Young Link is a technical, fast-paced character in Super Smash Bros. Melee who rewards creativity, precision, and relentless pressure. While he lacks the raw power of some top-tier characters, his agility, projectile variety, and combo potential make him a dangerous opponent in the hands of a skilled player. To make the most of his kit, you need to master a wide array of advanced techniques. Here is a breakdown of every key mechanic to learn when playing Young Link competitively.
1. Short Hop Fast Fall L-Cancel (SHFFL)
This core technique allows Young Link to land aerial attacks with minimal lag. Mastering short hopping, fast falling, and L-canceling ensures you can perform aerial pressure safely and efficiently. Neutral air and up air benefit especially from SHFFL precision.
2. Wavedashing
Young Link has a decent wavedash that allows for subtle adjustments in spacing. Use it to reposition during projectile zoning, bait attacks, or retreat after shield pressure. Wavedashing also helps with platform movement and ledge options.
3. Z-Drop Item Control
Young Link’s bomb game becomes much more dangerous when you learn to Z-drop (press grab while in the air) and catch items mid-combo. Bombs can be dropped into aerials, grabs, or ground attacks to create unexpected combo extensions and edge guards.
4. Bomb Jumping
This technique lets Young Link extend his recovery by using a bomb explosion to boost upward. Hold a bomb during recovery and time your up B or jump with the explosion for extra height. Mastering this makes you much harder to gimp offstage.
5. Aerial Glide Toss
Although not as prominent in Melee as in later games, some characters can perform a slight glide motion while throwing items mid-air. Practice your aerial item throws to maximize bomb spacing and pressure on retreat.
6. Double Jump Cancel Bomb Throws
While Young Link doesn’t benefit from double jump canceling like Ness, he can still control item arcs by jumping and throwing immediately. Practice varying throw angles and momentum using double jump inputs to zone and combo unpredictably.
7. Projectile Desync
Young Link can create pressure by throwing boomerang and following up with bomb or arrow while the boomerang is still active. Learning to desync projectiles creates a wall of threat that forces bad approaches or defensive reactions.
8. Boomerang Angle Mastery
Master the angles and distances of Young Link’s boomerang to optimize pressure and combo setups. A properly angled boomerang can lead into grabs, tilts, or aerial follow-ups, especially when catching an opponent in shield or on a platform.
9. Up Air Juggling
Young Link’s up air has good knockback control and minimal endlag. SHFFL up airs can juggle opponents, especially fast-fallers. Practice chaining up airs while reading DI to keep them airborne and vulnerable.
10. Shield Drop Aerials
Shield dropping from platforms lets you access quick aerials while defending. Practice dropping into neutral air or up air from shield to punish overextension on platforms. This adds depth to your defensive and combo game.
11. Edge Canceling
Edge canceling an aerial by drifting off a platform edge cancels landing lag and lets you combo fluidly or reposition quickly. This is particularly useful for neutral air or bomb toss setups when platform pressure is involved.
12. Ledge Dash
A ledge dash is a fast and invincible way to get on stage from the ledge. If performed with precision, it allows Young Link to immediately shield, grab, or throw a projectile. While harder with him than some characters, it can add a new layer to recovery options.
13. DI and Smash DI Mastery
Because of Young Link’s light weight, he can be KO’d early if your DI is poor. Learn to survive longer by DI’ing throws and aerials correctly. Smash DI also lets you escape multi-hit moves or avoid follow-ups in tight combos.
14. Bomb Tech Chasing
Throwing a bomb onto a tech-chasing opponent forces defensive options. If they miss a tech, you can confirm into a down smash or grab. Practice throwing grounded bombs ahead of their movement to cut off escape routes.
15. Platform Movement and Combos
Young Link thrives on platform-heavy stages like Yoshi’s Story and Battlefield. Master wavelanding and aerial pressure off platforms to chain together combos. His speed and jump height make platform play a key part of his game.
16. Jab Reset and Grab Confirms
Young Link’s jab can reset a missed tech at low percent, allowing for guaranteed grabs or tilts. Learning when to jab reset versus tech chase adds a dangerous guessing game for your opponent.
17. Bomb to Aerial Confirm
One of Young Link’s most iconic sequences is throwing a bomb and immediately following it with a kill move like down air or up air. Learn the percent windows and bomb hit angles to connect into guaranteed finishers.
18. Item Catch and Re-Throw Combos
Advanced Young Link players know how to catch their own bomb mid-combo or after a Z-drop. From there, they can re-throw the bomb, throw it upward to cover space, or keep it for a future setup.
19. Ledge Bomb Throw Trap
Throwing a bomb from the ledge while ledge-hopping can cover ground space and create safe re-entry to the stage. This technique punishes impatient edge-guarders and lets you take control of center again.
20. Punish Game Optimization
Young Link’s punish game is less about single devastating hits and more about long, creative strings. Study character-specific combos, bomb confirms, and tech chase routes. Knowing how to extend a punish beyond the first hit is essential.
Conclusion
Young Link requires a high degree of technical mastery and matchup awareness to play effectively. His strength lies in mobility, projectile pressure, and unconventional combo routes. If you take the time to internalize these advanced techniques, you unlock a versatile and unpredictable style that can frustrate and outmaneuver opponents at every level of play. With creativity, discipline, and practice, Young Link becomes far more than just a smaller version of his older self.
