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

Starcast Attack Damage Numbers

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Skylanders Research: Elite Trigger Happy Upgrade Paths & Attack Damage Numbers

Elite Trigger Happy Base Upgrades

Elite Trigger Happy Golden Frenzy Upgrade Path

Elite Trigger Happy Golden Money Bags Upgrade Path

Elite Trigger Happy Attack Damage Numbers

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Skylanders Research: Eon's Elite Gill Grunt Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Elite Gill Grunt Base Upgrades

Elite Gill Grunt Harpooner Upgrade Path

Elite Gill Grunt Water Weaver Upgrade Path

Elite Gill Grunt Attack Damage Numbers

Skylanders Research: Eon's Elite Eruptor Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Elite Eruptor Base Upgrades

Elite Eruptor Magmantor Upgrade Path

Elite Eruptor Volcanor Upgrade Path

Elite Eruptor Attack Damage Numbers

Skylanders Research: Fist Bump Upgrades and Attack Damage Numbers

Fist Bump seems to fly under everyone’s radar, and after upgrading him I have no clue why there hasn’t been more chatter about him!  Great story, unique abilities, and an awesome upgrade tree!

Box Stock

Fist Bump is one of those classic, “Eh, not that great” characters box stock.  While I appreciate the proficiency of the primary attack and found a nice tie in with the primary and secondary, most seem to see the numbers and be unimpressed.  The Panda Pound does 50-75 and the Fault Line Slam deals 32-48 when up close on impact, or 35-52 from a distance with a nice 44-66 uprising when a fault line is hit with Panda Pound.  However, it is important to note Fist Bump has a nice jump slam attack from the get-go with a 175-262 hit!  There is also a 1-2-3 Combo that deals 50-75, 50-75, 140-210 you have to factor in…Since a lot of people overlook the jump slams and combos, it is very important to make note of them.

Base Upgrades

Seismic Slide is the tertiary attack and it deals 72-108 on impact and actually generates a fault line…The fault line remains the same as the standard secondary attack and will deal 44-66.  Panquake is up next and while it keeps the Panda Pound at 50-75, it also makes mini fault cracks that come in handy later.  If you jump attack it, you now create instant fault lines to go with the powerful 175-262.  Hold the Line simply extends the reach of the fault lines, which is always nice.  Don’t Bump Fist Bump is almost like armor, but falls more in the self-defense field.  When you are hit by an enemy and have fault lines on the field you will see the faults are triggered and generate the 44-66 uprising damage.

Rowdy Richter Upgrade Path

This is a pretty solid path, particularly because of A Bolder Boulder (doesn’t that sound like a Rocky Roll Upgrade?).  Fault Lines in Glass Houses adds small stones that can shoot up from pounded fault lines…they are more visual than anything as they only deal 10-15 damage.  Quake’N’Bake is a two-fold increase of the standard fault line.  The usual 35-52 impact damage is now 49-73 and the 44-66 uprise damage is bumped to a very nice 62-93.  A Bolder Boulder wraps up the path and it interjects the possibility of having a spiked boulder.  You still have the small stones that deal 10-15 damage, but every 4-6 small stones you will see one of the spiked boulders…the spiked boulders do an incredible 100-150!  It is also worth noting that this looks really cool…The most functional way I saw to play this path was to fire off a few fault lines and then start Panquake.  In addition to getting the 62-93 from the risers and additional damage from the small stones and spiked boulders, if an enemies are left after the fault lines expire you can keep spamming Panquake and take advantage of the small fault cracks generating the stones and spiked boulders…You will miss out on the uprising damage, but that is easy to offset with a moderate ground pound coupled with the stone projectiles.

Bamboo Bonanza Upgrade Path

Man, what a path!  I had the pre-drawn conclusion that Rowdy Richter would be the hard hitting path and was simply holding hope that the bamboo explosions did more than 16 damage and the health regen was more than +5 at a time…Both fears were put to rest!  Healing Bamboo is up first and it spawns within fault lines you create…The bamboo deals a very respectable +15 Health!  The game stays you have to “slide into it” which would imply the tertiary attack, Seismic Slide must be used but that is no the case.  You can simply walk into it, or I found that often times the bamboo spawns so close to you, you just auto absorb the health increase!  Sliding into it is advantageous though as it will generate even more fault lines with bamboo!  So what if you are at full health, or need the damage output more than gaining a little back?  Well, Bamboo Harvest takes that into consideration.  If you have created a few fault lines and have bamboo all across the screen, you can do your jump slam attack and create bamboo explosions to the tune of 80-120 damage with each go around!  Lastly, “Jump For It!” makes the jump slam attack much quicker and generates 2 fault lines, which yes…have bamboo!!  Overall this is an awesome combination of offense and defense and a path I can’t help but prefer!

Soul Gem

Riding the Rails transforms Fist Bump into quite the juggernaut.  It is quite possible you could take out hordes of garden variety enemies like Chompies and some mid-tier enemies without actually doing anything aside from moving!  You might think that this Soul Gem would suit Rowdy Richter better, but I would gladly debate that.  While Rowdy Richter will get more results from the uprisings and stones and boulders launching, Bamboo Bonanza lets you cash in on +15 Health, or great access to ready made bamboo to detonate with an Air Panda Pound!  The Soul Gem plays beautifully into either path and truly does make Fist Bump a force to be reckoned with!

Attack Damage

Conclusion

Fist Bump upgrades very well down either path.  Personally, I would have to rate Bamboo Bonanza as the better option.  Rowdy Richter is great for those who want to spam the primary attack, or simply approach enemies with a base skill (Seismic Slide or firing off a few fault lines) and the revert back to the tandem compatibility of using Panda Pound.  The spiked boulders are lethal and you can make quite a dent on most enemies before they are up close for melee combat.  Bamboo Bonanza really isn’t that far behind Rowdy Richter’s damage output and offers health regeneration!  The versatility of Bamboo Harvest, which lets you blow up the bamboo if it will better function in that manner than in regenerative fashion really seals the deal.  Having the jump slam sped up and spawning fault lines with bamboo encourages you to utilize Fist Bump’s most powerful attack AND make use of his tertiary attack for quick recovery.  It is one of the better paths I have seen in Trap Team and I truly believe he is in the running for being the most versatile of all the core Skylanders in this game!

Skylanders Trap Team Research: Gusto Upgrades and Attack Damage Numbers

I have never really heard much chatter about Gusto, aside from people saying they don’t like him…I have used him a lot in my blind playthrough and actually really like him.  Then again, I tend to be both a boomerang and weather fan, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Box Stock

Gusto’s primary attack, Traptanium Boomerang, is straight forward and simple.  It deals 80-120 2-3x.  If you tap the primary attack button while it is out, the boomerang will return quicker.  Inhaler is his secondary attack.  It allows you to inhale enemies (16-24 damage) and then spit them out.  Your impact exhale does one instance of 64-96 and if you hold it down, you can deal 16-24 multiple times over about 8 seconds, which is also how long you can hold inhale.  They combine for a good tandem in my opinion and each one has pretty good range.

Base Upgrades

 The Breath of Life seems more like a Soul Gem to me.  It allows you to inhale enemies AND gain HP.  However, it is the amount of HP you gain that strikes me as “soul gem” territory.  I expected 3-8 to the range, and was shocked to see +20!  That means 5 enemies can regen 100 Health!  Nothing to argue about with this being our first base upgrade!  Twistin’ in the Wind is Gusto’s tertiary attack.  You can press, or hold the button and do 2 or 3 counts of 33-49 respectively.  This is a cool move just because of how fun it looks.  Electro-Rang is up next and it really delivers.  This is a progressive, charged attack.  You have three tiers of damage based on the hold time: 1 Second=104-156, 2 Seconds=136-204, and 3 Seconds=200-300!  That is a lot of damage!  Plus, if you have to stop short of a full 3 seconds, you’ll still deal damage greater than the original 80-120.  Lots of Lungpower is hard to document as I saw no change in the inhale damage, exhale damage, or duration of inhale and exhale.  That said, I assume you can simply hold more enemies, which might come in handy when you spit them out.

Air Ace

Gusto’s Air Ace Upgrade Path addresses the Traptanium Boomerang.  Boom-erang is a three-fold enhancement!  The regular boomerang throw goes from 80-120 to 100-150.  The Electro-Rang also sees increases across all three tiers: 1 Second=130-195, 2 Seconds=170-255, 3 Seconds=250-375.  Lastly, and not advertised or mentioned is the fact that our tertiary attack, Twistin’ In the Wind, will now deal 66-99!  This is a really big deal because the 33-49 doesn’t even change on Dizzy Destroyer, a path dedicated to the tertiary attack!  Next up we have Rang Me Like a Hurricane.  Anytime the boomerang hits an enemy, it will spawn a mini hurricane that lasts about 8 seconds and does 15-22 damage.  Boomerang Buddies finishes the path off and allows you to have up to 3 orbiting Boomerangs that act as a shield.  They deal 10-15 damage and run for 25 seconds each if they take no damage.  If you have  3 active and trigger a 4^th, the previous three will shoot out in all directions.  Sadly, there is no “boom” factor, but they will still do the same 10-15 as when they orbit you.

Dizzy Destroyer

This path focuses entirely on the tertiary attack Twistin’ In the Wind.  Spin Like the Wind takes the short life cycle of Twistin ‘ in the Wind and ups it to 8 seconds.  Furthermore, when you hit enemies, you now spawn mini hurricanes.  Just like in Air Ace they seem to last about 8 seconds and deal 15-22 damage.  They move very quickly, but also erratically.  Shocking Twist lets you shock enemies.  Shockingly (pun not intended) this seems to not register any additional damage, but looks to slow enemies down a little bit.  Oddly enough, the base attack is still doing 33-49 like when we first got it.  Lightning Ball is really the highlight of this path.  You now instantaneously turn into the Lightning Ball and have a run time of 11 seconds.  In this state you can move very fast!  You do the same 33-49 damage, but the lightning ball will trigger electrocution and hurricanes as you roll thru enemies.

Soul Gem

Boomerang’s 4 Breakfast seemed like it would favor Air Ace, but that was not the case.  Both paths do the same damage with this Soul Gem.  In order to execute it you need to throw the boomerang and then inhale it.  You will know this happens when you don’t see your boomerang and Gusto’s belly is swollen.  Upon exhale, the boomerang registers a hit of 160-240 and then lets you hold exhale for a familiar 8 seconds, but at a greater damage rate of 64-96!

Gusto Attack Damage (Click to Enlarge)

Conclusion

I am not quite sure why more people don’t seem to talk about Gusto, but I suppose that is the fate of a few characters each game.  Dizzy Destroyer is unique and a lot of fun.  You can obliterate groups of weaker enemies and seriously weaken heavier hitting foes.  Once your times is up, you just head back into it.  There is no reason to NOT be in Lightning Ball if you select this path.  The only exception would be if you are critically low on health and need to regen some HP via Inhale.  This is the path for you if you like speed, simplicity, and/or don’t see yourself using the boomerang or inhale much.  Air Ace is the path to take if you are a boomerang fan, or enjoy the spectacle that is inhaling and spitting out your opponents.  I personally prefer Air Ace and not just because I like the boomerang.  Air Ace offers nice damage, a defensive ability, and actually increases the tertiary attack’s damage numbers!  It is mind boggling that Dizzy Destroyer maintains the same 33-49 the entire path for the one attack it is focused on!  I think Lightning Ball is great, but wouldn’t you like it better if you were doing 60-90 damage?  I also find it somewhat odd that the electrocution doesn’t do damage over time to enemies.  I see a lot of potential for Dizzy Destroyer and feel like it was cut short on that front.  I will continue to maintain that you can wreck a lot of enemies with Lightning Ball, but for something the encourages you to use 1 attack exclusively, I would have expected something more in terms of a damage count exceeding the debut numbers in our base upgrades.  That said, I would overall recommend Air Ace, but if you love the look of Lightning Ball, or just don’t like the primary/secondary (or feel that they are good as is), then you will not be disappointed with Dizzy Destroyer.  I can’t stress enough I like the path, but I find it very odd that the 33-49 perpetuated thru all the upgrades and electrocution was so lackluster.  As nit-picky as that sounds, I played around with both Gusto’s after the upgrades and took Dizzy Destroyer up a few levels just rolling thru enemies, lol.  I’d l just prefer to do so at a higher damage number.

Skylanders Trap Team: Bat Spin Upgrades and Attack Damage Numbers

Bat Spin has a nice combination of box stock attacks.  Bat Attack works two fold in that you shoot out a bat that does 39-58 on impact and then deals an additional 8-12 damage with subsequent bites.  The life span is roughly 8 seconds at this point in time.  The only weakness here is that a maximum number of “additional hits” are hard to come by since the bats are somewhat relaxed and won’t always seek out the enemy with great effort.  Bat Swarm summons bats and sends them in a swirl that quickly shrinks down.  If you stand at a point blank range, the bats will do 60-90 on impact for roughly 6 hits.

Base Attacks

Bat Spin boasts some very balanced base upgrades.  Healing Bite offers up the classic Undead Element way of gaining health.  If Bat Spin shoots out a bat with Bat Attack they do 39-58 as mentioned above.  At this point in time, they can not grant you health.  However, once they have “bit” an enemy (see the 8-12 additional damage) they grant you +3 Health.  As best I can tell, each subsequent bite delivers an additional +3.  It is very unlikely to get more than +6 from a single bat at this point in time given how lax they are around enemies.  Nonetheless, you can’t  argue with what is essentially a semi-automatic health regeneration!  Next up is Brawny Bats.  This upgrade is multifaceted.  First off, the life cycle of a bat from Bat Attack doubles from 8 to 16 seconds.  The 39-58 impact remains the same, but now the 8-12 after the hit bite clocks in at 16-24, which again is double the previous output.  Another key aspect here is that Bat Swarm bumps up from 60-90 to 78-117.  In this form you can see your +3 move on to +12s and even +15 if you get lucky.  I do believe this remains proportional to the number of times the bat has attacked and dealt damage..Case in point, grab a bat right after the first bite and you’ll get +3.  Go Batty! Is up next and it is a very unique upgrade, and quite formidable!  This is Bat Spin’s tertiary attack and it transforms her ghoulish self into a large, flying bat.  She can stay in this form indefinitely.  If you execute a primary attack in Go Batty, she will bite.  This deals a devastating 150-225!  A hit of the secondary attack button while in Go Batty and you deliver 56-84 3x via Screech.  Lastly, A Colony of Bats seems to let you have 8 or so bats active at once…obviously, this is advantageous in any situation.

Pet Purveyor

This path strikes me as more of a “hands off” approach.  If you are of the mindset that you’d rather sit back and only contest enemies when you must, or like to play very defensively, this path is for you.  I found it extremely hard to document, and thus fully appreciate.  The vague descriptions and lack of first hand scenarios matching them do not do much to bolster this path.  Essentially you add 3 special bats which are always active.  Mr. Dizzy stuns and confuses enemies.  I never really saw this happen in my limited attempts, but that also means it would be just as hard to appreciate over a longer interval.  I have faith it works, but I didn’t see any glaring instances where I found myself cheering for Mr. Dizzy.  Mr. Blocky is said to protect you by deflecting projectiles.  I saw the armor icon a few times, but nothing to get excited about.  Mr. Bitey was actually quantitative.  If you see a 75-112 on screen you can trace down Mr. Bitey and watch him rip off further instances of the numbers.  I think, despite how hard it is to tell what the path is really doing, and how well it is working, that you would have a pretty solid character with this path.  I’m also fairly certain there are certain locations this path would show much better than it did in the video.  However, I do haveideas to make this path significantly better.  I am fine with the bats being present as it is unique and reflective of the level of upgrades your Bat Spin has.  However, let’s make Mr. Dizzy generate +x Critical Hit.  Mr. Blocky would, of course, grant +40 Armor.  Mr. Bitey could maintain his 75-112, but what if that also applied (in the same, or a lesser degree) to your Bat Attack bats?  Maybe making the 39-58 a 45-67 and then additional damage coming by way of 32-48 bites and intervals of +4 Health.  That sounds really good to me…quantitative and functional!

Bat Betterment

This path upgrade the previously untouched bat form attacks that came with Go Batty!.  Bat-tle Cry takes the Screech from 56-84 all the way up to 84-126!  Furthermore, if you screech at bats from bat attack they know deal 32-48 when they bit enemies.  Ultimate Bat Squad, as best I can tell lets 8 bats fly with you…If you get in good space, this actually looks really cool.  Plus, if you are about to enter a hot bed of enemies, you can simply bring in a full arsenal of bats, screech at them, and then fly into battle!  Chiropteran Call keeps the bat form bite at 150-225, but shoots out 3 bats at once!  This is a big deal because these are the same bats you get from Bat Attack.  So essentially you do 150-225 from the bite and then immediately have 39-58 3x for the bats AND after that they are free to fly around biting enemies to deal 16-24, or 32-48 if you screech at them.  That damage adds up very quickly!  The biggest advantage though is that you can now stay in bat mode and get bats…previously we had to switch back to regular form and fire them off via Bat Attack.

Soul Gem

Great Balls of Bats!  Looks like the greatest upgrade of all time in the training grounds.  It deals 156-234 damage.  However, if you hold it (charges roughly 2-3 seconds) you can keep it active and deal 156-234 endlessly at extremely fast intervals.  Sadly, this only works at the training grounds…in a gameplay situation, Bat Spin can hold it, but the ball shoots of quickly.  It does pass through enemies so it can sometimes dish out a few counts of 156-234, but more often than not it will only do so one time.  That said, I fully recommend you try it out at the training grounds!

Bat Spin Attack Damage Numbers

Conclusion

Bat Spin is a very solid character.  I think you can do well with either path, but I find it difficult to fully appreciate the Pet Purveyor path, especially when I can see and document exactly what Bat Betterment offers.  Clearly, these paths are both unique, but are spectrums apart in terms of style.  If you hate her bat form via Go Batty!, you will want to stay away from it.  In my opinion, Bat Betterment is more  of a “get in there and fight” type of a path while Pet Purveyor rewards you more for standing back and letting the bats do more of the grunt work.  You could easily argue that Go Batty!, is strong enough on its’ own merits to warrant taking Pet Purveyor.   You could also argue that the gains from Bat Betterment outweigh Pet Purveyor’s vague nature.  I think most will select the path based on their play style.  Despite not seeing much from Pet Purveyor, I still think it has potential, but for me personally I would pick Bat Betterment and I fully recommend it.

Jawbreaker Upgrade Paths & Attack Damage Numbers

Jawbreaker Base Upgrades

Jawbreaker has a very nice primary attack.  While it doesn’t offer earth shattering damage numbers on face value, it has that rare “rapid fire” quality that makes veteran players giddy with excitement.  Spark Shock is a unique and fun upgrade…it even offers a spin move when you are in Robo Rage.  Heavy Hands comes in as the final base upgrade and improves the already functional Traptanium Punch attack.

Jawbreaker High Voltage Upgrade Path

This path strikes me (ha, get it?) as a bit defensive.  You don’t have armor boosts or anything, but the upgrades each offer some nice residual damage.

Static Cling is very cool in that you get roughly 16 rounds of damage (at 10-15 each) after your initial attack damage.  Hands Off! Is automatic!  Anytime Jawbreaker is hit, he cranks out the larger, rogue sparks that deal 20-30 damage!  Sparking Interest is similar to both, but automatically deals the larger, rogue sparks when you are simply in Robo Rage Mode.

Legendary Jawbreaker Out-RAGE-ous Upgrade Path

This path is designed for those who  really like Robo Rage Mode.  The best feature, in my opinion, comes from “Punch for Power” which basically allows you to perpetually remain in Robo Rage Mode, provided you are landing punches.  This would be easy to do in Kaos Doom Challenge, or Nightmare Mode playthrus.  You keep the speed, armor, and damage boosts in full force.

Jolting Jab is an attack that makes sense, but I never really “saw it work” to obtain an attack damage number.  Defense Firmware would have been a great addition under the old format of “+X Armor,” but it is the vague “take less damage while in Robo Rage Mode.”  Those upgrades don’t usually impress me and that was the case here. 

Jawbreaker Attack Damage Numbers

Conclusion

Jawbreaker is very easy to overlook if you go on box-stock ability.  He doesn’t really do much to stand out and not many will even appreciate the rapid fire punches he packs.  However, both of his paths are quite good.  I personally prefer High Voltage as it seems more practical to my play style.  Hypercharged Haymaker is a great Soul Gem.  It and the Spark Shock attacks from High Voltage wind up giving Jawbreaker some much needed “ranged attacks.”  I’m not huge on Robo Rage mode, especially when High Voltage works so well on its own.  That said, I can see where some of you would like the increased damage and other perks (speed etc) and thus prefer Out-RAGE-ous.  My official nod goes to High Voltage.

Fizzy Frenzy Pop Fizz & Love Potion Pop Fizz Upgrade Paths with Attack Damage Numbers

Fizzy Frenzy Pop Fizz Base Upgrades

Love Potion Pop Fizz Mad Scientist Upgrade Path

Fizzy Frenzy Pop Fizz Best of the Beast Upgrade Path

Fizzy Frenzy Pop Fizz Attack Damage Spreadsheet

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My Analysis

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

Snap Shot & Dark Snap Shot Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage

Snap Shot Base Upgrades

Snap Shot Crackshot Croc Upgrade Path

Dark Snap Shot Tide Turner Upgrade Path

Snap Shot Attack Damage Numbers

Krypt King Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage

Krypt King Base Upgrades

Krypt King Attack Damage Numbers

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Krypt King: Lord of the Sword Upgrade Path

Nitro Krypt King: Swarm Summoner Upgrade Path

Skylanders Trap Team: Lob-Star Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage

Lob-Star Base Upgrades

Lob-Star Shooting Star Upgrade Path

Winterfest Lob-Star Hard Boiled Upgrade Path

Attack Damage Numbers

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Lob-Star Upgrade Path Analysis 

Lob-Star is another fairly complex character to document.  This is because so many of his attacks have dual damage outputs hinging upon his "Boiled" state.

I really like the box-stock aesthetics of Lob-Star, but when he is "boiled" he turns red.  As such, I thought it would be cool to take Winterfet down the Hard Boiled Path.  For better or worse, Winterfest has a unique attribute.  Instead of maintaining the red, or having a tone change, Winterfest turns gold when boiled.  Some will love this, everyone can appreciate it, but others, like myself, will not be huge fans of the "golden" boiled state.  That said, let's take a look at things.

Starshooter is a nice base attack that offers a singular star with quick fire capabilities.  It deals out 25-37 damage.  However, the stars will do 30-45 when he is boiled.  To achieve this state, Lob-Star has to let off steam by holding Attack 2 for roughly 7 seconds.  He can do 3x of 10-15 at the start, and then sits vulnerable while charging.  Once boiled, he can stay in that state seemingly forever as long as you are idle...it also lasts a LONG time if you are just running around (he is significantly quicker while boiled).  When you execute Attack 2 while boiled you can jump the damage from 10-15 to 40-60 3x.

The base upgrades are pretty straight forward.  Interestingly, Sharp Shot not only increases the throwing stars damage, but it also takes the "steam" release from 40-60 to 52-78.  I prefer to call it a "Star Clap" since it seems to be more noticeable than the steam it shoots out.  Boiling Over provides some defense while charging up to boil, but offers no other benefit.  Lob-Star Express takes Lob-Star Roll from 50-75 to 65-97 in standard mode, or offers an increase from 61-91 to 79-118 while boiled.  Executing Lob-Star Express also deals some steam damage at the end of the charge, but it appears to be minimal.

Shooting Star

This is my preferred path for Lob-Star.  It is more simplistic and easy to execute.  Twice the Starpower takes roughly 4-5 seconds to charge and then deals 231-446 2x!!  This was thoroughly unexpected.  Star Defense activates right before Twice the Starpower and runs 20-25 seconds with 3 Stars that deal 33-49 damage each!  I have gotten it up to 27 hits before it terminates.  Oddly enough, Super Stars, the first upgrade down the path, grants increased damage to the base throwing star attack (40-60, 49-73), but only while boiled.  Twice the Starpower and Star Defense do not require being in the boiled state and they do not offer increased damage when boiled.  If you are not "boiled" the throwing stars are capped at 33-49 from Sharp Shot.

I personally would have loved to see Super Stars damage increase apply without having to be boiled.  I also think it would have been nice to possibly just replace Super Stars with 2 standard throwing stars.  I also would have been happy with +40 Armor somewhere down this path.  As is, Star Defense is a very capable defense system.

Hard Boiled

This path is a MUST if you have a strong affinity toward using the Lob-Star Express.  Full Steam Ahead will leave a trail of steam that deals 40-60 damage.  More importantly, this doesn't just impact enemies you are retreating from, but rather you can time the dashes and set up defensive walls to either throw stars behind, set up another dash, or provide a slight barrier to Boiling Over.  Getting Steamed automatically releases steam to damage enemies that hit you, but I could NEVER get a solid damage number from it.  Whatever it is, I don't think it is proportional, and I am inclined to believe it would be minimal at best.  That said, Self-E Steam makes up for it offering increases to the throwing stars (49-73, Clap (78-117), and gives an initial increase to letting off steam and boiling over (10-15 vs 20-30).  Perhaps most importantly, this consumes less boiling power.

If you do not like the throwing stars, prefer the Lob-Star Express take Hard Boiled.  If you are indifferent between the primary and tertiary, be weary that you will want to be boiled at all times with Hard Boiled. If you have a hard time getting boiled without taking damage, I would consider taking Shooting Star.

The Boiler, Lob-Star's Soul Gem can basically go down every time you boil...just hold it for another second and he will jump off screen and then slam down a devastating 400-600!

Conclusion

Personally, for me, Shooting Star just makes more sense.  It is mind boggling why you don't get a non-boiled increase to the throwing star damage with Super Stars, but Twice the Starpower's massive damage output and the sheer (ha, punny!) functionality of Star Defense makes it a moot point.  The way I view Super Stars at that point is simply an added benefit to taking advantage of the speed increase that comes with being boiled.  I will, once again, say that if you like Lob-Star Express, or just find yourself using it the most, take Hard Boiled.  I really would have liked to see an Armor Increase on one of the paths and I truly think Super Stars would be better off not involving the boiled state, or simply granting 2 throwing stars.  That said, either path should make for a solid experience and they are quite different.  Rookies would definitely be better off with Shooting Star and Hard Boiled won't be hard to master...just stay boiled and dash a lot.

Skylanders SWAP Force Countdown Upgrade Paths with Attack Damage Numbers

Countdown Base Upgrades

Countdown Attack Damage Numbers

Countdown Boom Buddies Forever Upgrade Path

Countdown Rocketeer Upgrade Path

Kickoff Countdown Rocketeer Upgrade Path
with thewalkthruking

Countdown was actually one of my most anticipated new Skylanders in SWAP Force.  I thought he looked pretty cool and he is reminiscent of California Raisins for some odd reason...Plus, I also think of Europe's "The Final Countdown,"  In fact, to get in the spirit for writing this I just fired the song up...

Anyway, I really do think Countdown is the bomb...sorry, but you have to admit it is somewhat punny.

That aside, (and yes, Europe's "Final Countdown" is really playing), Countdown did not disappoint.  His base upgrades ave very good and set you up for a touch choice in terms of paths.

Rocketter addresses his primary attack Rocket Blast and truly delivers.  You begin with Triple Threat that greatly increases the horizontal range of the attack.  Warhead Hands ups the damage even more, but the BIG payoff is from Mega Mortar that ups Controlled Burst to 80-120.  I still think Triple Threat is the most vital down the path as it really plays into a broader range.  You can use it to soften up hordes of enemies and then launch Mega Mortar at the stalwarts.

Boom Buddies Forever will no doubt appeal to many people.  It lets you have up to 4 Boom Buddies, ups the damage, and adds Lingering Sparks that do light damage as they run to enemies.

I have always and remain inclined to go with non-doubles paths...To make it simple think Boom Buddies Forever, Double Trouble's Conjuror, and Sonic Boom's Medea Griffin.  I don't know why, the "minaitures" just never appeal to me as much as the standard fare stuff.  That said, as mentioned in the video, Double Trouble and Sonic Boom's "mini" paths turned out to be pretty dang good.

Luckily, Countdown has all his bases covered.  I took regular Countdown down the Rocketeer Upgrade Path, LightCore Countdown down the Boom Buddies Forever Upgrade Path, and then I'll take Kickoff Countdown down Rocketeer.  Why, because it is my path of choice.

I fully endorse Rocketeer because I enjoy the increased horizontal range and damage numbers.  Plus, as mentioned, I'm still not a big fan of the minis...However, they make a lot of sense for Countdown and I will admit this...If the minis for Kickoff Countdown were little soccer ball bombs I would have a 2nd Kickoff Countdown just because of that...It would have been EPIC!

I think Rocketeer is good for those of you like me who just prefer it, those who like the Rocket Blast best, and players looking for something simple to improve Countdown.  Boom Buddies Forever is a solid path and will no doubt appeal to many...

My only complaint is not being able to control the bombs and the Lingering Sparks are a bit weak.  I would have loved to see Armor tired in with Rocketeer and Speed tied in with Boom Buddies Forever.

I was also sad that both paths were entirely one trick ponies. Rocketeer only addressed the Primary Attack and Boom Buddies Forever only addressed the Tertiary Attack.  What is my favorite attack you ask?  Bomb Head/Hefty Concussion of course!  It would have been cool to see it expanded upon, but I suppose the Soul Gem is a nice nod...and a ridiculously powerful one at that!  It is a true screen-cleaner, but be warned that you have 6 seconds of down time afterwards (and Countdown looses some memory).  Just time it accordingly and you should have no issues!

All-in-all a great addition to the Tech Element and someone I hope to see carry the torch for future games!  Both paths are solid, it just comes down to what you want to expand: Rocket Blast, or Explosive Friendship.

Star Strike Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Star Strike Base Upgrades

Star Strike Damage Numbers

^You Can Click the Spreadsheet to Make it Larger^

Star Strike Star Gazer Upgrade Path

Star Strike Cosmic Reflector Upgrade Path

Slobber Tooth and Dark Slobber Tooth Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Slobber Tooth Base Upgrades

Dark Slobber Tooth Base Upgrades

Slobber Tooth Attack Damage Numbers

Slobber Tooth Food Fighter Path

Dark Slobber Tooth Seismic Tail Path

Slobber Tooth is an Earth Element Newlander and therefore falls into my favorite Element.  He is a pretty cool looking character who blends a bit of Bash and Warnado with the pre-historic Dinosaur vibe.  His base upgrades and attacks are nothing flashy, but they hit hard and are unique.

Food Fighter's biggest gain comes from "Om Nom Nom."  Enemies you swallow now give you +70 Health.  That is a very significant number and in just over 20 seconds you can be back up +140.  It is a nice path and Snot Rocket comes in handy for slowing things down...Feast works okay, but isn't a highlight imo.

Seismic Tail upgrades his tertiary attack and does a great job of it.  This path makes Shockwave into a tried-and-true projectile attack with good range and high damage numbers (for a ranged attack anyway).  Couple it with the unique abilities of Chomp & Chuck and the +35 when swallowing an enemy and it is my preferred path.

I would suggest Seismic Tail for the "offensive" minded players and Food Fighter for those looking for a health advantage.

Scorp Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Scorp Base Upgrades

Scorp Damage Numbers

Scorp Stinger Path

Scorp Crystal Venomancer Path

Scorp has hard to document attacks like a few other newlanders, but his upgrades are all well thought out and orderly.  I haven't upgraded many SF Newlanders, but thus far I'd have to say he has been my favorite.

I was initially drawn to Crystal Venomancer, but Cracked Crystals and Crystal Shards both offer only minimal gains...not quite what I had in mind.  Venomous Crystals in the stand out of the path, but it is sadly tied in with Crystal Ball, which requires about a 4 second charge time.  I don't really see myself using it that much in story mode just due to the fact the base attacks would be more efficient.

Stinger turned out to be a really solid path given the big increase in both the initial damage and poison damage, especially factoring in the increased number of hits (duration).

I don't think either path is bad, but I would probably have to suggest the Stinger Path for most as he will become a more menacing opponent for enemies in Story Mode and other Skylanders in PVP.  If you are solely going for PVP it is still probably the most beneficial, although if you prefer to stay "at range" Venomous Crystals would likely be more useful.

My only real complaint is that "Avalanche Dash" seems like it should have been named something else, lol...I hope that Scorp returns in Trap Team...I think he has a lot of potential options for a repose AND a Wow Pow!  Overall I am pretty happy with Scorp and he definitely makes me that much more proud of the Earth Element!

Springtime Trigger Happy Upgrades and Damage Numbers

Springtime Trigger Happy Base Upgrades

Golden Frenzy + Soul Gem + Wow Pow

Springtime Trigger Happy Damage Numbers

Note that there is a bit of an issue with upgrading from Golden Mega Charge to Happiness is a Golden Gun.  The gains on the primary side (Golden Pistol) is so small (+2x +3) I would recommend NOT taking it.  You can fire off consistent 5 second charged 210s with Golden Mega Charge and the upgrade knocks 70 off of that!  Plus, doubling the charge time from 5-10 on Happiness is a Golden Gun can yield 180 or 220...Thus, it is simply not a good move in my opinion.  Which is strange, because I don't remember this being an issue in SSA or Giants.  Nonetheless, it is what it is and I'm glad to have picked up on it here in SWAP Force.

Boom Jet Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers

Alright, here is the final of the four "test subjects."  Boom Jet was actually the very first SWAP Force Upgrade video I recorded...

I have to stress that outside of Boom Jet, Free Ranger, Trap Shadow, and Freeze Blade all Swappers will follow the 5 Video format.  My first recording with Boom Jet obviously features the Base Upgrades, Storm Bomber up top, and Sky Writer down below...The 2nd Boom Jet took the correct format so I have stand alone Base Upgrade, Squad Leader, and Ace Gunner Upgrade videos...

Once again, past these 4 character everyone will follow the selected 5 video format and I won't have to talk about it anymore...I just have to cover it at the start to avoid people assuming I didn't cover base upgrades or certain paths since they won't have stand alone videos...I do that because not many people read video descriptions...

Anyway, one of the real perks is getting to highlight and document each and every upgrade...And in the case of Boom Jet, that turned out to be a REALLY BIG DEAL...I will tell you why below!

Boom Jet Base Upgrades

Boom Jet Damage Numbers

Boom Jet Base Upgrades with Storm Bomber and Sky Writer

Boom Jet Squad Leader Upgrade Path

Boom Jet Ace Gunner Upgrade Path

Now, if you noticed there was a special note on the Damage Numbers Spreadsheet...

It pertains to Boom Jet's Bottom End Soul Gem, Mach 2.

My first recording featured the Sky Writer Path...Mach 2 granted +7 Speed and looked to deal 32 damage at the beginning of the dash...

Much to my surprise (and shock in all honesty) Ace Gunner did not follow suit.  There is nothing in Ace Gunner to make Mach 2 special or stand out...It should be exactly the same as Sky Writer.  However, I saw 150 as the damage number and assumed it was some freak combo...That was incorrect.  150 is the actual damage number put out by Mach 2 when you are down Ace Gunner.

I am not sure if Sky Writer has it too low, or Ace Gunner has it too high, but there is a HUGE DISCREPANCY between the two paths and their respective Soul Gem.

I thought it might be tied in specifically to the Wii U version of the game so I tested it out on Xbox One while the videos uploaded...Again to my surprise I found the results exactly the same!  Sky Writer saw Mach 2 put out 32 damage and Ace Gunner saw Mach 2 put out 150.

Again, I don't know which number should be correct, or why they are not uniform, but I would strong suggest you check it out for yourself and take advantage of Ace Gunner's unseen benefit!

I know many of you just sport 1 figure (unless Boom Jet is a favorite) so you might be oblivious to the discrepancy.  I searched the net for this and came up with nothing, so as far as I know this is the first report on the incident.  For what it is worth the stats and other upgrades matched up perfectly between the Wii U and XB1 versions of the game.

This again showcases how nice it is to have the Training Ground and how it gives me the chance to document all the damage numbers one-by-one.  Will we see more changes like this?  Stay tuned!

If you have a different version of the game (Wii, 360, PS3/PS4) and can test this out let me know what you observed...Given both the Wii U and XB1 have the 32 vs 150 I am inclined to believe that is not just an anomaly for one version of the game.