Running Speed Increased: 1.3944 => 1.55
Air Speed Increased: 0.88 => 0.92
Gravity Decreased: 0.096 => 0.093
Link Gains the Wall Jumping Ability
Jumpsquat Frames Decreased: 7 Frames => 5 Frames
Jab Attack 1 Start-Up Decreased: Frame 7 => Frame 5
Jab Attack 1 FAF Decreased: 28 Frames => 21 Frames
Jab Attack 2 FAF Decreased: 21 Frames => 12 Frames
Jab Attack 3 Damage Increased: 5% => 6%
Dash Attack Start-Up Decreased: Frame 20 => Frame 16
Dash Attack FAF Decreased: 57 Frames => 45 Frames
Dash Attack Damage Decreased: 14/13/12% => 12/11/10%
Forward Tilt Start-Up Decreased: Frame 15 => Frame 13
Forward Tilt FAF Decreased: 38 Frames => 31 Frames
Forward Tilt Damage Decreased: 13% => 10%
Up Tilt Start-Up Decreased: Frame 8 => Frame 7
Up Tilt FAF Decreased: 36 Frames => 32 Frames
Up Tilt Damage Decreased: 9% => 7%
Down Tilt Start-Up Decreased: Frame 11 => Frame 9
Down Tilt FAF Decreased: 29 Frames => 25 Frames
Down Tilt Damage Decreased: 11% => 9%
Down Tilt Meteor Hitbox Changes:
Hitbox Position Extended to the Entire Sword so that Link can be capable of efficiently meteoring opponents.
Hitbox Y Position Moved Down by 2 Units so 2 Frame Punishes can also be an efficient thing, as well as hitting opponents who hand on the ledge.
Forward Smash Hit 1 Tipper Hitbox Extended to Entire Sword.
Forward Smash Hit 2 FAF Heavily Decreased: 68 Frames => 49 Frames
Forward Smash Hit 2 Knockback Growth Increased: 89 KBG => 100 KBG
Forward Smash Hit 2 Damage Decreased: 13/13/12/12% => 11/11/10/10%
Up Smash Hit 1 Start-Up Decreased: Frame 10 => Frame 9
Up Smash Hits 1, 2 and 3 link up faster:
Up Smash Hit 1 is Frame 9-14, second hit comes out to 18-21, third hit comes out 25-30
Up Smash FAF Decreased: 78 Frames => 61 Frames
Up Smash Hit 3 Damage Decreased: 11/11/10/9% => 9/9/8/7%
Down Smash Hit 1 Start-Up Decreased: Frame 9 => Frame 7
Down Smash Hit 2 Knockback Increased: 80 Knockback => 90 Knockback
Down Smash Hit 2 Knockback Growth Increased: 63 KBG => 70 KBG
Back Throw Hit 2 Damage Increased: 4% => 6%
Back Throw Knockback Increased: 50 Knockback => 60 Knockback
Back Throw Knockback Growth Increased: 110 KBG => 130 KBG
Down Throw Angle Changed: 83 Degrees => 90 Degrees
Down Throw Knockback Growth Decreased: 85 KBG => 75 KBG
Neutral Aerial Start-Up Decreased: Frame 7 => Frame 5
Neutral Aerial Clean Hit, Front Damage Increased: 11% => 13%
Neutral Aerial Auto-Cancel Frame Window Decreased: Frame 36 => Frame 32
Forward Aerial Hit 1 Start-Up Decreased: Frame 14 => Frame 12
Forward Aerial Hit 2 Knockback Growth Increased: 100 KBG => 150 KBG
Back Aerial Hit 1 Damage Increased: 3% => 5%
Back Aerial Hit 2 Damage Increased: 5% => 6%
Down Aerial Earliest Hit Damage Increased: 15% => 22%
Down Aerial Earliest Hit Hitbox Length Extended: Frames 14-17 => Frames 14-20
Down Aerial Earliest Hit Angle Changed: 270 Degrees => 83 Degrees
Down Aerial Earliest Hit Knockback Growth Increased: 80 KBG => 100 KBG
Grab Aerial Landing Lag Decreased: 8 Frames => 1 Frame
Gale Boomerang Start-Up Decreased: Frame 27 => Frame 19
Gale Boomerang Early Damage Decreased: 7% => 6%
Spin Attack Grounded Hitbox Changes:
Spin Attack remains a multi-hit on shields, and does not disappear after 1 hit.
Early Hitbox [Front] Damage Increase: 14/14/11.2% => 16/16/13.8%
Early Hitbox [Front] Shield Damage Added: +20%
Early Hitbox [Back] Damage Increase: 12/12/9.6% => 14/14/10.4%
Late Hitbox [Front] Damage Increase: 9/9/7.2% => 11/11/9.1%
Spin Attack Grounded Back Hit, Late Hit and Latest Hit Angle Change: 43/43/361 Degrees => 10/20/20 Degrees
Spin Attack Grounded FAF Decreased: 82 Frames => 72 Frames
Spin Attack Aerial Hits 2-8 Damage Increased: 2% => 3%
Explanations:
Mobility Buff: Now at an easily justifiable and modest setting, Link having a higher mobility would allow him to efficiently hit opponents and even chase them down. However, his mobility is not ridiculous [like I last made it], and he is still among the slower characters.
Gravity Change: Lower gravity, more height, better AC capabilities. Link would benefit from reaching falling speed a little later since he would be able to have higher jump, double jump and better recovery. While it is no drastic change, it certainly is indeed a transition to make Link a better aerial fighter.
Wall Jumping: Now call me crazy, but I'm kind of sick of seeing Link without a wall jump ability. Having Wall Jump in his arsenal would better his recovery going low, especially when he misses an attack and is sent much lower. As well, it'd aid Link's edge-guarding prowess by allowing him to hit opponents like never before.
Forward Smash 1 Always Tipper: Well, people who really hated the change made to F-Smash Hit 1 worry no more, as it can be a more viable kill move at any angle. Of course, this is only due to balancing purposes with the decreased FAF of the second hit, as well as the ridiculous new KBG of the same second hit.
Back Throw Change: Oh yes, a new kill move that's a Back Throw, as if we need more right...? Well...Link needs a viable kill throw option anyways. It's not like U-Throw's just going to do the trick for him. No, Back Throw dealing more damage, KB and KBG altogether could make it a viable kill move and would undoubtedly give Link a good chance at KO'ing the opponent with a throw, while also keeping his other throws [except D-Throw] unchanged.
Forward Aerial Hit 2 KBG Rise: Yeah, just putting it out there, since it's already harder to hit with the second hit of F-Air, and since it lacked the power of the first hit, giving it more power than the first hit like it should would make Link players want to hit that second hit for even earlier KOs. But then again, the first one's still so viable so...
Down Aerial Meteor Hitbox Redone: Probably the biggest change in this is Down Aerial's earliest hits no longer...well...being a meteor smash, but instead, the ultra-powerful hit it was back in Melee and Brawl. Dealing 22% damage, high knockback growth and more, who wouldn't want to enjoy hitting their opponent with D-Air now? Of course, the later hits still exist, but the 18% hitbox is indefinitely replaced with the 22% hitbox.
Spin Attack Shield Buster: Frustratingly enough, whenever a Spin Attack is blocked by a shield, it's that one hit and it's over. But now that cannot happen, for Link's Spin Attack hitbox doesn't disappear until the last hitbox finishes, thus making it hazard to shields and allowing Link to join the shield busting heavyweights. Of course, Link's rehit rate stays the same and once the opponent's hit, the knockback won't allow them to get hit. As a side note, yes, after the first hitbox comes out, the rest of Spin Attack is like Melee's Semi-Spike all over again.
Overall: Link would receive innumerable buffs to not only mobility, but also frame data, but of course, some damage has to be knocked down for him too while some damage was boosted. Overall, Link is a more versatile character with these changes and would definitely be an alarm clock to shield users, since his Spin Attack would not be fun to mess with. His other attacks are otherwise still very versatile, and he could even have a better combo game and a significantly better time KO'ing opponents if these changes were added. His attacks, too, would be safer overall. Who wouldn't want a better Link?
