Falco's Phantasm

[Maniac]

I don't know if it has been mentioned before, but the bottom of Falco's Phantasm works as a smash.

[jrta]

I think you mean to say falco's phantasm is a spike. Yes, already known.

[Maniac]

Yeah, I dunno why I typed out smash, but I meant spike.

I'm relatively new to Falco. Anyone have any pointers?

[Cubed64]

Here are a few pointers:

1) SHL: This stands for Short Hop Laser. This is an essential for falco players. It is simply what the name says, a short hopped laser. This can be chained into pretty much anything. It can also be spammed rather aggressively. You must learn this
2) The Spike: This is falco’s best aerial attack. Great for edge guarding. This is very effective when Short Hopped.
3) Reflector: A great move for combo’s. This is Falco’s fastest move, it comes out in 1 frame. You can jump out of this with no lag what-so-ever and this leads to good combo’s such as Reflector- dair- reflector-repeat, reflector into pretty much any aerial attack works well. When you have learnt to jump straight out of Reflector, you can do such combo’s as the triple shine, shine-shine-dair and shine-shine-uair. These hardly ever work on human players but it is good to have them learnt anyway.
4) Shuffling: This stands for Short Hopped-Fast Falled-L’ Cancelled. This is a very good tactic for falco because some of his best attacks are aerial moves. You can shuffle nair -shuffle dair. Combo’s are easy to do with shuffling, such as shuffled dair- reflector- dair.
5) Wave Dashing: While this isnt a major factor in falco’s game, you can always use it to your own style of play. Some good uses are run forward, just before you get close to your opponent, Wavedash backwards into a forward smash. Wave dashing is just a good technique to know how to do, use it however you see fit.

Thats the basics, any problems just quote me and ill clarify them.

[Suretman]

Since we are on the topic of the falco phantasm, how do you shorten the phantasm? I know with fox you just keep tapping b, but this doesnt' seem to work with falco.

[FaTmAn2k20]

Yeah, all you have to do is press B twice. Chances are you're pressing the second B too soon, at least that's what I always used to do. You just have to mess with it a little bit.

[Cronos_Rainbow]

Some uses for Phantasm:
-As a spike.
-As defense from someone elses spike (get them instead...chances are they have to wait to be above or directly infront of you, so take them while they go there.)
-As a part of a aerial combo (if you're new to Falco this will come later...such as double shine to phantasm...it's not really used by anyone but myself but hey, it's a good move in this way).
-As a set up (Get them off the floor to juggle)
-As a counter attack (relatively fast, and has a fair range and speed, just don't end the phantasm in their range.)
-As a hanging recovery ( drop, second jump,and phantasm back onto the stage...if you can drop, wall jump and then phantasm for a change.)
-As a recovery (horizontal only....can lift a little though very small. It outdoes the firebird in horizontal recovery in many aspects ie. it spikes, doesn't charge.)
Try find more uses for it, they're there.

[Blind]

I have no doubt that most of you know that if you press B right after Falco begins his phantasm, you can cancel it and make him go a significantly reduced distance... does that actually have any use? Maybe you could use it right above the edge and trick someone to thinking you're going onto the stage and cancel it, grabbing the edge and coming aboard safely? :confused:

[CunningKitsune]

Just a note, HonorBound: That tactic also works with Fox's Fox Illusion (or Fox Phantasm, whatever).

I personally don't shorten the Illusion for Fox that much. As far as I know, it can be used as a sort of safeguard for unwanted Illusions (most often, those that come about after a technical error that causes you to begin an Illusion as opposed to a shine, such as after a shuffled sex kick that you want to follow with a waveshine, or occassionally after a shuffled Drill Kick that you are attempting to transition into a Drill Shine infinite or just a single Drill Shine repitition to something like an up-smash or grab). Some players try to train themselves to shorten the Illusion on instinct should they hear an unwanted Illusion verbal cue, such as in the situations above, but I suppose that that is mainly for Fox players. I suppose that it could also be used for mind games to a certain extent. But I don't know how far that extent extends. :p

[Cronos_Rainbow]

or Fox Phantasm, whatever
Don't worry, you got it right. Fox Illusion, Falco Phantasm.
Some players try to train themselves to shorten the Illusion on instinct should they hear an unwanted Illusion verbal cue
LoL, I think you meant aural cue...though I know when I do an unwanted illusion there's always a *f$^k* verbal cue!:bee:
I suppose that it could also be used for mind games to a certain extent. But I don't know how far that extent extends.
I know what you mean. The lag pretty much kills most potential for anything once it's cancelled. Only use I've ever had was shortening it once you've illusioned into a near opponent who tries to use their prediction of your stopping place as an advantage.
Maybe you could use it right above the edge and trick someone to thinking you're going onto the stage and cancel it, grabbing the edge and coming aboard safely?
Not a bad idea, just that at higher level play people tend to stand at the edge while you're recovering and attempt to hit you while you're in your illusion/phantasm. Cancel this at the edge and you're really only making yourself a sitting duck. :S