Thunderhorse+
Smash Ace
Falco+
A Comprehensive Guide
------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents
* Updates
* Comprehensive Falco+ Change List
* Videos
* Moves
* Tips and Strategies
------------------------------------------------------
Updates:
The next update will finish explaining new tactics surrounding Falco's 'Melee style' lasers. In addition, the tactics section will be started. I may also spice up the guide, reformatting it and perhaps adding some pictures.
10/09/2009: Multiple tiny changes have occurred since the last update, I simply forgot to mention them here. Anyway, here's a nice update!
•Added comprehensive change list, both technical and Layman's descriptions.
•Updated many of the 'TBP' (to be posted topics). For example, many of the moves have been finished.
05/05/2009: Worked on Moves section, still quite a bit to be done...
04/22/2009: Began the reformatting process! It's about time!
Comprehensive Falco+ Change List
This section covers every change Falco has endured from vBrawl to Brawl+
Falco (Technical Change List)
Physics: [GET INFORMATION]
-Jump/Grav Values: New: 133AC4E0; Old: 1326AC80
* Down B:
- BKB 35 -> 80, Angle 20 -> 120
- Speed tweaked: Startup slower, sped up after hitbox (0.500x Frame 1; 1.000x Frame 4; 1.500x Frame 7)
- Hitlag Multiplier: 0.50x -> 1.00x
- SDI Capacity Multiplier: 0.00x -> 1.00x
- Hitstun added to allow for combos (Special offensive flags changed from 204FFFC3 -> 004FFFC3)
* Rapid Jabs:
- Hitlag Multiplier: 1.00x -> 1.30x
* Neutral B
- Damage 3% -> 2%
* Up Tilt
- IASA Frame 22 (for jump only)
* F-Smash
- (Hitbox A) Hitlag Multiplier: 0.70x -> 0.90x
- (Hitbox B) Hitlag Multiplier: 0.30x -> 0.60x
- (Hitbox B) SDI Capacity Multiplier: 0.30x -> 1.00x
* F-Air:
- (Hitbox A) Hitlag Multiplier: 0.70x -> 0.90x
- (Hitbox B) SDI Capacity Multiplier: 0.00x -> 0.80x
* Neutral-B:
- Can now only perform 1 laser in the air in a Short Hop
- Can now fastfall during the laser animation after the peak of a jump has been reached
* Up-B:
- (Linking Hits) SDI Capacity Multiplier: 1.50x -> 0.80x
Falco (Layman's Change List)
Physics:
Falco's physics have been tightly optimized to fit his style of play. Playing him in in Brawl+ as opposed to vBrawl is like night and day. It feels so much smoother and responsive now that it's amazing! He reaches the apex of his jump much more quickly, he's very nimble, has a very swift fast fall. His short hop has been tweaked, changing his laser game (I'll explain that later in this section). He's pretty much a speed demon now, namely in the air.
Down+B (Shine):
The Shine now comes out slower than before, but ends much more quickly, to facilitate comboing. Upon hitting the enemy, it will pull them skyward and toward you. This is excellent in that it sets up for combos, and finishers, generally Bairs. The change adds depth depth to Falco, and makes him a ton more interesting to play. It still reflects projectiles as it always has, no changes there.
Rapid Jabs:
Tweaked hit-lag will now allow the enemy to more easily SDI out of the attack.
Neutral B (Lasers):
Damage reduced from 3% damage to 2% damage per hit. This was done because Falco's lasers are really spammy, and needed to be toned down slightly.
Can now only perform a single laser in a short hop. This eliminates Falco's ability to Short-Hop Double Laser (SHDL). This may sound terrible to those of you who main Falco in vBrawl and haven't tried Brawl+ yet. Rest assured, he has some new tricks up his sleeve, and these are even better than the old ones!
Falco can now perform "melee style" lasers; i.e., Short-Hopped fast-falled single lasers (SHFFL, also referred to as SHSL). Basically, after a short hop, once nearing the apex of your jump, you can fire the laser off, and at the same time smash the directional stick DOWN. This allows you to fast-fall the special (laser), canceling it if you shot it before touching the ground. With this technique you'll shoot just as fast as before (if not faster), but you'll only be shooting one laser at a time. In addition, this technique takes considerably more skill to master than SHDL.
The reason Falco's SHDL was removed is that it far too effectively one-sided too many matchups. He could more than easily wall the likes of bigger, taller characters such as Ganon, Bowser, DDD, etc. At the same time, on the flip side, his lasers didn't bode well against shorter characters, as it was harder to hit them, namely because SHDL was almost always better, and easier to execute than SHSL. His SHDL lasers were essentially quite polar, making him too good in certain matchups, and proving nearly useless in others. His newly implemented SHFFL not only aids the big guys, but it also helps Falco against shorties.
You'll also find that you have far more control with the SHSL, that you can now far more effectively approach with it. It's very quick, more than excellent at halting your opponent's approaches. It's very affective at retreating safely, giving you an 'in' to explout if the enemy tries to follow you. For example, if the enemy dashes towards you, and you dash away from them, jump, and perform a SHSL back at them, you'll halt their approach, and attack, and if they are close enough you can follow up.
Up Tilt:
Can now cancel the endlag of the attack by jumping on frame 22, basically just jump after you perform the Utilt, the timing isn't too strict. This adds a ton of utility to Falco's Utilt as it can now effectively combo. A great follow up upon canceling is a Uair, or Bair.
F-Smash:
Hit-lag tweaked to allow for better SDIing (Can get out easier).
F-Air:
Hit-lag tweaked to allow for better SDIing (Can get out easier).
Up-B
I may need to correct this, but as far as I know his up-B (FireBird) now links better upon hitting the enemy. In addition, it's slightly more difficult to get out of. This is good, in that it makes a crappy move a slight bit less crappy, but only marginally so.
Videos:
Please Submit your Falco+ RC1 Videos in the thread and I'll post them here! PM me if I fail to post them here!
Orca (Falco) vs Alcy1 (Peach) Match 1 of 2 Close match, a few mistakes can cost big! Good example of Fair uses!
Orca (Falco) vs Alcy1 (Peach) Match 2 of 2 This is what Falco+ is all about! Check it out! Good example of Fair uses!
Moves:
------------------------------------------------------
Aerials
------------------------------------------------------
Up Air:
Great for comboing. Uair, to fast fall to Uair again can be an effective chain on some characters, depending upon the enemy's DI of course. It's also a pretty good kill move, however, you just have to make sure to land with the correct part of the move. The flub hits are garbage, and provide little to no knockback. It's most effective when hitting with the tip of the feet. Once landed correctly, only then can it be killer. The flub hits actually help quite a bit in the combo-ability of the move.
Forward Air:
This move is actually REALLY good! It's funny, because I haven't seen many Falcos use it consistently. It can combo, if DI and hitstun will allow, and here's how to do it:
Use rising Fairs (Fair after you jump) to counter an airborne foe! If the enemy has jumped, and is otherwise above you in the air, meet them in the air with a rising Fair. Make sure to DI with them, keeping them in it. The DI of this move is very interesting in that you can DI away from them, if need be, and slow your forward momentum. Fast fall once you've disengaged the enemy, and try to catch them in a rising Fair again! It can combo, depending on enemy DI of course. Fair is a great counter to characters who spend a TON of time in the air. For example, Peach players will often float too high for short hopped attacks, and well above SHFFL range. You could jump and Nair them... however, Fair may in fact be a MUCH better option, as it is fast, and offers more DIable control than you'd expect. It's a GREAT way to counter their floating!
Another good aspect of Fair is that it can "pull" the enemy to the ground with you. If you can trap them inside of this in the air, and DI with them, you can effectively bring them to the ground. That can be useful especially if the move has ended before touching the ground. Generally you should never use this move close to the ground as the end lag is VERY punishable.
Down Air:
Falco's Dair is amazingly powerful. It, along side Nair, are Falco's best aerial approach options, switch them up! Not only is it a great tech chasing move, but when sweet-spotted (done while touching the enemy) it acts as a powerful spike! Another great property of his dair is that you can dribble the enemy with it! If you dair the enemy just before they touch the ground, they'll hit the ground and bounce back up, as such, you can dair them again, and again, DI depending of course.
You'll find that Falco's dair is one of his prime finishing moves. Try to combo into this move, especially when over the edge, as I've said, it's a great finisher. Some setups for the spike, DI depending, are down tilts, down throws, and down airs near the edge. A down air on an opponent who is standing will pop them up, whilst in hitstun, you can take advantage of the dribble and dair them again as they soar over nothing, spiking them to their death.
Back Air:
Falco's bair is very useful, and can be used to "carry" the enemy to the edge, setting them up for a spike! Don't use this move simply as it implies, when your back is to the enemy. Use it even if you're facing the enemy! You'll do less damage, and less knockback, however, it's still one of your most useful aerial options at any given time. Because of the decreased knockback of frontal bair hits, you can chase the enemy as they won't be thrown as far and you can hit them with more bairs. This can set up for a spike! Practice your use of Falco's bair! It's a very powerful tool! Remember to fast fall, as this helps you to follow up with another bair more quickly!
Neutral Air:
Falco's neutral air is likely one of his best approach moves of his aerial arsenal! It's a great pressuring move as there are multiple hitboxes for this attack, so it's not so easily spot dodged, or avoided. It also aids his combo game, in combination with fast falls, and utilts. Another great aspect of this move is that it works as a GTFO (get the f*** off me) move. If the enemy is in your face, short hopped neutral airs will keep them at bay! This move, along with Falco's other aerials has pretty great priority, and as I've said, this one is difficult to avoid. As such, spamming it can be quit useful, as it makes it really difficult for the enemy to get through.
------------------------------------------------------
Smash Attacks
------------------------------------------------------
Up Smash:
Falco's usmash is an effective move (and at higher percents it's a kill move), however, it can prove difficult to land. One of the best ways to lead into the usmash are in the form of DACUSing (Dash Attack Cancelled Up Smashing).
To learn how to DACUS check out the following video. The video showcases Link's DACUS, however many characters can use this technique, Falco happens to gain quite a bit from it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5a-3KyoX4U
This move can lead into combos, though generally Utilt will be a better combo starting option. After doing a Usmash, attempt a Utilt, then chase with Bairs, or Nairs.
A good way to land a gattling combo (a combo whereby the dash attack connects with the enemy, canceling into an immediate Usmash) is to execute the technique out of a down throw. It's a good grab-game mix up.
Down Smash:
This move can be pretty effective, but you have to land it. It has pretty crappy range, you have to be quite close to the enemy. A few ways to lead into it is after a Dair spike onto the stage, or potentially after a jab. It's also effective if you can read the enemies teching. For example, if they roll towards you Dsmash works well to punish them if timed correctly.
Forward Smash:
His Forward smash is great! It has excellent range, can be stutter-stepped for more range. It can hit enemies off of the ledge, as such, it can be useful for edge-guarding. It also has a hitbox nearer the back of Falco, slightly above him, which is nice when the enemy messes up their spacing and his too close to you. They'll feel the pain even if they weren't directly in front of you.
This move can be a great finisher, you've just got to land it. It comes out pretty fast, but not so fast that it's easy to land. It can be effective when used as a surprise out of Dash Dance (DDing). It's also good to use this move after a SHSL approach.
------------------------------------------------------
Tilts
------------------------------------------------------
Up Tilt: Falco's Utilt is very important to him, it's the basis of many of his combos. A utilt can sometimes be comboed into itself once or twice, and can then lead into Usmashes, Uairs, Bairs. One of the safest options is Utilt -> Bair. All in all, the Utilt comes out quite quickly and works well get the enemy off of you.
Down Tilt: Is great, it can be a bit slow, but when landed it can be quite effective. It knocks the enemy up, and away from you at an angle. Depending on the character and DI one can Dtilt into a Bair, or a finisher such as Dair. A good set-up for landing the Dtilt is jab -> dtilt-- it can surprise the enemy.
Forward Tilt: Falco's Ftilt is quite nice, it's good for spacing. It comes out fairly quickly, and can hit on of three angles; high, mid, and low. Due to the fact that it's quick, and has decent range, its makes for a good space-- especially when paired with the laser game. When spamming, if the enemy tries to advance you can stop them with a Ftilt.
------------------------------------------------------
Throws
------------------------------------------------------
Up Throw: TBP
Forward Throw: This throw isn't bad, it doesn't provide for any useful follow ups, but it does get the enemy AWAY, sometimes that's all you need. I generally use this near the edge, and spam lasers to keep the enemy from returning. Depending on the character, you can chase them off the stage and finish them.
Down Throw: Dthrow is single-handedly Falco's most important throw. It can lead into itself (DI depending), creating small chains, and can lead into a slow of other attacks. It does become difficult to follow up the Dthrow with an attack when the enemy's percent gets higher, as they can often times DI into the ground, or just far from Falco in general, but it's really good early percents. A few good follow ups to Dthrow are DACUSing, a regrab, dahs attack, gattling combo. I find that DACUSing is especially useful here, practice!
------------------------------------------------------
Specials
------------------------------------------------------
Fire Bird (Up+B): Very punishable! Try to avoid using this in combat, if you do use it, be intelligent and DO NOT spam it. It's sometimes a good switch up for horizontal recoveries (replacing the phantasm) in the event that the enemy is timing an attack such as a smash to counter the phantasm. It's safer in this scenario as it has a longer start up time and can throw off the enemy's timing as they expected a Phantasm, thus allowing you to sweet-spot the ledge. Along this same line of thought, if the enemy hogs the ledge, blocking your phantasm with their invincibility frames, you could instead use Firebird to surprise them, as its hitboxes are out longer and it's timed differently from the Phantasm-- as such you'll likely get them off the edge.
Phantasm (Side+B): Falco's recovery. Forget the firebird... you'll be using this 90% of the time to recover! It's quick, and can semi-spike the enemy if they're hit by it in the air (this makes it scary to guard off stage as they can potentially be spiked). Initiating the phantasm can be risky as their is some start up lag, and there is pleanty of landing lag. To reduce the landing lag jump and do the Phantasm as close to the ground as you can. It's slower when used on the ground. Another safe way to use it is to run off the stage, immediately after you stop touching the stage phantasm back to the stage, surprising your enemy with a very quick phantasm.
The Phantasm induces a good deal of hitstun, and if landed, especially at higher percents, can lead into a finishing blow (primarily Uair or Bair). When you hit the enemy when they are on the ground it pops them up skyward, granting you the required stun to land a finishing attack.
Shine (Down+B): An excellent combo starter/ punishing tool. Falco's shine has been reworked in Brawl+ to pull in the enemy upon hitting them. It pops them up, and sends them above you. The enemy can DI, making following up difficult, especially at higher percents, but it's an excellent shine nonetheless. It has a slower start up than Falco's original shine, though it has less end lag (to facilitate followups). Here are some great follow ups for Falco's o'so unique shine!
•Shine -> Bair (Which can then be followed up by another Bair, percent/DI depending). At higher percents, baiting the enemy into this set-up is devastating as landing that Bair can definately finish the match. This is one of Falco's better kill options; shining into a finishing Bair at high percents.
•Shine -> Utilt. This is noticeably more powerful at lower percents, as the enemy will be able to DI further and further past you as their percent increases-- thus making it harder to land a Utilt. However, it's still incredibly useful / powerful. At low to mid percents you can follow up the Utilt with another Utilt, and perhaps another, then you can chase with juggling Uairs, or Bairs. When I say "juggling" Uairs, I mean that after the Utilt you can Uair the enemy on your first hop (short or full hopped, depending what the scenario calls for) then follow up with a second Uair, or a Bair in stead with a second jump. It can be difficult to juggle the enemy like this, as it requires good reading of enemy DI and you have to be very quick.
•Shine -> Nair
•Shine -> Dair. Generally it's easy to land the spike, though again it depends on percents and DI. Spiking them into the stage lets you begin the tech chasing game. Nair is good for techchasing, as it has multiple hits, staying at for a while, and Dair can also be very effective at punishing techs-- so long as you can read where the enemy is going to roll to.
Lasers (Neutral B): Falco's lasers are the BACKBONE to his game. If you aren't constantly shooting his lasers than you aren't playing him right. Using his lasers effectively allows you to control a massive horizontal portion of the stage making it very difficult for the enemy to approach. Not only does it shut out enemy approaches, but lasers can be used as approaches themselves!
For those of you who really don't know anything about competitive play, and furthermore, nothing about Falco in a serious match, I have some incite for you... NEVER shoot his lasers while standing on the ground! The most efficient way of using his lasers is whilst short hopping, timing it so that the lasers fire off just before touching the ground. This method effectively removes all end lag upon landing. Where as if you shoot on the ground you have to deal with a ton of cooldown lag and the enemy can easy attack you.
There are multiple effective ways to use his lasers:
SHFFL (SHSL): TBP
B-Reversed SHFFL: TBP
------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Strategies:
TBP: To be posted
Notice: Please feel free to correct any information here if I make a mistake. In addition, feel free to post your combos, and set ups, and I will add them to the thread. I'd like input on the moves from other Falco mains, to that I get the best move descriptions down possible! Thanks!
goodoldganon : Thanks for the thread layout ideas, your great thread helped me get this one moving!