Skylanders Imaginators Research: Starcast, Dark Element Ninja (Unboxing, Intro, & Upgrades)

Starcast Attack Damage Numbers

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Food Fight & Dark Food Fight Upgrade Paths with Attack Damage Numbers

Food Fight Base Upgrades

Food Fight Tomatologist Upgrade Path

Food Fight Bloomer and Boomer Upgrade Path

Food Fight Attack Damage Numbers

Riptide Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Coming Soon!

Wash Buckler Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Coming Soon

Roller Brawl Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Coming Soon!

Grim Creeper Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Skylanders SWAP Force

Rattle Shake Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Skylanders SWAP Force

Rattle Shake Base Upgrades

Rattle Shack Attack Damage Numbers

Rattle Shake Deputy's Duty Upgrade Path (Top)

Rattle Shake Coiled Ammunition Upgrade Path (Top)

Rattle Shake Bone Herder Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Rattle Shake Grave Springer Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Quickdraw Rattle Shake Full Upgrade Set

Coming Soon!

Rattle Shake starts out as a very well rounded character.  His top end and bottom end attacks deal near equal damage (17-26, 16-24).  The top end base upgrades introduce a very valuable tertiary attack in "Deputy Snake" and a charged attack, "Spring Loaded Snake" with interesting abilities (grabbing items) for the primary option.  The bottom end base upgrades feature additional compliments to Tail Sweep, the box stock attack, and bring an interesting touch with "On Brand" a jump attack.

However, the Upgrade Paths will really change the course for your Rattle Shake.  The top end comes down to a preference between the Primary and Tertiary attack, while the bottom end offers up pretty unique options, which much like Undead Swapper counterpart Night Shift, feature cool animations.

Deputy's Duty may seem pointless at first, after all you've already got it, right?  That, however, is far from the case.  Where "Deputy Snake" hits with 20-30 and then proceeds to spit venom that does 12-18 Damage 14 TIMES, by the time you've added "Nasty Sssurprise" and "Armed to the Fangs" those numbers have surged to 30-45 on Impact and 16-24 on the 14 Venom Hits.  That is a very substantial increase when you do the math.  The biggest asset may not be the cumulative damage, but rather the fact hit enemies are slowed down!  I find this to be very effective.  The snakes home in, but if you are unhappy, just toss another one out and take advantage of the acid splash on impact.

Coiled Ammunition is two fold.  "Snake Bite" poisons the first enemy "Spring Loaded Snake" hits and causes it to take damage (8-12 3x) over time.  "This Bites" is the follow up and has those "poisoned" enemies take extra damage from your primary attack at 24-36 instead of 20-30.  While I love the 45-68 on the first hit and the unique ability to pick up items along the way, there are two big downsides here.  First, only the first enemy is poisoned.  If the poison chain ran along every enemy that the snake ricocheted off of, it would be a different story.  Second, and tying in with that, the "first hit" poisoned enemy only takes 8-12 damage 3 times.  Yes, I know that they take more damage when I shoot them, but the +4/+6 is lacking when you consider that you will only have a few ticks of the clock to cash in..By then, the enemy has pursued you and you will have to retreat, or just use other attacks...likely not being a charged attack of any sort, which rules out the Coiled Ammunition Path.  I feel like if the snake ricocheted AND did maybe 5-8 hits of damage to give you a bigger window to cash in on things would be different.  As is, Deputy's Duty does more damage, 11 extra times, and SLOWS enemies...I have to give it the edge here.

The Bone Herder Upgrade Path introduces a "Goliath Bone Snake" that you charge up and release.  This summons a literal giant, bone snake from the ground that springs upward off the screen.  With Damage Numbers of 90-135, this is the "big hit" some people are drawn to...The next installment "Dances with Snakes" has you move around to conjur smaller snakes that follow the same mechanic.  These auxiliary bone snakes will do 60-90 Damage.  This one is a lot of fun, but I have found that in tough situations your likely only going to be able to get the "Goliath Bone Snake" to launch at your intended target.  If you aren't as concerned with accuracy, but rather fun, it can't be beat and when it does make contact it deals incredible damage.

The Grave Springer Path isn't quite as dramatic, but it is effective with cool artwork of its' own.  "Spurred Spring" let's you charge up quickly and spring into the heat of a fight.  This deals 40-60 damage, but is complimented with "Graveyard Smash" (contestant for best upgrade name ever) which spawns roughly 5 Tombstones when you land and inflicts 25-38 Damage.  Obviously, with 5 tombstones in play, this has a pretty nice area.  The scenario would be you have deployed your top end initiatives and then spring forward towards the target enemy and "Grave Springer" does auxiliary damage.  Put it together and you have, at minimum 65 Damage, with the possibility of 98 and additional damage/kills depending on what enemies lurk around your target.

Before we cover my suggestions, I have to stress that both top and bottom Soul Gems, "Raise the Snakes" and "The Snake-Skinned Kid" respectively have a red flag.  While the Critical Hit and Speed boosts are great and the animation/concept is unique and very fitting, there is an aesthetic change.  I will warn you in advance that both of these Soul Gems turn their respective half of Rattle Shake purple.  I actually don't mind the change...it is menacing and somehow very "Undead," however, I also really liked his box-stock aesthetics.  Plus, being from Texas and dealing with Rattle Snakes, I have a hard time with the purple...Some of you will love it, some will hate it...most will just want the benefits of the Soul Gems and not really care.  However, amongst the hard core fans I know these aesthetic changes matter.  Rubble Rouser, Dune Bug, Pop Thorn, Prism Break, even Slam Bam's Yeti Cooling Factor have had a long track record of angst for select Portal Masters.  I am fortunate in that I have the extra Rattle Shake and could leave him Soul Gem-less.  If you have Quickdraw you are in a tough boat...Do you max out your prized variant, or do you let him go without Soul Gems to maintain his unique look?  It is up to you...I personally went with a combo, lol.

For rookie players I would suggest you go with Deputy's Duty and Bone Herder.  Deputy Duty is a compliment to both Snake's Venom and Tail Sweep (and all their other upgrades).  It comes in VERY HANDY.  Bone Herder will take some time to get good execution collectively, but I feel like the prospect of getting good with one Goliath Snake is more beneficial to rookie players than Grave Springer as you can still retreat.

For veteran players I would suggest Deputy's Duty and your choice of Grave Springer and Bone Herder.  Grave Springer may seem a bit more "dangerous" due to flying in towards your enemies, BUT just like rookies needing to perfect "Dances with Snakes" this isn't the easiest upgrade set to cash in on...

Personally, I think the ideal combo is Deputy's Duty and Grave Springer.  Deputy's Duty is a no brainer and super effective (as long as you remember to use it).  One of Rattle Shake's best moves, in my opinion, is simply hitting enemies with "Armed to the Fangs."  I like to do that, let the snake run it's course and then go about my business with the other attacks.  Grave Springer wins out for me because I can use "Ssstampede" to soften up a target, rush in with "Spurred Spring," get bonus damage from "Graveyard Smash" and then repeat the process to get out of harms way and set up the next attack.  This has a much higher hit rate than "Dance's with Snakes."  I do miss Goliath Bone Snake with this set, but I feel it is made up for with the success rate.

Zoo Lou Upgrade Paths and Damage Numbers

Zoo Lou Base Upgrades

Legendary Zoo Lou Base Upgrades

Zoo Lou Attack Damage Numbers

Zoo Lou The Bucking Boar Upgrade Path

Zoo Lou The Wild Wolf Upgrade Path

Zoo Lou is a very unique character.  He never physically attacks enemies himself, but rather relies on summoned animal friends to do the dirty work.  You have Birds, Boars, and Wolves in the arsenal.  The Birds are the primary attack, the Wolf is the secondary attack, and the Boar is the tertiary attack.  The Base Upgrades address Birds and add the Boar along with one supporting upgrade.  The Wolf is left completely out of the loop in the Base Upgrades.

Naturally, many would think, "Okay, the Wolf was left out, I should take Wild Wolf to balance things out."  The Strategy Guide even boldly states, "The Wild Wolf Path edges it out (Bucking Boar Path) because Bird Call upgrades also help out against groups and you get extra food as a bonus."  I have seen the strategy guide state the obvious and offer insights, but I can't recall seeing it blatantly tell you which path is better

And now that I have seen it...I disagree.

Wild Wolf is an okay path...in fact, it is probably a great path for those having trouble in challenges or tough portions of story mode.  Alpha Wolf increases the attack damage and health of the wolf and Hunger of the Wolf gets him to attack a little quicker.  That said, Hunter and Gatherer is the big payoff as this is where the Wolf will dig up food when your health is low.

I didn't get to check the health of the wolf, or have food dug up for me, but I feel I know enough.  I can't argue that getting food at low health is of great value, but what about needing damage support instead of the food?  My biggest disappointment is that there was never a 2nd Wolf.  Now take a 2nd Wolf into the mix and you have one aiding in on immediate protection and the other digging up food and we have something going.

That said, I still would have to recommend Wild Wolf for beginners and players who need a character with good health attributes to get them through tough parts of the game, whatever those may be...Hunter and Gatherer will definitely be worth while for those endeavors.

The Bucking Boar turned out to be a big surprise.  I'll say that just as not getting a second wolf disappointed me, the fact that the boar never got faster was also a disappointment.  What wasn't a disappointment was going from 18 to 58 Armor.  That +40 is a big deal to me and can be appreciated just as much by pretty much any Portal Master who realizes that increased armor on that scale can very well keep you from winding up at low health and needing food.  Hog Wild really didn't do much for me, but Rough Rider did.  This sounded lame and I was fully anticipating a few pebbles flying up and dealing some meager damage number like 5-8, or 10-15.  The 30-45 is great!  Plus, factor in that you are doing damage on the boar from the front via Raging Boar and then have the rocks out the back and you have a great ranged attack from what was once slow and very limited in range.

However, the biggest asset in my opinion is the fact that you get Rough Rider's rocks and Thicker Pigskin's Armor in conjunction with the simple observation that you can summon both the Wolf and Birds (even the Soul Gem Birds of Prey) WHILE riding on the boar!  That is a big advantage in my opinion and definitely shifted the tables in favor of Bucking Boar.

Again, for rookies and players needing a Skylander capable of regenerative health, take Wild Wolf.  Similarly, if you just really like the Wolf attacks, take Wild Wolf.  For those on the fence, and the small few that might honestly prefer the Boar, go ahead and take The Bucking Boar Upgrade Path...I know you will not be disappointed!

Bumble Blast Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Bumble Blast Base Upgrades

Bumble Blast Attack Damage Numbers

Bumble Blast Bee Keeper Upgrade Path

Bumble Blast Honey Tree Path

Bumble Blast is a very solid character and I can see why so many say he is their favorite in the game.  Granted, he is slow, but that is one of the negatives you can have on the guy.

The Bee Keeper Path is what I feel almost everyone will be initially drawn towards taking.  From that segment, I wouldn't be surprised if 7 in 10 don't wind up taking it.  While I don't think those that take it will be disappointed, I would personally go with Honey Tree.

Bee Keeper will offer up three bees at once (Bee Armada), increased damage from more bees (Stirred up a Nest), and an attack that deals anywhere from 32-62 (Queen Bee).  I equate this path to a kind of Life Element rendition of Trigger Happy.  I think most everyone will be content with this path...the only catch is to maximize damage you will want to make sure you have Honey Glob out and about.

The Honey Tree Path is nowhere near as flashy.  It's biggest selling point to me was Honeycomb Bark for the +40 Armor (again, I am a sucker for Armor and Speed).  That said, it turned out to deliver BIG TIME.  Honey Buzz Blast lets you charge Honey Glob and unleash not only the glob of Honey, but pre-packed angry bees.  Heavy Honey ups the damage and slows enemies, which is a very nice asset considering how slow Bumble Blast is.  Couple the instant offense, slowed enemies, and increased Armor and I think you have the superior path.

For veteran players, I would encourage you to take Honey Tree.  For rookie players, I think you would also benefit from Honey Tree, but if you really like the Beezooka, you would want to take Bee Keeper.  The Bee Keeper isn't a bad path, it is just a more direct, blatantly offensive path.

I personally, with no hesitation, back Honey Tree.  It delivers my armor, helps offset Bumble Blast's lack of speed by slowing enemies, and turns Honey Glob into a powerful attack that you can then use the base upgrade Beezook attacks with, or charge for instant bee-satisfaction.  I ultimately feel it makes him a more well rounded character.  The Bee-Pack Backpack is a big addition to either path, although some may object to it aesthetically...Despite it's less than desirable looks, it is worthwhile in my opinion due to the frequent, powerful attacks.

Hoot Loop and Enchanted Hoot Loop Upgrade Paths with Attack Damage Numbers Skylanders SWAP Force

Hoot Loop Base Upgrades

Enchanted Hoot Loop Base Upgrades

Hoot Loop Attack Damage Numbers

Enchanted Hoot Loop Dream-Weaver Upgrade Path (Top)

Hoot Loop Hypno-Owl Upgrade Path (Top)

Enchanted Hoot Loop Telekinesis Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Hoot Loop Escape Artist Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Hoot Loop is a Magic Element Swapper with the Teleport Ability.  The teleportation abilities alone make him very unique.  I think he and Night Shift might be representative of my favorite ability of the 8 found in SWAP Force.  Don't hold me to that just yet, but I am a big fan of teleporting in SWAP Force.

You really can't go wrong with any of Hoot Loop's Upgrade Paths, but they are very different.

Dream-Weaver is my personal choice for the top end...It plays a lot like Double Trouble's Channeler.  It hits very hard and you can hold the attack infinitely.  That said, Hypno-Owl is the more unique path and winds up doing pretty good damage while slowing enemies.  This one comes down to play style.  I think Dream-Weaver is the best choice for most, but if I just had one Hoot Loop, I think I would have been inclined to take Hypno-Owl, just because of how unique it is.  The Damage Numbers are pretty much the same (+/- 1), so this one, more than most, really comes down to personal preference.

Telekinesis is a nice path and probably the better choice for new players, or those looking for an easy way to deal damage.  Escape Artist is actually able to do similar damage, but not in the same spot...It is good for a quick hit-and-run type scenario, although I consider it more of an evasive move.  Telekinesis has to be charged, but is easy to execute.  Escape Artist, in my limited experience, can be hit and miss.  If you plan to teleport over, do damage, and escape back and it fails, you might be up a creek.  I'm sure it gets better over time, but I had some issues getting 100% success with it.

The good news, for those that have Hoot Loop and Enchanted Hoot Loop is that you can take all of the paths and see what you like best first hand.  Again, you really can't go wrong with any, the top end is almost identical damage wise and the bottom plays similar with Telekinesis being a bit easier to execute than Escape Artist.

Stink Bomb Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Stink Bomb Base Upgrades

Stink Bomb Attack Damage Numbers

Stink Bomb The Art of Skunk-Fu Upgrade Path

Stink Bomb The Art of Acorns Upgrade Path

Stink Bomb Skunk Cloud Controller Upgrade Path

Stink Bomb Sneaky Tricks Upgrade Path

Stink Bomb is another very unique character in SWAP Force.  Up top he benefits the most from Sweeping Skunk Fu, a throw and ready charged attack that deals nice damage in 90 degrees from the character.  The Skunk-Fu Stars (base attack) do decent damage and can be fired very quickly.  

On the bottom end, Hidden Tail, becomes his biggest hit as it can deliver a 70-105 hit while you are invisible.  That said, I am not sure Sweeping Skunk-Fu and Hidden Tail don't remain his best attributes, despite the availability of 4 Upgrade Paths.

Up top, I would go with Art of Skunk-Fu.  If this path simply boosted damage from the throwing stars it would have been solid.  Similarly, an overall armor boost would have been another great addition.  Actually, the shield + armor + an increase in damage would have been preferred by me.  That said, this one allows you to throw Skunk-Fu, his hardest hitting top end attack and gain an orbiting ring of Stars that will shield you.  They don't do incredible damage, but it is nice to have it since you'll likely use Sweeping Skunk-Fu a lot.  My advice is to keep the shield active as much as you can when in tough situations.  The best thing about the shield is that you can have it active and still throw a Sweeping Skunk-Fu, which of course, renews the time on the shield!  I would recommend this past to most everyone, particularly those who like the defensive techniques and most new players.

The Art of Acorns is pretty neat, but I don't see it as being too practical.  It is basically a charged attack that shoots a poison acorn.  You have to charge it 3 seconds, or 3x as long as Sweeping Skunk Fu.  My biggest issue comes from the charge time and then the fact that it is a long ranged attack like the primary Skunk Fu Stars.  The overlap kind of kills it for me.  This path could be useful, but you would have to work to set it up...And you would then have to really want to use it when you can shoot off the Skunk-Fu Stars so much faster.  I think we would have been better suited upgrading One-Inch Palm into a close quarters punch/strike, which would have tied in well with the Kung Fume background.  The Acorn attack, could then have been included in place of the Soul Gem.  Just my take.  I'd recommend this to anyone that prefers adding another long ranged projectile, or those who just really love acorns.

Down low, I am not a huge fan of either path, but the Soul Gem is nice...although I feel it could have been foregone by allowing you to remain invisible when attacking as a default feature.  Skunk Cloud Controller might be the better path in all honesty.  I really like the Sneaky Tricks concept, but the fact you have to walk slow is somewhat of a deal-breaker.  The best thing about being invisible is your ability to escape and Stink Bomb, like Stealth Elf is pretty quick.  I sometimes even have trouble going slow enough for the spikes to deploy, and that is with me trying.  The other catch, from a PvP point is the spikes make it really easy to find you.  Neither is quite what I expected, but I give the edge to Skunk Cloud Controller.  This is because the clouds linger and can do damage to several enemies, plus to execute the second cloud you have to re-enter Skunk Cloud, which gives you a chance to use Hidden Tail again.  I would suggest Skunk Cloud Controller to pretty much everyone, but with the caveat that Sneaky Tricks is pretty cool and unique, just be fully aware you have to move slowly for it to function.

Wiisdom's Picks: The Art of Skunk-Fu and Skunk Cloud Controller 

Grilla Drilla Upgrade Paths and Damage Numbers Skylanders SWAP Force

Grilla Drilla Base Upgrades

Grilla Drilla Attack Damage Numbers

Grilla Drilla Monkey Master Upgrade Path

Grilla Drilla Drilling Punches Path

--Coming Soon, Need a 2nd GD--

Grilla Drilla Coconut Caretaker Upgrade Path

Grilla Drilla Banana Blaster Upgrade Path

--Coming Soon, Need a 2nd GD--

Please Note: This post is a work in progress until I get a 2nd Grilla Drilla...

Smolderdash Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers Skylanders SWAP Force

Smolderdash Base Upgrades

Smolderdash Attack Damage Numbers

^Click the Spreadsheet to make it Larger^

Smolderdash Sun Forger Path

Smolderdash Sun Forged Path

Smolderdash upgraded very well.  I am surprised I haven't heard more people taking about her.

Sun Forger is going to be the path of choice for those who really like the concept of her flame whip and dividing up the Super Giant sun.  You also get a bump in Critical Hit.  I think this might be slightly better for PVP.

Sun Forged is my path of choice.  As always, when Speed or Armor is tied into a path, 95% of the time I will prefer it for that reason.  That said, Solar Blast is more effective to me and despite not being a fan of Sun's Core overall, it is a nice aura ability that you can control more precisely.  I think this path would be better for story mode than Sun Forger.

Ultimately, Smolderdash upgrades very well with just the base enhancements.  You can't go wrong with either path...You ultimately need to pick if you want Critical Hit or Armor and if you like Super Giant or Solar Blast better.

Scratch Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers Skylanders SWAP Force

Scratch Base Upgrades

Scratch Attack Damage Numbers

Scratch Ruby Upgrade Path

Scratch Sapphire Upgrade Path

What can I say here, Scratch is formidable box stock, turns into a legit beat with base upgrades, and either path is just icing on the cake.

I think most people would benefit from the Ruby Path, especially newcomers to the series.  You bump up the Critical Hit Chance, have a nice claw-roll combo on the primary side, and the Ruby Mask impacts a larger area.

That said, I personally prefer Sapphire.  Why?  I am not big on the "increase Critical Hit" upgrades and I am HUGE on Speed, or Armor.  Sapphire Slash is a cool, air based attack, but honestly I think the base upgraded tertiary still takes the cake.  Sapphire Mask slows enemies and while I'd rather have the increased damage of the Ruby Mask, it plays in well with your speed increase and vortex abilities.

Bottom line with Scratch, you really can't go wrong with either path...I think for the vast majority Ruby will be preferred.  Keep the aesthetics in mind too when making your choice.

Pop Thorn Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Base Upgrades

Pop Thorn Attack Damage Numbers

Tough and Puffed Upgrade Path

Controlled Breather Upgrade Path

For most players, especially rookies, I would suggest Tuff and Puffed.  I think most prefer the roll attacks you get with Rollerpuff and Prickly Body is a huge asset to counter mobs of enemies as it seeks out who hits you and delivers big hit points.

I myself perfer Controlled Breather.  Aero Trampoline is very hard hitting amplified and the biggest deal to me is Scattered Winds.  I'm a big fan of his gusts (ie while Popped), so this path makes sense to me.

If you also prefer his gusts and the speed Pop Thorn has while popped, take Controlled Breather.  If you prefer his Puff state and spike attacks take Tough and Puffed.

Doom Stone Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage

Doom Stone Base Upgrades

Doom Stone Attack Damage Numbers

Doom Stone Column Clubber (Top)

Doom Stone Jaded Fighter (Top)

Doom Stone Serious Spinner (Bottom)

Doom Stone Carved Belt (Bottom)

As mentioned several times, Doom Stone was my most anticipated Skylander Swapper.  Aesthetically he is awesome, at least in my opinion.  He is quite unique in his upgrade abilities and follows along the Chop Chop route with a sword and shield.

If I just had one Doom Stone I would be heavily inclined to go with Jaded Fighter up top.  Why?  Simple, Column Club is quite impressive with just the base upgrades.  Adding the abilities of Jaded Fighter to the shield (tertiary attack) it makes a for a nice combination.

Column Clubber is what I would suggest for most people...It takes a hard hitting attack and adds even more damage.

I would recommend Jaded Fighter to those who think like myself and view Column Club good enough as is...Jaded Fighter takes the shield and enhances it greatly with Cracking Up, which does 25-38 damage to surrounding enemies in a very nice radius.  It also takes advantage of his unique ability with the shield.

On the bottom end I would have to say Serious Spinner is definitively the better path.  I hate it when something is so clear, but Carved Belt was a severe disappointment.  Part of this might have been from the pictures and descriptions conveying it was going to be a 360 degree projectile emanating from the belt.  I honestly have to say, Spin the Tables (the Soul Gem) would have been better suited here with Carved Belt than Jaded Spin and Belt Pelters.  Honestly, just making Stoney Spin/Revolutionary Belt do even more damage would have been a bigger asset than Carved Belt as a whole.

Serious Spinner upgrades the Spin Right Around attack and takes it up to the 65-98 range.  It is hard to appreciate in the training grounds at Woodburrow, but works quite well against tougher enemies in arenas and story mode.  Similarly, just The Harder They Fall does more damage than the Carved Belt Path...that is ridiculous and should not have been...

If Carved Belt shot off multiple projectiles from your belt, simultaneously, and in all directions, I would have no qualms with it.  As is, one at a time with minimal damage and cast from the same serving point is supremely lackluster.

I had it pegged as the perfect compliment to Jaded Fighter as I had anticipated it to have good range and be multidirectional.  It was neither.  Up top you can honestly pick between Sword and Shield...On the bottom there is really no contest.  Carved Belt offers little benefit in any phase of the game.

That said, Doom Stone is a great Swapper and can be a charged, heavy hitter with Column Clubber and Serious Spinner, or a defensive whiz with Jaded Fighter and Serious Spinner.  My main advice is simply to avoid the Carved Belt Upgrade Path.

Dune Bug Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Dune Bug Base Upgrades

Dune Bug Damage Numbers

Dune Bug Scarab Sage Upgrade Path

Dune Bug Dune Mage Upgrade Path

Rubble Rouser Upgrade Paths and Damage Numbers

Rubble Rouser Base Upgrades

Rubble Rouser Damage Numbers

Rubble Rouser Drill Pitcher Path

Rubble Rouser Excavator Path

Rubble Rouser Bolder Boulders Path

Rubble Rouser Miner Foreman Path

Alright, so this one is fairly easy for me to offer up suggestions...

I would NEVER recommend Drill Pitcher.  The game's upgrade screen and strategy guide for Nailed It!  both state "Press Attack 1, Attack 1, and then hold and release Attack 1" to throw a charged hammer attack!"  The problem there is that it does not work, at least for me and at least on the Wii U version.  Sledgehammer makes the hammer do increased damage, but what good is that if you can never get it thrown?

The only way I got it to throw is by charging ahead of time (holding primary attack), quickly releasing, holding again (if you lose the charged state it won't work), quickly releasing, holding once more (again, if the hammer isn't bigger and glowing you have to start over), and then releasing to throw.  Not only is this insanely slow, but it might not work...The damage 36-54 and then 54-81 would be nice...It would be a great path if it actually threw the hammer with any consistency.

My original logic was "Bolder Boulders" looks the best to me because it is the most unique...It would be best complimented by a long range projectile which I had hoped Drill Pitcher would provide.  As is, I can not suggest that path.  I will try it on Xbox One to see if it works better, but I doubt it.  The real slap in the face is that I discovered (while trying to figure out how to throw the hammer) that charged hammer hits do increased damage.  I assumed this was probably tied in with Drill Pitcher and the combo aspect...I was wrong!  Using my 2nd Rubble Rouser, I discovered that you could charge the hammer with the base attacks.  That, to me, makes Drill Pitcher one of the few paths I have ever seen that I can consider broken.  By the time I got a hammer to throw I would have either A-Taken serious damage, or B-just used other attacks to defeat the enemies.  Thus the 54-81 and ranged nature of a hammer throw means nothing.

I was also disturbed by Happy Hammering claiming "All Hammer Attacks do Increased Damage."  At the time you have your Primary and Tertiary attacks, both being hammer attacks.  Happy Hammering only addressed the damage output of "Hammer Swing" and left "Tools of the Trade" as is.

The great news though is that Excavator (misspelled in the Strategy Guide's picture box), works quite well.  You shoot off 6 rock shards that wind up doing 28-42 Damage and seem to have the range of the hammer throw (when it would work).  Plus, the 6 shards kind of fan out and actually cover a much broader range than just a single straight forward hammer throw (did I mention it was hard to aim that?...Again, that discourages use in long range situations).

Up top, I would DEFINITIVELY suggest you take Excavator...no questions asked.  I will try Drill Pitcher in XB1 and maybe other can get it to work as intended, but I sure can't and as such I would never use it...Excavator offers a nice, broad attack radius with some nice damage numbers...and it WORKS!

Down low, I initially thought Bolder Boulders would fit my play style the best and that Miner Foreman, despite not "liking" those upgrade paths, would probably be pretty good as well (Sonic Boom and Double Trouble come to mind).  I was basically right!

Bolder Boulders is not what I had hoped...but it is still very unique and offers up some distinct advantages for Rubble Rouser.  I had pictured a drilling ability that let me go underground and stay there a long time while offering up a way to move from A to B underground AND having a crosshair (kind of like Zook) to aim the boulders.  I must say, that would have made Rubble Rouser a true beast.  That said, you get basically 7 seconds of dig time and the boulder's wind up doing 14-21 damage, although you can't really control where they go.  That said, it ties in perfectly with the Pop Rock Soul Gem.

Miner Foreman offers up exactly what I thought it would...4 Minor Miners that do increased damage.  You do have to use Deep Dig 4 times to summon all 4, but they wind up bashing out 7-11 Damage on each hit and they each hit a lot of times.

On the bottom end I would have to suggest Miner Formean for most people as it would likely be the most beneficial for a straight forward play style.  Plus, you still have Tunnel Expedition and the Soul Gem to pick up some aspects of Bolder Boulders.  For veteran players, or those who are a fan of the 7 second damage free time I would suggest Bolder Boulders.

Pairing Bolder Boulders or Miner Foreman with Excavator up top makes for a pretty solid and unique character.  I am still disappointed in "Happy Hammering" doing half of what it advertises and Drill Pitcher being virtually useless due to it's inherently complex launching system, but the fact remains that Excavator and either bottom path will add up to make a very nice Swap Force Skylander!

Fryno Upgrade Paths and Damage Numbers

Fryno Base Upgrades

Fryno Damage Numbers

Fryno Bralwer Path

Fryno's Hot Shop Path

Fryno is another newlander where on attack is based on enhancing the other.  That carries through his base upgrades and upgrade paths.  In all honesty, I am not a big fan of either upgrade path.  I say that with a lot of disappointment.  I feel like a lot of great things could have been done for Fryno and instead they were just very poorly thought out...I notice this is a pattern with several of the later released characters.

Brawler basically adds Hot Hands, which will deal a quick 7 hits of damage, but only when you hold your primary attack...The issue I have with Hot Hands is that it isn't much incentive over his standard Brawl attack in my opinion.  Spiked Up slightly enhances Hot Hands and then Temperature Tantrum does minuscule damage...it will be useful, but nothing to write home about.

Fryno's Hot Shop does nice damage, but is overall disappointing.  First off, the motorcycle is more or less a scooter and there aren't many motorbikes of any sort with an engine mounted in such a manner...all of that is frivolous and unrelated to the path and game, but it bothers me and is a sign of just how short sighted Fryno's upgrades were...

Born to Ride basically lets you turn into the motorcycle automatically, which is cool, but it takes away "The Horn" from "The Horn and the Hog" and it isn't accented with increased speed, armor, or damage...Hot Rod delivers the extra damage that could have come with Born to Ride in the first place.  Crash and Burn is cool and has a nice radius, but my issue is that I can't imagine using it much outside of just wanting to...Born to Ride/The Hog will go on perpetually and deal 40-60, which is more than this final upgrade.

Imo having an Armor Bonus down Brawler and a Speed Bonus down Hot Shop would have even been better.  I can think of a lot of ways to have made both paths better with very little effort.  Giving Brawler a simple combo with increased damage and letting the Hot Shop have a flame thrower or flame trail come to mind.  I just kind of feel like Fryno was rushed...

I would much rather sit here and sing the praises of two paths and wrack my brain making a suggestion for you...I can do that with most Skylanders, but not Fryno.  I think he is a neat character and in all honestly he has some cool attacks, but it just seems like he got the short end of the stick and was likely the victim of time constraints.

That said, I would have to give the nod to Fryno's Hot Shop for most players since it does more damage and offers a quicker way of getting from A-B.  Brawler would be good for those who prefer close quarters action and don't mind the process of "heating up" and waiting to unleash Hot Hands.  The good news is that his Soul Gem enhances Temperature Tantrum quite a bit.

I think a Wow Pow would greatly help his cause in any future releases.  I plan to play as him a lot, I just think he has a lot of untapped potential.