This is just a little summary of tactics and uses for Falcon's B moves in Brawl. Overall I must say that I think they all have improved usefulness because some have been buffed and others just operate better thanks to the new physics system/speed of the game. If anyone would like to add something or disagree with my analysis feel free to; the purpose of this thread is to reveal some new options and move beahaviors that some people might not be aware of and discuss them. Hopefully after reading this you'll have some new ideas to work with and can improve your game.
I've been experimenting with Falcon Punch in 1v1 matches, and I've found that it can be a pretty effective option against approaching opponents. It takes the perfect timing to land on someone, but even if you're a little off chances are you'll scare them away into a retreat and then have time to do something else. The turnaround punch however doesn't seem that useful except in FFA matches. I would highly recommend trying out Falcon Punch in a 1v1 setting though, it can be a powerful suprise.
Falcon Kick is also more useful in Brawl than in Melee. While its second jump return is gone, it still is a very useful recovery move because a lot of the time in Brawl (especially on Final Destination) you are approaching the stage from above the edge, so your opponent usually jumps up to intercept you. I've found Falcon Kick to have nice priority in this situation and with the game being generally slower in Brawl, the landing lag is not nearly as deadly if you miss. On the ground Falcon Kick is a nice quick long-range option to deviate from riding Raptor Boost all day long on appraoches. It also has the added benefit of passing through your opponent's shield so that they cannot grab you like after a shielded Raptor Boost.
That's not to say that Raptor Boost is a bad move however. It's a great defense to approaching opponents and also has some value as an approach for yourself. Shorthopping into the aerial form is also useful at times and thanks to the new hit properties of it, you continue on past your opponent and out of harm's way. My personal favorite use of Raptor Boost however is as a recovery tool. Edgeguarders must beware of it because it has a really nice spike property and thanks to the aforementioned continuous momentum property, you can spike your opponent and then continue on to a safe landing. The only problem that you can run into with this tactic is that its priority is not dominant so you can run into trouble with sword users and other characters with long aerial reach. If only you could Falcon Dive out of it, it would also be a great edgeguarding option, but chances are that you'll just end up falling to your death if you try to use it as an edgeguard. I have had a couple times where I was high up above the edge and I was able to use it and then DI back onto the platform, but generally I would stay away from it as a defensive option.
Falcon Dive has really improved in Brawl, but it still has its weaknesses. Unfortunately, it sometimes gets stuck under the angled edge of Final Destination, which really sucks. However, it generally grabs on the edge even if Falcon is caught under the angle as long as you hold diagonally up and back (away from the edge). I've found that it's a lot better to perform the Dive earlier while still horizontally away a little distance from the edge rather than while right below it. If you use it when at about a 45 degree angle below the ledge, it grabs perfectly and doesn't leave you open for attack from a standing opponent. Anyways, away from that minor tangent, Falcon Dive is perfect for Brawl. Its distance is not much different, but with recovery being generally easier, I hardly ever find myself not being able to reach edges with it after being knocked off-screen. As an attack, it has pretty good hitback and once again grabs through counters and shields. The most improved feature it has I think is that Falcon is now able to grab onto edge-hanging opponents and spear them against the level (usually to their doom). This is a big buff for Falcon because now edgehogging is not a killer tactic against him. I've been playing Brawl since the 9th, and I'd say that I've killed edgehogging opponents probably five or six times. The oppourtunity doesn't come up that much, but it's a great plus for him when needed.
I've been experimenting with Falcon Punch in 1v1 matches, and I've found that it can be a pretty effective option against approaching opponents. It takes the perfect timing to land on someone, but even if you're a little off chances are you'll scare them away into a retreat and then have time to do something else. The turnaround punch however doesn't seem that useful except in FFA matches. I would highly recommend trying out Falcon Punch in a 1v1 setting though, it can be a powerful suprise.
Falcon Kick is also more useful in Brawl than in Melee. While its second jump return is gone, it still is a very useful recovery move because a lot of the time in Brawl (especially on Final Destination) you are approaching the stage from above the edge, so your opponent usually jumps up to intercept you. I've found Falcon Kick to have nice priority in this situation and with the game being generally slower in Brawl, the landing lag is not nearly as deadly if you miss. On the ground Falcon Kick is a nice quick long-range option to deviate from riding Raptor Boost all day long on appraoches. It also has the added benefit of passing through your opponent's shield so that they cannot grab you like after a shielded Raptor Boost.
That's not to say that Raptor Boost is a bad move however. It's a great defense to approaching opponents and also has some value as an approach for yourself. Shorthopping into the aerial form is also useful at times and thanks to the new hit properties of it, you continue on past your opponent and out of harm's way. My personal favorite use of Raptor Boost however is as a recovery tool. Edgeguarders must beware of it because it has a really nice spike property and thanks to the aforementioned continuous momentum property, you can spike your opponent and then continue on to a safe landing. The only problem that you can run into with this tactic is that its priority is not dominant so you can run into trouble with sword users and other characters with long aerial reach. If only you could Falcon Dive out of it, it would also be a great edgeguarding option, but chances are that you'll just end up falling to your death if you try to use it as an edgeguard. I have had a couple times where I was high up above the edge and I was able to use it and then DI back onto the platform, but generally I would stay away from it as a defensive option.
Falcon Dive has really improved in Brawl, but it still has its weaknesses. Unfortunately, it sometimes gets stuck under the angled edge of Final Destination, which really sucks. However, it generally grabs on the edge even if Falcon is caught under the angle as long as you hold diagonally up and back (away from the edge). I've found that it's a lot better to perform the Dive earlier while still horizontally away a little distance from the edge rather than while right below it. If you use it when at about a 45 degree angle below the ledge, it grabs perfectly and doesn't leave you open for attack from a standing opponent. Anyways, away from that minor tangent, Falcon Dive is perfect for Brawl. Its distance is not much different, but with recovery being generally easier, I hardly ever find myself not being able to reach edges with it after being knocked off-screen. As an attack, it has pretty good hitback and once again grabs through counters and shields. The most improved feature it has I think is that Falcon is now able to grab onto edge-hanging opponents and spear them against the level (usually to their doom). This is a big buff for Falcon because now edgehogging is not a killer tactic against him. I've been playing Brawl since the 9th, and I'd say that I've killed edgehogging opponents probably five or six times. The oppourtunity doesn't come up that much, but it's a great plus for him when needed.