16-
Sheik

Jab1 (-12) & Jab2 (-11):
NAir (Frame 7)

Rapid Jab Finisher (-27):
FSmash (Frame 26)

FTilt (-15)
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

UTilt (-11):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)

DTilt (-16):
GSA (Frame 9)
Grab (Frame 16)

Dash Attack (-19)
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

FSmash (-18):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

USmash (-30):
FSmash (Frame 26)

DSmash (-28):
FSmash (Frame 26)

NAir (-3):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield landing)

FAir (-2):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield)

BAir (-4):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield)

UAir (-10):
NAir (Frame 7)
GSA (Frame 9)

DAir (-18):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

Needle Storm (-15):
Unpunishable
(Projectile usage)

Grenade Burst (+28):
Unpunishable
(Super safe on shield)

Vanish (-33):
FSmash (Frame 26)

Bouncing Fish (-35):
NAir (Frame 7)
UAir (Frame 8)
(Must dash forward first)

• Neutral Moves: FAir, NAir, BAir, UAir, Tilts, Jab, Needle Storm.

• Kill Moves: Bouncing Fish, Vanish, Burst Grenade, BAir, Dash Attack, Smash Attacks.

• (Some) Kill Confirms: Dragdown UAir Through Platforms > USmash, “Raindrop” (FTilt > Dragdown UAir > fall through platform UAir > USmash), Needles > USmash/Bouncing Fish, NAir/FAir > Bouncing Fish.

• Sheik possesses fast speed, frame data, and shield safety. She’s a slim character that has a lot of hurtbox shifting. Similar to Young Link, she has a strong and safe neutral that lacks reliable single hit, extremely strong, and safe kill moves but similarly potent setups to make up for it.

• In a majority of trade situations (Young Link NAir/BAir vs Sheik NAir/BAir/Tilts) Young Link wins trades in close quarters combat. Young Link, on average, likely needs to win less neutrals on average than Sheik.

• Sheik wants to be close to rack up tons of damage and find edgeguard situations.

• Needles are a great tool for Sheik, a projectile and combo starter and kill confirm setup. She will need to stack a few for them to be effective, and will likely do so while moving around defensively.

• Fire Arrows serve the same role, grounded disruption and aerial disruption now and then. Note that because of Sheik’s weight/hurtbox shifting, Boomerang > Arrow confirms may whiff.

• Bomb is useful up close for projectile pressure while using ZAC aerials. It’s best to pull Bomb when Sheik disengages/charges Needles/intends to camp. Pulling Bomb in that sense is an indirect punish on passive play.

• Sheik will mainly be using tilts/aerials/Jab to shield pressure and find her way in.

• Sheik can do the same landing aerial > Jab on shield that Young Link can do to stuff options out of shield. Her shield pressure is safe and quick just like Young Link’s, forcing similar shield disadvantage situations.

• Shielding at higher percents is a safe option, because Sheik doesn’t have a kill throw/confirm off a throw at high percents.

• Bouncing Fish in neutral isn’t a consistent option, but it can be a hard read kill option.

Boxing

(How do I escape this situation?):

• Projectiles are normally great in this MU, but they aren’t that great in disadvantage. Boomerang is committal, and can simply be dodged or cut down with a FAir from Sheik. Bomb pull leaves you wide open. Fire Arrow is safe, but only reliably covers the ground.

• Aggressive aerials out of the corner can be outspaced, but are stronger options since moves like NAir/BAir can win trades + set up for shield pressure situations.

• ZAir can poke at Sheik safely from a distance to create hit advantage to escape disadvantage, but it can be inconsistent to land due to hurtbox shifting.

Platform Pressure

(What tools do they have? How can we escape this pressure?)

• Sheik has quick moves, so NAir, BAir, FAir, and even UAir are all great pressure tools. Use shield carefully to avoid BAir/NAir pressure from the sides of the platform.

• Watch out for her DAir. If you get sent into tumble on a platform, she can call out the no tech/neutral tech with DAir, and confirm that into USmash.

• If caught by an UAir, drift away from where Sheik is.

Landing

(How do they cover it? What are my best options?):

• Sheik can trap landings extremely well with her high speed and fast moves. For instance, she could frametrap an airdodge with FTilt, and set up the “Raindrop” kill confirm off of it.

• When landing while Sheik uses an aerial, either airdodge as she is rising, or challenge it with NAir/DAir.

• Mix up landing timings and options (Aerials, Bomb, Shield, spotdodge, etc.)

Offstage

(How Do I Escape This Position And What Do I Look Out For?):

• Here, Sheik can use Needle Storm to confirm into Bouncing Fish. They're overall hard to avoid, but you can possibly directional airdodge/airdodge to avoid Needles.

• Sheik can use aerials to edgeguard as well, with DAir being a suicide spike.

• Her aerials can beat out ASA, conserve double jump.

• Outside of Needle confirms, Bouncing Fish can be used as a fast kill option, but if it whiffs they could get reversaled.

• You can directional air dodge out of Bouncing Fish. FAir beats it out.

• Don’t stay in tumble for too long offstage.

• Burst Grenade is an option that sucks you in. Airdodge out of the explosion, or tether quickly to ledge.

• Vanish is also a kill option Sheik can throw out offstage. Don’t recover at the same angle every time.

• So in short, save double jump, use directional airdodge/FAir occasionally to avoid Bouncing Fish, and escape tumble as soon as possible. Respect Vanish as well.

Ledge:

• Burst Grenade really hard punishes neutral getup and neutral getup + holding shield, which leaves you wide open to a shield break or grab. Jump if you see it.

• However, if you correctly get up in time and Sheik explodes the Grenade, you’ll have time to run up and punish her heavily.

• NAir can win trades against her aerials, so it’s a useful aggressive option off the ledge.

• Double jump FAir/ZAir is risky, but a good option to beat out Sheik’s moves.

• She can use Bouncing Fish as a read.

• Watch out for her DAir. It hits ledge, 2-frames, covers the area slightly above ledge, and spikes.

Juggling/Boxing:

• Keeping Sheik in the corner still means heavy use of projectiles and zoning her, but while assuming stage control.

• ZAir is notable in boxing because of its range and safety, allowing for combos to send Sheik offstage at low-risk, though hurtbox shifting can make this inconsistent.

• Press advantage by limiting where she can move with these projectiles, and then use either a quick move (NAir, Jab) or a ranged move on a read (ZAir, FAir, Grab) to knock her offstage, or convert off of projectiles.

• Bomb can be useful for projectile pressure while doing ZAC NAirs.

• Sheik can use Bouncing Fish to retreat horizontally from juggle situations. If you anticipate it, punish with Boomerang and a followup.

• She can also use Vanish to escape, though this is punishable.

• Sheik can B-Reverse Needle Storm charge to mix up her air drift.

• Call out her options, and cover space horizontally with Boomerang.

Offstage:

• Sheik has really good airspeed, so she can make great use of drift to play around Young Link. Use projectiles to limit where she can drift and throw a NAir out.

• Vanish can still be hit once she disappears. Double jump NAir next to ledge. Be weary, though, as she can also use the invincible startup to safely grab ledge.

• If there isn’t enough time for an edgeguard, opt for chip damage from projectiles and ledgetrapping.

• Bouncing Fish can be interrupted with FAir, so use that to your advantage.

• Sheik can use Needles from double jump off of ledge to confirm into USmash, or start a FAir train.

• Ledgetrap with stage control to avoid her ledge options, and react accordingly.

• Vanish lets Sheik snap the ledge with invincibility, but it does not work if she regrabs the ledge with it.

Ledge Info:

XLR8’s Spreadsheet Young Link Ledge Info:

DTilt: Hits

DSmash: Hits

FTilt: Hits

Most Reliable Move: All

Animation Info: N/A

Note: Normal, FTilt reaches farthest.

• FD DTilt > ASA %s: 96, 89

• FD FThrow @ Ledge %s: 160, 137

• FD Milkshake %s: 89-126, 80-106

• Sheik Kill Throws: None

• Sheik can consistently escape Milkshake at kill%s with SDI.

• If Sheik whiffs Bouncing Fish in the air, she can still act out of it somewhat fast.

• Sheik has several moves that can set up for tech chases such as NAir, FAir, BAir, and Needle Storm.

• Sheik NAir starts putting Young Link into tumble at 49% (sweetspot) and 69% (sourspot). More tech chase %s linked in resources.

• Battlefield:
  Terrible. Sheik will have an easy time getting in and using the platforms to secure kills early. Sheik abuses the platforms to force Young Link to ledge more often, and choke out space/expand Young Link’s deadzone.

• Final Destination:
  Bad. Sheik has an easier time weaving around projectiles here, making zoning a harder task overall. Close quarters combat interactions have more emphasis here, which is still favorable, but disengaging is one of the main strong points of the MU.

• Smashville:
  Indifferent. This stage doesn’t allow you to traditionally disengage, so you’ll be playing more footsies-based with projectiles. Abuse the platform to cheese stocks with DAir platform tech chases that are set up by Fire Arrows.

• Town & City:
  Good. Lots of space to disengage from Sheik, however, Sheik can abuse the short side zones on some platform layouts to take stocks early/edgeguard. This stage is similar to FD at times where close quarters combat has a greater presence.

• Lylat Cruise:
  Indifferent. Bouncing Fish can come out quick and fast here, but overall Young Link makes better use of slants and the platform layout here.

• Pokémon Stadium 2:
  Great. Tons of space to disengage and zone, and the zones aren’t too far out from the ledge, which makes recovering to the ledge easier. Pressure with projectiles + normals is more forceful in advantage state.

• Kalos Pokémon League:
  Good. Young Link is more susceptible to edgeguards here, but the gains from this stage in the MU include side platforms to help get off of ledge and land, and space to zone and trap Sheik's aerial movement.

• Yoshi’s Story:
  Good. The platforms are actually harder for Sheik to convert off of. Small zones aren’t that much of a detriment. The airspace in the center is great for exerting control over the stage, and the slants + wall jump capabilities help both in neutral and disadvantage respectively.

• Kameme vs Toast: Frostbite 2020 SSBU Winners Top 96 - R2G | Kameme (Sheik, Wario) Vs. Toast (Young Link) Singles

• Sheik Tumble Percents

• Sheik instant Dash Attack range: Instant Dash Attack Range Max