A tech, or break fall, is a defensive maneuver that prevents fighters from being knocked down or bounced off walls. Techs are performed by accurately hitting the Shield button right before your tumbling fighter hits a surface of the stage. You can opt to tech in place, or with a side roll. If successful, you’re granted a slight intangibility period, followed by a brief window of vulnerable lag.
Techs are used to prevent aggressors from scoring free off-the-ground hits after knockdowns, and to avoid being bounced off the side of a stage from wall-splatting attacks. While teching is important, it has its drawbacks. After the brief intangibility window, your fighter becomes vulnerable temporarily as they get up from the ground, similar to a sidestep or roll.
When you’re on the offensive and you knock down an enemy, you can take advantage of techs by setting up tech traps. If you make a good read on the opponent’s teching habit, you can time a follow-up attack so that it connects during their vulnerability window. Fighters with knockdown down tilt attacks, knockdown throws, and fast dashes are exceptionally strong “tech chasers.” They can frequently force 50/50 situations against their foes, where foes aren’t sure if they should try to tech or rise from a knockdown normally.
Learning when (i.e., at what damage percentages and at what level of rage) your attacks cause knockdowns you can follow up on is essential to mounting an effective tech-hunting game.