Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Joker’s neutral air and back air are safe, and Gun plus his mobility let him punish gaps in projectile pressure, but his unsafe moves like jab, up tilt, down tilt, and forward smash are easier to punish, so if Toon Link gets position first, he can keep pushing Joker back.
Rather than treating boomerang, arrow, and bomb as single actions, move forward the moment Joker chooses shield or jump and link into up smash, up air, or grab to blunt his mobility advantage.
For kills, it is more stable to send him to the ledge before Arsene appears and cut off his escape routes with up B, up air, and returning bomb pressure than to fight him head-on in center stage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Toon Link OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -16 |
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| Jab 2 | 3 | -17 |
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| Jab 3 | 3 | -26 |
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| Forward Tilt | 8/13 | /-15(/-11) |
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| Up Tilt | 8/11/14/17/20 | -27 |
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| Down Tilt | 8 | -22(-19) |
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| Dash Attack | 6/15 | **/-23 |
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| Forward Smash | 16 | -21 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -32(-30) |
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| Down Smash | 12/16 | -24/-20(—/-18) |
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| Neutral Air | 12 | -5 |
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| Forward Air | 7/12 | -10/-9 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -5 |
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| Up Air | 5… | -12 |
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| Down Air | 13 | -7 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 12/37/65 | ** | ||
| Neutral B (2) | 12/18/24 | ** | ||
| Side B (1) | 16 | -27 |
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| Side B (2) | 16 (1/6/11/16) | ** | ||
| Up B (1) | 20 | ** | ||
| Up B (2) | ** | — | ||
| Down B (1) | 3 (Start of Block) | — | ||
| Down B (2) | 4 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 9 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- After throwing a projectile, always take at least one step forward and watch both Joker’s retreat and his jump escape.
- After blocking jab, up tilt, down tilt, or forward smash, answer with up B or grab and reduce the time he has to build Arsene gauge.
- When Rebel’s Guard appears, do not layer more projectiles blindly; aim for the landing and movement after landing instead.
Actions to Avoid
- Showing the same-height bow and boomerang repeatedly and becoming an easy target for Gun and dash-in punishes.
- Turning the match into a center-stage smash contest while Arsene is active and getting killed off a small number of hits.
- Overchasing the edgeguard and missing the punish, which hands back ledge control.