Link vs Young Link (as in matchup)

[Kellen]

Thoughts? It seems like a ditto and I do not know who has the advantage. Recently at INY, Santiago went young link vs Germ and Germ seemed to have the upper hand. What does everyone else think of the matchup as Link?

 

[EZえん]

I have been playing that MU with my friend a lot, and it seems like most of your zoning tools don't work on another link (either way). This means that the MU eventually just comes to the close range neutral and punish/edgeguards. I think Link could win it because of range and ability to kill, however its not by much since young link has good down-smash kill potential and fast speed. One thing that works well in link's favor is boomerang, this is a good way to punish young link for pulling out a bomb, without having to hold one yourself (this way you can keep your shield out). Also your boomerang is strong af.

 

[EddyBearr]

Young Links usually view this as a winning matchup for Young Link as he can generally do everything Link can do, but better overall. Link has almost no answers to Young Links vastly superior camping ability; he can try to camp back but he just can't do it very well against YL.

 

[EZえん]

The shield by itself usually blocks all of young link's projectiles and you can space better with your larger hits, but that's just my opinion, and you could be right.

 

[RetroGamersGuru]

The shield by itself usually blocks all of young link's projectiles and you can space better with your larger hits, but that's just my opinion, and you could be right.

Young Link players view this MU in their favor because both characters are basically looked at as campers and zoners only. The larger hitboxes and taking advantage of platforms helps Link in the MU. Link may have the ability to kill, but you have to rack up damage first. Link can combo YL a little (I just am not sure of all of the options available for the combos). On the YL side, much of his meta is based on camping. He does combo Link with Uairs mostly, and he can get followups off of bombs, like the infamous bomb -> Dair.

 

[EZえん]

Link has just as many combos on young link as he does marth (same weight and close enough fall speed). Link can easily rack up 60% off a grab (which out ranges young links)

 

[RetroGamersGuru]

Link has just as many combos on young link as he does marth (same weight and close enough fall speed). Link can easily rack up 60% off a grab (which out ranges young links)

Hey, that's actually pretty good. I guess Link can take advantage of the aggressive side of the matchup as well to get the grab. Of course you would have to cut off YL's options beforehand. I'll have to look more into this MU.

 

[GhettoNinja]

I know this thread is dead but heres a video showing the MU
https://youtu.be/iglL1bVNqT0

 

[Bravo_10]

Personally I think this matchup is a nightmare. It's not actually all that bad, but it's such a pain. Young Link just throws things so much faster than I can, and with greater versatility in his projectiles (like that sick boomerang angle). Young Link's combos are terrible, but the camp is really hard to break down.

 

[EZえん]

u have a much more reliable killing power than him tho, and u can nair almost all of his projectiles and catch bombs

 

[Bravo_10]

More killing power is nice, but I find that I'm losing neutral so much that kill power isn't as much of a boon as I'd want it to be. Maybe Link's biggest advantage against YLink is his up-B, which is vastly superior to the multi-hit one that the little guy has. It's easier for Link to shield pressure YLink than the other way around because YLink really has to respect up-B out of shield.

But of course, none of that makes it any easier to break up YLink's camp game. Sure you can nair through boomerang, but bombs are incredibly difficult (if not impossible? somebody check me on it) to beat that way because they have multiple hits and a sizable hitbox. Also, catching bombs would be more useful if I didn't want to have my own bomb in hand at almost all times. Granted I'm pretty bad at catching other characters' items, so maybe it's just me.

 

[SAUS]

In projectile fights (as Link), being able to dodge a projectile while also throwing your own is a huge deal. It is the same when you fight another Link or Young Link. If there is any single, main advantage for Link, it is his weight.

Link has way easier throw combos and can crouch cancel a lot of Young Link's stuff (especially with Young Link's lower knockback on things like fair). I think Link can get an up-air chain going more easily. You can crouch cancel boomerang and your bomb is basically as versatile as his in terms of trajectory and threat (his is better against CC, though, since it multi-hits).

Link has more reach on most of his moves and has a more consistent punish game. Young Link can get you with some crazy edge guards and scary hits with his d-smash when you have no jump or something, but Link will wrack up damage and kill off of something like nair much more easily. I'd say Link also has a better recovery for most situations.

I can't say I have a ton of experience in the matchup, but I highly doubt it's a bad one.

 

[ChivalRuse]

Young Link tends to be most effective when camping actually procures him an advantage. Camping Link as Young Link doesn't seem to benefit him much, since it gives Link time to set up his own projectile game.

 

[Modesty]

More killing power is nice, but I find that I'm losing neutral so much that kill power isn't as much of a boon as I'd want it to be. Maybe Link's biggest advantage against YLink is his up-B, which is vastly superior to the multi-hit one that the little guy has. It's easier for Link to shield pressure YLink than the other way around because YLink really has to respect up-B out of shield.

But of course, none of that makes it any easier to break up YLink's camp game. Sure you can nair through boomerang, but bombs are incredibly difficult (if not impossible? somebody check me on it) to beat that way because they have multiple hits and a sizable hitbox. Also, catching bombs would be more useful if I didn't want to have my own bomb in hand at almost all times. Granted I'm pretty bad at catching other characters' items, so maybe it's just me.

Yeah my friend is a young link main, and I pretty much use up-b as my bread and butter against him. Down throw up-b is a great KO move, really tough for YL to recover from if done right.

 

[Avoin]

I can see this being in links favor. But honestly could be 50-50 like one could expect.

Links better grab combos, greater weight vs a character that already struggles to kill, and his own pure killing potential in his general move set makes me think he wins.

YL having the slight projectile edge and his speed being pretty large plus in this match up makes it look pretty decent for him as well.