So, I've been somewhat following the Link vs. Spacies conversation here and there. I figured I would take a look at what Link has against them that might give him either an edge or at least a better chance. Now, I must confess that little ol' me has only myself and the computers to play with (and only a light amount of Link play), so some of this might not actually work on a competent opponent.
The first blaring thing I noticed was that if you manage to get 'em offstage, you practically won the stock. Link seems to have the most amazing edgeguarding tools in the game, with anything from his nair, to all of his specials, to dtilt and dsmash. I wasn't able to test against an opponent who chose to use a phantasm (foolish computers do not realize its potential), however once they triggered Fire[insertanimal], they lost. Why? Link's dair. It will, in worst case, trade hits, meaning Link is usually launched upwards, while his opponent is launched further out and away from the stage (or against the stage if the attack lands too far out in relation to the opponent's position). From what it feels like, this edgeguard trick is more of a read. Oh, and if you miss, there's a risk of losing a stock, depending upon how well your opponent recovered (whether or not they crossed over the ledge threshold) and whether you attempted to land the hit offstage (usually performed out of a short hop). One other thing that I think might work is forcing a shine stall, as this allows for more time to position for the edgeguard. Heck, it is like Link doesn't have to even leave the stage! And, if for some reason you can't get in position to guard, having a bomb means you can strike them as they return, assuring some form of damage, and time to adjust spacing.
Next is utilt. First of all I would like to note that I use Link's tether grab to tech chase, and then that uthrow against a spacie means a free utilt, which can lead into practically anything you want, with a few exceptions. Low percents? How about a DA, Spin Attack, or FSmash? Boomerang? Utilt again, maybe? High percent? Maybe Uair, Nair, or Bair? This is mainly because of how easy spacies are to juggle vertically, and that many of Link's grounded attacks have vertical launch. After a point, uthrow is replaced by dthrow, and upon reaching this threshold the throw combos quite well into Spin Attack, and it will stay that way for a long time.
And then there's the laser issue. Well, at least with Falco and Wolf. And for the solution I found, one should direct their attention to the front of the character. Link's shield is awesome, and when crouched, the only point that can be struck from the front is the top of Link's head. Sure you can't move forward, but hey, isn't that why they're shooting at ya in the first place? To pressure their opponent into an uncomfortable advance? Now at least you're on even terms. And if you want to walk forward, I usually manage one or two steps between each laser (at least, against computers).
Now, as I mentioned, it is just me and the bots (and I feel my lack of Link play may lead to some amateur assumptions), so if someone can get some playtesting on this or debunk some of the theory, that would be lovely. Despite these features, the matchup still looks to be difficult, mainly because one misplaced attack on Link's part can lead to a painful punish. Overall, it feels like one should play the matchup at the tip of Link's reach to allow for short retreats and safer offensives.
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