The down air, then and now.

[alexmedkex]

Hi folks,

I am a pretty experienced PM player who is currently trying to figure out captain falcon in SSB4. One thing that is bugging me a lot is his down air, which I can't seem to utilize in the ways I am used to from PM. For example, the classic tech chase to down air to [something, optimally a knee or another dair] combo. I can't seem to ever hit the down air basically, even though I am reading the techs and all that. The game feels different and I'm not used to it yet, but it also seems like the hitbox has been nerfed? Furthermore, the dair seems to not knock up opponents as easily as before, and I can usually get punished because of the landing lag. I suppose it's only worth doing at much higher percentages now.

So, I'm wondering how people are adjusting to this? Do you guys who have had more time to play the game manage to still pull off these tech chases?

 

[Blazing Ambition]

The Down-air is best used as a meteor now, as there is no meteor cancelling in smash 4. Other than that, I'd refrain from using it. It's somewhat slow, has considerable endlag, and can be teched before your opponent bounces off of the ground. As for tech chases... I don't really tech chase too much with falcon. None of his throws set up for tech chases anymore, but you can use raptor boost and falcon kick to catch people out of rolls/spotdodges.

 

[alexmedkex]

That's too bad, since it was such a strong tool in melee/PM.

He really feels different in this game, even though his moveset is the same. When I try to do basic combos it never works, haha. The knee is also a lot harder to land now as well, because of the tighter sweetspot and overall hitstun nerf. I just haven't figured out when to aim for the knee really, instead of an upair or netrual air for example.

 

[link2702]

falcon's dair is still amazing at punishing rolls, sure it has a bit of end lag, but after like 20% damage(iirc) or higher, it pops them up in the air and you can still usually follow up with a uair.


dair isn't as useful as it was in melee, but its by no means strictly a meteor only tool.

 

[Trifroze]

It's best used as an edgeguard meteor, reading airdodges offstage and as a cross-up which has a lot of shieldstun and can be comboed into any of Falcon's aerials if unteched.

 

[Blazing Ambition]

I honestly feel like Down-air just isn't worth the risk. You can start combos with it ONLY if your opponent doesn't tech, and it's cross-up potential is mitigated by it's atrocious endlag and the game's low shieldstun. You may as well just punish rolls with grabs, as the dash grab covers a large distance, and down throw TRUE COMBOES into Up-air and the knee.

Perhaps if falcon was able to transfer his running momentum into jumps, his Down-air would have more utility...

 

[BigLord]

Honestly I use dAir all the time, even if it isn't THAT useful, just because it feels so good to land

And reading a ledge get-up-attack is always great! Full hop -> dAir -> fast-fall while attacking is good too.