I usually get Dash Charge 2 and Dash Power 2 ASAP, then move on to putting 1 point into everything except Run and Shield Recharge. I’m not a big fan of the Megaperks.
I like seeing the names of people discussing this, cause I’ve watched boy of enders run by me grab a star and then lock and kill me (more times than i’d like to admit)
The two dash perks are undoubtedly the strongest investment, but I’m not sure if they’re the best starting perks to purchase. I’ve been fairly torn between Dash Charge, Dash Power, Jump and Shield for my first pick (and even Warning for small games).
It seems to me like everyone plays on the quick offensive. No one has developed a good turtle style yet?
There is really no turtle style capability.
Yes using shield effectively is something people are doing, but it’s highly dangerous and ineffective to simply go slow or hide and be defensive.
I just wanted to point out that you guys are missing the biggest perk about warning; using it to tell when nobody is after you.
Here’s the thing. When your winning, and lets just assume that’s what everyone is or trying to achieve, everyone is more or less targeting you anyway because there is HUGE CROWN on you while jumping around. So I say, what’s the point, just assume everyone is out to get you and its only safe when you don’t see anyone (sans Stealth upgrade).
I agree with soulbandaid on this point. I never take more than one level of Warning, but I almost always take that level, because when there’s no exclamation over your head, you can do things like take the time to grab a star right next to you (no need for evasive manuevers) or let your shield recharge, not wasting it holding it up when nobody’s trying to get you (even if there are players nearby). When you’re a giant orange guy, sure, there will just ALWAYS be a warning on, but when you’re teal or even green knowing when you have breathing room is incredibly useful.
Sure, that may be nice at one point, but it will never be part of my starting build.
Here’s my start, two directions. Getting your ass kicked vs. kicking ass.
If from the start of the match I am losing and not racking in points I will not save up for level 2 skills for a while. So here what I chose.
Ass kicked:
Dash Power 1
Detonation Speed 1
A movement (Jump 1 on most maps, Run 1 on the weirder maps with ramps that have a less central gravity center)
Dash Charge 1 or by now I have made a kill to take Dash Power 2.
I don’t like hanging onto 5 or 10 points for a level 2 or 3. That’s probably a couple minutes until I die again to spend points, so why waste them. Try to get that kill to get Dash Power 3.
Otherwise Other Movement 1 or Detonation Speed 2, Dash Charge 2, Run 2/ Jump 2 depending on map. Saving for Dash Power 3.
Kicking ass/late start:
If I can afford it. But lets assume 20 points.
Dash Power 1
Dash Power 2
Detonation Speed 1
+ Movement 1, see plan above. (25)
+ Run 1, Jump 1 (30)
+ Movement 1, Detonation Speed 2 (35)
Once I get the Dash power ups to level 2/2/3, and my Movement satisfied 1/2/0, somewhere closer to 60-80 points is where I may consider taking Warning and Shield.
My basic points always go like this - I feel that keeping the same upgrade set throughout games helps me build a sense for when I should explode at various points in the game (relative to nearby players) and how far away I should be dashing from.
Explosion Speed I (IMO the most essential point in the game)
Jump I OR Shield I
Shield I OR Jump I
Dash Power & Charge I
Dash Power & Charge II
Explosion Speed II (at this point I tend to get 7-8 energy before exploding and I really need to explode faster)
Dash Power & Charge III
Shield III & Shield Recovery II
Explosion Speed III & Black Hole Mega-Perk
I grab some other upgrades based on need - Recovery I (and sometimes II) goes in whenever most people get shields, Jump II goes in when I have 10 spare points and feel like I’m having issues catching up to people while charging, I sometimes take Shield II and Shield Recovery I as early as before Dash Power & Charge III if I’m having a really fast start and I’m getting attacked by everyone because I constantly have high energy, but I don’t like doing that because Power and Charge are really really important. I also - once in a blue moon - get Explosion Speed III after Power & Charge III for the express purpose of constantly exploding on top of that annoying turtler who’s catching up in points because he sits there all day with shield up. I always do Power before Charge because I tend to hit people who aren’t targeting me, and so my biggest worry is missing my dash - more dash power = less of a chance of missing assuming you’re fully charged. Plus, a flame sword makes Dash Charge irrelevant but Dash Power then becomes super important.
Shield III and Shield Recovery II are ESSENTIAL once you max out Power & Charge because if you play right, you will be getting massive amounts of energy and equally massive amounts of hate. They also make a huge difference when racing another good player, because one of you will often be hunting the other (although there will be plenty of times that both of you have enough energy to not want to risk dying to the other) and there will be a lot of shield games played in those cases. I can also wait out other players if we’re both targeting each other and nobody else is around, because I know I can out-shield them so they’ll either bounce off me and die, or lose shield and also die.
The first things I get are always Shield and Warning. I find them indispensible in the early game. The warning lets me know if someone’s hunting me while I’m hunting someone else - I target them and we face off 1on1, and with the shield I’m confident about winning that fight and moving on.
Then I pick up Dash Charge 1, Dash Speed 1, Detonation 1, and finally Jump 1. If the game is a tough one, I’ll detonate when possible and upgrade to Shield 2, Dash Charge 2, Dash Power 2, Jump 1, Run 1, and if I can, Recovery 1 and Recharge 1. Getting lvl 1 in everything is cheap enough, and the gains large enough, that I feel it’s worthwhile in any game. Additionally, if it’s a large map like Get Over Yourself, I’ll put an emphasis on getting Dash Charge/Speed earlier. It helps nail Stars early game.
From here I begin bulding kills for a multiplier, and wait for a BIG 200+ point blowup. That’s generally enough to seal the game.
I should mention that an early Shield 2 helps me run up huge Energy for a massive early point lead. Hunting one or two people is OK, but getting in the middle of a furball with a good shield is where the points really are.
I should mention that an early Shield 2 helps me run up huge Energy for a massive early point lead. Hunting one or two people is OK, but getting in the middle of a furball with a good shield is where the points really are.
In that case, you’d have me mercilessly hunting you, waiting around fully charged until you charge at someone so I can kill you after the impact :p . I’ve infuriated many a high-energy hog when I play. I’m good enough at keeping alive that I’ll constantly charge people who keep their shields up but don’t attack, figuring that sooner or later they’re going to drop them at the wrong time. It works eventually. Of course, if they have enough of a point advantage I might avoid them entirely, figuring that they’ll get killed enough that I can probably catch up in increments of 30-40…if I get up to around 100 points, I have enough upgrades to feel confident chasing almost anyone.
It won’t work well anymore since the shield nerf this last patch (which I rather enjoy), but the entire point is that you pretty much can’t be killed if you’re doing it right. Usually I get killed while trying to detonate after an energy build… but almost never in the situation you just described. Really the only thing I had to worry about with Shield 3 were flame swords or a screwup when trying to release shield + charge.
Anyway, hope to see you in a game soon. I really enjoy the thrill of building up and the tension of knowing you have at least one stalker.
