Toon Link. Throw All of the Things...

[AeroIncarnated]

Hey there Hyrulians who wish to- Okay forget that. It's me AeroIncarnated again. You know you love me. I'm obviously here to discuss how Toon Link's playstyle work in Minus 3.Q.(Great name by the way)

First of all, I been playing TLink since I gave up Pit, which is around like 2 years after vBrawl's release. I haven't lost a match offline with him in vBrawl. Online is a way different story but hey, losses are losses that's the first lesson to learn about any fighting game. Don't want to look like a child and break my fight stick....Sanford....

Spoiler

In summary, I know TLink and I know how he works. I know a lot of techniques and I made this for people to not only discuss said techniques but to also give their own.
Starting on the basics: Toon Link is basically a shorter and faster Link but his strength can be lacking at times in a lot of his moves.
Toon Link makes up for that by having a lot of good combo set ups. By Using his traps, tools, and sword correctly you can get kills pretty easily I learned. I will go into three categories of his set up game. Starting with the first

Traps

Toon Link's traps are essentially his bow and the arrows that come supplied with it. They limit your opponent's mobility on the ground and they all have highly beneficial results. First, is the fire arrows that seem to appear the most in the rotation. These can kill at high enough percentages. I for one think it's stupid to try to main kill with fire arrows though. I personally don't recommend it, but they do pop your opponent up if touched which can lead to some nice air combos and some delicious bread and butter. The ice arrows freeze people, obviously. They make great traps to get someone off you or if you're trying to recover. Sadly I repeat; these arrows are random so don't depend on getting the best arrows for every situation. Finally the light arrows, these stun your foe like ZSS's paralyzer and it leaves them stunned for a good while. Feel free to start a combo or smash attack.​

Tools

Toon Link's tools consists of his Bombs, Boomerang, and Hookshot. These will help you GREATLY with any combo really. His Bombs are similar to Link's but much weaker. You should use the bombs the same way any Link player would. Which is a lot. I don't use bombs that much because I never needed them offline but online they can be a godsend, not that I really know. My bombs aren't that good. Bomb can be dropped on the ground too making pseudo traps (credit to NEWB, Hero of EXPLOSIONS). Bombs can also be used to approach the ledge and recover as well which is always good. His boomerang is my favorite weapon. If you know how to angle it you can hit your opponent with it multiple times and it pops them up so you can start your combos. They can also hit grounded anything which mean SCOOPS! You can even use it to kill if you want. I do that sometimes. His hookshot is nice as well if you know what you're doing. I kinda do and don't. Me being me not used to Minus's stuff i'm not that good at his hookshot strats. But I do research what other TLink use on me. Using it in air can be good because it brings them to you and you can start your attack. It has been confirmed however if you hold zair it will push them away and it's the opposite if you press it instead(credit to Kienamaru, Hero of Dusk) That's all I seen though. His throws are nice however. His Bthrow sends some good knockback directly backwards which is good if close to the ledge. Fthrow is yet ANOTHER combo starter which pops them up just for you to start your sword shenanigans again. Dthrow is (in my opinion) a lamer version of Link's Dthrow that pops them up. But another combo starter seems a bit redundant. So i'll let it slide. It knocks your opponent backwards really far. It's good for forcing them into to traps. Also forcing them off the ledge. The Uthrow can be considered a combo starter as well. It has been confirmed to kill at 150 or higher percentages (Credit to Thor, Hero of Thunder) But I haven't really used it along with the people I have fought.​

Swordplay:Well shall we get to the meat of it all? The swordplay. I'll analyze each move briefly. I might specify later. neutral combo is alright if you buffer it with a boomerang just in case your opponent blocks it. I noticed some people don't block the whole combo for some reason. Ftilt is kinda like a meteor/spike to me. I can't confirm this but try it over a ledge and tell me what happens.It has been conifrmed that he has multiple tilts for his Ftilt. Regular Ftilt is a meteor meaning I was right. Ftlit hi is a move that knocks people up and away. Finally Ftilt Lw slides people away from you which is nice if you like to play hit and run (All Ftilt info credits go to Kienmaru, Hero of Dusk) Dtilt doesn't get much use from me. it's the same from Brawl kinda I don't remember i'll try it out later. It has been confirmed that Dtilt is a just fast hitting attack which can be used at one's leisure(Credit to Kienmaru and NEWB, Duo of Destruction) Utilt is a great move to start things up. Of course you'll have to hit it off first. Fsmash seems to hit people on edges which is weird but take what you can get. Dsmash is good if you can predict people or if someone is all up in your tunic messing your Kokiri boots up. Uair is obvious. Dair is obvious but it can spike. Risky strategy though. It can be jump canceled as well (Credit to Kienamaru, Hero of Dusk) Fair is a very good attack it's what you kill and combo with at least for me. Bair knocks your opponent up higher so i guess it can be used as a follow up.Also it can used as combo into more Bairs how I didn't mention that I don't know (Credit to Kienamaru, NEWB, and Thor, Heroes of The Bow) Usually I just go with the flow. Now ground upB is alright ONLY if it's not blocked. Be careful to stay away from ledges while doing it. You could go into the "I can't @^$&@ing recover" state. Up B in the air is alright for combos but it leaves you open. Not recommended. alright for a ledge attack.

And that my friends is my guide to play Toon Link in Brawl - 3.Q (sponsored by sprite). I know I left some things out like the great Up taunt edge guard. Love it. I'll go into taunts next time I edit my OP.

 

[NEWB]

Don't forget that toon Link can lay his bombs on the ground by holding B while he crouches, making them pseudo traps. You can use his dair to slide em along the floor too. His bombs are also combo finishers.

His bair combos with more bairs and other aerials when used right.

He also has additional tilts to his ftilt if you angle it up or down. These are just alt options for toon link that can be substituted in any situation that you would normally use an ftilt, hitting foes away instead of above toon link.

His dtilt is just a fast move that hits in front of him.

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Thanks for the input. Hopefully anyone that see this will give TLink a try.
I didn't know about the additional tilts though. I'm used to sword users having one.
I knew that dtilt wasn't that great. No wonder I don't use it. I already know through psychokinesis I gained from Drinking SPRITE. The only beverage Brawl Minus devs drink. Confirmed Truth. Buy Sprite today.

 

[NEWB]

Dtilt doesn't suck. Don't make that mistake. Fast movs that hit people away from you are good.

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Never said it sucked. Just said it wasn't that great. I was comparing it to the other moves. I'll try it in game though so I can be sure.

 

[Thor]

Approach with zair isn't' an option. I didn't vote, although that's also because I use all 3.

I usually set arrows to force them to come to me in the air - if they won't I try boomerang or bomb pokes. Once they come at me I try to use aerials to hit them away and maybe a dair so I can transition to ground combat, then knock them away and continue walling with TL's arsenal.

Bair does combo, and uthrow and the rang are both KO options around 150% (I think it's like 120% in the ditto but I know by 150% these are both KOing very solidly). I might add more later (was once the TL mirror masters champ, for a very brief stint).

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Approach with zair isn't' an option. I didn't vote, although that's also because I use all 3.

Eh it worked on me. Also you could of voted multiple ones. Thanks for the input. I never felt the need to uthrow before. My TLink ain't the best. Well in minus at least. Brawl yes. Minus i'll need to work on. I was always bad with percents I just keep going til they die.

 

[Kien]

Toon Link's attacks
Jab combo- 4 hits with low damage, on heavier opponents up close, this combo can be used twice in a row.
Dash Attack- A quick swipe that slides enemies. Useful for send them into traps.
Side Tilt Hi- The last hit of his jab combo. A quick move used to get your opponent up and away from you.
Side Tilt- A slightly slower meteor. Best used on higher percent targets as the hitstun on meteors is higher than normal attacks.
Side Tilt Lw- His slowest tilt. It deals average damage and slides enemies farther than his dash attack.
Up Tilt- A deceptively powerful attack. Quick and deadly. Should be used as the go to kill move against faster, hard to punish characters.
Down Tilt- A move that comes out fast and can be used repeatedly. Has decent knockback and works well if used to finish a jab string.
Side Smash- A powerful move that is decently fast but has high endlag. The huge hitbox makes it relatively safe to use and it KOs well.
Up Smash- Not as powerful as side smash, but TL can combo into it with a few moves. Namely up tilt or boomerang at low percents, or at higher percents, side tilt.
Down Smash- Punishable on miss but usually worth using. Deals good damage and has a sourspot that can send an enemy far behind TL, potentially outright KOing those with bad horizontal recovery.
Nair- A quick front to back attack that is good for shield poking, starting combos, ledge hops, and approaching.
Fair- Slow and powerful. One of TL's best finishers. It's best to only use this if you know you'll connect.
Bair- A quick nearly risk free attack that can be used to chain into itself a number of times. Builds damage easily but isn't great for KOing unless you're near the top.
Uair- A slower more direct attack. Deals decent damage and has a lingering hitbox. Not recommended for normal usage, but it can stop some attacks from above and it's not bad on attacking through platforms.
Dair- A meteor that shoots TL downward. It can be jump canceled before putting him in too much risk.
Zair- can be used to pull by tapping the button. Holding it lets it push people away is it used to. Pulling with the hookshot can chain into Nair and Dair the easiest. Chaining it into fair requires better spacing and actually backing up as you hit them.

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Yeah that's basically a really technical way of saying what I just said. I just tried the tilts yesterday or today since it was early in the morning. I prefer the Side Tilt Lw. The sliding people away is preferable to my playstyle since I have slow reaction speeds. I am also trying to get a new strategy to work. It's where I throw my boomerang, miss on purpose (yes I do it on purpose.)

Spoiler

Goad my opponent to attack me, (which they will do if you miss. It's near guaranteed) Have the boomerang come back to hit them which will knock them above me and I can do a upsmash. Anything after that I'll improvise. I'm still working on the first part of it. I'm going to update the OP today. I have alot on my plate today. Thanks for the input.

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Updated Op to reflect the new information. Sorry I didn't fix spelling errors. I'll work on it next time I edit it.

 

[justadood]

i think bombs should be able to be traps... like holding B when you press down B makes you immediately drop them so you can leave them there or maybe shield dropping to leave them on the floor when you roll or something, idk... i just kinda feel like the bombs would make more sense to be the traps rather than the arrows... and the arrows don't make sense to be arching more than the bombs

EDIT: maybe making the bombs not immediately blow up when they hit the floor would help... then you could throw them and play hot potato...?

 

[NEWB]

Dood.... You can already do that with TL bombs.... That was in 3.5 I believe and in the changelog. While holding a bomb, crouch and press b to leave it on the ground. Well, hold b actually.

 

[Kien]

easier input is to just press and hold down+ B when you pull the bomb out.

 

[justadood]

easier input is to just press and hold down+ B when you pull the bomb out.

that's the way i mean
and newb, that wasn't the only thing i mentioned, you know

 

[NEWB]

I know, and I wasn't trying to offend. I was just face palming myself. I hate it when I'm trying to use a move that has a hidden buff that I forgot about, so I was just like, you know.

Doing that rolling thing and leaving a bomb isn't canon(not really an arguement) and shifting this way would cause arrows to be reworked. Not saying it's a bad idea, just that it will take reworking to switch to that method of trapping. Reworking isn't bad either but I'd like to think the devs would like to avoid unnecessary reworking if it doesn't really change anything. I honestly agree with you 70 percent because it does make sense for a flaming arrow to trap too.

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Well Dood this is more of tutorial of how I play Toon LInk. This isn't really a discussion about what Toon Link should have or not have. It's a discussion on how to play him. If you could please refrain from posting unless you have helpful information on how to use Toon Link. There are many threads where you can talk about characters and their moves. Sorry if I came across rude. I would just like this thread to be more of tutorial thread. Bombs can be traps but they are too slow to continuously place on the ground. The arrows arch mostly based on strength. Toon Link throwing a single bomb takes alot less strength than pulling the string on his bow. So in that case he's throwing the bombs with more force. So they go farther. Hopefully you understand.

Edit: Also having the bombs not blow up when hitting the floor is silly. They're not grenades they're bombs. Even though he can throw them without blowing up in his games. He isn't throwing them at high speeds.

 

[Kien]

Actually Aero, Setting bombs on stage is just as difficult for your opponent to deal with as arrows. The proper time to set bombs is when your opponent is respawning. That way you can have arrows and bombs causing them to really watch out.

As for bombs not being thrown hard in Zelda, he can throw them from rooftops and they won't explode.

 

[AeroIncarnated]

I never thrown a bomb off a building, you terrorist. Bombs in zelda have always been weird. If you stab them they blow up but, If they hit any surface hard they don't. Also Bombs as traps can be useful but, the way I see it. I just don't end up using them like everyone else. So I guess i'm a bit biased on the matter. You'll get no bomb combos from me.

 

[justadood]

well i think a nice combo with tl tat works pretty often is just trying to pressure opponents into traps with the down air while next to them.. even if you miss, you will push them into it with the windbox, and if you do hit them, you can multi-tap the attack and continually bounce off of them so they'll try to avoid being landed on and end up in a trap, or if you do the reverse and get them in plenty of traps first, they'll "learn" to shield it instead or spot dodge, and that will cause them to get hit when you multibounce... either way, it's a good way to rack up quick damage with very short window for getting hit, and not enough of a window to have them use a devestating attack, so it's relatively safe

 

[AeroIncarnated]

Yeah in a summary of what you said. Toon Link is generally a safe character. I feel he's great far away. And you spend most of the time trying to get your opponent off guard. If they are on you focused. Then you can't be safe. More often than not you can be taken down if your planning is off.

 

[lunamaria]

arrows 100%

 

[AeroIncarnated]

arrows 100%

Well I would like to say arrows play a huge part of Toon Link. But it's not just that. There has to be some type of follow up. Whether it is bombs, boomerang, or your sword. I will say this will with complete sureness that there isn't any such things as "arrow" combos. They are too random, too erratic, and just foolish to put THAT much faith in arrows. Granted, there is no "real" consequence to shooting a bunch of arrows around. They cause difficulty for the opponent since they have to divide their focus. Let's say the percentages of it would be: 20% traps and 80% You. Which means they are very aware of the traps but want to hit you most of all. I noticed people get rid of traps when you die. Because their main focus is gone. Back to the topic on hand, I don't want anyone to believe that arrows are Toon LInk's best way of attack. In the Zelda titles, Link uses ALL of his equipment over the course of the game. Just like in minus. Focusing on one form of attack can really break your whole game. Take Falco for instance he has the easiest time getting rid of YOUR traps and making them HIS traps. Making your 100% arrow game so much more difficult. But that's just me speculating on what I know.