Falco Phantasm
Falco Phantasm is Falco's Forward B move. Falco quickly dashes at the opponent leaving a trail of blueish-tinted afterimages behind him. The opponent can be hit by Falco or any one of the afterimages. Despite the fact that the move is an attack, it is rarely used as such; It is primarily used as a recovery technique, due to its speed. Like the Fox Illusion, the Falco Phantasm can be ended early by pressing B before its animation is complete, but a few frames must pass by before it will work. An easy way to time the canceling of this move would be to press B at the exact point the high pitched 'cling' noise is played. While not a recommended killing strategy, the move's meteor spike property can be used to deliver a KO. It is recommended that the enemy has around 80% damage, and that Falco be farther out from the stage than his target so that he can Phantasm toward the edge, and safety. This technique is more effective against some characters than against others. The Phantasm can also be used for a very swift approach. Short hopping slightly increases the distance traveled. It, along with the Fox Illusion, can be reversed by quickly tapping the control stick in the opposite direction. The sparkle will stay in its original position, which can lead to mindgames.
Differences from Fox's Illusion
- In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Falco's Phantasm covers a much shorter distance than Fox Illusion. This can be a good or bad thing; good because it makes it easier to sweetspot the edge than with Fox's Illusion, bad because it can not be used from as far of a distance. However, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl; not only does it deal more damage than Fox's, but Falco Phantasm travels nearly the same distance as Fox Illusion.
- Falco's Phantasm, if used in the air, can meteor smash the opponent. Fox's Illusion cannot.
- Falco Phantasm has less startup lag than Fox Illusion.
