About the extent of PC dropping.

[Kariiya]

I want to discuss PC dropping and all of the possibilities associated with it that I've been thinking of recently. Basically what I've been thinking about is the fact that PC dropping is based on walking momentum, and this same momentum can be gained by wavedashing/wavelanding forward. For characters like Falco this means there is an alternative to B-reversing a laser to grab the ledge quickly while facing it. For characters without quick B-reversing it could mean new options. For instance Marth has a lot to gain from sprinting and wavedashing forward into a PC drop over walking instead. Fox, with the second fastest sprint, is much better off wavedashing/wavelanding into a PC drop than walking. But the real character I want to talk about is Captain Falcon, since his run speed is so fast, his walk speed is so terrible, and PC dropping feels nearly impossible normally. I've been attempting it on FD for about 15 minutes and it basically goes like this: Sprint to the other side, when you're near the edge wavedash forward since his wavedash doesn't go very far, and try to reverse. I've only succeeded twice so it may just be too tight of a window, but damn if it isn't the fastest way to grab the ledge from the other side of FD. And all of this being said, does it even add anything at all since technically characters can just land from a short-hop and establishing walking momentum right at the edge anyways. I also tried this with Captain Falcon, and it was easier than both PC dropping normally and also with the wavedash momentum, though it was still slightly slower than the latter due to the need to short hop. Discuss?

 

[Kadano]

The idea you are describing is commonly known as wavedash turn edgehog and most of the time the fastest way to grab ledge.

 

[Kariiya]

Yeah, I feel like the only character I ever see anyone doing it with is Marth though, and that's because it's really easy with him. Is that because it isn't really worth the time incorporating it, or has it just not been deeply explored?

 

[20YY SS | Saiblade]

PC Dropping isn't optimal, so people don't use it. WDing onto ledge is just better.

 

[Kadano]

Yeah, I feel like the only character I ever see anyone doing it with is Marth though, and that's because it's really easy with him. Is that because it isn't really worth the time incorporating it, or has it just not been deeply explored?

It’s been explored enough, see this post on Sheik for example: http://smashboards.com/posts/17171803 (especially the gfycats linked within)

 

[GenNyan]

WDing onto ledge is just better.

I've actually seen PP forego tech entirely and just shorthop backwards and fastfall to the ledge. He did it as falco during his set in grand finals at SKTAR 3 for example.

The first obvious one is at at 2:30, linked below, and he does it like 4 times in a row starting at 3:20 ish.
https://youtu.be/NnQm3ThN6eg?t=2m30s

He might be doing it simply because he can be more consistent with it than with WD back, but he uses WD with Marth, so it seems unlikely. Any alternate explanations?