Vlade
Social Outcast
As most of you are already aware, Falco's techchase game is fantastic, and one of the best in the game (some may disagree with that statement, but that's my opinion). This is a little refresher for the experienced falco players and people who are starting to learn falco can probably get a lot out of this.
Setting Up a Techchase
I know of one guaranteed techchase set-up that falco has up his sleeve: CG > dair into the stage. Obviously, dair at any % against an airborne opponent is going to set up a techchase as well. Most of the time your opponent will not tech a direct spike into the ground because that requires very good reflexes/prediction. It is still possible to punish a tech but it just requires quicker thinking and movement.
Punishing a Missed Tech
Remember that this is if they don't tech the dair. If your opponent misses the tech, they have 4 options. They can get-up, get-up attack, roll to the left or roll to the right. Of course, some characters like G&W have very slow rolls, so if you predict a get-up attack and then see that they roll, it should be possible to punish anyway.
I will go through the best ways to punish each option that your opponent has.
Obviously if your opponent is near the edge their options become more limited.
Predicting Your Opponent's Response to Dthrow after CG %
After your opponent is at 45%, you cannot get a guarantee follow-up after a dthrow. The options your opponent has to avoid aerial follow-ups include airdodging, DI (+airdodge), jumping, using aerials or simply falling and not doing anything. After a dthrow, you should dash cancel a shield.
I will go through the best methods on punishing your opponents' responses after dthrow > dash cancelled shield:
Hope this post was somewhat useful to you.
Setting Up a Techchase
I know of one guaranteed techchase set-up that falco has up his sleeve: CG > dair into the stage. Obviously, dair at any % against an airborne opponent is going to set up a techchase as well. Most of the time your opponent will not tech a direct spike into the ground because that requires very good reflexes/prediction. It is still possible to punish a tech but it just requires quicker thinking and movement.
Punishing a Missed Tech
Remember that this is if they don't tech the dair. If your opponent misses the tech, they have 4 options. They can get-up, get-up attack, roll to the left or roll to the right. Of course, some characters like G&W have very slow rolls, so if you predict a get-up attack and then see that they roll, it should be possible to punish anyway.
I will go through the best ways to punish each option that your opponent has.
- Get-up: SH Dair which launches them off the ground + possibly another dair to set up another techchase depending on %. Grab is also very viable.
- Get-up Attack: SH Dair - it should avoid the hitbox (this can again be followed up by another dair depending on %). Of course, shieldgrabbing is another good option, although some get-up attacks push you away out of grabbing range (e.g. Captain Falcon iirc). In this situation you'll have to wait just out of range from the get-up attack hitbox and then quickly grab them before your opponent has a chance to do anything.
- Rolling: I like to follow the roll by walking and then hitting with a dsmash (particularly after the CG > dair since most opponents will roll away from the edge if they're near it). Again, the SH Dair + possible SH Dair works and so does grabbing. Fsmash is also really good if they're at kill % - just make sure you space it correctly. If you incorrectly predict a roll and you walk the wrong way, just phantasm so long as you don't SD.
Obviously if your opponent is near the edge their options become more limited.
Predicting Your Opponent's Response to Dthrow after CG %
After your opponent is at 45%, you cannot get a guarantee follow-up after a dthrow. The options your opponent has to avoid aerial follow-ups include airdodging, DI (+airdodge), jumping, using aerials or simply falling and not doing anything. After a dthrow, you should dash cancel a shield.
I will go through the best methods on punishing your opponents' responses after dthrow > dash cancelled shield:
- Airdodge without DI: Shieldgrab. It's too good.
- DI towards falco (+ airdodge): If you don't move, you can just grab on the spot. But if you dash cancel a shield, then you'll probably want to turn around and grab or FF a shorthoped bair OoS.
- DI Away (+ airdodge): If you know they're going to DI away in the first place, then jab > laserlock! Of course, if you have dash cancelled a shield then SHL or IAP are probably your best options, unless you have time to do a dash attack.
- Jumping: Jump OoS and follow-up from there. Or wait for him to fall down and punish.
- Aerial: Your shield will take the aerial, and then you can follow-up from there.
- Falling Without Doing Anything: Pretty much anything including grabs, jabs, ftilts etc.
Hope this post was somewhat useful to you.
I'm not sure if it's considered techchasing, but it's definitely a good 'mindgame' (ugh, hate using that term). You just have to watch if they DI back towards you, which means you can't grab unless you turnaround or stay in the same position as when you dthrowed.