A Tether Recovery is a type of recovery move where the player latches onto the side of an arena with an extendable item. If there is a nearby ledge when this is used, the tether will automatically snap to it. Pressing A after grappling a ledge will pull the character to that ledge. If the ledge is currently occupied when a tether recovery is used, it will fail to grab. If a player ledge-drops after tethering, they can retether. A similar move in SSBM (called the Wall-grapple) existed for Link, Young Link and Samus; however, the difference between the two moves is that a tether seeks out a ledge, while wall-grapples activate when they touch any wall. In addition, throw based Tether Recoveries, like those that were Wall Grapples in Melee, no longer put characters in a helpless animation if they miss, although Up B tether recoveries do.
Many of these moves have longer range than regular recoveries and also home in on the ledge, allowing for better control. On the downside, they can be edgehogged, making the recovery useless (Although, if done correctly, you can take your enemies down with you if your tether hits them).
List of Tether Recoveries
- Zero Suit Samus - Plasma Wire, Plasma Whip. Longest Tether Recovery in the game.
- Link - Clawshot
- Ivysaur - Vine Whip
- Lucas - Rope Snake
- Toon Link - Hookshot
- Pikmin & Olimar - Pikmin Chain (Technically nearly the best or worst Tether Recovery depending on amount of Pikmin)
- Sheik - Chain
- Ice Climbers - Belay
- Samus - Grapple Beam