Bash

[thierrytng]

Being my favorite Skylander, I figured it'd be suiting for me to open the debate on him.

Bash is obviously a powerful PvP character. His attacks deal a lot of damage and his roll makes him very mobile. Unlike the typical melee character, he can also compete in ranged combat with his rock launches and Tennis Tail. He has no apparent weakness other than his attack recovery (his Tail Swipe takes a moment before it can be used again) and his cumbersome rock throwing (but they still do a fair amount of damage). So the question is:

Which path to choose, Granite Dragon (tail) or Pulver Dragon (roll)?

Click here to see his upgrades and what they do.

From what I've read on the internet so far, most people think it's a moot question. Either you upgrade your roll, or you upgrade your tail, but your main attack will by roll/tail so it matters little. For the most part, I agree with this statement.

However, in the end I chose the Pulver Dragon path because it offers a key upgrade for Arenas: Earthen Force Roll. This ability allows Bash to actually get to his target instead of being beaten back or forced from his charge by a stray shot. Compared to Granite Dragon's Summoning: Stone Uppercut and Summoning: Stone Uppercut , which require Bash to move less, this upgrade allows him to move more.

Mobility is the key to my game plan with Bash and as such, going the stationary path just isn't for me. Because let's face it, even without upgrades, his tail is among the strongest attacks in the game.

[themorpheus]

i choose tail.

[thierrytng]

Jan 29, 2012 11:27:15 GMT -6 themorpheus said:

i choose tail.

Any particular reason for it, or just because you like it more (which imho, is the best possible reason)?

[themorpheus]

Tail was easier to manage in battle.

[Tashiji]

I personally prefer Granite Dragon. In PVP, I actually do kind of like to remain stationary as Bash against other melee characters; reason being, he's hard to advance on, since the threat of a charged-up tail is omnipresent. He still pursues well enough for my liking, and personally, I haven't had much of a problem approaching the Drobots of the world.

Pulver Dragon does well, no question, and you may be right that he is better against ranged opponents than Granite. However, it's not ranged opponents that I've had the most trouble against while playing Bash. While he packs a big punch either way, he needs all the help he can get against Stealth Elf, Slam Bam, and other characters who like to tangle up close, as well as characters who like to force opponents close and then finish them off, such as Ignitor and Dino Rang. In situations like this, the extra punch per tail swipe and the charged attack can make all the difference.

While Bash is firmly in the top tier any way you slice him, I do take Granite Dragon when it's time to pick. It all boils down to how you like to play him, though. Both paths remain valid.

[thierrytng]

I see. Intersting reasoning. Do you get to charge your tail often? The one thing I have against charge attack is that they fail if you get hit.

Like you said, it comes down to playstyle. In my case, I tend to hit- and run a lot with Bash. Besides, a large boulder rolling at you tends to make my opponent get nervous. ;-)