Competitive Fire Man Strategies

PREFACE

For some of us, merely existing in the background is impossible; we can't simply stand behind others and let the inequities of the world wash over us. We therefore choose to fight on the front lines as agents of retribution against those who would destroy us, even knowing that our battle may require us to make the ultimate sacrifice. What does it mean to be a champion for justice? It requires searing conviction that boldly lights the way for your compatriots, and maybe a little taste of the hellfire that awaits those who would stray from the path of righteousness. Enter Fire Man.

WHAT YOU'RE GOT

Despite his average health, speed, and jumping ability, Fire Man's offensive capabilities are not to be underestimated. His basic attack, Fire Storm, launches a fast, large, fairly-heavy projectile at a moderate rate with no ammo requirements. It's fairly generous at passing obstacles for its size, and does 13 damage with another few points if the momentary Lingering Fire connects. Additionally, every shot produces an omni-directional offensive shield that does moderate ripping damage to anything in melee range. The most obvious use of this is to simply close in on your opponents and spam them to death, which can be incredibly effective and destroy an average opponent in 2-3 seconds of continuous contact. Hitting with all 3 factors of Fire Storm is ideal but they have individual uses as well.

He features two altfires which share a 7-second charge: Ring of Fire and Wave of Fire. Note that spamming Fire Man's weapons will slow this charge! Ring of Fire will cause a ring to form around you that's about 128(?) map units in diameter (~20 feet?) that will stay in place for about 3 seconds before fading. Anyone caught in this will receive heavy ripping damage, about 120 damage per second! Wave of Fire can also be selected, which causes the same type of ripping flames to slowly crawl the earth until they hit a wall, an impassible linedef such as a fence, or go under an overhanging cliff. Any other terrain--even pits and ledges--won't slow or stop it! NOR WILL BURNING ROBOTS, it'll just rip through a crowd! Although Ring has the same limitations, the fact that Wave has no set time limit means that there can be multiple Waves active at once.

GENERAL STRATEGIES

-Your primary objective should be to AMBUSH your rivals, preferably where they're congregated. You are a merciless CAMP-KILLER who can single-handedly devastate a cowardly team with one well-placed altfire!

-The best way to do this is a flanking or pincer ambush: guess where/when they'll congregate and slip in beside/behind them. BE FAST! You don't have to run straight for their anticipated position, but move efficiently so they have no idea where you'll be before they've fanned out.

-Ring of Fire is good for open areas when you're outnumbered. Lay it from inside a corner so players hugging the outer wall will continuously shred into it. Hug the base of a cliff and lay it if you know baddies are above to surprise them! You can even wrap it around pillars for a nice trickshot.

-Wave of Fire may seem limited but it's incredible! Find the longest, most commonly-traveled paths and let it rip from far away while you reposition. I've managed to get countless "lucky shots" this way. Do this several times and someone is bound to get grilled. It's also very good in close quarters to bully your enemy into a big hug, or just roast their butt as they back up into it!

-Try to always have a full weapon meter when you circulate; if you've blown your load, hide in a corner ready to ambush where you can't be sniped. Since almost nobody will want to engage you at melee range, you still usually have advantage even without your charge.

-Remember I described the Fire Storm Shield as "omnidirectional"? That means that you can run around and even jump on top of an enemy and you'll still be burning it up with directionless melee spam. Try to block their initial path, then keep hugging them so they have no momentum. Add graham crackers and chocolate.

-Never betray your position for a melee-ambush by missing projectiles. If you scoot in behind someone, aim low so missed shots are less likely to be seen yet still hit with Lingering Fire.

-"The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long." Fire's melee-centric approach and slowly-regenerating altfire can often lead him to his doom. Don't feel bad if you have to lay low after an exchange, even with low health you can still help your team by keeping a charged altfire and following an ally. Alternatively, be at peace with getting fragged if it means you've broken enemy ranks with a reckless suicide rush! As a fiery hard-hitter, you hold a lot of sway over the momentum of a round.

ENEMY STRATEGIES

VS: BIG MELEE -Fire Man is primarily a near-melee fighter, but punching opponents (Frost, Cold, Guts, Junk) can easily outmatch you at pure melee. Think how a matador uses those little javelins: lead them to an open area, coax them into thinking they can punch you, then wheel around plinking them with your projectile. NEVER GET CORNERED! Disengage if the terrain is too restricting, remember that your projectile is strong enough to be a serious threat from a room away. Don't even consider your shield unless they're distracted, and even then only briefly. Big angry bullies who try to smother you are easily led into a Wave, and it also goes right through Guts, Ice and Junk blocks.

VS: PESKY VERTICAL ENEMIES -The Gyros, Winds, Galaxies Tornadoes and Tengus of the world are another tricky challenge for Fire Man, so too are enemies that perch on cliffs far away. The only weapon that can hit an opponent on the wing is your projectile, so again you must rely on plinking from a moderate distance. If they're a class that eventually needs to land, close distance and prepare to bully them to death when they touch down. For Astro Man, kite him into doing his Astro Crush prematurely then move in and punish.

-Enemies camping on ledges are funny: harass them from afar with a distant Wave, then reposition and shoot the ceiling above them so your lingering fire ruins their camp and distracts them from your Wave. If they're closer, unleash a Ring from below and reposition. Be sure to tell them they lost because they lack conviction.

VS: FAST MOBILE BADDIES -Pluto, Turbo, and occasionally Hyper Storm H and Ra Thor don't stick around for you to immolate them, so you need to make as many simultaneous Waves as possible in high-traffic corridors. Pluto and Turbo in particular win the exchange during strafing runs, so avoid head-on collisions with these guys! The ones who pin you to the wall (Ra Thor, Uranus) can usually be wrecked while they're holding you.