The Best Buff in Ultimate to Date, The End of “Tech Check”

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s latest patch, 11.0.0, many characters received some solid buffs, such as Byleth, King Dedede and Pichu. These buffs are remarkable for their respective characters. However, two characters received one buff, potentially the most impactful buff any Ultimate character has received. Captain Falcon and Ganondorf received the same buff that affected their Up-Bs, Falcon Dive and Dark Dive, respectively. This buff significantly lessened the end lag on up-B for both characters (Captain Falcon’s endlag being reduced from frame 55 to frame 24, Ganondorf’s endlag reduced from frame 50 to frame 25). To the casual player, this means very little; however, Captain Falcon and Ganondorf mains have wanted this change since Melee. This article aims to explain the term “Tech Check” and dive into the history around the term “Tech Check.”

History of the term “Tech Check”

This is Griffin “Fatality” Miller, the best Captain Falcon in Smash Ultimate and the person who helped popularize the term “Tech Check”

Tech Check, formally known as “RockCrocking,” got its original name from the former competitive Melee player by the same name, Dennis “RockCrock” DiSilvestro. However, in July of 2020, Rockcrock was accused of sexually assaulting a minor, resulting in his being banned from entering Smash events in the future.

The Smash community decided to change the name so as to remove any of RockCrock’s likeness. Eventually, Griffin “Fatality” Miller, the best Captain Falcon in the world, posted a Twitter poll to choose a new name for this tech, resulting in the new name “Tech Check.”

In-Game Use

this is a picture taken from the Smash Wiki that depicts the act of Tech Checking in Smash Ultimate

Tech Checking is a technique in smash that is unique to Captain Falcon and Ganondorf’s Up-B. When either character grabs an opponent near the ledge or wall of a stage with Up-B, the opponent can “tech” the stage. Teching the stage, involves pressing the shield button within 11 frames after the explosion. When done successfully, the opponent is positioned right where either of the two characters ends up following the explosion. Since they are restricted by the end lag of the move, their movement is restricted. Allowing for a free punishment and a possible stock loss. This exploit has pledged Captain Falcon and Ganondorf mains since Melee. However, the buff to both characters allows them to get out of the end lag of their up-B’s much more quickly, allowing them to get out of the way of an enemy and possibly punish if they go for an aggressive option.

Conclusion

Ganondorf is a strong character but lacks movement, making Tech Checking a big issue for Ganondorf’s recovery. Now that Tech Checking is no longer a problem for Ganondorf, his recovery is safer. While this buff helps with Ganondorf’s recovery, it doesn’t fix his fundamental issues. Ganondorf is not a “competently viable” character. However, he has produced some major upsets within the competitive scene. The best example being from Collision 2019 losers Semis, where Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada using Ganondorf against the best Fox player in Ultimate, Paris “Light” Ramirez

Captain Falcon has received a plethora of buffs within Smash Ultimate, such as buffs too, Raptor Boost, Falcon Kick and Up Smash, to name a few. The buff to his Up-B is arguably his most impactful buff to date. Allowing him to recover much more consistently without the threat of their opponent challenging it with a Tech Check. Captain Falcon is considered a top tier within Smash Ultimate, with notable players like Fatality, Dominick “NickC” Cuccurullo, and Dawson “Big D” Perron doing well in past offline tournaments. This one buff has the potential to push Captain Falcon even higher within the competitive meta. It will be exciting to see what Captain Falcon mains do in future offline events.

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