Hammer Slam Bowser Upgrades & Attack Damage Numbers

Skylanders SuperChargers Research - Hammer Slam Bowser

So, my first full Upgrade Set on the Nintendo Wii U was of course, Bowser.  We took Hammer Slam Bowser down Koopa Commander and Dark Hammer Slam Bowser down the Molten Monstrosity Upgrade Path.  Since they are special, we went ahead and logged SuperCharged Attack Damage as well.

However, that is where the item of interest emerges!  Did you know that SuperCharged DARK Bowser (and DK) does slightly more damage than SuperCharged REGULAR Bowser, despite doing the same Attack Damage in non-SuperCharged form?

I will get the spreadsheet and final video up later tonight, but check the vids for reference...Interesting stuff!

Hammer Slam Bowser Base Upgrades:

Dark Hammer Slam Bowser Base Upgrades with SuperCharged Attack Damage:

Hammer Slam Bowser Koopa Commander Upgrade Path:

Dark Hammer Slam Bowser Molten Monstrosity Upgrade Path:
Video Releasing Soon

Attack Damage Spreadsheet

^Coming Soon

Skylanders Trap Team: Spotlight Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers

Spotlight has two solid base attacks.  Eye Beams clocks in at 60-90, but can be shot perpetually.  She also has freedom of movement while you spam the attack, but it is of course a bit slower than usual.  Halo Rings deal 50-75 on Impact and collision with enemies if used as a shield.  You can also reflect Eye Beams off of them, but the damage stays the same at 60-90.

Base Upgrades

Bright Eyes moves Eye Beams from 60-90 all the way up to 85-127, a very significant jump in my opinion.  Heavenly Aura is her tertiary attack and it creates an effective spectacle.  While shooting one out is cool to look at it, it lasts roughly 8 seconds and deals 45-67 10x if it is shot spot on an enemy.  The Halo Effect offers no damage increase, but when an enemy is hit with a halo and survives the attack they will wind up sporting it and moving a lot slower.  Hello Halo finishes off the base upgrades allowing you to have 4 Halos active at once, which comes in handy with both paths.

Visionary

This is a great path that is focused primarily on Spotlight’s Eye Beams attack.  Aura Charge couples the tertiary and primary and produces lethal attack damage numbers to the tune of 180-270 when the Heavenly Aura is shot with Eye Beams.  Light it Up knocks the base attack up even higher on the damage scale moving it from 85-127 all the way up to 120-180!  Bling is perhaps the least productive on the path, but it allows you to throw 2 Halos at once, thus quickly taking advantage of Hello Halo.  The cool part of this is that the damage moves from 50-75 to 60-90, nowhere near our other upgrades, but still significant enough to note.

The Ringer

This is also a good path.  I would consider it a bit defensive as the combined effect of Heavy Halo and Ring Shot allow you to take it easy and really orchestrate your offensive.  Heavy Halo is a significant upgrade to Halo Rings effectively doubling the damage output from 50-75 to 100-150!  You have to remember that in addition to doing damage on impact, enemies who pursue you and run into the Halos will take the same damage!  Ring Shot lets the Halos shoot their own lasers.  I was banking on this being good and not some cheesy 5-8, or 10-15; I was not disappointed.  While I expected a solid laser like Eye Beams, the Halos essentially fire off singular pulses as they rotate.  The best part isn’t the 360 degree attack pattern, but rather the fact they do 127-190 damage!  Uplifting Experience wraps the path up and allows you to capture bad guys via The Halo Effect and then get them in a Heavenly Aura for a skycapade.  The enemies are moved upward until they hit the peak and take 60-90 damage!  It isn’t as effective overall as the other upgrades on this path, but it definitely looks the coolest!

Soul Gem

Spotlight’s Soul Gem is dare I say, super effective!  When you have a Heavenly Aura going you simply shoot your Eye Beams into it (just like Aura Charge on the Visionary Path) and if you go for a fully cycle you will generate 4 Light Dragons that dash into enemies dealing 200-300 damage!

Spotlight Attack Damage (Click to Enlarge)

Conclusion

Once again, Spotlight has two solid upgrade paths…this really does come down to what you as an individual player prefers.  IF funds allow it, I would suggest you sport 2 Spotlights in your collection.  The Ringer really shines in the inherit defensive capabilities it offers.  If you set up 4 Halos and move to the middle of them, or behind a wall of Halos you will have 100-150 from each Halo exploding on enemies IF an enemy can get to you while the Halos deal 127-190 from their lasers.  The downside here is two fold…First, Spotlight can hit a Halo with Eye Beams and instead of decking your desired enemy cropping, you might wind up locked on to the Halo.  It is a minor inconvenience, but must be noted.  Lastly, while the damage the Halos deal with their lasers is great (and even higher than Eye Beams full upgraded down Visionary) they do shoot at random…If they homed in on enemies we’d be bragging about that, so this has to be cited as well.  Regardless of these two issues, The Ringer delivers and offers a totally unique move with Uplifting Experience.

Visionary would be the path I would consider best for my play style and that is primarily due to the fact I have more control with Aura Charge and Light It Up than I do with Ring Shot.  I really like the aesthetics of Aura Charge and coupled with Light it Up you’ve got rapid fire 300 damage over no time at all!  However, that same sequence (shooting the Heavenly Aura) also triggers the Soul Gem.  So, when you take Visionary and throw down  a Heavenly Aura and beging shooting it, you will deal 180-120-200 (500!) in no time flat…then of course, you consider that you can make that happen 2-4 times in most cases (provided enemies are left) and the damage is astronomical!

You really can’t go wrong with either path, but for my play style I think Visionary narrowly edges out The Ringer.

Rocky Roll Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers in Skylanders Trap Team

Rocky Roll was one of my most anticipated Skylanders in Trap Team and someone who I think holds the mining light well for my beloved Earth Element.  Speaking of which, do you not agree he would be a good candidate for a Light Element figure should they return?  Anyway, further enhancing my interest in this character is the fact that we have a 2-for-1 with Rocky AND Roll teaming up to become one evil crushing tandem!

Base Upgrades

Rocky Roll’s Base Attacks are very nice.  Spit Ball delivers a really promising 82-123 and the Boulder Dash offers up a quick bit of speed and 25-37.  Also of note, just moving about Rocky Roll will do 5-7 effortlessly…I guess that is the perk of being a giant boulder!  Boulder Barrier is a killer upgrade that allows you to pursue 1 of 3 actions: You can utilize the boulders as a shield, launch them as projectiles, or consume them to deal more damage in Bouncy Attack Mode.  Bouncy Attack Mode is playful, yet devastating…unique and practical.  I feel it is good enough at this point to completely forgo the Rolling Rumbler Path.  Rock On delivers increases to Spit Ball and Boulder Barrier while Moh Boulders allows you to have 6 boulders instead of 3 in Boulder Barrier, and that of course translates to the same previously cited options.

Rolling Rumbler Upgrade Path

This path is geared for the player who loves Bouncy Attack Mode.  I think BAM is solid, but I can live with it in standard form due to that solid state.  Let’s Roll makes the dash last a few seconds longer and ups the damage, but not to a significant level and it remains a bit hard to control.  I personally feel that using the standard Boulder Dash would allow me to escape, or hit and run just as effectively.  “Roll with the Punches” let’s you execute a spinning fist combo, but it only deals 19-28 damage.  “Rocky Boxing” does the same with a quick 4 hit ground pound from Roll, but it delivers 57-85, which is a nice increase.  Neither of these attacks breaks the bank, but they are very nice additions to the already happening “BAM.”

Geological Grandmaster

This is the path for me!  Rocky Roll is already sufficient for me on the secondary and tertiary sides and Geological Grandmaster’s upgrades to the Primary Spit Ball are super solid!  Super Spit Ball only requires a 2-3 second charge, during which we are still mobile, and rewards us with a rock solid 166-249!  Rock Hardest is a key component to this path as it increases the damage on all of the boulder attacks, including the Boulder Barrier!  This moves the base Spit Ball from 98-147 to 118-177!  Furthermore, the Super Spit Ball graduates from 166-249 to an earth shattering 200-300!  The unsung hero though is that the Boulder Barrier that was ding 32-48 on impact and 82-123 on launch is now delivering 46-69 TWICE on impact and 118-177 on launch.  Let me elaborate on that for you…Where the Boulder Barrier spawned 3 orbiting boulders that dealt 32-48 ONCE, Rock On took that to 38-57 ONCE, but Rock Hardest bumps the damage to 46-69 TWICE.  Essentially what I am saying is that instead of the 3 boulders colliding with a tough enemy and going 38-38-38 and being gone, this lets Boulder 1 do 46, then Boulder 2 do 46, and then Boulder 3 do 46…However, none of them crumbled, so right after Boulder 3 deals damage, Boulder 1 is back to carve off another 46 before dissipating!  That is effectively doubling a 3x attack!  Each orbiting boulder, in effect, is not doing 46-69 but rather 92-138!  Lastly, Triple Spit Balls lets Rocky Roll use his standard attack to triple the damage and increase the coverage!

Soul Gem

Boulder Posse takes the already formidable Boulder Barrier, enhanced with Moh Boulders from 3 to 6 to 9.  3x the carnage, 3x the fun!  This plays in well for the Bounce Attack, launching the boulders, and of course just having them orbit.

Rocky Roll Attack Damage Numbers

(Click to Enlarge)

Conclusion

For my play style, Geological Grandmaster reigns supreme!  I am a fan of Armor and the way Rock Hardest doubles the life span of the orbiting boulders while increasing their damage is about as close as we can get to the old school Earth Element +40 Armor.  While you can launch the boulders or consume them for the Bouncy Attack Mode, my inkling is to let them orbit (3,6, or even 9 via the Soul Gem) and use it as a literal shield.  While dealing great damage to enemies in any direction of me, I am able to shoot out Triple Spit Balls, or charge up a Super Spit Ball.  It fits my play style perfectly because of this!  If you are not of the same mindset and don’t like the thought of relying on the boulder barrier to protect you, you might prefer Rolling Rumbler.  The increased roll time is nice and you get some cool moves for Roll.  In the end, Geological Grandmaster is just rock solid for my personal play style and reminds me of the glory days of SSA with Dino-Rang, Bash, Prism Break, and Terrafin!

Head Rush & Nitro Head Rush Upgrade Paths & Attack Damage Numbers

Head Rush is an Earth Element Trap Master who looks like a Viking version of Stealth Elf.  With her Nitro counterpart, we are able to explore both paths freely.  My initial impressions from Head Rush was that it was a rather unique way to bring another female Skylander into the mix, and given her name and Traptanium Horns, I had high hopes she would bring an element of speed AND the classic, brute strength to the Earth Element.

I feel like before we begin, I need to disclose some information.  Nitro Head Rush does have a stat boost, but not where you would want it.  Nitro Head Rush has an Armor Rating of 72, which is +24 over her standard counterpart.  This, however, comes at a price…a price to the tune of -40 in Health.  Yep, you read right.  NHR sports a Health rating of 300, while Head Rush boasts 340!  The key element I was hoping to have increased, Speed, is sitting at 60 for both characters.  Critical Hit is also shared at 10.  I love the Armor Boost, but I feel like the Health offsets it considerably…it basically takes what would be a great advantage, and almost levels it out.  If I had to pick, I would still take +24 Armor over +40 Health, but it is a trade off I’d rather not be forced to take.  I’m not sure why we couldn’t have had a Nitro Head Rush with perhaps +12 Armor and +12 Speed.  The Speed, being a “Nitro” variant, just seems mandatory.  That said, it is what it is…let’s take a look at the attacks.

Head Rush’s Traptanium Horns are a simple, straight forward force.  She can head bash (tap), or dash (hold).  The damage numbers are respectable at 65-97 and 30-45 while dashing (the dash lasts roughly 5 seconds).  Stomp does great damage and is just really cool to me personally.  I really like the impression of the crater she creates while stomping.  Stomp has no “jump” attack at this point, but you can execute the head slam…sadly, it does no additional damage (now or fully upgraded).

Head Rush Base Upgrades

Head Rush has very nice base upgrades.  Mega Stomp offers up a 1-2-3 combo that finishes off with a 200-300 devastater.  Yodel is her tertiary attack and adds a nice, uniqueness to her move set.  “Stomping on Air” allows us to jump and pound the ground for a 100-150 dealing of damage…I found myself using this quite frequently while playing with Head Rush.  Charge Control effectively doubles the length of the charge from 5 to 10 seconds.  It  also bumps the Head Slam damage from 65-97 all the way up to 92-138, which I thought was very impressive for not being path specific.  The charge damage also goes up, but it can do so incrementally depending on how many times you cut and turn….It will max out at 86 (129 Critical).  Please note in the spreadsheet I just include the standard attack damage number as Critical Hits from her are abysmally low (guess that 10% rating is optimistic, lol).

Head Rush Lungs of Steel Upgrade Path

I chose this path for regular Head Rush because I wanted Nitro to have a chance at speeding up a bit down Stomp Harder.  I will also concede that I thought “Forget Breaking Glass” was going to be a killer, screen cleaning upgrade.  We start off with “High Note” that takes the Yodel (40-60) and elevates it to 52-78.  “Modulate Yodel” offers you the ability to change the pitch of the Yodel and more importantly sends the attack damage up to 68-102.  “Forget Breaking Glass” takes damage from the Yodel to a max of 85-127 and finishes off with a few 136-204 bursts.  My main interest was the ground breaking, boulders flying up, and smashing down on things.  This does happen, but very slowly and I never saw damage surpass what the yodel does…I was honestly hoping for some torrent of boulders to cascade down upon enemies all over the screen WITH extra damage.  Maybe I over hyped it.  The attack is good enough with just the base increase, but I feel it could have been really great with my desired additions.

Nitro Head Rush Stomp Harder Upgrade Path

I took Nitro down this path because the strat guide mentioned increased speed and I was really optimistic.  You do speed up, but it is only when cutting and dashing…there is no majestic +8 or +12 to add to the base stat of 60.  That said, this is a pretty cool path in my opinion.  “A Stomp to Remember” bumps the standard stomp all the way to 108-162!  Similarly, the combo deals 108-108-280 with a critical ensemble being 162-162-420!  Power Steering had me worried because I’ve seen attacks before that mirror a base upgrade and they usually disappoint.  This one offered the same escalating damage, but up a bit.  You take the charge from 43-53-64-75-86 up to 43-61-80-99-118!  Both sets have critical numbers, but you just don’t see them often.  “Omega Stomp” finishes things off with a really nice 140-210 and 140-140-364 Combo (210-210-546 Critical).  You can also take advantage of damage while jumping.

Head Rush Attack Damage Numbers

(Click to Enlarge)

Soul Gem

Head Rush’s Soul Gem offers up an upgrade to her Primary Attack that hasn’t been addressed since “Charge Control” in the base upgrades.  The head slam moves from 92-138 all the way up to 130-195!  This is  a huge boost for either path!  The charge also sees increased damage, but it is much greater if you already have the increases from “Power Steering.”  Just to compare,

Lungs of Steel + Soul Gem = a dash string of 60-75-90-105-120

Stomp Harder + Soul Gem=a dash string of 60-86-112-138-165

Conclusion

Head Rush is a unique Trap Master and one worth owning.  The base upgrades are very well rounded and leave her with a solid 1-2 punch and unique 3^rd attack.  If you are a fan of the yodel, or opera type stuff, Lungs of Steel is for you.  The yodel winds up doing decent damage and in a respectable radius.  I would not consider it “long range” but it would certainly be justified as a good midrange option.   If you hate the yodel, or prefer dash attacks, I would go with Stomp Harder.  The path just delivers good increases at each upgrade interval.

There is also a significant variance in paths here.  Yodel is more of a remote attack.  I don’t want to say defensive because you are frozen while yodeling and enemies can survive the damage on higher difficulty settings, or if they are hardy enough.  If you are a timid player, or like safety over risk, Lungs of Steel is the way to go.  If you are more of the aggressive type who just likes to get in, smash buttons, and see what happens, Stomp Harder is the way to go.

Personally, I prefer Stomp Harder.  I’m a fan of speed, the incrementally increasing damage is a cool twist, and I just love the craters generated from stomp.  I also still hold a little animosity for overhyping “Forget Breaking Glass.”  Either way, Head Rush offers two relatively diverse paths that turn out to be quite contrasting.  I just feel that the Stomp attacks, head bash, speed from the dashes and that sweet boost from the Soul Gem favor Stomp Harder…plus, I don’t really get into opera stuff…That said, Lungs of Steel remains her most unique outlet.  Those craters from stomp though…so cool!

Deja Vu & Legendary Deja Vu Upgrade Paths & Attack Damage Numbers

So, this set of vids was actually recorded December 3rd, 2014...I honestly thought I had long since released them.  Nonethless, here they are and I suppose on the bright side they sync nicely with the recent release of Bades, Bushwhack, and Jawbreaker...all of which join Deja Vu with "Legendary Status" in Trap Team.

Deja Vu Base Upgrades

Legendary Deja Vu Remember to Live

Deja Vu Live to Remember

Deja Vu Attack Damage Numbers

(Click to Enlarge)

Bushwhack & Legendary Bushwhack Upgrade Paths & Attack Damage Numbers

Bushwhack Introduction

Bushwhack was a Trap Master I wasn’t sure what to expect…He looked great, but the presence of the Axe made me wonder if he would be a slow and heavy hitter, or if he’d have some sort of a Stink Bomb like quality to him.  With the unknown in sights, things slowly revealed themselves and the stars aligned to make Bushwhack a must own in my book.

Bushwhack’s Primary Attack, “Traptanium Axe” is classic and straight forward.  He has a big axe, swings it, and deals nice damage.  The presence of a box-stock combo is a nice throw in imo.  “Mystic Acorn” may not seem that great to many folks, but to me it is the perfect compliment to the axe attack.  It doesn’t deal much damage, but it stuns enemies AND has great range.  The axe swing is honestly fairly quick, but this combo of moves sets up for a very formidable 1-2 punch.  Looking past that to the often overlooked and new for Trap Team “Jump Attack” you can find my personal favorite move of Bushwhack’s!  You can jump and throw the mystic acorns, or swing the axe.  If you swing the axe he does a powerful ground pound with it.  I find myself using this more frequently than his standard attack!

Bushwhack Base Upgrdes

“Headbash” gets things off to a rocking start with Bushwhack’s Tertiary Attack in place.  I’m not a huge fan of this move, but it is effective.  “Nut Grenade” is up next and I am a huge fan of this one.  Cosmetically the Mystic Acorns now glow an acid/nuclear green and do sizably more damage!  “In A Nut Shell” is something I was ridiculously excited about…it promised “new armor” and “reduced damage.”  I assumed this would be taking Bushwhack’s Armor Stat from 18 to 24, maybe even 18 to 30 (I didn’t expect the SSA Glory Days of +40).  I was left in a flurry of disappointment as there is no measurable increase in Armor.  I know this will work “in game” but I’ve found these types of upgrade (Armor and Critical Hit) are quite disappointing if you sit down and try to evaluate it in game…The tangible +6 or +12 is much more predictable and of greater value.  The good news is that we end on a positive note with “Thorn Trail.”  This upgrade has the axe swing’s leave a quick trail of thorns that do nice residual damage…This will work great against large groups of enemies!

Bushwhack Axe Avenger Upgrade Path

If you are fan of the Traptanium Axe attacks, this is the path for you.  It turns Bushwhack into a super formidable Trap Master.  “An Axe to Grind” just comes in and ups damage from 70-105 to 98-147…that alone is a very significant jump!  “Combo Attacks” offer both “Spin and Slash which deals 186-279 and “Head First” which drops an astounding 245-367 with a follow up of 147-220!  “Go Nuts” finishes the path off by allowing you to hold down “Attack 2” after “Spin and Slash” to spam Nut Grenades!  Overall, this is a straight forward path with great increases and 2 more unique attacks.

Legendary Bushwhack Armor Awesomeness Upgrade Path

This path had me really excited…After getting “In a Nut Shell” in the base upgrades and seeing it had no measurable impact on Armor, I greatly tempered my expectations…I am glad I did.  “Bush’s Shack” kicks things off and it is, in my opinion, the best thing about the path.  By holding “Attack 1” you execute the standard attack and then see Buswhack kneel to the ground with a slam that ushers in a teepee of Life Element goodness (thanks Arbo!).  Roughly every 4 seconds you gain +25 Health!  I can only imagine that this will be even more useful in a Life Element Zone!  You are susceptible to damage, but it seems to be cut roughly in half while in this state.  That means that unless you are in Nightmare Mode, or Hard vs formidable minions, you should have health regen outweigh damage taken.  “Primal Warrior” is up next and it came up flat.  You get “new armor” but it once again fails to add the statistical rating and during my research I found it to be insignificant in terms of it’s functionality.  The saving grace is that the move also includes an upgrade to Headbash damage that takes the attack from 75-112 to 100-150.  “Spring Forward” finishes things off and offers a quick dash and Super Headbash.   The dash can deal 40-60, but the Headbash stayed at 100-150.  In my opinion, the best thing here is the increased speed in the short dash to potentially evade danger.

The Soul Gem “Timber” is a really nice addition to either path!  This reminds me of Villager’s attacks in Super Smash Bros.  You jump and hold down “Attack 1” and Bushwhack plants a tree, and cuts it down.  IF you are thinking, “Oh great, I have to wait for the tree, then go back to it and spend a few hits to cut it down” you are wrong!  I also figured it would be a cumbersome Soul Gem and was pleasantly wrong!  The tree grows instantly (provided you didn’t just do the attack and there are limbs on the ground) and Bushwhack automatically fells the tree.  It is a big tree and subsequently covers a nice area upon impact.  The most important thing though is that it deals 440-660 damage!!

Bushwhack Attack Damage Numbers

(Click to Enlarge)

Conclusion

Bushwhack is a great addition to any collection and will provide a formidable ally when taken down the Axe Avenger Path!  This is an old school, straight forward approach that simply  delivers measurable damage and assets at each turn.  It is my preferred path and what I would recommend to everyone, including rookie players.  Armor Awesomeness is not a bad path, but it really fails in comparison to the epicness that is Axe Avenger.  If this was the traditional +40 Armor from SSA, I’d say Bushwhack is a shoe-in for “get the Legendary figure and take both paths,” but since it fails to really deliver on the Armor front, you are left with the dash, increased headbash damage, and admittedly cool Bush’s Shack.  If you like the headbash, or prefer dash attacks, this is well worth taking.  Bush’s Shack might seem enticing, but keep in mind…in toughbattles, or nightmare mode you won’t be able to just retreat into it and fully regen with enemies on screen.   You can, however, defeat them and then take a few seconds to fully regen if that type of play interests you.  For me personally, Axe Avenger is just too proficient to pass up.  That said, I’m glad I have Legendary to be able to enjoy Armor Awesomeness along the way!

Fire Kraken Upgrade Paths Skylanders SWAP Force

Fire Kraken Base Upgrades

Jade Fire Kraken Base Upgrades

Fire Kraken Attack Damage Numbers

Jade Fire Kraken The Showcase (Top) Upgrade Path

Fire Kraken Magnificent Parade (Top) Upgrade Path

Fire Kraken Stunning Sparker (Bottom) Upgrade Path

Jade Fire Kraken Booming Bouncer (Bottom) Upgrade Path

I didn't put Fire Kraken off, I just wanted to wait for Jade Fire Kraken, and then things got busy...That said, I will admit he probably appeals to me the least from all the SWAP Force Skylanders.  I say that very much aware of the potential backlash due to the extreme number of dragon people out there that love everything regardless...

Fire Kraken's primary attack, Sparking Strikes is actually pretty good.  I was afraid it was so good it would be one of those times all the ugprades are a disappointment...I was wrong.  Glow Stick offered a nice increase, but where the big pay came is with Rising Fountain.  This is roughly a 2 Second charge to deliver 85-128 Damage!  Take "The Showcase" Path and you get it further enhanced both with additional damage and aesthetics.

The Showcase Path is hands down my recommendation up top.  It isn't exactly great, but it looks cool, adds a powerful 50-75 via projectile after you execute Rising Fountain and the firwork ring after the fact is just neat looking...the 12 damage is negligible imo.

The Magnificent Dragon Parade is what everyone raves about...It is literally I ever heard about Fire Kraken.  I am not a fan and I don't think that will change.  The initial run time was a joke, so I figured the upgrade path would extend it like crazy and amp up the damage.  It lasts all of 5 seconds for me.  That isn't much of a parade.  I did realize the Armor jumped +25 which would be a saving grace, but my Jade Fire Kraken that has "The Showcase" also has the +25 so I am not sure what the deal is.  I might appreciate this one slightly more after using it in game, but I will still prefer The Showcase.

Fire Kraken's bottom end is more flash to me, but it is pretty unique and colorful, which I will count as pros in this case.  The damage on the 3rd Hit is very respectable and coupled with Show-Off you get a pretty solid set-up, it is just slow and cumbersome to execute.  Speaking of slow to execute, The Big One needs about 12 seconds to charge!  That is nuts!  However, it is cool, unique, and delivers a crazy 120-180 Damage!  That makes up for the 12 seconds, especially when you consider that you can Primary, Secondary, and I assume Tertiary (although I didn't try it...see, not a fan of Dragon Parade) while the count goes down.

Stunning Sparker allots a temporary (see 12 seconds) speed boost while The Big One lingers...I love speed and this does help you control the setup nicely.  Sizzling Sparkler is, in my opinion, negligible.  

Booming Bouncer is one I had high (ha, punny) hopes for...sadly, they were dashed.  I assumed Bigbadaboom would address the super useful Kraken Up that deals 25-38 when simply jumping.  Sadly, it was tied in with the secondary attack instead and while it is cool, doesn't do much for me damage wise.  Strike the Foes will clear the area out and do decent damage, but any repeated use of it will restart the already long 12 second timer.

The top end Soul Gem, Dance of  Dragons is pretty lackluster, mainly due to Rising Fountain.  I would never release Attack 3 to do it as you will automatically engage it after the 5 second run time.  The bottom end Soul Gem, The Bigger One ups the damage to an amazing 150-225 and adds some more color and a bigger radius...it totally makes up for the top end SG.

My preferred combo would be The Showcase and Stunning Sparker.

For veterans I would suggest The Showcase and Stunning Sparker.  For rookies I would suggest The Showcase and Stunning Sparker.  As you can see, this is one of those cases where my opinion is of the variety that two paths are really better than their counterparts.  The bottom end is really a catch 22.  If you want Speed go with Stunning Sparker, if you want the clearout, go with Booming Bouncer.

Fire Kraken is one of those characters that has base upgrades that really outshine the Upgrade Paths.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just kind of dampens the appeal of the paths since most tie in a perceived increase of epicness.  While it may sound like I am being harsh, I really like Rising Fountain and Sparking Strikes is enhanced very well by the base attacks and The Showcase Path.  It is, in my opinion, his clear strength.  Similarly, on the bottom end, The Big One (and subsequent Soul Gem The Bigger One) totally outshines either path.  In all honesty, I like the base upgrade Kraken Up better than either path combined.

All-in-all Fire Kraken to me is a heavy primary hitter.  The way he is structured I would set up "The Big One" and go to town with the staff until it launches.  He should be quite formidable in this fashion.  Magnificent Parade just does nothing for me personally.  I will give it every chance to win me over, but I can't see it happening.

That said, this guy is very colorful, unique, and will be quite powerful with the play style I described above!

I will work towards trying to figure out if there is a glitch on my end and the parade should last longer and how Jade, not down the Parade Path, got the same Armor increase by checking in on my other JFK.

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

Skylanders SWAP Force Wind-Up Upgrade Paths with Attack Damage Numbers

Wind-Up Base Upgrades

Wind-Up Attack Damage Numbers

Yes, I am aware that "Windup Punch" should be listed first under Winder Path...

Wind-Up Toy Box Path

Wind-Up Winder Path

Wind-Up is a bit of a cult favorite.  He had a decent size fan base prior to being released, and those who were so fervent about him have maintained.  I think the recent single pack release will make him even more popular.

Wind-Up, despite being the character who should have been in the Tower of Time AP, is a Tech Element Newlander and ties in very well with the "tech" concept.

His Base Upgrades touch on the Primary and Secondary while introducing a Tertiary Attack.  This makes him fairly well rounded, but quite vulnerable when you make a habit of Winding Up...When "unwound" Wind-Up is really slow, hence the vulnerability.

If you are concerned with that, you will be inclined to take the Winder Path.  This is my path of choice just because I like the look of the Windup Punch.  The big draw to it is Power Crank that pulls in enemies and deals extra damage.  The logic of myself and many others is simply that this will allow Wind-Up to do what he does best, Windingup, AND totally compensate for the lack of speed thanks to the combo of Power Crank and Auto Wind Up, which winds you automatically when you take damage.  It works quite well and then you can continue to Power Crank, or use the charged attack Windup Punch to deal some very HIGH DAMAGE 120-180.  Again, my main draw was offsetting his weakness (being unwound) and just plain and simple I think the Punch is cool.

However, the Soul Gem, Spring-Loaded Crank,, takes away some of what should have made the Winder Path special.  It gives him +15 Speed, but also automatically winds him up while running.  So, if you took Toy Box , but liked to use your Wind Up abilities, when you start to flee any surviving enemies, you are simultaneously filling your meter to Wind Up again.  Granted, it is still faster (slightly anyway) by way of the Winder Path, but those who make it out to be the better path, or emphasize that aspect as a shortcoming of the Toy Box Path are wrong.

Granted, just comparing the two paths there is no doubt that Winder is superior to Toy Box in terms of helping you utilize the secondary attack Wind Up.

The catch is that the Soul Gem compensates for that deficiency and makes Toy Box a viable choice.

While Winder should have been a juggernaut for those who love to Wind Up, the Soul Gem coupled with Toy Box make you compare the numbers.  Since the only real stand alone upgrade to Winder is found in the Windup Punch you have it's very impressive 120-180.  But, while Toy Box doesn't deliver the big hit, it delivers a lot of smaller hits.  Just going with a 1-2 of 34 and 42 you are up to 78 and can fire it off again without charging up to jump to 156.  Perform Crash Cymbal while fully wound up and assume we get non-critical hits and you could have upward of 212 by the time the 6th hit rolls around.  Furthermore, you have access to an upgrade to the tertiary attack.  Holding that button will let you fire off 9 Toy Gun missiles that do 18-27 damage 8 times.

That said, it really comes down to how you like to play Wind-Up and what you prefer aesthetically.  If you like the old toys with cymbals or have an affinity for suction cup guns, take Toy Box.  If you prefer the comical wind up boxing gloves go with Winder.  On the gameplay side if you like the primary and an idea of a longer ranged weapons go with Toy Box.  If you prefer to use the Wind Up ability and like the massive damaged from charged one-hit attacks go with Winder.

For rookies I would hands down suggest Toy Box.  I am inclined, with the Soul Gem anyway, to think that it is the more well rounded path.  That said, I still like Winder, once again, primarily for the animations and instantaneous refilling of the meter.  It would have been nice to have the Soul Gem be an Armor Boost that would then keep the Winder Path dedicated to "Attack 2" and Toy Box for "Attack 1 and Attack 3," but oh well.

Bottom line, both paths are good.  The Soul Gem really does serve to offset some of the downside to not taking Winder and makes Toy Box just as good of a choice.  Ultimately I truly suggest you go with which attacks and aesthetics you personally like best and call it good.

Spy Rise Upgrade Paths and Attack Damage Numbers Skylanders SWAP Force

Spy Rise Base Upgrades

Spy Rise Attack Damage Numbers

(Click to Enlarge)

Spy Rise Web Spinner Upgrade Path (Top)

Spy Rise Shock Spy Upgrade Path (Top)

Spy Rise Fire Tech Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Spy Rise Electro Tech Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Spy Rise is one of the few characters who you could honestly leave box stock and have no issues with all but the toughest of challenges.  Give him just the Base Upgrades and you can literally stop right there.  Super Spy Scanner adds a second tier of damage numbers to EVERYTHING...it is nuts.  He honestly doesn't need any further upgrades in my opinion.

But, what would the fun in that be?  If you are up for a challenge, leave him as is, but 95% of you are probably looking to max him out, so let's take a look at the upgrade paths.

Up top you have Web Spinner and Shock Spy.  Shock Spy is going to do more damage, but Web Spinner isn't far behind AND BOTH slow enemies.  For rookie players I would suggest Shock Spy as it is going to deal more damage.  Veterans can honestly choose and be fine with either path...It really comes down to personal preference: Do you want Spiderman like web shooters, or high tech grenade like bombs?  Let that one factor in...

On the bottom end you have Fire Tech and Electro Tech.  Fire Tech doesn't have the super high damage numbers, but offers a quicker and spammable option.  Electro tech will require charging and isn't quite as efficient, but makes up for it with insane damage numbers.

I personally need some time to play with each of the upgrade paths to make an official determination and that tiime has not come...My main goal is wrapping up the Undead and Water upgrades right now...I do hope to come back and update this, but the bottom line is Spy Rise honestly doesn't have a "bad path" and at this point none stand above the others.  Take what you think looks the best and you will be happy.

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.

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.

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!