Boombox is a support Phighter who specializes in controlling the battlefield with his intense knockback and shield-based abilities. Perfectly timing Pulse Wave allows Boombox to increase his own damage or the supportive effects of Shielding Amplifier through gaining charges. Protecting Overtone grants Boombox a forcefield that blocks incoming projectiles, allowing for him and his teammates to close the gap against the opposition. His Phinisher, Raining Tacos, can turn the tides of the battle with a powerful crowd control, as well as granting his teammates a huge overshield, making them nearly invincible for a few seconds.
Abilities
Type
Passive
Charging Blitz
Perfectly timing your primary boosts your primary, grants you and allies short burst of speed, and grants you a charge if you hit an enemy. Being late or early only grants a charge.
Time between perfects: 1 second Max. charges: 4 Haste: 20% for 1 second
The player must damage at least one enemy to obtain a charge.
Perfectly timing Pulse Wave displays various messages above the crosshair:
COOL!
GREAT!
NEAT!
PERF!
PERFECT!
RADICAL!
Type
Primary
Pulse Wave
Fire a pulse wave forward.
Damage: 6 + 2 * no. of charges Fire rate: 0.9 seconds Range: 20 studs Haste buff: 20% (on perfect hit)
The ring is centered around Boombox's upper torso.
Type
Secondary
Shielding Amplifier
Fire a soundwave that shields allies and grants haste depending on your charges.
Boombox cannot cast any abilities during Bass Boost / Beat Drop until he lands.
Type
E Ability
Protecting Overtone
Deploy a forcefield that follows you for 15 seconds or until it is destroyed. Reactivate while the forcefield is up to destroy it and push any enemies back.
Instantly grant shield to nearby allies. Jump high into the air and slam the ground. Allies nearby are granted a rapidly decaying shield, haste, and 50 shield.
Damage: 5 + 15 * airtime duration (max. 40) Shield: 300 (decays over 3.38 seconds), 50 (permanent) Range: 60 Fling force: 20 + 7 * airtime duration (max. 50) Haste: 50% (decays at 0.25% per tick after 3 seconds) Phinisher points: 150 Slow penalty during cast: 100% Bound penalty during cast: 100%
If Boombox dies during the casting time, its effects will be cancelled.
Raining Tacos grants 50 permanent shield as part of the 300 shield that decays, which will stay until it is destroyed by damage.
Multiple instances of Raining Tacos' shield does not stack. If the player is provided a second Raining Tacos' shield, it will not apply.
Strategy
Pros
Versatile support, with charge allowing for greater offense and defense simultaneously
Boombox excels when he can consistently hit his Charging Blitz. Not only does it give anyone around him a 25% speed boost, but it also allows him to constantly deal damage and then bring his team's shields back up. Boombox is best played around his team or at least one teammate.
Charges stay even if you stop hitting Charging Blitz unless you die, so you can use other abilities to create combos with Pulse Wave and Shielding Amplifier.
Protecting Overtone's knockback on activation and reactivation is powerful enough to throw Phighters out of bounds on maps such as Rocket Arena and The Iron Cafe when given the opportunity.
Pulse, Sound Wave and Protecting Overtone can be used during the end-lag of the reactivation. Use it to squeeze in additional damage.
Ranged Phighters with any source of mobility can outrun a Boombox. Maintaining distance from Boombox prevents him from gaining charges for Sound Wave and doing damage with Pulse and Jump Smash Move. On smaller maps, the player should be mindful to avoid backing themselves into a corner/dead-end.
A significant weakness to Protecting Overtone is its lack of aerial coverage and semi-cylinder shape. Ranged Phighters such as Rocket or Slingshot can take up a higher elevation and damage Boombox and his teammates without issue. In addition, shield piercing and AoE damage can pass through the forcefield. Without Protecting Overtone, Boombox is frail and can be taken out from the fight with ease.
Furthermore, recasting Bass Boost / Beat Drop leaves Boombox vulnerable on the ground for a few seconds, giving opportunities for other Phighters to land powerful attacks during the downtime such as Sword'sLunge or Skateboard'sBASH 'EM!!.
Raining Tacos is extremely telegraphed and risky to use in the middle of a teamfight. The player should take a moment to kill any Boombox attempting to use it at low health. Ranged Phighters with hitscan projectiles such as Hyperlaser and Slingshot have the opportunity to shoot down the mid-air Boombox. If Boombox is too healthy to kill in this state, the best option is to back out or seek high-ground to avoid the damage.
The "bass drop" badge condition was changed from "be airborne for 3 or more seconds while using your phinisher" to "land directly on an enemy during your phinisher and kill them".
REWORKED: Damaging at least one enemy with Pulse grants you a charge, max. 4 charges. On activation, consumes all charges to release an AoE that heals allies and damages enemies. Each charge increases the damage, healing and knockback force.
Damage changed from 10 to 5 x no. of charges.
Healing changed from 0 to 10 x no. of charges.
Knockback force changed from unknown to 5 x no. of charges.
REWORKED: On landing, allies in the AoE are granted a 200 HP shield that starts to decay after 2 seconds. Damaged enemies are slowed by TBA% for 4 seconds.
REMOVED: No longer creates an 12 HP/sec AoE heal on landing. No longer heals allies.
Haste buff: 20% (on perfect hit)
