Brawler Basics: Gene

Howdy! Welcome back to another Brawler Basics guide! This time…the new and mysterious Gene, bringing some new and possibly game-changing mechanics!

Stats: Gene

Overview:

– Rarity – Mythic

– Movement Speed – 720

Attack:

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– Range – 5.66 Tiles

– Range + Extra Projectiles – 11 Tiles

– Reload – 2 Seconds

– At Level 1:

– Hitpoints – 3600

– Damage – 1000

– At Level 10:

– Hitpoints – 5040

– Damage – 1400

Super:

– Range – 9

– At Level 1:

– Damage – 300

– At Level 10:

– Damage – 420

Attack: Smoke Blast

Gene’s regular attack fires a ball of smoke which deals a medium amount of damage. If it does not hit an enemy and reaches the end of its range, it splits into 6 smaller balls that spread out in a cone, dealing equal portions of Gene’s original damage each. Gene’s attack is fantastic for scoping out bushes and controlling large areas of the map. Due to the way the smoke spreads, it can also shoot around walls (similar to Nita and Frank), as well as keep enemies in combat with its large spread and range.

Super: Magic Hand

Gene’s super pulls an enemy brawler to his location, dealing a small amount of damage in the process. Gene’s super has several uses, including the obvious one that he can take an enemy brawler out of safety and into a position where they can be ambushed. Furthermore, it can cancel attacks and supers which require time to unload, such as Frank and Brock. Gene’s super can also be used to deal a little bit of damage if you are in a pinch. However, try not to pull brawlers that thrive in close ranged situations such as Bull or Shelly. You may end up in a bit of a messy situation…

Fun Fact: All the Mythics have some form of character displacement. Tara has her Gravity, Gene has his Magic Hand and Mortis has his Shovel Swing!

Star Power: Magic Puffs

Gene’s Star Power heals all friendly brawlers in a 4 tile radius for 100 health per second. This passive ability can be immensely helpful in supporting a friendly brawler in combat. However, be wary of the area in which the healing operates – it may be smaller than you think!

How to use Gene

Gene is built to be an aggressive support Brawler (like Tara), used to scope out enemies and initiate combat. He does well in game modes where combat may be the turning point in a match, such as Gem Grab or Bounty.

In Gem Grab, Gene does well as a flanker, moving up the side of a map and hitting enemies from the side or the back. Sneaking around is important with Gene, as it makes it much easier to get enemies in range of Smoke Blast. Because of this, Gene should be used as an aggressive brawler, pulling the enemy gem carrier into your teammates and creating havoc from within the enemy lines. Be wary of your health bar, however, as there are several enemy brawlers who can easily kill Gene.

In Showdown, Gene should be played quite passively, scoping out every bush and controlling large portions of the map. Once Gene has several powerups, he can begin to hunt for enemy brawlers, dispatching them in 3 or 4 hits. His super is best used to pull a weak or weakened enemy into your grasp (no pun intended), allowing you to finish them and take all the powerups for yourself.

In Heist, Gene should not be played at all due to his short range and low damage per second. If you do end up with Gene in Heist, play as an aggressive defender who keeps the enemies away from the safe while your teammates do the attacking. Your super should be used to pull enemies away from the safe to an area of the map closer to their base.

In Bounty, Gene should be played along similar lines to Mortis, sneaking up the sides of the map and finishing everyone off swiftly and efficiently. His super can be used to pull an unsuspecting victim into your grasp, or on opponents who out-range and out-damage you such as Piper and Brock. Gene can benefit from almost any type of terrain, as long as there are adequate bushes for him to sneak around in.

In Brawl Ball, Gene can be used to pull enemies away from the ball and your goal. One feature of Gene’s super is that it can pull enemies away, causing them to drop the ball where they were hit. This can be useful to keep enemies away from the ball, allowing you to march the ball into the goal. Gene’s regular attack should be used to scout out bushes and control, like in Showdown, but with teammates.

Quick-fire or Manual Aim?

Gene’s attack should be aimed if you are scoping out bushes or attempting to hit a brawler from a distance. This will make it easier for you to lead your shots or spread out your smoke puffs. If the enemy is extremely close to you, you should use quick-fire as it allows you to unload several shots within a small space of time.

Gene’s super should never be quick-fired, as it will most likely miss, causing you to have wasted a potentially game-changing opportunity. Always lead your shots unless you are aiming up an alleyway, in which case you should aim up the middle for a greater chance of hitting a target.

Conclusion

Gene is a versatile support brawler who has several unique mechanics that can easily turn the tide of a match. Make sure you scout around and check bushes before entering them, and do not quick-fire your super. Just, don’t…

And that’s for this guide! I hope you enjoyed this installment of Brawler Basics on Gene. See more guides on our website by searching for them under the “Guides” category. Check out other guides in the Brawler Basics series by going to the Categories dropdown in the sidebar. Thanks for reading, and as always, brawl on!