Skateboard is an offensive Phighter that possesses incredible mobility and burst damage. The mobility granted by his skateboard enables him to perform exceptionally well at hit-and-runs. Skateboard also has tools to compliment his pick-based playstyle: STUNTISH!!, which enables Skateboard to maintain speed and gives him vertical mobility when chained, and THE COOL, RAD, COFFIN!!, an AOE stun that sets up a free pick for your team. Despite these exceeding upsides, Skateboard is incredibly fragile. Hard crowd control effects and burst damage can force Skateboard to dismount into his vulnerable Standing form.
Abilities
Note: Skateboard has two different forms which give different sets of abilities: Standing and Skating. These forms can be switched around by using SWITCH!! or using THE COOL, RAD, COFFIN!! in Standing form.
SLUGGISH!!
Type Passive
Ability Type N/A
Your walkspeed off board increases slowly maxing at 25% speed.
The cooldown of this ability starts upon switching from Skating Form.
While in Skating Form, Skateboard has the following traits:
Cannot regenerate shields.
Cannot receive the Haste status effect.
If Skateboard receives a disabling status effect, a slow of 25% or higher or gets reduced to 0 walkspeed after being in Skating Form for at least 5 seconds, Skateboard will be forced to switch to Standing Form.
Slopes increase walkspeed when traveling downwards and decrease walkspeed when travelling upwards.
When above 20 speed, your speed decays quicker until you reach 20 or below.
STUNTISH!!
Type Passive
Ability Type Mobility
Pressing SPACE at a ledge performs a trick. Gain increased walkspeed bonus and do damage in the area when you land.
The cooldown of this ability is shared with BASH 'EM!!
Using this ability after tricking nets Skateboard 5 extra speed
BOOST!!
Type Q Ability
Ability Type Mobility
Halt movement for a moment and boost forward, doing damage and knocking away enemies slightly. The walkspeed you gain is based on how long you charge the ability.
The cooldown of this ability is shared with RUN!!.
The player is suspended in the air for the casting time.
SWITCH!!
Type E Ability
Ability Type AoE
Switch to Standing Form and perform a spin attack, doing damage to enemies around you based on walkspeed. Walkspeed is boosted based on how fast you were skating.
Damage: 5-35 (based on how much speed a player has, max. 35) Cooldown: 3 seconds
After a delay, charge up and perform a coffin before dashing, damaging and stunning enemies. If used in Standing Form, Skateboard switches to Skating Form. Skateboard can use PRIMARY to start the dash early.
If Skateboard dies during the casting time, the dash animation will perform but nothing will happen.
Strategy
Pros
Exceptional mobility in Skating Form, fastest Phighter in the game.
High burst damage that can be dealt to multiple enemies.
Effective against squishy classes, can constantly harass and distract enemies for an extended duration.
Strong playmaking ultimate that can be extremely threatening to teams if Skateboard's allies follow up.
Cons
High skill floor and ceiling.
High risk, high reward. Taking over 35 damage or being on the receiving end of crowd-control effects can lead to death should the player have no getaway options.
Below average hitpoints for a melee Phighter is exposed when Skateboard is in Standing Form.
Skateboard is the fastest Phighter in the game, specializing in a hit-and-run playstyle. Skateboard can maintain an incredibly high movement speed while in Skate form, allowing a skilled Skateboard player to dodge most attacks thrown at them. However, Skateboard's mobility comes at the cost of being vulnerable while in Standing form, only having to take 35 damage to lose all momentum in Skating form, and having a higher skill floor than most other Phighters.
One of the most important aspects to understand about Skateboard is that he is not meant to be played like a traditional melee class. Although he still has a full melee moveset while in Standing form, it's extremely bare-minimum and should not be relied on. His health and DPS in standing form are both below-average for a melee Phighter. Trying to play Skateboard like you would play Sword will severely limit your combat potential. As you might expect, Skateboard's potential is brought out most when he's on his skateboard. Skating form should be your default, and Standing form your last resort.
Although Skateboard's mobility options make it significantly easier to dodge most attacks, he can't dodge everything. AoE/crowd control attacks are significantly easier to hit Skateboard with, and you should expect to take some damage from crossfire when barreling through a crowd of enemies. Be wary of classes with AoE attacks, and ensure that you are prepared to take a few hits when rushing through a crowd.
Skateboard's survivability hinges almost entirely on his movement speed, so remember to keep your momentum going as much as possible, especially when fighting. If you have no momentum for five seconds, you will be kicked off of Skating form and back into Standing form. With a base walkspeed 35% slower than normal, being kicked off your skateboard in the middle of battle is often a death sentence. Prioritize maintaining speed first, and once you have a good amount of speed, then focus on attacking. You can't deal any damage if you're dead!
The top of this trashcan is a flat, elevated surface. That's a good trick spot!
Tricks are the most reliable way of keeping momentum, and should be used whenever available. Remember, you're not limited to just traditional skateboard spots; you can perform a trick off the edge of any flat, elevated surface! Get creative, and practice looking for unconventional trick spots. Your ability to identify good trick spots, even when they're not obvious, will often be the difference between dominating a fight or getting curbstomped by the opponent.
If you lose momentum and you're unable to perform a trick for one reason or another, another good option is to use your BOOST!! (Q) ability. This will give you a boost of speed based on your shield after a short windup.
When push comes to shove and you inevitably get knocked off your skateboard, you still have a few options. If your opponent is at low health, you may be able to finish them off with a few swings or a well-executed combo. If fighting seems too dangerous, you need to run. If available, you can use RUN!! to boost yourself out of danger, and possibly damage some opponents on the way out. Find a good place to hide behind cover or behind your teammates, stall until SWITCH!! is off cooldown (which takes 7s), and then get back to skating.
As for dealing damage, Skateboard does not boast a particularly high DPS, even in Skating form. Skateboard's intended attack strategy is not about crushing an opponent in a few hits- it's about dodging every attack, repeatedly chipping away at the enemy's health, overwhelming and distracting them until you or a teammate finishes them off. You can play as aggressively as you want, but note that dealing damage to an opponent will cause you to lose some speed. The more aggressively you play, the more speed you'll be losing, and losing too much momentum will make you an easier target. Weigh your options and consider how much risk you're willing to take to deal more rapid damage.
Skateboard excels the most when supporting his team. On his own, he's easier to pick off. Combined with his low rate of damage, this makes him only a minor concern. But when Skateboard and a teammate are both attacking, Skateboard is upgraded from being a mild annoyance to being a relentless threat that never gives the enemy any room to breathe or find cover.
His ultimate ability is also more useful with teammates. Two seconds of stun is very short when you're the only one taking advantage of it, because you'll be spending about half of that stun time stuck in the THE COOL, RAD, COFFIN!! animation and moving back to your opponent. It's best used when a teammate is waiting for a good attack window, as they can take full advantage of those two seconds.
STUNTISH!! is your bread-and-butter tool for getting extra damage on enemies, maintaining top-speed, avoiding damage and getting onto high ground. Utilize as frequently as possible.
Tricks can be farmed on a single ledge if you land back on the platform you performed a trick off of. This allows you to perform another trick and repeat as many times as needed.
Edge Hug: On a long ledge, perform a trick, flick your camera back towards the platform, land, turn your camera towards the ledge, perform a trick, repeat. Useful for closing distance.
360 Trick: On any ledge, perform a trick, spin your camera 180 degrees towards the platform, land, spin your camera 180 degrees towards the ledge, perform a trick, repeat.
Whenever you aren't attacking and there are no trick spots nearby, you should be spamming this to maintain speed. Keep in mind that you can't perform a trick while using PUSH IT!!, so make sure to stop before performing a trick.
The extra height helps to reach opponents that are in the air and to traverse tall obstacles. Combine with a trick jump for even more height.File:Skateboard double jump.gif
Although this attack deals high amounts of damage, putting yourself in a standing position will make you more vulnerable, as your movement is severely handicapped. Only swap if you're confident that you can take out all the nearby opponents in one go, or as a last resort if you're stuck and your BOOST!! is on cooldown.
This is best used to set up an attack window for other teammates. You won't be able to take full advantage of the stun, as some of the stun time will be spent waiting for the animation to end.
THE COOL, RAD, COFFIN!! brings you back up to top speed, but has a long windup. The player can use this to regain speed.
Counterplay against Skateboard
Focused AoE damage or any form of Displacement is the bane of Skateboard, bringing him to a screeching halt and forcing him into the Standing form, where he's then forced to choose between running away to get a speed boost on foot, stalling until SWITCH!! becomes available, or fighting you head-on, of which the latter two risk taking unnecessary damage.
When trying to gain distance from a Skateboard player, try to get onto high ground that can only be reached via high jumps or going up steep slopes. Skateboard users will have a difficult time reaching these areas.
Reaching this overpass on a skateboard means going up an intensely steep slope and losing momentum.
NEW EFFECTS: Skating Form loses 3 walkspeed when Skateboard damages an enemy with his abilities. Skateboard is now forced to switch to Standing Form if he reaches 0 walkspeed and has been in Skating Form for longer than 5 seconds.
