Rate my Falco if you will. I'm fighting for my bread.

[Black Dragon]

Been meaning to do this for sometime now. I've finally been able to upload some videos to youtube and would like to get some expert opinions on my playing style. Feel free to critique(sp?).

I main Falco, but dabble in 5 other mains as well as you can tell from my other Vids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3O5loR-uUc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdk1cV8PLbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiPgrTVo-YE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGrpiNG0cg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_D7H1e6ncc

 

[ixdnL]

Don't use grounded lasers so much..or at all. Don't F-smash or Fair too much either.

 

[LikeTheWhirlwind]

Every spot you used a ground laser at, a SHL or SHDL would have left you much less vulnerable. Use bair more. Everywhere you used a fair, a bair would have worked much much better. Fair has quite a bit of lag when you land too. Also, practice the chaingrab to meteor spike off the edge, its cheap but effective. Try the boost-smash too. All those dash attacks could have been boost smashs for added damage.

 

[iDizZzY]

work on your approach
mix it up a little you seem to get way to predictable

 

[Black Dragon]

Yeah, I'm still working on Up smashing after dashes, and I can chaingrab pretty decently, though it seems a lot of the people I play know how to avoid the spike. Thanks for the comments though, every little bit helps.

 

[crimsonhaze]

dont give up on the chain grab. chase him instead of blasting him

 

[Black Dragon]

Oh I can't give up on it, it's one of his best weapons against some of the heavier characters, and can get decent percentages out of the others.

 

[the melon!!!!!]

Then chase him while blasting him. SHL and SHDL can move, you know!

 

[zamz]

Falco has a legendary B-Air...it works wonders and it makes him excellent in the air. Don't ever be afraid to spam it. From the videos that I watched of you, I got the impression you play a ground Falco. You stay on the ground, lasor on the ground, and literally look like you're glued to it. As a concequence, your only way to approach (or gain positioning) is to roll towards/away from your opponent. I really hate to say it, but rolling is typically seen as a scrubby tactic.

Try something different and see how it works for you. Instead, try playing an air-falco. Do everything in the air. Try air-Lasor, B-Air, D-Air, U-Air. (Don't use F-Air). But most of all, instead of spamming 'roll', try Short Hopping. You'll find it leaves you a lot less vaulnerable. It just takes some time getting used to it. Your game will improve significantly if you practiced short hopping more often. Many of Falco's moves have more delay and act slower on the gorund. If you stay in the air, you can do these same moves and they are harder to punish. Try it out. Switch to an Air Falco and see how you do.

But most importantly...I know it makes you feel good to show us videos of you winning by 3 stocks. But try sending us a video of a decent opponent who can actually fight back. If your opponent isn't very good (or is playing an off-game), we can't accurately rate your skill or tell you how to improve. Instead, record a match of someone slightly better than you and send it on over. We'll be able to give more valuable criticism.

 

[JordPWN]

From what I can see, the only thing that hasn't been mentioned is that you absolutely neglect phantasm aside from recovery. While I could imagine it might be difficult on some of those stages played, it's necessary for a good spacing game. Your use of the Reflector was good, and it helped you space out your AAA combo nicely.

Aside from that, I agree that you most definitely need to work on your SHL and SHDL, and picking your Falco up off the ground. That, and Zamz was giving you the right idea. If anything, we want to see someone putting the pressure on you, to see how you perform. I can almost guarantee you that half the Smash Boards forum would punish you terribly if you spammed grounded lasers like that.

None the less, I think you're getting the spacing right, and that's something a lot of Falcos don't get until after they've gotten the laser game down.

 

[Black Dragon]

If I could save the matches were they have been down to the wire I would, would but they tend to go over the 3 minute time allowance for videos. I have some really good matches I'd love to see again, but oh well. Thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can do about getting some better videos up.

I don't have any really recent videos of me using Falco. But I have been implementing Nair (sometimes I mess up while short hopping forward and do a Fair), and Bair which I find works quite well for KOs. I try not to Dair too much because it tends to get sheildgrabbed quite often.

I'd like to play against any of you if you get the chance. I suppose the best way to analyze someone is to see them in action.

 

[null55]

Don't use fair the way you use it, i.e. randomly as you fall to the ground. That Ike and Bowswer could have punished you worse than they did... I disagree with Zamz though. It isn't a move you just shouldn't ever use.

You can use fair in a couple ways. One, in full or double jump. Maybe pursuit or what have you. There's no lag when you land since you completely finish the move, this is basic, there's a better option most of the time (maybe surprise, idk). Or two, you can fall off the stage while fairing and attack opponent when he's about to recover. This can completely gimp Wolf and Ike, and I have got it to work on Fox a couple times, though I haven't tried it on everyone. It won't work on those who have super great recoveries, multiple jumps, etc., but it could do away with Bowser and DK, people with mediocre recovery. It's a little situational and requires some timing, but their damage level is nearly irrelevant. Can be a game-changing tactic.

 

[the melon!!!!!]

You're from Pitt? I'm in Scranton! You should head up to the next big tourney at TGP! I think it's on August 25th (no idea why it's being held on a Sunday, but check out the thread for it). You could play me there, along with some other crazy people around here.

 

[crimsonhaze]

*off topic*

 

[the melon!!!!!]

Hey, he asked for someone to play, so I told him that I was close. I was simply answering him.

On topic (so crimsonhaze won't complain), you do WAY too many ground lasers and don't do enough Bair or Niar either. Nair is actually incredible for approach, and nobody else seems to get the hint. Just do SH Nair - AAA combo - Ftilt (optional, if you wanna be fancy) - Repeat. You can easily rack up around 40% damage with this continuous combo if you do it perfectly and consistantly. Trust me, it works. That's all I did in one tourney and I almost won it.

 

[crimsonhaze]

i wasn't complaining, i was envious u live in an area where there are good people to play

 

[the melon!!!!!]

I was joking with you, and thank you.

 

[crimsonhaze]

P: don't bother me. im licking my eye

 

[the melon!!!!!]

Oh yeah, well I just licked my eye off! 1up!!!


We should get back on topic, this guy needs advice, not two random smashers arguing on his thread...

Spoiler

Or does he?

 

[zamz]

Don't use fair the way you use it, i.e. randomly as you fall to the ground. That Ike and Bowswer could have punished you worse than they did... I disagree with Zamz though. It isn't a move you just shouldn't ever use.

Well, I didn't mean you should never use it. I meant to start out 'not using it' and try using other moves instead. I feel F-Air is a move you learn to use after you've learned the alternative: B-Air. Because in all honesty, F-Air is difficult to use correctly. With even a slight error on your part, you WILL get punished for it. B-Air is typically easier and safer.

As a general rule, if you use B-Air in the same situation you might use F-Air, it will give you the same (or sometimes a better) result. Risk assesment suggests B-Air...which is why I slightly favor it

 

[Black Dragon]

Some newer videos. Let me know if see some improvements.

Vs. Lodis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaei9rrDWs8

Vs. Shadow64
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP1DDp6odPA

Vs. Entropy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaIc2PIiKI

Vs. Brawlbro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI7yTgVUaq0

I believe I'm getting better at using less Fair's by accident and doing Bair's pretty well, but I'll let you all be the judge. SHDL still needs some work, but less ground lasers than before.

 

[null55]

Well, I didn't mean you should never use it. I meant to start out 'not using it' and try using other moves instead. I feel F-Air is a move you learn to use after you've learned the alternative: B-Air. Because in all honesty, F-Air is difficult to use correctly. With even a slight error on your part, you WILL get punished for it. B-Air is typically easier and safer.

As a general rule, if you use B-Air in the same situation you might use F-Air, it will give you the same (or sometimes a better) result. Risk assesment suggests B-Air...which is why I slightly favor it

There are some things that fair can do and bair can't you know... They're different moves, but I agree with the fact that in most situations, bair is just a better move. Fair has few uses, if anything it's just a longer ranged nair with high landing lag if you short hop it and possible gimping capabilities.

 

[Remzi]

don't roll behind your opponent so much, it leaves you wide open for an attack.

 

[Deleted member]

Rolls are very easy to punish and not very good... try spot dodging and air dodging more, especially as approaches. Make sure to always short hop laser instead of ground laser. Use Ftilt and Utilt more, instead of using reflector. Use reflector for spacing and after short hop lasers. Don't get too predictable with your attacks... Save Fsmash/Usmash so you can KO relatively early. Use Dtilt instead of Dsmash if they are in front of you (leads into more stuff, saves Dsmash for KOs later).

Don't use Fair to approach, use it only rarely to punish airdodges. Try using Bair, Nair, and Dair more, especially as approaches.

 

[ScubaF_ingSteve]

Don't ground laser Short Hop Laser or Short Hop Double laser. Grab more, chaingrabbing is one if the most useful of falco's strategies. Less reflector too.

 

[AvoiD]

Nice Falco, but you abuse his lasers and smashes. Learn to SHDL and SHL. It's much easier then ground lasers, and leaves them opened to a phantasm, grab, tilt or smash. Unless they are shielding, of course. Depends on situation when you use it.

As for reflector, you used it good a few times, as the AAA Combo worked nicely with it, but use it for spacing. Not just a hit-and-run attack.

As for your air game, work on it. Learn to short hop your D-Air/F-airs. Your opponent would be on the ground while you would be full-hopped performing a D-Air. B-Air, I didn't see you use to much at all. It's a very good move that'd help your gameplay.

Try to grab more often if you have the chance, you usally have a few openings, but seem to roll/spot-dodge/smash instead of taking the risk. You don't have to fully CG them, just rack up damage if you don't have a chance to perform the Spike.

Learn a few other AT's as well. DLX is a good one that you could use, very helpful.

As for tilts, use more. U-Tilt and D-Tilt I didn't see to much of. Work on it.

Hope it helps. :\

EDIT:

That was for the videos in your first post. Didn't see the newer videos you posted yet.

 

[clank123]

you need to play decent players to get bread

 

[crimson chaos]

needs way more work on shooting and power u dont have to get that close to a ike