Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This is a midrange control matchup, but Palutena’s interception layer is stronger if Young Link keeps jumping in from obvious lanes. Nair, Bair, Dash Attack, and Uair let Palutena turn one wrong entry into a full reset or juggle, so Young Link does better when he makes her commit before he takes the close range.
Young Link should use arrows, boomerang, and bombs as cues to advance rather than as a static projectile loop. The goal is to hurry Palutena into Reflect Barrier, a preemptive Nair, or a drift commitment, then take the space she gave up with Nair, Bair, or Grab and push the exchange to the ledge.
The frame table shows Jab 1, Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Nair, Uair, Dair, and Neutral B are punishable on shield through OOS Nair (7f), OOS Uair (8f), Up B (8f), OOS Bair (9f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (10f). By contrast, Fair, Bair, and Side B do not stop long enough, and Down B is too risky to challenge carelessly because it can flip the projectile layer back on Young Link.
Kills are more repeatable from ledge bomb setups into Bair or Up Smash, plus continued landing traps into Uair or Up B, than from center-stage hitbox wars. Palutena’s teleport recovery is not the place to overforce the stock, so keeping the ledge trap is usually better than chasing too deep offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Young Link OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 8 | -12 |
| |
| Rapid Jab | 4/7/10… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 3 | -32 |
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| Forward Tilt | 14/24 | -28 |
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| Up Tilt | 8… | -27 |
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| Down Tilt | 14 | -17 |
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| Dash Attack | 6 | -23/-21 |
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| Forward Smash | 18 | -34/-36 |
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| Up Smash | 18 | -34/-37 |
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| Down Smash | 17 | -41/-42 |
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| Neutral Air | 5… | -10/-9 |
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| Forward Air | 9 | -5 |
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| Back Air | 8 | -5 |
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| Up Air | 10… | -12/-11 |
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| Down Air | 10 | -7 |
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| Neutral B | 24/30/36 | -24 |
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| Side B | 28/33/38/43/48/53/57 | -2 |
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| Up B | ** | — | ||
| Down B | 7 (Start of Counter/Reflect) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use arrows, boomerang, and bombs as cues to move forward, forcing Reflect Barrier or preemptive Nair timing instead of settling for a predictable projectile loop.
- After blocking Jab 1, Rapid Jab Finisher, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Nair, Uair, Dair, or Neutral B, take the listed punish with OOS Nair (7f), OOS Uair (8f), Up B (8f), OOS Bair (9f), Grab (10f), or Up Smash (10f).
- Do not force immediate shield punishes on Fair, Bair, Side B, or Down B. Track the landing and the next drift option, then hit the second beat.
- Build kills through ledge bomb pressure into Bair and Up Smash, plus landing-trap extensions into Uair or Up B, instead of center-stage aerial trades.
- Keep the ledge trap against teleport recovery rather than diving too far offstage and giving Palutena the easier reset.
Actions to Avoid
- Jumping in at the same height over and over and feeding Palutena’s Nair, Bair, and Uair interception range.
- Repeating the same projectile timing directly into Reflect Barrier and handing back momentum.
- Autopiloting out-of-shield punishes on Fair, Bair, Side B, or Down B when those spots are not truly stable.
- Chasing teleport recovery too deep offstage and giving up the stronger ledge trap.