Alright, blu link asked me to take over this thread since he can't/won't update (not sure which) and because his computer doesn't do line-breaks (I think). So, I'm taking over this thread because when I was fixing his, I saw it was very outdated.
This thread is going to be a little different than blu's - I want to go into more detail for each stage. I'll add a list of the SBR's stage list, and we can also compile a list of characters and what stages to take them to as the matchup thread progresses, similar to what Arkive's guide shows. We'll be dealing with the stage list from top to bottom, no random picks like last time, because I want to get all the legal stages done first. What's the point of starting with Hanenbow, you know?
And with that, I bid you the NEW stage thread for the Link boards:
The Stages
Starter Battlefield
Final Destination
Smashville
Yoshi's Island
Starter/Counter Castle Siege
Halberd
Lylat Cruise
Pokémon Stadium 1
Counter Brinstar
Delfino
Frigate Orpheon
Jungle Japes
Pictochat
Pirate Ship
Pokémon Stadium 2
Rainbow Cruise
Counter/Banned Distant Planet
Green Greens
Luigi's Mansion
Port Town Aero Dive
Yoshi's Island (Pipes)
Norfair
Banned 75m
Big Blue
Bridge of Eldin
Corneria
Flat Zone 2
Green Hill Zone
Hanenbow
Hyrule Temple
Mario Bros.
Mario Circuit
Mushroomy Kingdom I
Mushroomy Kingdom II
New Pork City
Onett
Rumble Falls
Shadow Moses
Skyworld
Spear Pillar
The Summit
Wario Ware
Counterpicks (these will change as more stages are discussed)
Bowser Captain Falcon Diddy Kong Donkey Kong Falco Fox Mr. Game & Watch
Ganondorf Ice Climbers Ike Jigglypuff King Dedede Kirby Lucario Lucas Luigi Mario Marth Meta Knight Ness Olimar Peach Pikachu Pit Pokemon Trainer R.O.B. Samus Sheik Snake Sonic Gay Wario Wolf Yoshi Zelda Zero Suit Samus Discussion
Format:
-Basic Advantages
-Basic Disadvantages
-Link's Aggressive Game
-Link's Spam Game
-Who to take to this stage
-Who NOT to take to this stage
-Who is neutral on this stage
For the characters:
++ means the CP is a very good idea
+ means the matchup gets slightly easier
- means the matchup gets worse
-- means it's ban-worthy
We should be able to move through the neutrals pretty quickly, so I'll start with those.
1. Battlefield
Advantages
Platforms:
-allow a LOT of mobility
-Getting star KOs can be easier
-makes the Uair useful
-easy to set up jab locks (shield poking with utilts on opponents above you on the edge of a platform)
-bomb explosion radius can go through platforms, hitting taller characters if they are beneath it
-great combo game
Disadvantages
-The horizontal distance of the stage isn't huge - your opponent can reach you easily
-Link's typical spam gets negated due to platforms (see below)
-A large amount of air space in proportion to the stage makes it hard for Link to recover horizontally
-Double/triple draw becomes useless here
-Link loses to most aggressive characters here
-Zair isn't as reliable, as it doesn't reach the platforms unless it is full hopped
-Landing a dair on a platform can get you punished even harder than usual
Aggressive Game
The platforms that allow a ton of mobility make this stage superb for Link's close-range game.
Effective moves:
-Fair, bair, and nair, all fast falled
-Jab canceled grabs/fsmashes/dsmashes/jab cancels/utilt
-Usmash and Utilt can go through platforms, using DAC once in a while works wonders
-Full hop dair can be auto canceled when jumping from the platforms
-Full hop, auto canceled uairs
Comboing alongside projectiles (jump above, bomb throw down -> nair, or bomb throw down -> FF nair -> jab canceled dsmash) are really easy to set up here. Due to Link's FF speed and quick shorthop, he can move around very easily and rack up damage at close range. Getting star KOs become a possibility since uair is a viable move here.
Just be careful - this stage makes Link's aggressive game great. That means most characters who can combo already, or already have good aggressive/close range games, do even better here.
Spam Game
Link's typical spam game suffers, as the platforms can interfere with the trajectory of the platforms.
However, the platforms bring new things to Link's spam:
-Bombs - use this method on CGers. The platforms allow you to essentially jump around and just make it rain bombs all day long. Whether it's making them hit the side platforms (the radius of the explosion goes through it) or throwing them in between the gaps, makes for an effective spam.
From the ground, upthrow bombslides become extremely useful for juggling, and reverse bombslides make it easy to punish an opponent trying to get back on the ground from a platform.
You can also place bombs on the platforms for space control.
-Arrows - transitioning from platform to ground in a safe manner is to arrow cancel, and due the platforms height from the ground, Link can arrow cancel just as he falls through. It's very easy and can stop the opponent's approach.
-Boomerang - it can be angled from the ground to the side platforms and vice versa. Also, throwing it at the ground and having it bounce up to the platform can become effective on this stage. Gale guarding here isn't exceptiona, however.
Quote (originally posted by
lootic):
X = your ordinary spam position
O= where your opponent is
.....__.....
.X_.....__.
______O_
when at this position you have following options: drop through Arrow cancel, bombthrow, rangthrow, drop throw bomb, If you chooses to fall of the platform and your opponent still is at the same postion jump up onto the platform again.
.....__.....
.X_.....__.
___O____
this is not a good position, but be cool, just wait for the correct moment and just as your opponent will attack you jump to the top platform and if you have a bomb in hand drop it. then go for the opposite side platform or drop through arrowcancel rang throw, nair, zair whatever from the top platform.
.....__.....
.X_....._O.
________
some opponents try to spam back by jumping up one platform, counter this by either simply just throw a rang or bomb/ fall off or drop through your platform and bombthrow or rang throw / if you read a drop through by them you can arrow cancel / or you can approach.
When moving around and spamming, always be sure to land in the center of the platform. That way, you can't get poked over the side with an opponent's attack.
Overall, your spam game should be used to set up an aggressive game for this stage.
CP Against: Diddy Kong + Ice Climbers ++ King Dedede ++ R.O.B. + Wolf + Yoshi +
Avoid Against:
Bowser - Captain Falcon - Donkey Kong -
Falco -
Fox --
Mr. Game & Watch -
Ike -
Jigglypuff -
Kirby - Lucario --
Lucas - Luigi - Mario --
Marth --
Meta Knight --
Ness -
Olimar - Pikachu - Samus - Sheik -
Snake --
Sonic - Gay - Wario - Zelda -
Zero Suit Samus --
Neutral Against: Ganondorf Peach Pokemon Trainer
2. Final Destination 
Advantages
-High ceiling and wide side walls allow Link to live for a long time
-Flat terrain helps Link's spam game
-Basic stage layout allows easy transition from spam to close-range, and vice versa
-Longest neutral allows for plenty of space for Link
-Zair becomes amazing here
-Double/triple arrow is highly useful for being at a distance and stopping approaches
-Plenty of room for jab locking
-Bair stage spikes are easy to hit due to the large mass underneath the stage
-Large stage room makes it difficult for opponents to end combos with gimps or force him offstage
Disadvantages
-Lack of platforms make CGers a pain
-No real definitive way to keeping a close range game going
-Wide sides allow Link to be easily gimped
-Wide sides and high ceiling can sometimes make getting a KO difficult
-Getting caught underneath the lip of the ledge will KO you
-Very hard to autocancel dair unless you're hit up by an attack
-Uair doesn't become as useful
Aggressive Game
Link's aggressive game isn't exceptional on this stage. The flat terrain does allow for his normal CQC game, but combo'ing via ledges like Battlefield isn't possible here. Jab cancels are probably the best thing to do in most cases, and pivot grabs work nicely here too. Bombstoollocks and using the boomerang at point blank can set up for a jab lock, which can go across the whole stage (theoretically). Jumping over the opponent, throwing a bomb down, and FF nair into dsmash works great here too.
Effective Moves:
Fair/bair/nair - FF or not, doesn't matter, both ways are good
Fsmash - good for spacing and KOs
Ftilt - great for KOs
Utilt - great for hitting short opponents, juggling, and KOing
Dtilt - one of the few times dtilt is useful, this can hit those super small opponents without degrading your dsmash
Dsmash - awesome for KOs
Moves that aren't so effective:
Dair - since there's no way to autocancel it at will, you'll have to rely on the opponent to hit you up first
Usmash - while this can be good for damage racking, the mostly flat fight allows for characters to punish it if you miss
Using zair on this stage is very, very effective in most cases. Zair can also be followed up by many things like a DAC, grab, or pivot boosted attack. It works great on this stage. For KOs, since the walls are pretty large, don't try for KOs until the opponent is near the ledge, and at least 125%. Anything under that and the chances of them surviving are pretty high.
Overall, Link's close range game here isn't bad at all, but his spam game is accented much better by the stage than his close range game is.
Spam Game
Link's spam game is amazing here. This place lets you camp. Hard. Link's typical spam game works great here:
-SH bomb throw -> double jump bomb pull while retreating
-SH bombzair -> bomb throw
-Double/triple arrow works like a charm here. Use the first arrow jump to follow up with a DJ bomb pull to arrow cancel, if you want
I could go on and on with the list, it's almost endless. Basically, this stage allows you to throw stuff indefinitely, and put up a solid wall. Through the use of boomerangs, bombs (especially), and arrows, Link's spam game works amazing here. Bombslides, JCTs, stutter stepped boomerangs, bair into reversed arrow cancels, are all ATs that accent Link's spam game here.
Your goal should be to control the center stage. Stay in the middle at all costs, don't follow the opponents to the ledge unless you have to. Definitely use your projectiles a whole lot more on this stage than your sword. The only thing is, don't be too reliant on your spam. You may be forced to play close range or mid range against characters that can out spam you, like R.O.B.
CP Against: Donkey Kong + Fox + Ganondorf ++ Lucario + Mario + Meta Knight + Ness + Pokemon Trainer + Snake + Zelda +
Avoid Against:
Diddy Kong - Falco -- Ice Climbers -- King Dedede -- Lucas - R.O.B. -- Samus - Sonic -
Neutral Against: Bowser Captain Falcon Mr. Game & Watch
Ike Jigglypuff Kirby Luigi Marth Olimar Peach Pikachu Pit Sheik Gay Wario Wolf Yoshi Zero Suit Samus
3. Smashville 
Advantages
-platform is great for spamming
-smaller terrain makes for easy transition between aggressive and spam strategies
-platform can aid in recovery
Quote (originally posted by
KirinBlaze):
If you don't feel like you're going to be able to make it to the ledge and the platform is there and you can recover onto it, do it.
-can place bombs on moving platform
-very neutral stage
-THE FREAKIN BALLOON
-high ceiling and semi-wide blast zones allow Link to live pretty long
-jab locks across the stage here aren't as hard due to smaller stage
-FH dair off the platform allows it to easily auto cancel
Disadvantages
-small terrain makes it easy for opponents to get in very close
-not a whole lot of space to spam for very long
-opponents can use the platform to their advantage just as much as you can
-platform is high enough that a SH zair won't hit the opponent
Aggressive Game
Though not as good as Battlefield, this stage is really good for a transition between spam and aggressive games. Since the opponent won't have too hard of a time getting close to you on this stage, it's best to utilize quick moves and keep them just out of their range while still in your range.
Moves to definitely use:
-SH FF fair
-SH zair
-Jabs and jab cancels
-Utilt
-bair and FF bair
-nair and SH FF nair
Since the stage is relatively small and you'll be playing close to your opponent pretty often, your projectiles can help lead you into aggressive moves. Use ZACs and bombzairing to help keep you safe with the option of spamming while still being aggressive. Bombsmashes and fthrow bombslides accent your aggressive game here as well.
Since the boomerang hits at much closer range, the chance of a jab lock increases. Another plus is that since the stage is smaller, jab locking across the whole stage isn't as hard.
If your opponent is trying to abuse the platform, a SH fair will put them in their place. A SH bair works as well, and both of these moves have good knockback at mid percents, so the opponent won't be staying on that platform for long. If they shield, you have no worry of being shieldgrabbed, because Link is only halfway through the platform, too low to be grabbed. Plus, if you're on the platform, remember to abuse dair from it. FHing and slowfall dairing allows Link to auto cancel it every single time, and it provides great damage or great shield pressure, or hopefully even a KO.
For KOs, try to hit off the side. The ceiling is pretty low, and though you won't have a problem with vertical KOs when the opponent has a high percent, with dsmash, utilt, or dair, the side barriers are a bit closer. Try to KO with moves like fsmash or ftilt, or the second hit of fair.
Don't be afraid to go offstage with Link here. The ledges and low position of the stage gives Link some room to work in some bair stage spikes and nair gimps. If you have a second jump, you can recover from the point where Link just barely enters the hoop, every time. That's really plenty of room to work with, so again, Link's offstage game actually works for him here.
If you knock the opponent onto the side of the stage where the platform is, rather than allowing them to use it to their advantage for recovery, go and attack them on the platform. Use moves that have good knockback that will knock them even further away. Fair really works great for this, and is probably your best move to use. If that doesn't work and they still recover, turn around and drop through the platform with a bair to their face. Basically, the way the platform is set up helps Link to pressure the opponent offstage. Then use your double jump to recover.
Spam Game
Basically, everything Link can do here to spam involves running away and abusing that platform. From the moving moving platform, you wanna throw all kinds of projectiles, especially bombs. Bombslides, JCTs, and bomb placing all work really well here. When you land on the ground from the platform, arrow canceling is pretty easy as well.
Take advantage of the moving platform here, seriously. Bomb placing while it's headed over to your opponent can work great for stage control, and sometimes some free damage. That platform is your ticket to your spam game.
Again, the usual spam game works well here too:
-SH bomb throw -> double jump bomb pull while retreating
-FH arrow -> double jump bomb pull -> arrow cancel
-FH boomerang -> double jump bomb pull -> arrow cancel
-stutter stepped boomerangs and bair into reversed arrow cancels work well too
Just keep in mind you need to constantly move away from your opponent, and can't really set up a full wall as well as other neutrals like Final Destination, since the terrain is a bit smaller and your opponent can move in closer to you easier. Rather than trying to control center stage, this stage should be one where you sort of spam from a bit to the side. The middle would put you extremely close to your opponent, a bit too close to effectively spam. If you do get in close, transition to an aggressive game, which works well here.
On the plus side, even though it's hard to control center stage, the smaller terrain gives more range to your projectiles. So essentially, it's easier to control the stage as a whole with your projectiles, rather than setting up a wall.
CP Against: Ganondorf ++ Ice Climbers + King Dedede + Yoshi + Zelda + Zero Suit Samus + Avoid Against: Fox - Ike - Jigglypuff -
Kirby --
Lucas - Mario - Ness - Olimar - Peach - Snake - Wario -
Neutral Against:
Bowser Captain Falcon Diddy Kong Donkey Kong Falco Mr. Game & Watch
Lucario Luigi Marth Meta Knight Pikachu Pit Pokemon Trainer R.O.B. Samus Sheik Sonic Gay Wolf 4. Yoshi's Island
Advantages
-Small stage helps Link's aggro game, most notably, his SH aerial game
-Walls can aid Link's recovery via wall-bombing
-Ghost platforms can help Link's recovery
-Close side barriers allow for quick lateral KOs
-Slanted ground allows Link to make great use of the craq walk and bombsliding
-Platform is close enough to the edges that an auto canceled dair off the platform is still capable easily hitting a recovering opponent from the ledge
-Shy guys allow you to refresh moves with jabs
-Very easy to gale guard
Disadvantages
-Small stage and little room makes spamming very hard
-Walls prevent bair stage spikes
-Ledges are shaped in a way that make both slashes of a ledgehop fair impossible to do
-Ghost platforms sink just about as fast as you FF. Which means if one is sinking, don't try to FF and land on it to regain a jump, you won't make it
-Shy guys can get in the way of your projectiles, or even an attack, sometimes
-Very horizontal moves are very dangerous on the ledges on this stage
Aggressive Game
This stage is small, really small. So chances are, you're gonna be playing at close range the majority of the time. What does this mean? It means spamming doesn't work, but playing your space/aggro does. How to play this stage: lots of SH'd aerials. The slanted portions of the stage accent Link's craq walk really well, so use that after just about every aerial you do. Retreating craq walks make for great spacers.
Moves that work well:
-SH nair
-SH FF nair
-SH fair
-SH FF fair
-SH bair
-FH FF bair
Amongst others, like zair, obviously. Basically, this is a stage where you want to abuse all the really fast, lagless (however few) moves Link has. Bombsliding is another technique that works great here, and RBS in particular is good at maintaining your spacing.
The platform:
Just sorta..forget it's there. Not in the sense that pretend it doesn't exist, but just don't try it to use as a setup for anything. It really doesn't benefit you in too many specific situations, so best to just use it to your advantage when you can, and ignore it for the rest of the time.
The ledge/offstage:
For some reason, nair gimping seems to be a bit harder here. It's not landing the nair, it's that the opponent seems to recover anyway. Your best option here offstage would be a FH slowfall dair, maybe after an aerial bomb drop for added pressure. You can also gale guard characters with poor recoveries really easily on this stage due to the walls.
When it comes to you getting up from the stage, it's a bit hard. Ledgehops don't really work in the traditional sense due to the angle of the ledge. Getting up with ledgehopped nairs work best here, and sometimes even ledgehopped boomerangs. Ledgehopped fairs will only get you one swipe, no matter what.
Keep that in mind for your opponents, however. Ledgehopping is hard, so chances are, they're gonna roll on stage or jump, because doing a getup attack on that weird ledge is just a bad position to be in. FH slowfall dair them if you predict a jump. Or bait them by faking a dair, but just doing a FH, then FF and punish their roll.
Overall, this stage is gonna feel like melee for you if you play it right. Lots of close range, lots of tech chasing, lots of sliding.
Spam Game
Link's spam game suffers here. The way the stage is set up really doesn't allow Link to spam. Firstly, the size of the stage is too small. The opponents can just close in way too quickly for Link to effectively set up a wall. That being said, such a small stage allows for arrows to cover more distance without having to be charged. The boomerang can cover almost the full length the stage, and bombsliding and JCTs manage to keep Link away from his opponent.
Just like Link's aggro game, ignore that platform. It really doesn't help Link's spam game at all, unlike Smashville. It's too long for you to jump up from one side and throw a bomb on the other, a bit too high to make bomb placing effective, and the stage is far too small for you to effectively camp on it.
Basically:
-Spam rang like no tomorrow, especially with stutter steps
-JCTs and bombslides, the reverse ones especially
-No SH bomb throws, they don't really work
-Arrows and arrow cancels
CP Against:
Diddy Kong + Sonic +
Zelda +
Avoid Against:
Bowser - Captain Falcon -
Donkey Kong - Fox -- Mr. Game & Watch -
King Dedede - Kirby - Lucario - Luigi - Marth -- Meta Knight - Ness - Peach - R.O.B. - Sheik - Snake -- Gay -- Wario -- Wolf -- Yoshi -
Neutral Against:
Falco Ganondorf Ice Climbers Ike Jigglypuff Lucas Mario Olimar Pikachu Pit Pokemon Trainer Samus Zero Suit Samus
5. Castle Siege
Part 1
Advantages
-Wallbombing is a very possible option for recovery here
-Lower ground allows zair to hit even small characters on the elevated portion
-Utilt/usmash can go through the platforms
-Craq walking on the slope is good to reset spacing
-Side blast zones are relatively small, allowing easy KOs
-Sometimes the transition to part 2 can save us
Disadvantages
-Tight space doesn't allow Link to camp very well
-Spacing can be difficult, especially on speedy characters
-The ledge on the left side can gimp your recovery
-Very low blastzones can make your recovery impossible if you fall too far
-The terrain forces you to play close range at almost all times
Aggressive Game
Okay, this stage is pretty interesting. This portion sort of forces you to play close range, because it's so small. Try to stay on the lower left side, because over there your zair will hit characters who are on the upper portion. Link's utilt and usmash can go through the platforms - DAC can sometimes be a possible surprise move here.
Unlike Yoshi's Island, however, SH aerials don't work as well here. You're gonna want a lot of jabs and jab cancels, and probably many dsmashes too. Fsmash is a good killer, but since the stage is so small, the terrain doesn't really allow it to be that safe.
It sounds pretty bad, but the main goal here should basically be to stay alive, and wait for the transition (it transitions every 45 seconds). This portion of the stage makes fighting close up hard, and makes camping almost impossible.
Spam Game
Link's spam game is like, nonexistant here. The stage is just way too small. Even platform camping becomes nullfied because there's only 2 platforms, and the opponent can punish landing lag pretty easily.
The use of projectiles here should be strictly for getting an opponent in a situation so you can continue your aggro game. Like, a boomerang for a possible jab lock, a bomb to reset spacing, etc.
There's not really much to say here. The stage just kills Link's spam entirely. Your best use for bombs is probably recovering, via wallbombing (which works better than waiting for a bomb to explode - more knockback).
Part 2
Advantages
-Attacking statues with jabs can refresh moves
-Fsmash, ftilt, any horizontal KO move can be used well near the walkoff sides
-Dair can KO fairly early on the upper platform
-You can potentially jab lock a person off the side of the stage
-No way possible to get gimped
Disadvantages
-Walkoff sides allow CGs to get really easy KOs on you
-Statues nerf your projectiles in all ways possible
-Close range game is hindered because of the statues taking your hits at times
...
-Basically all your attacks get messed up by the statues
Aggressive Game
This time around, the aggro game is sorta nonexistant. Almost all your attacks are gonna hit a statue, at some point or another. You can try to take the fight up to the platforms and canopies or curtains or whatever they are, but your opponent has a lot of room to run around - you won't be able to keep them in one place for very long.
Chances are, you'll be fighting the opponent on the ground, rather, if you choose to play aggro. Right in the middle of the statues. Zair doesn't decay, so basically spam it like crazy. It'll hit the statues but it can hit your opponent too. Shield grabbing works well here too. Then use fsmash or some horizontal move to KO near the sides. Setting up a jab lock is really tough, but you can finish them with horizontal KO moves as well. That's really all you can do.
Spam Game Not much to say here. Platform camp like no tomorrow. Lateral camping doesn't work because of the statues, just stay on the platforms and camp with bombs. It's way safer, and easier, than playing aggro and tangling with the statues. Boomerang and arrows don't do as much here, stick to bombs.
Basically play like you would against a D3 on BF. Dair can KO off the top, fair is good for KOing off the side. Sometimes even a ground KO move works, if they're chasing you from the floor and hopping up. Just try to stay away from them at all times until you can KO them really. In this case, using the canopies to run away works really well.
Part 3
Advantages
-Relatively simply terrain allows for easy camping
-Plays very, very similar to Final Destination
-Long ground helps jab locks
-Wide blastzones and a high ceiling ensure Link living a long time
-Stage tilts can help your recovery
Disadvantages
-Wide blast zones also make it hard to recover with improper DI
-Stage tilts can mess up your recovery
-Not quite as big as Final Destination, so sometimes you have to play close range
-Transitioning to the smaller sized Part 1 can sometimes result in a gimp if you're too far left or right
Aggressive Game
You basically play this stage as if you're on Final Destination, because that's really what it is, plus some tilts. The open, wide does allow for easy camping and spamming, but it's small enough that you can rush in and play close range if you want to. Essentially, it really plays like Final Destination:
Quote (originally posted by
sasook):
Link's aggressive game isn't exceptional on this stage. The flat terrain does allow for his normal CQC game, but combo'ing via ledges like Battlefield isn't possible here. Jab cancels are probably the best thing to do in most cases, and pivot grabs work nicely here too. Bombstoollocks and using the boomerang at point blank can set up for a jab lock, which can go across the whole stage (theoretically). Jumping over the opponent, throwing a bomb down, and FF nair into dsmash works great here too.
Effective Moves:
Fair/bair/nair - FF or not, doesn't matter, both ways are good
Fsmash - good for spacing and KOs
Ftilt - great for KOs
Utilt - great for hitting short opponents, juggling, and KOing
Dtilt - one of the few times dtilt is useful, this can hit those super small opponents without degrading your dsmash
Dsmash - awesome for KOs
Moves that aren't so effective:
Dair - since there's no way to autocancel it at will, you'll have to rely on the opponent to hit you up first
Usmash - while this can be good for damage racking, the mostly flat fight allows for characters to punish it if you miss
Using zair on this stage is very, very effective in most cases. Zair can also be followed up by many things like a DAC, grab, or pivot boosted attack. It works great on this stage. For KOs, since the walls are pretty large, don't try for KOs until the opponent is near the ledge, and at least 125%. Anything under that and the chances of them surviving are pretty high.
Overall, Link's close range game here isn't bad at all, but his spam game is accented much better by the stage than his close range game is.
Again, this place is just like Final Destination. No point in quoting the spam part - it's easy. Create a wall of projectiles, with arrow cancels, FH bomb throws, bombslides, and boomerangs. Almost everything with projectiles work here, bombstoollocks, bombzairs, you name it. Your main goal should be to just set up a wall and damage rack. Don't try to KO here, wait til part 1, since the blastzones there are smaller.
Overall:
CP Against:
No one. Seriously, this stage sucks.
Avoid Against:
Diddy Kong - Falco -- Fox - Mr. Game & Watch -
Ice Climbers - King Dedede -- Kirby - Luigi - Mario - Marth - Meta Knight -- R.O.B. -- Samus - Sheik -- Sonic - Wario - Zelda - Zero Suit Samus -
Neutral Against: Bowser Captain Falcon Donkey Kong Ganondorf Ike Jigglypuff Lucario Lucas Ness Olimar Peach Pikachu Pit Pokemon Trainer Snake Gay Wolf Yoshi
6. Halberd Part 1
Advantages
-Low ceiling for easy kills
-slopes are good for connecting zair on small characters
-being under the platform puts you in a very good position against all characters
-FH dair off the platform can be autocanceled if you go around the platform towards the bottom past the slopes
-can recover through the stage
-relatively small blast zones on the sides
Disadvantages
-ledgehop fairs can sometimes result in passing through the stage
-lots of air space makes recovering a bit harder and gimping a bit easier
-overall a small stage, so it's hard to keep the opponent away for long
-characters can shark you from underneath the stage
-being able to recover through the stage makes zedging almost useless
Aggressive Game
The only time you'll be aggressive in this portion of the stage is when the opponent is above you on the platform.
Stay in the center of the stage in this phase. Just keep them up there with usmashes and utilts, basically forcing them to approach from the sides. If they approach from the sides, space lots of zair and fsmash to keep them near the ledge - don't let them take away that middle position. Use the slopes to do craq walked fsmashes for easier spacing as well.
If a character tries to attack you from underneath, simply SH dair and punish them for doing so.
Spam Game
Link's spam game comes into play when the opponent tries approaching from the sides rather than from above. Apart from spacing craq walked fsmashes and zair, use your projectiles to hammer them towards the ledge, particularly bombs and boomerangs. Arrow cancels work well to stop approaches but sometimes the distance may be too small and could get you punished.
So basically, your goal is to camp under the platform and throw as many projectiles at the opponent as possible if they try approaching from the side. Mainly SH throws or stuttersteps - things like bombslides don't really work too well since the stage is too small.
If they try approaching from above, your aggressive game kicks in.
Part 2
Advantages
-Stage hazards can help put on some damage to the opponent
-Nice wide area for easy spacing and spamming
-Platform remains from part 1, as well as the low ceiling
-Wallbombing is a viable option for recovery here
-transition phase from part 1 lowers the ceiling even more briefly
-small blast zones don't change on the sides
-stage spikes are easy to perform
-transition from part 1 can save you from a gimp
Disadvantages
-close blast zones can cause Link to die pretty early
-stage hazards force you to focus on things other than the opponent
-there is a small lip under the ledge, like FD
Aggressive Game
There really isn't that much of a definite aggressive game on this portion of the stage. Firstly, the stage is just about, if not a tiny bit longer than FD. The platform is there, so use it as it was used in part 1, but keep in mind there's a lot more room to move around it and ignore it on this portion - all these qualities promote Link's spam game.
A nice thing is that though the stage gets longer, the blast zone distances stay the same. So basically, the stage edges move closer to the boundaries, allowing for even easier KOs on this part of the stage.
Spam Game
This stage is huge, with plenty of space for Link to spam, run away, and reset spacing. Obviously, standard projectile play does very well here; things like FH bomb throws to ACs, or double arrows, all that stuff.
Use your projectiles to lure your opponent into the stage hazards, more so the claw and laser than the bomb. The laser can be easily DI'd out of, but it can serve as a temporary wall between you and your opponent. Bombs will not go through the laser, but arrows will, so use that to your advantage. Just don't get too close to the laser because the hitbox of it expands at the end and can hit you when you don't expect it to.
Overall:
CP Against:
Bowser + Ganondorf + Jigglypuff + King Dedede + Kirby + Lucas + Ness + R.O.B. + Samus + Wario + Zero Suit Samus + Avoid Against:
Donkey Kong - Fox -- Mr. Game & Watch -
Pikachu - Olimar - Snake -- Gay - Yoshi - Zelda -
Neutral Against:
Captain Falcon Diddy Kong Falco Ice Climbers Ike Lucario Luigi Mario Marth Meta Knight Peach Pokemon Trainer Pit Sheik Sonic Wolf 7. Lylat Cruise
Advantages
-can autocancel dair from any of the platforms due to the stage tilts and slopes
-high ceiling allows Link to live long
-being on the high end of the stage allows natural trajectory of projectiles to function for easy spam
-being on the low end of the stage puts Link in a good defensive position, covering all areas of approach
-bomb explosions can spike through the stage
-bair stage spikes turn into gimps
-stage tilts can help recovery
-bomb radius covers the entire platform
Disadvantages
-must sweetspot the ledge on recovery
-stage tilts can gimp Link's recovery
-almost impossible to zedge due to stage tilts
-constant stage tilting makes proper spacing difficult
-being on the lower end nullifies bomb game somewhat
-being on the upper end puts you in a disadvantageous position, as the opponent can approach rather easily
-wide air space makes it easy to gimp Link
-slopes on both sides mess up zair, unless Link is on the ledge and the opponent is in the middle...which is a bad position
Aggressive Game
Link's aggro game for this stage mainly involves platform pressure and shield poking. This mainly occurs when he's on the bottom of the slope. Moves like ftilt and utilt cover the areas in between the platforms, and SH aerials pressure opponents on top very well. SH fairs and bairs in particular. Usmash and utilt can also pressure an opponent from underneath, and sometimes FH nair as well.
When you're on the bottom of the slope and the opponent is on the stage as well, spaced fsmashes are very safe and zairs are easy to land on all characters. Utilt is also somewhat safe because the opponent might just grab the air above you in a shieldgrab attempt sometimes.
When the stage is flat, just apply the same concepts by moving onto one of the sloped parts of the stage. When you're on the up slope, Link's aggro game is pretty much nonexistent. At that point he has to throw projectiles, not play aggro.
Unfortunately, vertical KOs will be tough on this stage, due to the high ceiling. Stick to ftilts and fsmashes, sometimes fairs and spin attacks for KOs, as the side blast zones are closer.
Spam Game
When Link is on the bottom slope his projectile game does suffer a little. Bombs must be thrown from a jump, as well as arrows. The boomerang can be thrown upwards but might hit the ground and get a really weird trajectory. His projectile game becomes really limited and suffers as a result.
When the stage is flat it isn't so bad. Link can switch back and forth, probably with the most options at this point. He can spam like normal, use the slopes to hit tiny characters (for instance, shield poking with arrows from the slopes might hit their feet), or use them vertically by jumping around and throwing bombs downwards or throwing them upwards through the gaps.
When Link is on the top slope, his projectiles can be thrown at ease because their natural trajectory curves downwards. However, his zair becomes useless, as does his shieldgrab. Which means approaching underneath the projectiles isn't too hard. The best thing to do would be to reposition near the middle or bottom, because being at the top sort of forces you to play vertically.
CP Against:
Falco + Fox + Wolf + Zelda + Avoid Against:
King Dedede - Kirby - Marth - Meta Knight - Olimar -- Peach - Pokemon Trainer - R.O.B. - Snake - Sonic - Zero Suit Samus -- Neutral Against:
Bowser Captain Falcon Diddy Kong Donkey Kong Mr. Game & Watch
Ganondorf Ice Climbers Ike Jigglypuff Lucario Lucas Luigi Mario Ness Pikachu Pit Samus Sheik Gay Wario Yoshi 8. Pokemon Stadium
Neutral Part
Advantages -Wallbomb recovery is possible here, although difficult
-The stage is pretty neutral, with the platforms set up such that you can play both a camping/spam game as well as a mild juggle game
-Small platforms allow for easy techchasing on them
-Platforms are at a perfect for dropping through and arrow canceling
-Platforms allow for easy bomb placement
Disadvantages -The ledges are really tough to deal with, and can often gimp Link even if he is within recovery range
-Can be hard to close the gap against someone who outcamps Link
-Wide blastzones and a high ceiling make it difficult to KO Link
-Recovering, good DI or not, is a pain
Aggressive Game Despite the platforms, this stage plays more like Final Destination then it does Battlefield or Smashville, because it's so wide and the platforms are relatively low. The major difference is that the platforms allow you to place bombs on them for easy picking up and throwing, rather than having to pull them out and then throwing them. You can ZAC these bombs with aerials, and follow that up with a bombzair or bombsmash on the ground. SH fair and bair work great for pressuring someone on the platform, and a FH slowfall dair can be autocanceled from the platform.
There isn't really a great way to pressure anyone on the ledges, because if you try to go offstage and nair gimp you may gimp yourself.
Basically the aggro game here is to spam to force approaches, and then bait and punish. Try to put them into situations where they are being pressure offstage, because then they have to worry about you as well as recovering with glitchy ledges.
Spam Game This is really the main focus of the fight here for Link. With such a wide range throughout this portion of the stage, you have a lot of space for boomerangs, zairs, bombs and arrows. Play it like you're playing on FD, and use the platforms to place bombs for quick throws, or drop through them for easy arrow cancels. Try to stay in the middle of the stage if you're camping and have the upper hand. Bomb placement and throwing bombs up alongside Link's other projectiles create a wall that can be tough to get by.
From a platform, FH arrow will cover the length of the entire stage, and an arrow cancel from the platform will go a decent distance as well. If your opponent is offstage, just chuck projectiles; sometimes a bomb explosion or boomerang pull may make them go underneath the stage and then they won't have a way to recover.
Fire Part:
Advantages -Wall allows for a potential jab lock infinite
-Bombs hit through the tree limbs on the left side to bring out anyone camping under the tree
-One-sided nature of the stage allows for easy midrange play
-Staying to the left of your opponent on the right side of the stage lets you tech any KO move rather than having to DI properly
-The dip in the middle allows you to cover all approaches from all angles
Disadvantages -Close range can allow your opponent to get by Link's projectiles rather easily
-Wallteching can complicate your KOs
-Link's zair does not go through the trees
-Getting down from the platform can be difficult against good jugglers
Aggressive Game If your opponent is camping underneath the tree, you're in a great pressuring situation. Fsmash is good for attacking through the tree, and bombs can be thrown from above. However, most of the time you'll be playing on the right side. Try to stay in the middle in the dip area, because from there you can zair anyone and can tech any attacks against the wall. Stick with moves like SH fair and nair, rather than jab cancels, because the jabs may not reach the opponent vertically. Chances are, you'll be forcing your opponent towards the right side of the stage for this portion. If they're near the ledge, keep them there. Use arrows to stop approaches, fsmash to space, and zair for setups.
You're gonna need a good close range game here, because there won't be a large gap from when you get them away from you to when they're close to you again.
Spam Game Spam really doesn't work that well here for Link. Platform camping from the left side can work sometimes, but not if the opponent just stands in the dip and waits for you to move. If you try to stay under the tree, they can attack you through it or above it. On the right, the most amount of space you'll have to throw is when your opponent is near the ledge and you're standing in the dip. At this point, use projectiles to keep them near the ledge. FH arrows, SH bombthrows, a few zairs, and boomerangs all help. Once they're close, there's really not much you can do. The platform on the right can help at times with bomb placement, but its positioning overall doesn't augment Link's spam.
Forest Part:
Advantages -Wide area to spam
-Platforms help in movement/juggling
-Easy to run away on this portion
Disadvantages -Link is easily juggled
-Arrow game is hurt
-Easy mobility makes it hard to hit the opponent with spam
-High platforms can't be reached with a SH
Aggressive Game An aggro game is sort of nonexistant here. Anyone who Link can fight at close range will come to him, not wait for him to go aggro on them. And any time they feel pressured they can just run away without much punishment due to the sheer space of the stage. Stick to spam and when they're near, hit them away so you can spam some more.
The only aggro part of the stage would be the tree/bush thing that hangs pretty low. You can pressure people on the ledge using that for positioning. That's about it.
Spam Game Well, frankly, this part of the stage is huge. It's really, really easy to create space and run away from your opponent during this part. Your mentality should be like playing cat-and-mouse, just run away and throw projectiles. Link won't get up to the first platform with just a SH though, you'll need a FH or use the tree on the right side. Horizontally, just keep zairing and throwing....everything. The only problem is that Link's arrow game is hurt here, since the opponent can just go onto a platform to avoid them, so Link is limited to bows and rangs.
Try not to go to the platforms and chuck things downward. The multiple platforms set in a linear pattern allow for easy vertical travel, and you're basically gonna get juggled.
Mountain Part:
Advantages -Ceiling KOs from top are really easy
-Jab infinites are possible within the middle
-Gap between the middle and right above the sloped platform is perfect for SH bombthrows
-Usmash in the middle is a good damage racker that is hard to escape
Disadvantages -Camping on the left edge may work against you
-Not really any safe place for Link to stay during this portion
-Link can get wall infinited by certain characters
-Close proximity makes it hard to spam
-Stage set up hurts arrow game
Aggressive Game Chances are you're gonna be fighting close range here. Although the middle can be risky, it can also provide a safe haven if you can keep the other guy out. If he gets in close, and usmash/utilt doesn't keep him out, try to get out of there and move into the open right side. From here, it's still not a lot of space, so you'll have to play Link's close range game. Keep in mind, quick moves.
Jabs, dsmash, utilt, zair, fair, bair, nair - those are his quick moves. Use those to get them away and just wait for the stage to change back.
Spam Game Again, since the proximity is close, and there's not really a safe zone where Link can stay, Link's spam game suffers here a lot. Bombs still work for the most part, but the boomerang doesn't have a lot of space to travel, and arrows get blocked by walls and platforms. If your opponent is in the middle, the only way a bomb could hit them is from above, and if they're on the left, forget it. Basically, this stage has a lot of blindspots that are impenetrable. Arguably the worst section of PS1 for Link, your spam game really revolves around the position of your opponent and how good they are at avoiding projectiles. There's not much else you can do.
Water part:
Advantages -Teching on the windmill prevents KOs
-Windmill can block some attacks for you
-Zair can cover the ground needed to reach the left side of the windmill
-Platforms allow for easy juggling and autocanceled dairs
Disadvantages -Teching on the windmill prevents KOs
-Missing a tech results in a stage spike most of the time
-Not really a safe place to stay and camp easily
Aggressive Game Since there isn't a ton of room here, you'll probably be playing your opponent close range at some point or another. Near the windmill, you'll be forced to since Link's projectiles don't do much under the windmill. Try for a lot of utilts or dsmashes - if they don't tech there's a chance they may get spiked by the windmill offstage and won't be able to recover. On the right side, you'll probably be using more projectiles than anything, but if you do play close range, just try to get the opponent over to the windmill.
Spam Game Firstly, if your percentage is high, get to the windmill. Stay by the windmill, and TECH EVERYTHING. It'll help you survive much more than trying to DI on the other side of the stage. That being said, the windmill doesn't let your projectiles travel very far, so you'll have to stay by the right side for your spam game to work. Arrow cancels after dropping through the platforms cover the water section nicely, bomb throws as usual work, and the boomerang covers just about all of the water section. It is relatively small and the opponent can close the gap pretty easily, but if you feel pressured just run towards the windmill for safety.
Overall:
CP Against: Bowser + Captain Falcon + Ganondorf + Ice Climbers + Olimar + Wolf + Zelda + Avoid Against: Donkey Kong - Mr. Game & Watch -
Ike - Jigglypuff - King Dedede - Kirby - Luigi - Mario - Meta Knight Peach -- Pikachu -- Pit - Sheik -- Snake -- Gay - Neutral Against: Diddy Kong Falco Fox Lucario Lucas Marth Ness Pokemon Trainer R.O.B. Samus Sonic Wario Yoshi Zero Suit Samus
9. Brinstar
Advantages -Gooey stuff lets you dair bounce
-Gooey stuff and the platform supporters allow you to refresh your moves with jabs
-Lava can prevent gimps/help recovery
-Low ceiling and close boundaries allow for quicker KOs
-Gooey stuff extends Link's hitboxes
-Zair helps limit grounded approaches when standing on the lower sides of the bump in the middle
-Closed in space allows for easy juggling and projectile pressure
-Uneven terrain and lava interrupt CGs
-The bump in the middle stops dashes
-Stage can be separated to create some space
-Lava can harm opponents
-Pressuring opponents on platforms becomes easier
Disadvantages -Gooey stuff causes your moves to last longer
-Not a lot of room to spam all the time
-Lava can harm you
-Jab locks are kind of impossible
Aggressive Game This stage is weird for your aggro game. It's a closed, tight stage, so you'd think it's mostly close quarter combat and since you don't have space to space, you should be approaching a lot of the time to pressure the opponent. That's actually quite the opposite of how it goes. Your aggro game will mostly consist of you pressuring your opponents on the platforms as you stay in control of the center portion of the stage. All 5 of your aerials become effective on this stage, since you can autocancel dair on the gooey stuff in the ground. Just don't spam it, just because there's no landing lag doesn't mean it becomes super safe. Use it to bait by making the opponent think they can punish it and then punish them as they fail to do so.
Speaking of the gooey stuff, some properties it holds is that the one in the middle stops dashes just like a wall, and all of them extend your hitboxes. Other than that, try using moves with vertical trajectory, like dsmash or utilt, to send the opponent towards the air so you can pressure them. Be sure to refresh your moves by jabbing the gooey stuff when you have a safe moment. You can use the terrain for craq walking and positioning, as well as angling your boomerang in weird directions.
When keeping stage control, always keep an eye on the lava. The heights it rises to are random locations, but here's a diagram on where to stay what times.
The green platform is always, always safe from lava. That doesn't mean this place is a good place to hang out though, you can get pressured easily from below from here. Only go here when it's necessary. The yellow platforms on the side are sometimes safe, sometimes not. They are a bit better in terms of positioning though. The right one not so much, but the left is a decent place to be in. The bottom, orange floor is almost always covered in lava when it rises. If the lava rises, don't stay here. But if it's down, camp this place like there's no tomorrow, because it's the best place for stage control.
Spam Game Once again, the layout of the stage is going to feel like you don't have a lot of initial space to spam. However, if you stay grounded and control the center of left-ish side of the stage, you actually have a pretty safe space to spam. Arrows are good for hitting opponents on the right side of the stage from that position, usually through an arrow cancel. Boomerangs are useful but sometimes the ground can cause it to go in a weird direction. Bombs, however, are key to this stage. When you spam on this stage, just think bombs galore. Throwing bombs up in between the upper and right platforms provides a really safe wall, and throwing bombs at the gooey stuff can hit your opponent when he thinks he may have dodged it. Plus, the gooey stuff stops grounded approaches if you're camping on the left side, so you'll just have to focus on the air, limiting their options.
If you're on the right side, standing on the platform gives access to almost the entire stage and you can split the stage to give you some space and spam some more. Standing underneath that platform doesn't really help you all that much, try to avoid it. From the top platform you can ZAC dair onto the gooey stuff and then throw your bomb and such. Just remember, bombs galore.
CP Against: Bowser + Diddy Kong + Falco + Ice Climbers + Luigi + Mario + Pikachu + R.O.B. ++ Snake + Avoid Against: Donkey Kong - Mr. Game & Watch -
Ganondorf - Ike - Jigglypuff - Meta Knight -- Ness - Olimar -- Sheik - Wario - Wolf - Neutral Against: Captain Falcon Fox King Dedede Kirby Lucario Lucas Marth Peach Pit Pokemon Trainer Samus Sonic Gay Yoshi Zelda Zero Suit Samus
10. Delfino Plaza
Advantages
Disadvantages
Aggressive Game
Spam Game
CP Against:
Avoid Against:
Neutral Against: