Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Link can slow the match down with arrow, boomerang, and bomb, then cash out close range with nair and Up B, so Joker loses a lot of value if he keeps forcing direct jumps through the front door.
At the same time, Link is slow on the ground and much less comfortable once he is the one landing or recovering. The table shows that jab 1-3, f-tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, up air, down air, Neutral B, Down B (2), and Up B (1) are all punishable by Joker’s OOS uair (8f), grab (10f), fair (10f), bair (10f), or up smash (10f).
The plan is to use Gun, Eiha, dash movement, and air drift to make Link place arrow and boomerang early, then punish the nair timing or the landing that follows. Nair, bair, and Side B are the main spots where an immediate shield punish is unreliable, so Joker should usually track the next landing or item pickup instead of forcing a button on the spot.
Kills are more repeatable when Joker keeps the fight at the ledge and on the way down, especially with bair, up smash, and Arsene fair, rather than overchasing into bomb recovery and Up B mixups offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Joker 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
- Gun and Eiha should be used to disturb arrow, boomerang, and bomb setup timing, not to commit to a static projectile war directly in front of Link’s shield.
- After blocking jab 1-3, f-tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, any smash attack, uair, dair, Neutral B, Down B (2), or Up B (1), Joker should always take the punish with OOS uair (8f), grab (10f), OOS fair (10f), OOS bair (10f), or up smash (10f).
- Nair, bair, and Side B should not trigger automatic retaliation every time. Joker gets more by following the retreat landing, bomb pickup, or repeat nair route with the next fair or grab.
- Once Link is above Joker, the priority is to keep the landing trap going rather than overjumping. Re-catch the fastfall landing or low drift with uair and grounded re-pressure.
- Stocks should be closed mainly onstage and at the ledge, letting bair, up smash, and Arsene fair cover recovery choices without overextending into bomb detonation and Up B reversals.
Actions to Avoid
- Firing Gun and Eiha straight ahead over and over, letting Link sit behind shield or bomb possession until his projectile wall is fully organized.
- Swinging the fastest punish after every blocked nair, bair, or Side B and getting clipped by Up B or the next re-entry because the punish never truly reached.
- Chasing too far offstage during Arsene and giving Link’s Up B, bomb pop, or fair the chance to reverse position and expose Joker’s own recovery.
- Holding Rebel’s Guard too long on a hard read against arrow or boomerang and getting broken open by grab timing or delayed bomb detonation.