Thoughts on upcoming Red Skull Buff

Now that Red Skull is confirmed as the next champ being buffed, I want to suggest a few QoL changes to make him easier to use (aside from his obvious need to have more damage). This is assuming that Kabam will be keeping the general rotation of Red Skull the same, that being to punish Intercepts with a Heavy, ramp to Sp2, and refresh Shocks with Sp1 until the fight is won.

- Armor Ups are not consumed on Well-Timed Blocks
- Heavy Attack hitbox size increase (similar to Stryfe for easier Heavy Intercept)
- If struck while using a Heavy Attack, consume half of all current Armor Up buffs (Min. 1) to gain an Unstoppable Passive for 1 second. Would need to change the "Seeing Red" Synergy.
- Heal Block from Heavy Attack applies if they are Stunned OR Shocked

What changes would you want to see from the Red Skull update?

Comments

ShoNuff29

Happy he’s getting buffed, but if he’s getting buffed, then we need this guy buffed as a DIRECT counter

The game’s coolest looking Cap 😎

ItsClobberinTime

Well, I have a sig 120 one I never ranked up so I hope it's good enough to make me want to rank him up lol

Eb0ny-O-M4w

I predict he really isn't going to become anything meaninglful ... but that's just a guess

ReignkingTW

Again?

CosmicGuardian

Personally, one change is like to see would be for his synergy with Immortal Abomination to be moved into his base kit. While the attack bonus per armour may need to be adjusted (either up or down) I feel like it would be at least one way of improving his damage output. With the armour up on every tenth hit that should also theoretically ease his ramp as well.

Paupershango_2006

Is this a good Red Skull Buff?

About Red Skull
The Red Skull has managed to orchestrate the assassinations of his enemies, manipulate his way to power, and lead Hydra in a plan to devastate the world’s most influential countries. Using his scientific talents and knowledge of the occult to research what others considered only a myth: the Cosmic Cube. Now armed with knowledge of its deepest secrets, The Red Skull has been able to harness it to power his suit of Hydra armor.

Character Class: Tech

Abilities: Shock, Armor Up, Energy Vulnerability, Power Drain, Heal Block, Power Gain, Shock Vulnerability, Aptitude, Fury

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths - Battlegrounds/Alliance War Defense, Strong Shock Damage, Mutant Counter

Weaknesses - Armor Break, Shock/Power Drain Immunity, Sunder

The following Stats and Abilities are based on a Rank 5, Level 65, Sig 200, 6-Star Champion.

Overwhelming Presence - Passive
Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube emit a presence that opponents cannot overcome, boosting Red Skull’s chances to trigger his abilities and granting him passive bonuses against Mutant Champions.

Always Active
For each Buff on Red Skull, he gains +750 Energy Resistance and +750 Critical Resistance.
Against Mutant Champions, he gains immunity to all Ability Accuracy Reduction effects.
Every Debuff on the opponent reduces their Combat Power Rate by 25%.

Armor Up Buffs - Max: 10
Unless otherwise stated, Red Skull’s Armor Up Buffs last indefinitely and increase Armor Rating by 1500.
At the start of the fight, gain 5 indefinite Armor Up Buffs.
When Red Skull fills a bar of Power or reaches a multiple of 10 hits in the Combo Meter, gain 1 indefinite Armor Up Buff. Against Mutant Champions, gain 2 indefinite Armor Up Buffs instead.

Blocking a Basic Attack
Consume one Armor Up Buff by Red Skull to drain 25% of the opponent’s max Power and inflict 2352.25 Direct Damage for each Buff on Red Skull. Well-Timed Blocks do not consume Armor Up Buffs.
Against Mutant Champions, also remove all Prowess effects from them. For every Prowess removed this way, Red Skull gains an Aptitude Buff, each increasing the potency of all Fury, Armor, and Precision Buffs by 20% for 60 seconds. Max: 10.

Heavy Attacks
While Heavy Charging, Red Skull generates 12% of a bar of Power per second and all Stun effects on them are paused. Additionally, Heavy Charging can be held for an extended duration.
If this attack strikes the opponent while they are Stunned, inflict a Heal Block Debuff for 25 seconds. Against Mutant Champions, instead inflict a Heal Block Passive with its duration doubled.

Special Attack 1
All Stun effects on the opponent are paused during this attack.
The final hit refreshes all personal Shock Debuffs on the opponent, and inflicts them with a Stun Debuff for 5 seconds. Against Mutant Champions, the final hit also doubles the amount of Shock Debuffs active and pauses them for 8 seconds.

Special Attack 2
On activation, inflict a non-stacking Energy Vulnerability Passive, reducing Energy Resistance by 9000 for 8 seconds, and an additional 8 seconds for each personal Armor Up Buff on Red Skull.
All hits inflict a Shock Debuff, dealing 17244 Energy Damage over 10 seconds. These Shock Debuffs last 50% longer for each Buff on Red Skull, and have a max stack of 5.
Against Mutant Champions, all hits also inflict a Shock Vulnerability Passive, increasing the potency of all Shock effects by 50% for 70 seconds. These stacks start paused until the attack ends.

Special Attack 3
Drain all of the opponent’s Power. For every 10% of Power drained this way, gain a Fury Passive, increasing Attack Rating by +8084 for 90 seconds. These Fury Passives grant an additional +2263.8 Attack Rating for each Armor Up Buff on Red Skull, and have a max stack limit of 10.
Against Mutant Champions, also inflict a Special Lock Passive for 60 seconds. While this is active, the opponent’s Combat Power Rate is reduced by -100%, and Red Skull’s is increased by +100%.

Signature Ability - The Leader of Hydra
Passive
Increase the potency of Red Skull’s Shock Debuffs by 35%.
Additionally, while Red Skull has at least one Armor Up Buff, Mutant Champions cannot activate Unstoppable or Unblockable effects.

Recommended Masteries
Collar Tech

Synergy Bonuses
Eternal Adversaries with Captain America (WWII) Unique Synergy: Does not stack with duplicate synergies.
Red Skull: Well-Timed Blocks have +10% chance to Perfect Block for each Buff on Red Skull.
Captain America (WWII): Well-Timed Blocks generate a Fury Buff increasing Base Attack by 20% for 5 seconds.
Dark Illuminati with Kingpin, Loki, Iron Patriot, and M.O.D.O.K. Unique Synergy: Does not stack with duplicate synergies.
All Villains gain +20% Armor.
Hail Hydra! with Punisher 2099 Unique Synergy: Does not stack with duplicate Synergies.
Red Skull: Intercepting the opponent, Heal Blocks them for 7.5 seconds.
Punisher 2099: Duration of Heal Block, Armor Break, and Power Lock Debuffs are increased by 50%.

Incoming Synergy Changes

Immortal Rulers
With Abomination (Immortal)
Red Skull (Old Effect): Each Armor-Up Buff grants +5% Attack Rating. Additionally, every 10th Basic Attack triggers 1 personal Armor-Up Buff, these count toward Red Skull’s Armor cap.
Red Skull (New Effect): Increase the Special 1 Shock Debuff Pause duration by 7 seconds.

Unending Ambition
With Diablo
Red Skull (Old Effect): +35% Shock Debuff potency.
Red Skull (New Effect): Personal Shock Debuffs last an additional 50% longer for each Buff on Red Skull.

Paupershango_2006

@NeoDazaras do you think the iBom Synergy should be moved into Red Skull's kit?

EdisonLaw

Red Skull already has decent utility with his power control, but has crappy damage. Hopefully they up his damage to be on par with the other techs, especially his shock damage. They just need to give him the Ultron buff treatment.

Karatemike415

Thoughts:

Should have happened a LONG time ago.

Mr.0-8-4

Happy he’s getting buffed, but if he’s getting buffed, then we need this guy buffed as a DIRECT counter

The game’s coolest looking Cap 😎

ABSOLUTELY

Armageddøn

DrZola

Unless I misread the announcement, it sounds like he’s getting more access to his armor ups. Which is exactly what this champ was lacking.

Dr. Zola

Ruwqiersa

Making the lanes in eq look like swastika where zemo is the boss, the loading thumbnail where qs raises his and in a sus way, and now buffing a champion thats considered to be **** in the lore... sussssy 😳😳😳

NeoDazaras

@NeoDazaras do you think the iBom Synergy should be moved into Red Skull's kit?

I think it’s best that it stays a synergy. From what the design of his live version implies, Red Skull wasn’t meant to be a burst attacker (like Starky or Shocker) but more of a controlling damage over time. Getting the attack rating from Armor Ups is a good idea, but I’d argue that it makes more sense from his damage to scale mainly on his Shocks.

RiderofHell

We might get another OG buff announced next month as imo Dani and Lady Deathstrike seem to be good. But again i don't have the data so only time will tell.

Magrailothos

Red Skull actually has an okay kit, albeit quite dependent on being a good Intercept player.
He really just needs a bit more ability to retain lost armour, and done additional damage.

Also, I'm pretty sure his 'Increased Ability Accuracy' ability doesn't really work, as he always fails to get buffs when Neutralised or Soul Captured...

Armageddøn

I would have loved to see a Sentry or ironfist buff but ehh red skull is fine too ig

I just don't get excited for tech champs anymore it's always the same kit - power burn, power drain, prowess cancel,Armor ups,shock,auto block etc etc

Shadowstrike

I would have loved to see a Sentry or ironfist buff but ehh red skull is fine too ig

I just don't get excited for tech champs anymore it's always the same kit - power burn, power drain, prowess cancel,Armor ups,shock,auto block etc etc

No one's denying that they don't need to be buffed but many would argue that they need reworks more than an update while this is just filling in some gaps into his kit to make him better.

Shake_a_Quake

Making the lanes in eq look like swastika where zemo is the boss, the loading thumbnail where qs raises his and in a sus way, and now buffing a champion thats considered to be **** in the lore... sussssy 😳😳😳

Love a dose of conspiracy theory, but don't you think this a bit too much of psychoanalysis and reading in between the lines?

NeoDazaras

I would have loved to see a Sentry or ironfist buff but ehh red skull is fine too ig

I just don't get excited for tech champs anymore it's always the same kit - power burn, power drain, prowess cancel,Armor ups,shock,auto block etc etc

That's a lot of abilities for one class to all be the same lol. Plus the same can be said for other classes too. Science is just Power Sting, DOT or Passive fury, Mystics are just Nullify and Neutralize, Cosmics just...go brr.

Armageddøn

I would have loved to see a Sentry or ironfist buff but ehh red skull is fine too ig

I just don't get excited for tech champs anymore it's always the same kit - power burn, power drain, prowess cancel,Armor ups,shock,auto block etc etc
That's a lot of abilities for one class to all be the same lol. Plus the same can be said for other classes too. Science is just Power Sting, DOT or Passive fury, Mystics are just Nullify and Neutralize, Cosmics just...go brr.

I mean only time you use tech champs is when countering mutants, however other class champs can be used against anyone. That was my point.

And cosmics go Brr? You sure about that?

Gladiator disagrees

AverageDesi

Red Skull actually has an okay kit, albeit quite dependent on being a good Intercept player.
He really just needs a bit more ability to retain lost armour, and done additional damage.

Also, I'm pretty sure his 'Increased Ability Accuracy' ability doesn't really work, as he always fails to get buffs when Neutralised or Soul Captured...

It's apparently a 1000% ability accuracy but it doesn't work for sh(i)te..

NeoDazaras

I would have loved to see a Sentry or ironfist buff but ehh red skull is fine too ig

I just don't get excited for tech champs anymore it's always the same kit - power burn, power drain, prowess cancel,Armor ups,shock,auto block etc etc
That's a lot of abilities for one class to all be the same lol. Plus the same can be said for other classes too. Science is just Power Sting, DOT or Passive fury, Mystics are just Nullify and Neutralize, Cosmics just...go brr.
I mean only time you use tech champs is when countering mutants, however other class champs can be used against anyone. That was my point.

And cosmics go Brr? You sure about that?
Gladiator disagrees

Counterpoint: Warlock. Also Ghost, Starky, Nimrod, O Sentinel, Future Ant Man. Also Peni against Fury, Deathstrike on Photon, and Viv Vision against lots of defenders with tricky specials.