Help the rookie Falco! (Videos Included!)

[Yojimbo]

So I know I'm no where near where I need to be with my Falco, so I'm going to seek expert advice. This is a match between my roommate and myself, whom just picked up Kirby a few days ago. Still, I want you guys to critique this match as best as possible. I'll try and get better matches up once my roommates are back from class.

Also, I'd appreciate it if it was all constructive. Please no "lawl u suck GTFO of my smashbros." But I don't expect that from the Falco boards. We share the bread 'round here.

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Yoji (Falco) vs LoKi (Kirby) Friendlies

 

[J4pu]

Extremeley grabby, too predicatble and not even that useful against kirby. You also got predictable with the Dthrow > SH Dair when you couldn't grab again, he air-dodged it every time. Try switching that part up at least, throw in a boost smash, a dash and Utilt since he air dodges all the time the second hit will catch him and if he doesn't air dodge but uses a slow attack you might get the first hit off (and the 2nd) before he hits you, Nair is always good for outlasting air-dodge invincibility frames.

oh and of course, lawl u suck GTFO of my smashbros

 

[ixdnL]

A little before I was halfway through, the video began speeding up and slowing down, causing the sound and picture to desync.

From what little I saw, work on your SHDL so the second laser hits Kirby on the ground. Working in some SHLs can't hurt either.

Keep your options open after your Dthrow. Don't just Dair. J4pu goes into this.

There isn't much I can critique from the length of video I watched. Work on the lasers.

 

[ftl]

From a technical standpoint - your shdl wasn't that great, most of those second lasers were too high. The second laser should be able to shut down ground approaches and maybe set you up for something. Learn to boost smash; you didn't use it at all (and it makes for a good followup to a shdl!).

From a more gameplay perspective, falco's got a lot of options, even without the techical stuff, many of which you never used. I'm not sure I saw you connect with any bairs at all, bair is a fine killing move at some of the percents that you let the kirby get to and probably easier to connect with than a dsmash.

 

[Shy Guy 86]

I'm no expert falco player, but I can't do SHDL Perfectly and just knew how to do the silent laser, try making your dash attacks into DAC Up-Smashes, Don't use F-Smash too much, its only for Killing(or Punishing if at high percent) use mindgames, and try to mix up your lasers, but work on them first

 

[Yojimbo]

Awesome advice, guys. J4pu, I switched up my throws a bit in the last few sets I played and wow, I'm amazed at how useful the nair is rising and falling sometimes. It is more effect out of a down throw at high percentages against Kirby. Also, I didn't go grab happy this time around. Didn't get a chance to record them though.

I can do the Gatling Combo (DAC Upsmash), it just slips my mind to do it sometimes. Something else I need to work on.

Still working on the SHDL. In training mode it's easy to do. I just need to work on putting it in my game.

I don't know how to boost smash, as far as I know. I'll look in to it. Thanks for the information guys, I'll try and get another match posted soon.

 

[mongoosedog927]

Hey, first off I'd like to say that your falco is coming along quite well great job. Along with the SHDLs not being low enough, I noticed that you were using aerial phantasms only for recovery purposes. I think that they should be used more often. The objective of an aerial phantasm is creating space between you and your opponent followed up by peppering him with lasers.

I noticed a lack of tilts especially forward and up tilts. Falco's Ftilt and Utilt are both great for spacing, have relative priority, and are great to combo off of. I liked the use of Dair (Most falcos know when and when not to Dair). (More aerials in general would be great too). I too agree that the grabs were somewhat predictable and I didn't see too many chained together (Kirby is one of harder characters to succesfully cg though) either. I can't critique too much more cause Kirby isn't one of those opponents that I can't base a definative opinion on the details of your strategy so just a filler on the basics will have to do for now =). I like your falco and I can't wait till you post another video for us to critique keep up the great work =D.

 

[iLink]

Just a few pointers (I only second falco so I might not sound like I know what I'm saying)

Don't dair after a dthrow at high percents, doesn't work

Set up grabs if you tend to use them a lot

Example: Fast fall a nair and grab/ dtilt and grab/ jab and grab

The dtilt one only tends to work at low percents

After you dthrow and then dair, try to jab once then grab again. Works better if you fast fall the dair


Try to get the timing down with the DAC as it works well out of a dthrow at mid-high percents.

When you shdl, start firing the first laser at the peak of the jump.

Use more tilts

 

[TheKneeOfJustice]

Your game play is overall rather shallow. You have to mix your follow-ups around better. Any high level player would have just dismantled you after observing you for a minute. As good as forward smash is, try spamming it less. It's hard to land, and extremely punishable. Work on your laser game, other grab options, and the biggest one for me was your spacing.

 

[Yojimbo]

I should have more videos up by tonight. At the school library right now, but I do appreciate all of this advice. I guess it's true about the local tournament scene; you're never really that good at all. =P I worked on my lasers a bit last night, and figured out how to do the reverse laser. Albeit I have to work on throwing it in my game.

The boost smash confuses me. It seems almost a lot like a gatling combo, but I don't get much distance from it. I've read Wario, Falco, and Snake get a lot of distance from it. I could be doing it wrong... Down on the C stick while dashing to up on the analog stick and Z at the same time? It'll throw me into a chargable upsmash, I just don't get much distance from it. If it got more, I could see it being a great follow up from a dthrow just like the dair or rising nair (which I'm growing to love!)

I guess my biggest problem is predictability because my friend's rarely punish me for it drastically. I need to vary up my approaches, grab less, and work on my spacing and lasers right now. Brutal but awesome critiques guys, seems like I have a lot to work on. More videos to come after I put some of this stuff to practice.

 

[TheKneeOfJustice]

If your friends don't punish, and you want to get better, you need to bring in better players to your group.

 

[Yojimbo]

If your friends don't punish, and you want to get better, you need to bring in better players to your group.

Easier said than done. We have a moderate local tournament scene around my college which I've become heavily involved in. The players I usually play live with me, and they aren't as experienced as a few of us in the group (who aren't even on a pro level.) I practice with who I can, but other than that, I don't have much else to go on. I'm in the middle of no where.

 

[iDizZzY]

Just a few pointers (I only second falco so I might not sound like I know what I'm saying)

Don't dair after a dthrow at high percents, doesn't work

Set up grabs if you tend to use them a lot

Example: Fast fall a nair and grab/ dtilt and grab/ jab and grab

The dtilt one only tends to work at low percents

After you dthrow and then dair, try to jab once then grab again. Works better if you fast fall the dair


Try to get the timing down with the DAC as it works well out of a dthrow at mid-high percents.

When you shdl, start firing the first laser at the peak of the jump.

Use more tilts

I usually get a good combo off of a Dair out of a Dthrow...