Ike's default specials underwent metagame progression despite the buffs from Ike's other specials.
tl;dr It overall helps Ike by a fair margin, but each special has its own learning curve compared to the developed originals.
Neutral B:
Eruption: After learning that eruption reaches the lowest and lasts the longest near the sword, it has gained incredible usage since it covers a wide range in addition to the 2-frames. The other eruptions just don't hit below as well as the default.
Tempest: The most recent balance patch reduced the end lag by a whopping 9 frames. It now aids Ike's recovery and gimping prowess by an incredible amount. However, there hasn't really been much testing and it's tough to say how much work you need to put in when eruption is already so absurdly powerful. Tempest may just have a tougher skill curve with a higher skill cap than Eruption, but that's just speculation. Tempest would be amazing if Eruption wasn't so cheese in the first place.
Furious eruption: It has more endlag than previously thought, and the range below it is pretty bad. You have to aim for the 2-frame vulnerability, but it helps that the lasting frames are absurdly long. It's also great at covering edge options after the opponent grabs it, but you are more prone to getting punished if you mess up, or even damaging yourself.
SideB:
Quick Draw: A few balance patches ago, all of Ike's sideBs received reduced startup. I thought that this would help close combat the most, but this really helps the default with escaping juggle traps, recovering, etc. The added distance from momentum is very helpful.
Close Combat: This used to be essential, but the shield stun changes already aided Ike's normals. As a landing trap, close combat is Ike's best option, but it's tough to capitalize off a hit confirm from close combat. That's why this special is very good, but relatively niche depending on your preferences. I ended up preferring quick draw's momentum allowing me to choose how I recover better, though close combat is much better against people jumping directly at you. You can also combo off of close combat sometimes after you immediately grab the edge.
UpB:
Going to be quick with this one. It's entirely up to preference. For most Ike players, the default is just a bit more comfortable to use for low recoveries. The third, aether wave's quickness can be helpful against people who try to spike or attack the aether due to stricter timing. The second, aether drive, is surprisingly tough to "steer" and achieve the position you want. Aether drive's sweetspot to the ledge can drastically change depending on if you are holding forward or back. It's also tricky to use below the stage on some maps. That's why the original is just a "comfortable" choice even though each has its own merits.
DownB:
Counter:
After counter was initially buffed from ~76 KBG to 100, it gained some much needed utility. I personally believe that it's surprisingly good against linear recoveries that are able to be countered. The FAF after the counter swing is also low.
Paralyzing counter:
High risk since it's so difficult to trigger, but insanely high reward with usmash punishes. I don't like the strict timing and it's not even as good as counter against offstage foes since you can barely reach them after the stun offstage.
Smash Counter:
This counter used to be trash, but it was continously buffed until it became a monster. With the change to shield stun, you aren't punished as hard if it's blocked. It's also seriously strong, capable of killing enemies at 40-50%, especially since the KBG was toned down in favor of BKB, which overall increased knockback at most %s. It's unusable offstage, which IMO is counter's greatest niche.
