Help with DACUS?

[Recov]

I'm new to Falco and have been learning all of his little tricks slowly, but this is the one I just can't get. I've been using this video as a reference

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

He had a smashboards thread link in the description so I was reading it, but it still isn't really clicking. I've been trying on different speeds in practice mode, but I just can't seem to get this.

I know the video and thread say instead of up C, use up A. I just can't seem to get this to happen. Any tips on timing or an easier way to think about it? I've put Z to attack, but it's still not really working out.

 

[ChuckHades]

First off, I think the best way to DACUS is to just use the default settings with tap jump OFF. You may disagree, but this post will assume you're using default button layout.

Next, try it with Snake first. Falco's DACUS is one of the more difficult to do, whilst Snake's is very easy, by far the easiest in the game. I'll gloss over the input, just in case you're doing something I'm not.

1.) Input a dash (left/right on the Control stick)
2.) Input a dash attack by flicking the C stick down
3.) Almost immediately after you flick the C stick down, input UP on the Control stick and Z at the same time.

Timing this right will produce a DACUS.

If you try this and end up grabbing, you're inputting up+Z too early. If you're dash attacking, you're inputting up+Z too late. Depending on how good your vision is, try looking for the initial frames of your character's dash attack, so you know when it is clear to input up+Z. I personally do not recommend trying this in different speeds, as it will mess up your timing when you try and perform it at real speed. Moreover, certain visual cues that you use at slower speeds may not be apparent at regular speed. For example, when I first practiced the Phantasm cancel, I did it in 1/4 speed and used the point when Falco's shoulder fully drops to time it. But there's no way in hell I could see that at real speed. In short, don't depend on different timings to get it down.

All in all, you're just gonna have to train your muscles to remember the input. Once you've done it, keep doing it over and over until it's consistent. Then take an hour break, and go back to see if you can do it consistently. That's all I've got.

In future, it'd be great if you could ask questions like these in the Q&A thread, which is stickied in each character's discussion sub-forum. Thank you.

 

[Elyssa Xey Hexen]

I'll strongly oppose ever going into training mode and slowing down to like 2/3 or 1/2 or 1/4 speed to make this work too. The different timing will not help you at all. Simply keep practicing at regular speed.

The baseline problem I wager is you are simply not doing the inputs fast enough. You have to activate dash attack and do an Usmash within 2-3 frames of each other. Falco's spot dodge is like 1/3 of a second. And you need to chain dash attack -> Usmash as fast as 1/30 of a second or ten times faster than falco's spot dodge duration.

It might help you to find your own custom controls to get it to work. For the life of me I cannot get the common custom-less method to work on anyone except Snake. With how I had my custom laid out I can get even Sheik's DACUS down with extremely high accuracy of success (near perfect execution).

Spoiler

My method
-Tap jump off
-C-stick to smashes
-Attack button set to a shoulder button (L, R, or Z).

Execution:
-Dash by moving the control stick diagonally up-left or up-right and hold this control stick position.
-C-stick down for dash attack
-Press shoulder button that you have set to attack.

Why does this work well? The standard custom-less method has you rotate the control stick from the side to upward which is a location for messing up. By dashing and holding the stick in a diagonal direction you completely remove any possibility of messing that up (but requires tap jump off else you will jump). The point of attack on a shoulder button is that you split up having to time two inputs between two fingers (much, much easier to press two buttons with two fingers and get within 2 frames of each other). The reason why you want attack instead of grab is because by using grab you actually have to delay your c-stick down and shoulder button input with a little delay because falco can cancel his dash attack with grab before an Usmash. However, by using "attack" on the shoulder button this no longer happens and you either buffer the Usmash to come out or you end up timing your delay perfectly. In other words, by using attack you are granted a nice 4 frame window to chain dashattack and usmash input together compared to only a 2 frame window.

 

[Recov]

Thanks for the tips. I do play with tap jump off and Z as an alternate attack. I've been practicing in training and just normal fighting and have been getting better at it. I can almost do the ground dodge bdacus perfectly now.

 

[Dark Dire Wolf]

I'll strongly oppose ever going into training mode and slowing down to like 2/3 or 1/2 or 1/4 speed to make this work too. The different timing will not help you at all. Simply keep practicing at regular speed.

The baseline problem I wager is you are simply not doing the inputs fast enough. You have to activate dash attack and do an Usmash within 2-3 frames of each other. Falco's spot dodge is like 1/3 of a second. And you need to chain dash attack -> Usmash as fast as 1/30 of a second or ten times faster than falco's spot dodge duration.

It might help you to find your own custom controls to get it to work. For the life of me I cannot get the common custom-less method to work on anyone except Snake. With how I had my custom laid out I can get even Sheik's DACUS down with extremely high accuracy of success (near perfect execution).

Spoiler

My method
-Tap jump off
-C-stick to smashes
-Attack button set to a shoulder button (L, R, or Z).

Execution:
-Dash by moving the control stick diagonally up-left or up-right and hold this control stick position.
-C-stick down for dash attack
-Press shoulder button that you have set to attack.

Why does this work well? The standard custom-less method has you rotate the control stick from the side to upward which is a location for messing up. By dashing and holding the stick in a diagonal direction you completely remove any possibility of messing that up (but requires tap jump off else you will jump). The point of attack on a shoulder button is that you split up having to time two inputs between two fingers (much, much easier to press two buttons with two fingers and get within 2 frames of each other). The reason why you want attack instead of grab is because by using grab you actually have to delay your c-stick down and shoulder button input with a little delay because falco can cancel his dash attack with grab before an Usmash. However, by using "attack" on the shoulder button this no longer happens and you either buffer the Usmash to come out or you end up timing your delay perfectly. In other words, by using attack you are granted a nice 4 frame window to chain dashattack and usmash input together compared to only a 2 frame window.

Wow, this tip helped me a lot, thanks!

 

[MegurineLuka]

Thanks for the tips. I do play with tap jump off and Z as an alternate attack. I've been practicing in training and just normal fighting and have been getting better at it. I can almost do the ground dodge bdacus perfectly now.

I set the Z button to attack too, it seems to extend my normal dacus. Are you sure you're doing a bdacus? They're about the same length. I have to do c-stick down then up for a bdacus.