Skeeter Barnes is a highly decorated Viking pilot, known for his reckless fighting style and utter disregard for the chain of command. His skills were honed in the underground destruction derbies that flourished in the Korpulu sector. When the wars came he was forcibly 'recruited' into the army, agreeing more to dodge creditors than out of any patriotism. The Hot Rod, his custom Viking is his pride and joy. He's spent hours adapting it to his unique smashing style of combat, stripping it down and rebuilding it for speed. His tactics are unorthodox - Skeeter preferring to get up close and personal when he can, charging through enemy lines and pin-balling from foe to foe as he roars across the battlefield - but have proven effective. Few other pilots in the Dominion have scored as many kills and none have as much fun as Skeeter while the battle rages on.
Notes: Skeeter, a former racer, drives a highly customized mech that transforms between two different modes with his Mount (Z) key. One is a walker with more sustain and damage, the other is a flyer that's faster and attacks at range. Like Rehgar, Skeeter can transition between these forms at almost any time with only a short cooldown to keep him from returning to his previous form. Unlike Rehgar, he doesn't have a default form and a fancier travel mode. He can straight up choose to be either a ranged character or a melee character, as the player prefers. Skeeter is designed to work just as well in each shape as he can use any of his skills and continue to attack in both. There are reasons to stick with one or the other built in to his design, but nothing to stop a player from switching every time that ability comes off of cooldown.
Combat Trait
1
Transformer
Instead of a normal mount, you are able to transform between a mobile Fighter mode and an aggressive Assault mode. Toggle between these modes with your mount key (Z). You may switch at any time, even in combat, with a short cooldown before you can revert to your previous mode.
In Assault Mode you attack in melee, deal bonus damage when you use abilities, and have increased health and mana regeneration.
In Fighter Mode you have a faster ranged attack and 120% of base movement speed.
Primary Abilities
1
Rocket Punch
Dash to target enemy, colliding with the first enemy in your way. They are dealt damage and knocked into the air, stunning them briefly.
2
Air Horn
Unleash a dazzling burst of light and sound from your customized rig. Nearby enemies are Blinded, those closer in are also Slowed, and enemies at the closest range are also briefly Dazed.
3
Jump Jets
Jump to target location and briefly gain a decaying Movement speed boost. You may reactivate this skill within a short window to leap again.
Heroic Abilities
1
Missile Barrage
You store a number of charges of long-range missiles that, when fired, home in on the nearest enemy champion and strike the first enemy in their path.
Note: This has a good number of charges and a low cost so it can be spammed to rapidly launch missiles. The missiles are skill shots that gently curve into enemy heroes so you have to aim but not very well.
2
Burn Out
Over a limited duration, has a different stacking effect depending on the mode you are in. When you change modes you reset your stacks. When you reach full stacks you release a burst of damage to all nearby enemies and this effect ends.
ASSAULT MODE. Each time you basic attack, you gain a stacking bonus to attack and movement speed. While under this effect, every second you release a smaller pulse of damage to nearby enemies, the damaging increases with each stack.
FIGHTER MODE. As you move, you gain increasing bonuses to movement speed. While under this effect, you leave a trail of fire behind you that deals damage over time to enemies standing in it.
Special Mount
1
Assault Mode
You become a walking mech. Your attack damage is increased and you have bonus health and mana regeneration. While in this form, when you activate a skill, your chain guns fire, dealing damage over time to enemies in a cone in front of you (This effect does not persist if you transform).
2
Fighter Mode
You become an airborne jet. Your attack speed is increased and your range is extended. While in this form, you have higher movement base movement speed (120% of normal).
ROLE
Highly mobile and highly disruptive, Skeeter is a Warrior with strong engagement tools who should be a good compliment in two warrior teams or dive comps. He's made to float around the edges of the fight then seize an opportunity to pounce. He can dive into an enemy team, lay down some fire, and then make a stunning getaway as they react. With good damage, he'd be an aggressive, offensive Warrior. Like a Tyrael, though, he's not quite sturdy enough to be a main tank that can protect an entire team. I envision having some talents to enhance his survivabilty but, really, lacking serious sustain is the key weakness in Skeeter's kit. He's meant to be somewhat squishy, for Warrior and to have to scramble to survive. Speed, rather than defensive skills and a bottomless healthpool, is his armor. With a number of abilities that let him escape just as much as they let him maneuver around the battlefield for a good position, Skeeter is hard to catch. And easy to catch others with. It makes for strong initiation, a character constantly pressing the enemy team and looking to peel off the vulnerable, even though he's not quite going to be throwing around enemies like a Diablo. The result is a superiority fighter, always racing to the next fight.
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