable but do whatever you want.

 

[Crooked Crow]

anyone is viable for competitive play if you put your mind to it

We all want this to be factually correct. However, years of strenuous metagame development has proven your claim to be false.

Characters in fighting games are not designed equally. They have different tool kits, and some are clearly more functional and pragmatic than others. They are not equal and never can be in a vacuum.

To suggest otherwise, is misleading and disingenuous. Skilled players who main average to bad characters, comprehend the relationship between understanding said limitations of your main, and therefore, being able to strategize and overcome those weaknesses. If you main Roy, and think you're hot stuff going up against a Falco? You're going to learn one way or another.

As for the initial question:

No, Young Link is not viable as a solo main. Nobody underneath Falcon is, realistically speaking. He struggles against every single top tier.

However, he's a viable pocket for floaty, lightweight match-ups such as Peach and Jigglypuff. He also does well against Ice Climbers, due to his maneuverability, ability to set up walls with his projectiles, and camp while staying airborne for most of the fight.

 

[Miyakuto]

Young link can be really good if you make a good use of his boomerang, arrow, and bombs. Plus, he have some good moves like his Nair, Uair, Dtilt, Dsmash. In my opinion, he can beat every one even if he have some harder matchups, considering the hardest to be far from unwinnable.

 

[Benny P]

Young link can be really good if you make a good use of his boomerang, arrow, and bombs. Plus, he have some good moves like his Nair, Uair, Dtilt, Dsmash. In my opinion, he can beat every one even if he have some harder matchups, considering the hardest to be far from unwinnable.

At best at the highest level of play, Young Link will probably only be good enough to win a local, and that's being generous. It's a steep climb, but he can do it. The only place where he is really lacking is obviously kill power, and very limited Oos options (his best Oos option requires a bomb)

 

[CAUP]

I mean if you were a god as young link you could definitely be the best in your region. You could absolutely win a local. State would be pushing it though. It depends on what state you're from and how strong the scene is. In some of the worst states, you could be the best as young link.

 

[Mr_towel_Man]

My advice is to go for it. If you honestly are more "connected" to a character and generally enjoy playing them, then its going to be more fun in the long run. Unless you are trying to be #1 in the whole world, then you are playing competitively and for fun. The thing is, if you are winning but not having fun, you are not going to play the game for very long. We've seen this happen to many people in and outside the Smash community. What I really want to say is, pick the character you have fun with, play them, and good luck getting good

 

[_Hydra_]

Young link isn't that bad, but not many people actually play him. Armada generally played young link just because he wanted to time hbox out. If ur gonna look at players to learn how to play young link, just look at the way axe plays him and learn how to use his gimmicks and stuff. Tbh young link is not entirely bad against spacies. The main problem that you'll have would be against marth, because the MU is severely much more different. Some advice that I would have in certain MU's would be against marth try to go for short combos that will get you lots of damage, and space closer to the marth. Against spacies, try to keep your range and go in whenever you see the opportunity. It usually takes quite a while before everything becomes natural, so practicing against people will definitely benefit.

 

[Miyakuto]

At best at the highest level of play, Young Link will probably only be good enough to win a local, and that's being generous. It's a steep climb, but he can do it. The only place where he is really lacking is obviously kill power, and very limited Oos options (his best Oos option requires a bomb)

Each character has his own weaknesses, but that doesn't make them bad for all that.

 

[pikadrewuniverse]

Short answer: no
Long answer: You'll have to work even harder to beat others,. but yes. Coming from someone who mains low/mid tiers, I say go for it. It can be the most satisfying to conquer a foe with someone you enjoy playing that is technically "worse" than most.

 

[EmptyNess]

yeah but you have to play really ****ing lame to get the most out of your good matchups

yl can straight run even with puff, peach, ices, samus, etc. you just need to be really lame and dedicated to being really lame.

run and throw. play safely, almost non-interactively, and do your best to camp and frustrate your opponents. this is only true of the characters that can't efficiently catch you however, but IMO young link has no truly unwinnable matchups. he's probably the worst viable character except maybe Mario? I go back and forth.

 

[Benny P]

yeah but you have to play really ****ing lame to get the most out of your good matchups

yl can straight run even with puff, peach, ices, samus, etc. you just need to be really lame and dedicated to being really lame.

run and throw. play safely, almost non-interactively, and do your best to camp and frustrate your opponents. this is only true of the characters that can't efficiently catch you however, but IMO young link has no truly unwinnable matchups. he's probably the worst viable character except maybe Mario? I go back and forth.

Try and play non-interactively against a good falco

SPOILER: you won't

 

[EmptyNess]

Try and play non-interactively against a good falco

SPOILER: you won't

yeah Falco can catch you he doesn't count

 

[Skeeter Mania]

He struggles against every single top tier.

However, he's a viable pocket for floaty, lightweight match-ups such as Peach and Jigglypuff. He also does well against Ice Climbers, due to his maneuverability, ability to set up walls with his projectiles, and camp while staying airborne for most of the fight.

Aren't those two contradictory?

 

[Crooked Crow]

Aren't those two contradictory?

Uh, nope. Peach, Jigglypuff, and Ice Climbers are high tier, not top tier.

 

[Skeeter Mania]

Uh, nope. Peach, Jigglypuff, and Ice Climbers are high tier, not top tier.

Top tier is arguable with the first two.

 

[Crooked Crow]

Top tier is arguable with the first two.

Seems pretty concise and categorized to me. Maybe you could elaborate further?

 

[R3D3MON]

Top tier is arguable with the first two.

This isn't smash 4 buddy.

No but is

lmao that character is not really viable either.

 

[Skeeter Mania]

lmao that character is not really viable either

Gee, it's almost as if players of this character either don't travel or can't.

 

[R3D3MON]

Gee, it's almost as if players of this character either don't travel or can't.

Don't bring a rapist into this topic please.