Tech: Difference between revisions

A '''tech''', officially referred to as a '''breakfall''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', '''absorbing damage''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', an '''ukemi''' ({{ja|受け身}}) in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', '''breaking your fall''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', a '''fall break''' in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', and '''Passive''' internally by the games, is an action that can be performed when the player's [[character]] hits the [[ground]], a [[wall]], or a [[ceiling]] while [[tumbling]] (or [[reeling]]). To tech, the user must press a [[shield]] button a certain period of time (20 [[frame]]s in all games except ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'', which provide 8 frames and 11 frames respectively) before hitting the surface. After that, a player won't be able to tech for 40 frames (30 in ''Smash 4''), preventing them from simply [[mash]]ing the button to execute it. Additional button or control stick inputs can cause different types of techs.

 

When performed, the user will negate most lag and prevent themselves from being on the wrong end of potential punish opportunities while on the floor (known as a “missed tech”). A successful tech grants the performer [[intangibility]] during most of its animation, but leaves them completely vulnerable for a few frames at the end of the animation, after which the character becomes actionable again. This short window of vulnerability forms the basis of [[tech-chasing]], the act of punishing an opponent after their tech.

The word "tech" is borrowed from the competitive communities of other fighting games and traces its origin back to technical bonuses awarded in [[Capcom]] games for performing special maneuvers to escape grab attacks and get much less damage and more recovery time.

A '''standing tech''', '''standard tech''', or '''neutral tech''' is a neutral, ground-based tech performed by simply pressing a shield button before a tumbling character comes in contact with the floor. The character will experience a brief period of [[intangibility]] and quickly bounce from the ground into a standing animation. The player will also grab any items that they come into contact with.

 

A common variant of the this tech in Melee is the '''ASDI down tech''', which is performed by holding the control stick down (or sometimes in a neutral position), the C-Stick down for ASDI, and pressing shield before hitlag. This causing a standing tech, and is useful against moves that knock down at a low percent that might otherwise combo, such as Fox's [[Fox (SSBM)/Up smash|Up smash]].

An '''Amsah tech''' (named after Dutch player {{Sm|Amsah}}) is the combination of a rolling tech and [[directional influence]] in ''Melee'' that can be used to survive low knockback-angle attacks like {{SSBM|Falco}}'s [[down smash]]. It is performed by DIing down and either towards or away from the attacking character (away allows to survive longer, because it moves the trajectory closer to the ground), holding the C-Stick down for ASDI, and pressing shield before [[hitlag]]. It is also referred to as an '''Over tech''', named after Spanish player {{Sm|Overtriforce}}. While an Amsah tech can allow the player to survive to very high percents that would otherwise be impossible to live with standard DI, it can be immediately punished during its ending animation by a prepared opponent. Amsah teching is still used as a situational defensive mixup in competitive play, particularly against {{SSBM|Marth}}, who has a difficult time punishing Amsah techs due to the high ending lag of his best finishers.

If a jump input is active when a wall tech is performed (such as holding up or pressing a jump button), then the teching character will [[wall jump]]. This is known as a '''wall tech jump''' (or '''PassiveWallJump'''). Every character can wall tech jump, even those who cannot wall jump normally. Wall tech jumps are especially useful offstage, as they can be used to recover more effectively from stage spikes, and since wall jumps incur no lag, allow the character to counterattack immediately if the opponent is in range; a notable example of this is getting grabbed by [[Captain Falcon]]'s [[Falcon Dive]] offstage, which (except in ''Ultimate'') can be easily [[punish]]ed by wall tech jumping it and then hitting Falcon with an aerial attack ([[Tech Check]]). Combined with [[DI]] and [[SDI]], it can even be used to survive other stronger moves if the player is close enough to the wall, such as the [[Ice Climbers]]' [[forward aerial]] that often ends their [[chaingrab]]s. Another notable use of wall tech jumping is when using a [[bomb recovery]] to get launched towards the stage, as it can further aid the character's [[recovery]] and prevent them from stage spiking themselves.

In ''Smash 64'', only ground techs are available (standing and rolling). Teching has an execution window of 20 frames after the player presses the [[Z button]], and can be inputted even before the character is struck, as well as during hitlag. Additionally, unlike the subsequent ''Smash'' games, ''Smash 64'' does not have a penalty period for techs after inputting one, meaning the shield button can be [[mash]]ed to easily get one with no penalty. However, due to the prevalence of true [[combo]]s, and the inability to tech on surfaces other than floors, alongside the lack of DI to get launched closer to them, the usefulness of teching is more limited than in later games, and combos that involve bumping characters into walls are effectively guaranteed, with [[Hyrule Castle]] being a notable example of a stage where they can be exploited.

In ''Melee'', nearly all characters are vulnerable for 6 frames at the end of their tech animations before becoming actionable; the exceptions are {{SSBM|Pikachu}} and {{SSBM|Pichu}}, who are only vulnerable for 2 frames.

 

Any digital L or R press either opens a 20 frame tech window, or closes the tech window when there was another digital L or R press in the preceding 40 frames. When L or R was pressed during hitlag, it works as if the same button was pressed on all consecutive hitlag frames. As a result the tech window is 1 frame when L or R was pressed at any but the last hitlag frame, and 20 frames when pressed at the last hitlag frame. In any case, there is a 40 frame tech lockout after the

hitlag ends. [[SDI]] can be used to bump into a wall or ceiling, but not into the ground, and tech from it during hitlag. At the first frame after hitlag, ASDI can be used to bump into the ground, wall or ceiling and tech from it, even if the knockback direction points away from the object. It is possible to press L or R on the same frame as the character bumps into something and still get a tech. As a result, players not only have to time their tech properly, but may even be left unable to tech a hit at all if they are launched too quickly after executing a defensive action such as [[shield]]ing or [[dodging]]. However, as teching can only be done with a digital press of the [[L]] or [[R]] buttons, analog inputs of such buttons do not incur this penalty.

In ''Ultimate'', the window to tech has been slightly increased from 8 frames to 11 frames, and the ability to buffer a tech in hitlag has been restored from previous games. It is also possible to tech while already making contact with walls and ceilings, but not the ground. To compensate, the shield button can be held for much longer than the 11 frame window and a tech can still be performed on the ground. Additionally, footstool jumps can now be teched, while grounded meteor smashes once again cannot be teched, regardless of hitlag modifiers. Teching while reeling works on the ground once more, like in previous games.

 

While all of ''Smash 4''{{'}}s untechable situations have been removed (including hitting {{SSBU|Cloud}} at the peak of his Climhazzard), there is now a knockback-based threshold; sustaining too much knockback at a certain distance from a surface will prevent players from teching, making stage spikes guaranteed at high enough percents (or when hitting a surface with a current launch speed of 6 or higher). The visual indicator for an untechable move is the green shockwave of the rebounding character having a larger red shockwave surrounding it. This threshold is also much smaller for ground techs than walls and ceilings, making meteor smashes more effective on-stage on aerial opponents. Players can attempt to mitigate this threshold on walls by holding down while sustaining knockback, due to the unchanged [[directional influence]] and LSI mechanics from ''Smash 4''.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-ge7VRRWUo</ref>

 

Update version 9.0.0 introduced {{SSBU|Steve}} and his ability to [[Mine / Craft / Create Block|place blocks]] around the stage. These blocks can be teched as long as they are active, which can lead to players that get launched into a block either saving themselves or [[Self-destruct]]ing depending on if they react fast enough.

Teching can save the player from KOs in many situations and is an exemplary technique for beginners to learn and practice. It can also help the user avoid combos that capitalize on the vulnerability frames from getting [[Floor recovery|knocked down]] on the floor or bouncing off a wall.

Ukemi.jpg|{{SSBB|Yoshi}} performing a tech in ''Brawl''.

SSB Falcon Tech.png|{{SSB|Captain Falcon}} performing a tech in ''Smash 64''.

Marth_PassiveWallJump_to_AttackAirB.gif|{{SSBM|Marth}} wall jump teching the side of Final Destination. The second Marth's forward smash is [[smash DI]]'ed into the ledge, teched, and the tech's forward momentum is immediately cancelled with a back aerial.

Ganon-gimp.gif|{{SSBM|Ganondorf}} performing a wall jump tech, and counterattacking with a forward aerial.

Inkling Tech.png|{{SSBU|Inkling}} performing a tech in ''Ultimate''.