Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup revolves around whether Link is allowed to complete his boomerang, arrow, and bomb rhythm and walk Cloud to the ledge, or whether Cloud cuts that setup time down and keeps center stage with sword range plus Limit threat.
Link’s nair, bair, and Up B reversal are dangerous, and bomb in hand makes the offstage game especially volatile, so Cloud should advance by shield walking, tipper back air, forward air, and down tilt rather than forcing big jumps into the wall.
As the table shows, jab strings, tilts, dash attack, smash attacks, fair, uair, Neutral B, Up B (1), and Down B (2) all have clear punish windows for Up B (7f) or OOS Nair (8f), while nair, bair, and smaller bomb-based touches are not where Cloud should insist on an immediate answer.
The stable win condition is to show Limit so Link’s projectile spacing gets tighter, then finish at the ledge with Back Air, Up Smash, and Limit specials while refusing to overchase into bomb reversals offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Cloud OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 7 | -12 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -16 |
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| Jab 3 | 6 | -23 |
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| Forward Tilt | 15 | -12 |
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| Up Tilt | 8 | -16 |
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| Down Tilt | 10 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 20 | -19 |
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| Forward Smash (1) | 17 | -27/-23/** |
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| Forward Smash (2) | 10 | -41 |
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| Up Smash | 10/25/41 | -28 |
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| Down Smash | 12/24 | (-31/-32/??)/(-23/-23/??) |
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| Neutral Air | 7 | -1/-3 |
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| Forward Air | 16/24 | -7/-7 |
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| Back Air | 6/15 | -3/-3 |
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| Up Air | 11 | -8/-9 |
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| Down Air | 14 | Bounce: ** | Fast Fall: -13/-13 |
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| Neutral B | 16-52 | -21 to -15 |
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| Side B | 27 | -7/-9 |
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| Up B (1) | 7 | -56 |
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| Up B (2) | 8/16/22/31/47 | — | ||
| Down B (1) | — | — | ||
| Down B (2) | 12 | -19 |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Cloud should show Limit charge in center stage and keep walking behind shield, down tilt, and tipper back air so Link cannot sit comfortably behind boomerang and arrow timings.
- After blocking Link’s jab strings, tilts, dash attack, smash attacks, fair, uair, Neutral B, Up B (1), or Down B (2), Cloud should take the guaranteed punish with Up B (7f) or OOS Nair (8f).
- When Link lands with nair, bair, or bomb in hand, Cloud should not mash on the spot and should instead place the next sword hit on the landing path or throw route.
- Once Link is cornered, Cloud should layer Back Air, Up Smash, and Limit threat over jump and Up B recovery, but avoid chasing the bomb route too far away from stage.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping high over boomerang or arrows without a read and giving Link easy anti-airs with Fair or Uair.
- Swinging after every blocked nair or bair and getting reversed by Up B or the next sword-range reset.
- Forcing an approach directly into Link while he is holding bomb and letting him turn the catch into nair, Up B, or a throw mix.
- Chasing too deep offstage for one hit and letting bomb, Up B, or bair flip the position against Cloud’s weaker recovery.