Killing with Falco

[Vlade]

Falco is one of the best damage rackers in the game, but when it comes to killing the opponent things can get very difficult. Some opponents can just shield every attack you throw out at dangerous percents because they are expecting you to be going for the kill.

Against good players this can frustrating and really hold you back. Especially when they go defensive and punish your kill attempts. You then will find yourself in no longer a close match but one where your now behind and quickly getting damage added to your stock.

Even if players sit in their shield, if you just grab them what are you going to do? Falco only has one throw that can kill really and that is fthrow at around 200% I believe, which you can't really count on anyway.


I made this thread so that other falco players can come here and share their knowledge on killing, since it is in my opinion falco's biggest flaw as a character. I want all you falco players out there to contribute your setups for killing. Obviously a lot of these will be situational, but it is important to know them anyway in case those situations DO arise.

I'll start off with this:

I was talking to DEHF a while ago now and asked him about killing. He said that bthrow or fthrow are good uair/bair setups. Just pursue the opponent after the throw (they'll usually DI up) and uair, if they airdodge it then you should get a bair in after before they can do anything.


What kill setups do you YOU know about?

Contribute here

 

[kismet2]

You can throw out random Usmashes...they work sometimes. >_>

The higher their percentage the more options for killing you have. If you're opponent is in killing percents and you're in the lead, you might as well just sit there. Grabbing someone in killing range isn't all that bad because if you throw them off the stage or in any direction it sets up into an Uair, Laser>Usmash, etc. If someone is in the air and they're about to land you can use the phantasm to put them back into the air.

Imo, I don't think a person should be worry about killing because they may get bloodthirsty. And if you don't know how to kill the other player, then play them in a few friendlies or something so you know what works and what doesn't.

 

[BluB]

Dacus is a really good killing move. People don't always expect the up smash after the dash attack and try to shieldgrab but then the up smash hits them.
A perfectly spaced bair is also a nice killing move at higher percents. If your opponent is at about 130%+ he will most likely try to shield. So basically you run to your opponent and do a turn around short hop and wait, just before you hit the ground do a bair while moving away from your opponent. If the bair doesn't hit because he doesn't release his shield you could follow up directly with a Dacus. This might really reduce his shield.
Situnational:
At higher % down throw your opponent, if he doesn't DI fastly shdl, if both lasers hit you can follow up with an up smash.
If your opponent comes from the air and air dodges before touching the ground you get a free f smash.
As DEHF already said, if you b throw you can double jump and follow up with an uair if your opponent jumpes after the throw.
Phantasm to uair sometimes also works.
Sry for my english, I'm from germany :b

 

[Gmoney_]

For me Dthrow works as a setup for Fsmash some times. Most of the time when someone is at high percentage, he will most likely AD close to the ground. Just grab ur opponent, Dthwo him and dash (only fisrt part of dash). If ur opponents DIs up/towards u and ADs, do a Fsmash.
What also works nice is side B. It will pop ur opponent in the air and you can proceed with either Uair or Bair.

 

[GunmasterLombardi]

Keep people in the air as long as possible. You'll get better killing chances than on the ground.

 

[BleachigoZX]

I do what DEHF does, I get really impatient though.

 

[Denzi]

I like to shield pressure if I dash attack into a shield by charging the Usmash. Sometimes it'll get you a kill.

 

[Conspiricy]

bthrow>bair.

 

[Yumewomiteru]

Against people who sidestep alot you can do running reverse upsmash, plus its not seen much so you have the surprise factor too.

 

[Vlade]

I've gotten some usmash OOS kills lately.

Here's one example that DEHF said about using it OOS:

During Snake's ftilt. If you shield the first hit, apparently you can usmash OOS before the second one connects.

Tourney today, I'll focus on not being impatient when it's time to kill. Thanks for all the tips so far guys

Keep them rolling

 

[thexsunrosered]

I've honestly found that against characters with really good spacers (DKs Bair, GW Bair/Fair, Sheik Bair, etc) that DACUS OoS is really effective. It actually surprised me the first time I did it because it came out so fast.

 

[Enochuout]

I get most of my kills off the top with u-air. IAP pops opponents up, and Falco can follow quick as ****. Falco's u-air has a huge (maybe even disjointed) hitbox, so on your way up, throw it out. If they airdodge the u-air, you can often fast fall a second one and catch them as they come of the the dodge.

 

[J4pu]

i recall either sk92 or DEHF a while ago saying if they AD your Uair it's a guaranteed hit for you afterwards, but iono if it's true or not.

Also I'm pretty sure this only takes into account when your flight direction/speed matches theirs, cuz it sure as hell isnt guaranteed if they AD down through it as you're going upwards.

 

[Emperor Time]

Ftilt 'till you can't no mo'.

 

[Jon?]

i recall either sk92 or DEHF a while ago saying if they AD your Uair it's a guaranteed hit for you afterwards, but iono if it's true or not.

Also I'm pretty sure this only takes into account when your flight direction/speed matches theirs, cuz it sure as hell isnt guaranteed if they AD down through it as you're going upwards.

If you double jump up to try to hit them with an Uair and they AD, it's a free Bair or Dair spike.

 

[stealth3654]

If your opponent is still in the early 100s (before they get to around 140% and over), I like to down throw. If the opponent DIs away and air dodges, you can land a DACUS for the kill. This kills a little earlier than an uncharged up smash since you are charging your up smash as you slide towards you opponent.

 

[El Blue]

you can gimp people with jabs, just stay by the edge and wait for the oportunity to use the jab and not letting them grab eedge, leaving them in a awful position where you just grab the edge and do whatever you want... my english is bad i know but my falco is good

 

[Vlade]

After the tourney yesterday I feel that as long as you don't get impatient with killing you should be okay in terms of keeping the lead and whatnot

The only kill moves you can really throw out safely (in most circumstances) are bair and uair

Reading airdodges with charged fsmashes are pretty sexy too

 

[King Funk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1T4hWcEsh8&#t=4m03s

The difficulty of killing with Falco (especially Snake) + nervousness = me losing a tourney

But yeah, I think that in order to kill, we must never force it and let the opportunity come.

 

[Vlade]

Oh god snake is so hard to kill with his insane weight

But yeah you threw out too many unsafe kill moves which got you continually punished there, and snake punishes very hard XD

 

[teluoborg]

Why try to go for an early kill ?
You guys main Falco, just keep camping until 170-200% then kill with a utilt.

 

[#HBC | ZoZo]

Main killing moves are probably
Fsmash for airdodge predict
Dash attack (I try not to unstale this from 150% onwards, lol)
Utilt
Usmash

 

[King Funk]

Oh god snake is so hard to kill with his insane weight

But yeah you threw out too many unsafe kill moves which got you continually punished there, and snake punishes very hard XD

I was horribly nervous, and there was so much heat I barely couldn't breathe. I thought it was over so I threw random **** thinking "well at least one of these things are going to hit him", and then when nothing I did worked, I kinda freaked out. >_>

I am NOT losing my next tourney though. There are like 20-30 people here, it should be possible really. ^^

 

[swordsaint]

I like forcing my opponent over to the ledge for charged smashes and bairs when they recover from the ledge.
If they airdodge to the stage, fsmash.
Ledge grab. Wait, if they jump bair. Roll/getup, fsmash.
Getup attack. Any sort of punish you think you can make, to put them offstage again.

I sometimes do the fsmash backwards as well. Hit them with the backwards hitbox, and move myself (and them on shield) away slightly, can sometimes knock them on to the edge near the edge. And really I just try a lot like that.

I agree with most of the others though. No need to force Falco's kills. Just wait until you think you have a chance. Obviously you CAN mix it up by throwing out random shiz, and charging smashes and it can be safe sometimes depending on the character and where you are on the stage.

 

[gopobox]

^ MY TEACHER!!!!!!! ^^

sh dair while opponent is on ground which pops them up, is a good set up for the uair or if they airdodge bair. nair to usmash works alright sometimes and shl to usmash good as always ^^. For some reason i kill will dsmash quite often o_O

 

[Vlade]

I don't think laser > usmash is guaranteed unless you can pin the opponent in the air with SHDL and then usmash. I'm fairly certain they can't get an airdodge out if you do this.

 

[xYz]

just play sexy... thats why im soo good.

 

[gopobox]

I don't think laser > usmash is guaranteed unless you can pin the opponent in the air with SHDL and then usmash. I'm fairly certain they can't get an airdodge out if you do this.

They can shield the laser to usmash if they are grounded because laser gives +3 frames and usmash takes 8 frames to hit.

 

[Alphicans]

When trying to kill snake I just play keep away with ftilt, jabs. and lasers and wait for that opening. Usually snakes will panic and DACUS at the wrong time, any smash at that point will kill them. Or you can do that old bair shield pressure BS that like never works.

 

[dainbramage]

They can shield the laser to usmash if they are grounded because laser gives +3 frames and usmash takes 8 frames to hit.

It's +3 frames on shield. Significantly more on hit.

 

[#HBC | ZoZo]

not enough for an usmash

 

[M@v]

DACUS never works on competent people anymore. Everyone expects it.

My favorite kill moves in order:
-Bair: Self explanatory. Great for many situations
-Upsmash OoS: Seriously. This is amazing for anyone who likes to be aggressive. Regular upsmash is good to punish whiffs made by your opponent near you.
-Dsmash: Mind game them on the ledge to get hit by this. Generally your close enough to the side of the stage for a decent percent kill.
Fsmash:I dont use this much, because its so hard to land. I have to learn the sk92 mindgames

 

[Bloodcross]

Why try to go for an early kill ?
You guys main Falco, just keep camping until 170-200% then kill with a utilt.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[swordsaint]

M@V, that down smash one you mentioned. I never truly realised down smashes potential until recently, and you're right, it's a good mix up on the ledge, and I managed to kill a local Marth player (Shaya) with it.

 

[Tin Man]

Not to sure if it has been said but here is my 2 cents

• Gatling Combo
• inclomplete Nair to u smash
• laser to u smash or boost smash if the are far away
• mind game F smash (like charging it a bit or something like that, can be thrown out earlier then falco's average expected killing %s

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Lots of people airdodge to the ground. Use this to charge F-smashes when you are near the ledge. It works and you can get a lot of kills..i do it alot. Also, you can watch for AD and spike people with mediocre recoveries for kills, or even people with great recoveries at mid/high % (I killed seibrik at like 70 from spiking him about where the platform is, it was pretty cool)

 

[#HBC | ZoZo]

Lots of people airdodge to the ground. Use this to charge F-smashes when you are near the ledge. It works and you can get a lot of kills..i do it alot. Also, you can watch for AD and spike people with mediocre recoveries for kills, or even people with great recoveries at mid/high % (I killed seibrik at like 70 from spiking him about where the platform is, it was pretty cool)

Using fsmash to predict an airdodge is SK92 COMBOW!

Lol

 

[[FBC] ESAM]

Dude, thats basic punishemnt >_>

 

[#HBC | ZoZo]

Dude, thats basic punishemnt >_>

My post was sarcasm, especially cause you were all happy about your post, even if you later admit it's basic punishment

 

[Vlade]

Yeah this works often:

Dair a grounded opponent high enough % to pop them up at the right height, then charge a fsmash. They often airdodge and take the hit

Simple stuff