Hyperlaser is a ranged Phighter that specializes in dealing high burst damage at mid to long ranges. His Hyper Ray and Piercing Ray put out consistent damage across the map. Hyperlaser has limited instant mobility options with high cooldowns, making him slow to take positions on the map or to escape from faster Phighters. His Phinisher, Eviscerating Ray can fire up to 3 instant-kill shots if Hyperlaser lands the shots consecutively, capable of giving a match-winning advantage.
Abilities
Type
Passive
Locked and Loaded
Headshotting an enemy with your primary deals double damage and creates an AoE around the enemy hit. Your third bullet applies Wireframe.
Damage: 40 (headshot), 30 (AoE) Wireframe duration: 1 second Hitbox size: 30x10x30 (AoE) Slow inflicted: 33% for 2 seconds
Slow and Bound penalties are applied until the player stops firing.
Type
Secondary
Piercing Ray
Shoot a small ray that pierces enemies and shields and explodes after a delay. If the ray hits anything, the delay is shorter.
Damage: 20 (small ray) + 30 (large ray) Range: 800 studs Slow inflicted: 50% for 1 second (small ray) + 25% for 1 second (large ray) Cooldown: 12 seconds
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Type
Q Ability
Voltaic Grenade
Throw a grenade that explodes after a delay when hitting the ground or explodes instantly when hitting an enemy. Allies hit by the explosion are given haste.
Hold E to teleport to a location after a short delay, cancelling if you take any damage. Tap to create an explosion around you. Your ammo will reload and your next primary will be instant.
Hit enemies have their ragdoll immediately destroyed and leave behind a Wireframe outline.
Strategy
Pros
High hitpoints and shield for a ranged Phighter, shield gives self-sustainability.
Access to an insta-kill ability through Eviscerating Ray.
Hitscan weaponry, don't have to lead shots.
Teleport that allows him to position virtually anywhere.
Excels at picking off low HP enemies.
Cons
Poor ability to fight at close ranges.
Drastically reduced mobility while firing.
High skill floor and ceiling.
Long ability cooldowns.
Hyperlaser is a ranged Phighter who specializes in dealing high DPS from mid to long-range distances. Left unchecked, a Hyperlaser can get consistent picks and keep the enemy team second guessing themselves. He also has a very high HP/Shield split, letting him be more self reliant than other ranged Phighters. However, his slow and bound from his Hyper Ray can make him an easy target.
Although Hyperlaser isn't meant to be played close range, his abilities can still allow him to stand a chance. His Voltaic Shift can be used to knock off enemies and gain the haste needed to put distance, and the instant shot can scare off close range Phighters if aimed well. Voltaic Grenade gives him just enough time to hit a shot while the enemy is wireframed. His frontline is very limited alone as he is too slow to maintain his HP while dealing fast enough, widespread damage, so a Hyperlaser should only play on the frontline if his team has established a strong enough frontline to support him in taking the focus off of him or to pick off low HP targets. You should only be playing close range in certain circumstances, such as:
To get a good angle to secure kills.
On Conquer: going on point to help your team contest it.
Even then, be behind your team or constantly moving.
To aid in the frontline, assuming a well-established frontline exists.
As a last resort against melee Phighters.
You're very confident in your aim and you can hit enough headshots to threaten opponents.
Hyperlaser's role is to deal major damage on key Phighters (such as supports or other pesky ranged characters), preventing them from getting the value they would otherwise get and forcing them to move their crosshair to you. Headshotting Hyper Ray or hitting Piercing Ray can scare and disorient opponents, while Voltaic Grenade can be used to break apart groups for better single target hitting.
Hyperlaser's Phinisher, Eviscerating Ray, is one of the most powerful Phinishers, establishing a major threat to the enemy team as well as instilling fear. It allows for the Hyperlaser to instantly kill 3 or more enemies if he hits all his shots, so it should be used to:
Cancel Phinishers from enemies.
Pick off stationary backline Phighters, such as Vine Staff, Rocket, another Hyperlaser or Slingshot.
Pick off a high HP character that would otherwise be annoying to kill, such as Banhammer or Katana.
The enemy team must play around cover or attack the Hyperlaser directly to prevent him from getting too much value out of his Phinisher, which often means they are disoriented and out of position for other teammates to attack. If he is stunned or wireframed during the startup, the shot won't go out. However, it will not use up the shot either. A Hyperlaser has to be very careful of other Phighters while using his Phinisher as many abilities can disorient him, likely causing him to miss. A few examples are:
While his Phinisher is very useful, it costs 150 Phinisher points to cast. This means that, on average, he only gets to use it 2-3 times per match. It's also easy to waste his Phinisher, since if you miss, you won't be granted any more bullets, forcing you to wait until it is ready again. For this reason, it's important to be patient with your shots and to wait for a good angle, ideally when an enemy is not looking at you or jumping around.
For teammates playing with a Hyperlaser, having a strong frontline or being very aggressive can secure Hyperlaser's backline position from being threatened by certain ranged and melee Phighters, as well as taking the focus off of him. This will enable him to focus on outputting damage without issue. Boombox'sProtecting Overtone can lead the frontline, and Phighters like Katana, Banhammer and Sword can deter the enemy's frontline from advancing to Hyperlaser's position, thanks to their bulk. Phighters like Skateboard or Shuriken can disorient enemies and force them to divert their attention towards them, away from Hyperlaser.
Hyperlaser can also combo his Phinisher with other Phighters. Most notably, Noxious Void can trap multiple people in one area, allowing for Hyperlaser to get easy pickings. Katana's abilities and Phinisher apply slow to enemies, allowing them to be hit easily. Subspace'sFallen Star keeps enemies in the air and immobile allowing the Hyperlaser to get an easy shot off. However, Fallen Star can also be to the Hyperlaser's detriment if Subspace decides to slam the enemy onto the ground. Characters with stun abilities like Slingshot'sScattershot, Medkit'sFan the Hammer or any of Skateboard's abilities can also be taken advantage of.
Hyperlaser can also take advantage of enemies who are using their Phinishers. For example, an enemy Skateboard'sTHE COOL, RAD, COFFIN!! allows for Hyperlaser to get easy shots in, since the enemy stays stationary for an extended period of time.
It's important to be wary of using your Phinisher on enemies that are close to a teammate Banhammer, as he may be saving his Phinisher, , for when they are low enough to kill them.
Hyperlaser is effective on open maps, such as Protect Telamon, King of the Hill and Banland. Annihilate is an exceptional game mode for Hyperlaser, as it allows him to pick off enemies who are alone very easily.
All-in-all, Hyperlaser's high DPS and powerful Phinisher can make him a very strong Phighter in the right hands. However, his lack of instant mobility and patience makes him a very difficult Phighter for a new player to learn.
Always try to aim for headshots. Dealing double damage with Hyper Ray and the AOE is far more valuable, even if you miss a little more.
The AOE can be useful for groups of enemies.
Keep track of your ammo, and don't be tempted to always reload. The wireframe on the third shot removes the enemy's ability to attack for a short period. This is useful against targets with little mobility such as Katana, Medkit, and Vine Staff.
It also lets teammates attack easier.
However, when playing close-mid range, consider reloading after 1-2 shots instead of using wireframe. This will ensure you are on the move while still dealing good damage.
If an enemy gets close, throw it on the ground to force them to move. If they don't move, they'll be knocked back with slow/wireframe while you have haste. Use the buff to back behind cover and continue to shoot them.
Throw it behind you so you move into it as well.
The cooldown for Voltaic Grenade is not very long, which allows for aggressive plays. Use it whenever available, as there's no need to hold onto it as long as you have your E.
However, be meaningful in how you use it. Don't just throw it into a group of people for basic damage when no teammates are around to capitalize on it. Use it to break people apart, or on a team fight where characters like Katana could benefit from the extra speed.
Throwing Voltaic Grenade to nearby teammates increases their speed, which is useful on a group of people.
At the start of a match, throwing the grenade will allow your team rotate into maps faster, immediately giving your team the advantage.
This also works when you are dead and are going back to contested areas.
Use E as a flanking tool. Combine with Eviscerating Ray to catch enemies off guard.
Or any position where enemies aren't looking at you/won't see you.
Don't use it too early, as the enemy team will likely target you if you're too far from your team without ample cover.
Try to use it behind cover so it isn't cancelled.
Saving Voltaic Shift at the start of a match can be good idea to get to a good position for early damage, it's long cooldown will tick down as soon as you come out of the teleport.
Another option is to teleport to high ground on maps like Protect Telamon, SFOTH, Nuke The Whales, The Iron Cafe, etc.
Make sure you're not so far away you can't hit anyone.
This offers some protection at the cost of not being with your team, so watch out for characters like Sword, Biograft or Shuriken who can quickly rush you.
If enemies are getting too close, tap E to push them off and instantly shoot them.
Don't forget about this ability. You can always use it to reposition and to catch enemies off guard.
Make sure you aren't too close to enemies or in the open when you use it. The second you use your Phinisher, you become a target.
If you're worried about being attacked during the animation, use it behind cover and then peek out.
Close range Phighters like Biograft may rush you, while Phighters like Rocket or Shuriken may hide behind cover and harass with you their projectiles.
Be patient. Watch for Phighters who are distracted and won't be able to react.
Prioritize other Phighters stuck in their Phinisher animation for a free kill.
Move positions once you've fired a shot, as everyone in the lobby will know where you are.
It's feasible to fire back-to-back shots on more open maps, however, especially if the enemy team is already preoccupied with your team's advances.
Watch out for Phighters with their movement abilities off cooldown, as they can bait out your shot and dive for cover at the last second.
Generally, you should prioritize Phighters who are out in the open, not looking at you, and can't easily get to cover.
Aiming for high mobility targets like Rocket, Shuriken, Biograft and Slingshot may be a good idea as a mix-up, as long as you're confident and can catch them off guard.
Counterplay against Hyperlaser
The sound effect before Hyperlaser fires Eviscerating Ray is extremely loud and telegraphed. The player is advised to look for cover before he fires.
Rushdown Phighters such as Skateboard, Biograft, Sword and Shuriken can easily close into Hyperlaser's position and exploit his inability to fight at close quarters. Utilize cover or approach Hyperlaser while his attention is on another part of the map to to minimize damage while getting into close range.
Boombox's Forcefield can absorb multiple shots from Hyperlaser and block his Phinisher. The player should be aware that Piercing Ray can still damage allies through the shield.
REWORK: After a 1.5 second cast time, Hyperlaser teleports onto an area highlighted by the player's crosshair (up to 200 studs), creating an explosion on arrival, reloading Hyper Ray and making the next shot instant. The teleport is cancelled if Hyperlaser takes damage during the cast time.
The explosion occurs at Hyperlaser's location if the teleport is cancelled.
The badge "bounty collected" condition was changed from "successfully kill two enemies with eviscerating ray" to "successfully kill two enemies with a single shot of your Phinisher".