Intro:
This is PART 4 of the complete guide to all the Support Heroes in the game. As the “Support” category would suggest, these characters specialize in enhancing the team’s performance, either offensively, defensively, or both. Each of them has a place in the game, so this guide will provide insight to each Support hero’s value.
Disclaimer: This Guide will always be under construction, either through updating information or adding more content as more new heroes are released in the game. I will be doing updates accordingly for as long as I continue to play the game.
Timon & Pumbaa
Overview
Strengths:
+Best critical-hit counter
+Extremely strong early game
+Has Tenacity
+Backline peeler
Weaknesses:
-Otherwise mediocre support
-Underwhelming White skill
-Healing is situational and weak
Gameplay:
Timon and Pumbaa were introduced as an almost explicit counter to the overwhelming Merlin-meta. Upon arriving, the duo activates “Hakuna Matata” and “Glorious Grub”, protecting the entire team from critical hits while also providing healing and a very substantial amount of Armor. Just from the beginning of battle, Timon and Pumbaa grants the team a massive edge in survivability. They essentially allow the team to build energy safely by preventing early KO’s that would otherwise cripple your momentum. After the effects of Hakuna Matata are used up however, they mostly are relegated to providing long-range damage. While “Bug Run” may seem identical to that of Rex’s Stampede, being a backline duo means that Timon & Pumbaa can use their White skill to peel off annoying backline divers while also potentially avoiding damage completely. Their early-game strength makes them a powerful defensive unit, but they can lose steam over the late game. They are perfect for PvP defensive teams, and be sure to take them with you when dealing with crit-reliant teams.
Frienship Disks:
Both of Timon & Pumbaa’s disks help them provide more support over the late game but in very different ways. Scar’s disk grants them Armor-shredding capabilities, boosting the overall damage potential of the team. It also gives “Bombadier Beetle” a stun effect, making this disk the more aggressive choice. On the other hand, Stitch’s disk is more defensive, giving Timon and Pumbaa another opportunity to activate Hukana Matata once more when their HP dips below 50%. Although it must be noted that Stitch’s disk also empowers Hakuna Matata by making it give the entire team more Basic Damage and Skill Power. Overall, Stich’s disk is more flexible and synergizes better with a greater variety of teams. Although Scar’s disk is better for more hyper-offensive team comps. Overall, both disks are relatively situational–relying heavily for certain skills or conditions to apply before becoming beneficial.
Team Options:
Timon & Pumbaa are almost mandatory to deal with Merlin comps (any version of it) and specifically against heroes that rely heavily on critical hits such as Stitch, Quorra(Ev), Robin Hood, and Beast. That aside, they are a good fit for a team that may otherwise struggle with heavy Normal damage. It should come as no surprise that they work remarkably well with fellow Lion King cast-mates Rafiki(Ja), Simba & Nala, and Scar(Ma). Rafiki keeps the heals coming even after Hakuna Matata expires while Scar and Simba & Nala simply enjoy the protection they receive, especially for being at the frontline. With Scar’s disk, Timon & Pumbaa make for another worthy partner for Merida. Judy’s similar burst of early-game power can be combined with Timon & Pumbaa’s skills for a very aggressive head start, especially when equipped with Stitch’s disk. Kevin can be considered for backup to help Timon & Pumbaa as they struggle dealing with CC. For reliable protection though, Joy(Ol) is arguably their best partner. Hakuna Matata buys Joy just enough time to build up stacks of Happiness that provides exceptional defenses.
Counters:
Despite having modest Tenacity growth and the ability to deny Merlin specifically, Timon & Pumbaa struggle greatly against most of the other Control heroes. They have nothing in their arsenal that helps them protect the team from heavy CC, which effectively diminishes so much of Hakuna Matata’s value because of how much time it wastes. While they are great for going up against dangerous Normal damage dealers like Jack Sparrow, the same cannot be said with Fantastic damage dealers that are capable of tremendous burst damage. Ducky & Bunny, Jafar(Sc), and Anger are especially problematic.
Tron
Overview
COMING SOON
Violet
Overview
Strengths:
+High survivability
+Strong defensively
+Great stall potential
+Good synergy
Weaknesses:
-Utilities are basic or even limited
-“Shield Roll” has bad timing sometimes
-Poor Reality growth
Gameplay:
Everything that Violet has in her arsenal is designed to mitigate damage taken as much as possible. “Secure Squad” provides shields while she jumps back to avoid damage, “Invisibility” makes her untargetable, “Shield Roll” pushes away all enemies while avoiding damage completely, and “Force Field” is just more shielding but on cool down. Violet’s skillset gives her one of the best survival rates amongst her peers, making her ideal for stalling the clock on defense. While she does excel at protecting her teammates, she doesn’t offer much else for them besides her shields. Her basic defenses have not much finesse to contest a slot within a main Arena team, but she gets more mileage out her skills in the Coliseum and Guild Wars.
Friendship Disks:
Violet’s disks focus on empowering her shields even further. Ralph’s disk gives her shields stun effects, which helps Violet give her teammates more safe openings to attack. It also gives her a significant boost in Skill Power. While that is helpful for strengthening her shields, it’s more important for her Shield Roll as it will now do more damage. Merida’s disk, despite adding less Skill Power, is also a lot simpler. It makes Violet’s shields last longer and stronger to allow for greater protection. Both are very good, so you can’t go wrong either way.
Team Options:
Violet is generally a decent option if you need more defense. You can pair her up with Baymax and Calhoun(Vi) in a team that really abuses shields. You can consider partnering her with Finnick, as both would be able to peel off annoying divers with their pushbacks. They are especially effective if you have a vulnerable backline that needs the extra protection. Ralph’s disk allows her to work well in stun-heavy comps, especially with Gaston(Ca) and Maleficent. If you intend to use Violet in City Watch or Invasion, she will need a competent healer. Any healer will do fine, but she has Mickey and Rafiki(Ja) as very good choices for Team Red’s Invasion week.
Counters:
Violet’s biggest problem is a competent shield breaker. Rex, Dash(Vi), and Darkwing Duck(Ni) can make very short work of shields. Darkwing gets a special mention because his disk with Nick punishes shields by causing slows if he deactivates them. Violet is also not safe from attacks that have AOE even while she’s invisible. Alice is particularly hard for Violet to defend against.
Woody
Overview
Strengths:
+Key backline counter
+Amazing Friendship Disks
+Great Synergy
+Has speed boost
Weaknesses:
-Lasso has very long cool down
-Vulnerable midline position
-Very low stats
Gameplay:
As a veteran hero, Woody has managed to remain relevant even now—and probably still in the future. Woody lacks the firepower and the endurance of many of his peers, but makes up for it by the sheer usefulness of his utilities. “Lasso” is Woody’s most unique skill. With it, he can pull the farthest enemy unit close to him, setting up for an easy KO. This skill has singlehandedly made Woody a key counter to many powerful backline heroes like Meg, Elsa, Maleficent, and many, many others. Woody also provides a single-target charm for disabling, a powerful speed boost, and even some supplementary healing. Everything Woody does is useful, so he works well in any game mode.
Round 'Em Up:
Description coming soon!
Friendship Disks:
Woody’s friendship with Jessie and Buzz reward him with two very useful, but very different disks to add to his skillset. Buzz’s disk turns Woody into an energy-generating machine! Defeating enemy units that had a “Bullseye” on them will now provide energy, making this disk extremely powerful for Invasion. Jessie’s disk on the other hand causes Woody to use “Lasso” first, pulling in a vulnerable backline target while also stunning them. This disk tends to set up easy KO’s, swinging your team’s momentum for an advantageous lead. Jessie’s disk will almost always be more useful for PvP modes.
Team Options:
Woody does work well with everyone in most circumstances. He’s a particularly good option if you lack teammates that can snipe the backline. While his speed boost is a huge boon for anyone, it is technically more optimal for heroes that rely on their Basic Attack stat more, since he also grants a Basic Attack boost. Heroes such as Gaston, Robin Hood, and the Queen of Hearts take full advantage of the speed boost. He can team up with other heroes that can abuse speed such as Goofy, Anger, and Alice.
Counters:
As a midline hero, Woody is particularly susceptible to splash damage as it tends to affect him from any range. Consequently, this means he struggles against heroes with powerful pushbacks, making it easier for forcing Woody in a more dangerous position. As Woody grants Basic Attack boosts, Merlin is an extremely effective counter that neutralizes dangerous targets with enhanced stats. Ursula is also a notable threat, as she can deny Woody from being able to use his speed boost.
Yax
Overview
Strengths:
+Great healing skill
+Early-game advantage.
+Useful Friendship disks
+Has Evasion
Weaknesses:
-Very slow energy gain
-Low stats
-No useful offensive skills
Gameplay:
Yax was the original Support hero you were able to add to your team. As you play more, you may end up unlocking more reliable healers in the process, and poor Yax gets shelved. However, as the game evolved, Yax eventually gained some key attributes that has helped him keep up with the standards of providing support–most notably acquiring the Evasion stat and the steady rise of his Improved Healing stat. Yax’s “Natural Healing” is one of his only notable moves, providing the team with hefty heals almost instantly. His Green and Blue skills are rather forgettable moves that deal Fantastic damage while his Purple skill starts off the enemy team with a small but noticeable disadvantage in speed. “Chill Vibes” slowing down the enemy team is now more valuable than ever with the advent of heroes that are capable of extreme burst damage at the start of the battle. Yax’s slow effect now has comparable momentum-swinging strength to that of Maui or even Judy. His strength in the early game and the ability to provide healing later on makes him a decent choice for PvP, especially in Coliseum and Guild Wars. He can actually hold his own for endurance marathons such as Invasion and City Watch. He is great for Breaker Quests, but not so much against Bots because his damage is too weak.
Total Relaxation:
Description coming soon!
Frienship Disks:
Yax has somewhat interesting disks that help him support his team a little better. Finnick’s disk makes “Chill Vibes” last much longer, so the enemy team remains a little slower for a while. Frozone’s disk is often more useful because it gives the whole team a Basic Damage boost every time Yax uses “Natural Healing”, giving the skill even more utility. It also gives Yax more Conservation, allowing him to use his healing more often. Overall, Frozone’s disk tends to work well in a broader variety of teams, especially in PvP. Although Finnick’s disk shines in Invasion where he has teammates that capitalize on slow effects.
Team Options:
It should come as no surprise that he works well with the rest of Zootopia’s cast. Although not viable in PvP, they often make a very competent effort in Breaker quests during team Yellow’s Invasion week. Because Yax starts the fight by slowing the enemy team down, you should team him up with heroes who can take advantage of it immediately like Elsa, Vanellope(Da), and Finnick(Ju). Since Yax struggles to build energy, consider teaming him with heroes who can give more energy such as Woody(Bu), Miguel, Mickey, Genie, and WALL-E. Recently, with the rise of Ducky & Bunny and Jafar(Sc), Yax has been seen paired with Baymax(Ol) to help stop and slow down these menacing threats. Often, Yax’s Chill vibes is the key skill here in order to open up an opportunity to shut down and delay big threats like Ducky & Bunny and Jafar(Sc). This is highly effective when Yax has Ducky & Bunny and even Jafar as partners too, so that they can more safely unleash their own skills first.
Counters:
Yax is weak to most of the current roster. Backline divers (Darkwing Duck, Mr. Incredible, etc.), snipers (Ducky & Bunny, Elastigirl(Va), etc.), curses (Tia Dalma, Maleficent), energy denial (Dash(Fi), Ursula), freeze (Elsa, WALL-E), stun (Gaston, Woody), Study (Barbossa, Baymax), Scare (Jack Skellington, Mike), and many others as more heroes get added to the game. Yes it’s true that this is largely attributed to his weak stats, but he can be made viable thanks to the addition of powerful heroes he can ally himself with.
