Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Link should not play a grounded speed contest with Little Mac. Arrows, Boomerang, and Bomb should make Mac jump early or stop short so Link can take the exchange with Nair or Bair instead.
Little Mac’s Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, smash attacks, and Neutral Air are all punishable on shield, with Up B (7f) being the most reliable answer and OOS Bair (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), and Up Smash (10f) covering many of the same spots.
The danger is letting the game collapse into shield-heavy scrambles, especially when KO Punch is active, because Mac wants the exchange to become short and direct.
Link wins by getting Little Mac offstage and then using Bomb, Boomerang, Nair, and Bair to cover the limited recovery routes instead of giving him repeated returns to center stage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Link OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 1 | -12 |
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| Jab 2 | 1 | -12 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -19 |
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| Rapid Jab | 4/6/8… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 5 | -25 |
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| Forward Tilt | 4/12 | -17 |
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| Up Tilt | 4 | -18 |
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| Down Tilt | 3 | -14 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -16 |
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| Forward Smash | 14/14/15 | -16/-16/-13 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -23 |
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| Down Smash | 10/17 | -23/-16 |
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| Neutral Air | 2 | -8 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -10 |
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| Back Air | 11 | -13 |
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| Up Air | 5 | -10 |
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| Down Air | 7 | -15/-15 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 4(+32) | -34 to -19 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 123 | -82 |
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| Side B (1) | 8/25 | -39 to -36 |
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| Side B (2) | 8/25 | -32 to -31 |
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| Up B | 3… | ** | ||
| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 13 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 14 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Link should keep Arrows, Boomerang, and Bomb between himself and Little Mac so the grounded dash game never becomes a pure close-range race.
- After Link blocks Little Mac’s Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, smash attacks, or Neutral Air, use Up B (7f) first when possible, then the reachable OOS Bair (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Nair (10f), or Up Smash (10f).
- When Little Mac has KO Punch, Link should avoid overcommitting to shield and instead reduce the activation chances with walking, retreat jumps, and projectile timing.
- Once Little Mac is offstage, Link should keep the edgeguard or ledge trap compact, save Bomb or Boomerang for the route, and punish the exposed head on Up B or the post-Side B recovery window.
Actions to Avoid
- Meeting Little Mac head-on with grounded pokes and accepting the exact close-range speed fight he wants.
- Turtling in place against Little Mac while KO Punch is active and making the release window simple.
- Giving Little Mac a free return from offstage after earning the knockback.
- Chasing too deep offstage with Link and turning Little Mac’s weak recovery into a self-destruct risk for Link instead.