User blog comment:Appelmonkey/Link vs Robin (Fire Emblem)/@comment-422690-20150314154106

So...

Weaponry: Link's got an excellent set of weapons for up-close and for ranged fighting. The Master Sword and Hylian Shield combo is maneuverable and provides an excellent defense. This defensive advantage is one thing Robin does not have; he needs to rely on his agility to dodge Link's strikes. Additionally, while the Silver Sword and Brave Sword are simply normal swords, the Master Sword is known to be super effective against evil. Robin, with the Mark of Grima / Heart of Grima, may be vulnerable to it thanks to a technicality.

Furthermore, Link has the Biggoron's Sword and Megaton Hammer to round out his melee arsenal, giving him far greater range and the ability to simply crush Robin into a pulp with the drawbacks that his shield needs to stay on his back - something that isn't really a drawback, since that can be used to protect his back - and that he loses some of his speed.

The Levin Sword might be the most useful of Robin's arsenal, since it attacks from a distance with electricity. in Ocarina of Time, Link has shown a marked weakness to electric attacks, as he's unable to defend against them properly. Link, however, has his Fairy Bow. This is one of the most useful weapons in his arsenal, which is even more so thanks to his magic arrows. Fire Arrows will burn Robin. Ice Arrows will freeze him solid. And, thanks to the same technicality that may leave him weak to the Master Sword, Light Arrows are going to do one hell of a lot of damage. This isn't even taking Link's impeccable marksmanship into account, letting him aim and fire effectively in battle.

Thanks to all of this, the weapons edge goes to Link.

Magic: Link's Hylian Shield can block Robin's fire spells with ease. The Wind spells will only be a problem for him in terms of knocking him off-balance. It's the thunder spells that will actually cause him problems; as mentioned above, electric attacks are Link's main weakness, at least in OoT. The higher level spells are dodgeable, however, and the base Thunder spell can actually be reflected back at Robin using the Master Sword, similar to the Phantom Gannon fight in Ocarina of Time.

Link's magic is more suited for use in close-quarters combat. Nyru's Love can completely nullify all of Robin's attacks long enough for Link to get a decisive blow in. The magic-enhanced spin attack requires charging, but when unleashed hits with massive range and speed. I covered the arrows in the weaponry section above, so I won't repeat myself. This leaves the most useful combat magic in the Legend of Zelda series to date: Din's Fire. The fire dome unleashed by this magic is freakin' massive, extending out to about the size of a large room. It does this fast, too, leaving Robin little - if any - room to dodge. This is likely one of the most powerful magics in play here, thanks to its speed and damaging capability.

Overall, Link gets the edge in magic.

X-Factors:
 * Tactics: I'm giving this one to Link, in contrast to others. Robin's tactical skill is more along the scale of battles than it is on the scale of single engagements. He can manage an army quite a bit better than Link can. Link, however, has far more experience in pure fighting tactics. His entire combat experience is based on single engagements, which will help him greatly here.
 * Training: Robin gets this one for sure. Link is entirely self-taught, so he doesn't have the same kind of training that Robin does.
 * Experience: Link gets this one again. Robin's combat experience, as noted, is in groups. Link's is solo, which is how this match will play out.
 * Strength: I'd consider them about even here. Link's got a bit more lifting strength thanks to the Golden Gauntlets, but there's no statement on whether or not the strength boost comes into affect for anything other than lifting heavy shit.
 * Agility: Link definitely takes this. The ability to do a backflip from a standing position with the kind of equipment he carries? He can dance circles around Robin in terms of pure ability.

Overall: This is actually a lot closer than my edges make it seem. Link's a superior physical combatant in terms of skill and weaponry, but Robin's no slouch, either. This'll be a hard-fought victory for Link, but an unambiguous victory. Robin's biggest flaw is his lack of agility coupled with lack of armor and lack of a shield. He can't get out of the way of Link's attacks, and he doesn't have the equipment necessary to tank them.

Win: Link.