What should I work on to learn a good link?

[JHM_Falcon]

I've been trying to learn link for a bit and I still don't really know what i should be looking at to work on.

Extra question: Whats the best way to edge guard someone?

 

[Thor]

I would vote for all 3, well, sort of.

First, you shouldn't ever "spam" projectiles - to others, it may look like it, but you should generally attempt to always place the rang and bombs in locations that definitely advantage you - for instance, against Puff this often means the rang is angled upward, but it may also be desirable to throw it low to get the ground bounce to snuff out a farther away short hop approach, for instance. The word "spam" is used because most think of it as heavy use, but spamming also definitely means mindlessly, and that's a surefire way to eat a KO move. And heavy projectile use is incredibly difficult against Captain Falcon - it's generally best to SHFFL uair and nair against him, with a few jabs and utilts, to shut down his approaches and start a combo (in fact, I feel against good Falcons that I can rarely pull bombs except when I knock them away, when I get knocked off, off the respawn, when they've been star KO'd, or if they're just derping on the opposite side of the stage - so realistically, when someone has been launched (to KO or not) or when they're just not approaching). Then again, I think the rang is vital against Falcon to help reign in his approach angles. However, you CAN approach Ganondorf because he's much slower (but there are times you should make his approaching life miserable instead of approaching yourself).

To play Link effectively, I think you need to understand how he does in neutral against various characters (Sonic, Peach, Puff, Falcon, Ganondorf, Fox, Falco, etc. - just samples but we can each tell they are very different) and then apply those techniques best against those characters. For instance, all 3 can work decently against Peach - projectiles can interfere with her approach, but you can run close and nair or uair, and you can also let her come to you in shield (if she float-cancelled grabs, you'll have to start buffering spotdodge or roll, but if she dsmashes, that's a free grab or up+b OoS, and if she double jabs that's also a free [but VERY tight timing] grab or up+B OoS - this was somewhat more strategic when lightshielding was a thing [maybe PM added it back? I haven't played 3.5 much at all, and I hardly lightshield in Melee, so I dunno]).

That's my analysis of things anyway. In my opinion, the option that is most easily done for covering all MUs is probably learning to carefully space aerials and your utilt/jab/DACUS, since you can kind of get away with just throwing the rang somewhere when you have space and going in, but bombs are SUPER helpful against Puff, Peach, and other slower characters, so learning to camp and use his projectiles effectively is also a very good idea.

EDIT: As for edgeguarding... if you know they can't sweetspot, up+B semi-spikes, so that's probably easiest... but skilled players will sweetspot, so if you can condition them, just wavedash ledgehog? Another good option is dtilt (it reaches below the ledge and is either a meteor smash (so they must meteor cancel, which makes it MUCH harder to sweetspot) or it pops them up, so you can easily fair or nair or sometimes even dair them), and you can also do short hop nair -> double jump nair -> up+b back to the ledge - this is great for covering the recoveries of Falco and Fox because one covers phantasm and the other can go pretty far out to cover the up+b - and if you hit the phantasm/illusion you can almost always get them out of their up+B for death, PLUS if you see them using up+B really far away you can omit the second nair and DJ airdodge onstage to ready a dtilt or spin attack or ready a runoff nair (which can be recovered from if you don't fastfall).

 

[Heero Yuy]

Thor hit the nail on the head. But I'll add some notes on my basic approach.

I like to play Link like a high-level Marth where you don't mindlessly swing/throw things but instead space everything. Link in spite of having one of the strongest and easiest neutral games in P:M can definitely improve to become arguably the best. Knowing how to space your opponent's options properly is the key.

For example a Falcon wants to approach with a knee to your face. You could 1. moonwalk or wavedash back and jab him out of it or 2. plant a bomb so it explodes the moment he lands on it or 3. time your rang correctly and sweetspot the rang in his face. Just a basic example of options you can do with the sword and projectiles.

tl;dr, know your opponent's options and figure out how to wall it out with what you got.

 

[Mogar13]

Thor pretty much covered it all really well.

I can't stress not spamming projectiles enough. It may seem like a useful way to either approach an opponent or to do damage form distance, but it gets really predictable and punishable after a short period of time.

But above all else I say don't doubt Link's ariels in the approach game or anytime really. My motto in regards to Link's FAir, BAir, and NAir is you should make you opponent fear your NAir (due to kill ability), make them respect your NAir (due to it's usefulness in the approach game or even chasing your opponent off stage) and to get mileage out of your BAir (it's a lot more useful than it may seem).

Also, treat Link's sword like his projectiles. Don't just swing wildly without spacing. It's how I used to play Link but ever since i tried to, like Heero Yuy said, play him like a Marth and use a more composed approach to Link, I've noticed a world of difference. For instance, Link's smashs may be tempting to use, but his tilts can do so much more in combination with ariels and chasing. For example I rarely use a Usmash anymore just because I find his Utilt can lead into almost any ariel depending on who your opponent is playing and their damage and is overall much safer to use.

 

[Fortress]

Alright, time for me to pitch in. Some of this may be a repeat of some stuff said earlier, don't mind me.

• PROJECTILES: FORCING REACTIONS, NOT SCORING HITS

One of the first things you absolutely need to learn with a character like Link, is just what it means to put a projectile onto the board. A lot of players not only carelessly toss out their projectiles fishing for a hit, and a lot of players get those hits, but the point of a projectile isn't the hit itself, the point is the reaction you're fishing for when your opponent is faced with the projectile itself.

Let's break it down as simply as we can get here, and start with Link's boomerang. When thrown directly at the opponent, they have a few different options: block, dodge, jump, attack, get hit. An important point to make, is that when you toss out your projectile, you should not be moving around the stage. If you are in the neutral game (your opponent is not knocked down, in hitstun, recovering), stand still when putting out your boomerang. I can't stress that enough. The point of the projectile is to force a reaction out of the opponent while maintaining your advantageous position, you're trying to get them to commit to some action. If you yourself are committed to a jump arc while throwing your boomerang, you are giving up your own position at the same time, and possibly giving up more desirable followups. So, again, when you throw your boomerang at the opponent, stand still such that you can still threaten with your physical position on the screen, and be prepared for responses like the jump in, the spot dodge, and simply attacking through your projectile.

With that in mind, it's also important to know that a projectile can cover spaces that Link himself does not need to or want to cover.

• FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS ON CHARACTER POSITIONING

To illustrate my next talking point, we need to look at just where you and your opponent are at their strongest and weakest, which will help explain where to be putting your projectiles.

Imagine a scenario like this one.

[collapse=Link covering space with his boomerang, limiting opponent's options]

[/collapse]

Link is in quadrant 1. His boomerang will be passing through quadrant 2. Wario is in quadrant 3. The space above Link is quadrant 4. This is the type of situation you need to be setting up as much as you possibly can. Since the boomerang is covering all of the space in front of Link, Link knows that Wario is now committed to the aerial approach. Since Link is positioned such that quadrant 4 is on a platform, Wario's aerial approaches are limited, and Link now has an even stronger idea of where Wario is going to be. This whole situation is set up such that Wario's options are limited as much as the can possibly be, removing risks and guesswork for the Link player. With Wario committed to that one space, Link has to do much less thinking, and has a much clearer idea of what can and will hit, and what he shouldn't be using.

In a situation where the opponent is in quadrant two and you are in quadrant one (the neutral game, where you're both on the ground), you need to understand just what that means. Both players are at their absolute strongest when in these positions. They have access to at least fifteen different commands (all attacks, shield, grab, and rolls/dodges). Not only that, but off of short hop, your character has quick access to nine more (ten more if you have a zAir, like Link). You need to use Link's projectiles such that your opponent is never in that position, or there for as little time as possible. Limiting their options and removing risks is how you will win games, and you force those situations with your projectiles.

In the neutral game, you have a couple of different ways to throw your boomerang. Firstly, you can throw it up and above the opponent, covering space in both quadrants 2 and 3. The advantage here is that you've limited your opponent's aerial approaches. Your hitbox covers that entire area for a short time, and during that time it's a really safe bet that your opponent's main options are going to be to come in at you, or jump straight up, or up and back. They won't have as easy a time jumping in on you, and that removes a lot of guesswork for Link. Now, that's not to say that it's safe to just run in and start hacking, or that it's your best option even if you could. No, you need to establish stage control through consistent pressure. If your opponent is still down on the ground with you, you should never run in on them, even with the airspace covered. They still have all of the options we mentioned before, and your boomerang won't be out for long. While you have that space limited, Link has options that can pressure opponents while keeping him safe at the same time. zAir and Bombs are two key tools he has to work in conjunction with the boomerang. Failing those options, Link can simply move forward with jabs and short hopped fAirs, slowly inching the opponent towards the edge of the stage. It's all about limiting options and forcing reactions, you never want to over-commit and blow the advantage you are building.

I can go into much more detail on the topic of character positioning and quadrant positioning at another time if you wish, and I will continue this thing later, but I've gotta go for now.