I'mma Bursting Full of the Juices! (SXD24's Support Guide)

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding this guide, as he is, has, and always will be my favorite (and best) class.

Now, I may not have the best K/D ratio, nor do I have an absurd amount of Crossfire earnings, but after reaching 1000 wins, I feel that, yes, I do have an extensive amount of knowledge with the Support, who not only carried me to level 99, but propelled me to be Hudson's (2nd) favorite Support he's ever met. This Support build used to be more Shotgun-oriented than it is Heal/Hurt, as the shotgun, when endorsed right, is one of the most powerful weapons in the game. However, with the newest patch, Uber has provided them with one of the best Juiced weapons in the game, so be sure to make use of it. If you disagree with any of what this guide contains, that's fine, but please refrain from calling anyone out, flaming, or just flat out saying someone's wrong. That's disheartening and will only result in a whole "ur wrong" "no ur wrong" debacle that I'd rather not have on my very-first topic post. Okay?

WARNING: Using the Support to his fullest requires the most amount of money out of any class. Almost all of his upgrades are useful, he benefits from buiding turrents, and his Gapshots are really helpful in breaking a base's defense. Therefore, he's EXPENSIVE. 1800 for skills + turrents + bot spawns + Juice = $3000-4000 a match. You have been warned.

All right, let's get to work.

Contents:

• 1. Getting To Know The Support
  2. Endorsements
  3. Skill Upgrades
  4. Your Weaponry and You
  5. General Gameplay
  6. Map-Specific Strategies
  7. Support vs. ????
  8. Those Pesky Protags
  9. FAQs, Comments, and Additional Notes

1. Getting To Know The Support
Mama-mia, so much to cover, so little time.

This is the Support, and he likes gondolas, Ferraris, Swiss chalets, and fxcking things up. He can do it all - support his teammates, push lanes, defend home, obliterate campers, hack turrents, destroy turrents, annihilate the moneyball, and, most importantly, jet-ski with the best of them.

Pros of being a Support include, but are not limited to:

• Alternative Health Recovery (Heal/Hurt gun)
  Minimal Aiming Requirement (Heal/Hurt Gun)
  Powerful Close-Range Weaponry (Shotgun)
  Minimal Reloading Time (None for Heal/Hurt, Minimal for Shotgun)
  Provides Overhealing (Give Pros/Turrents the Upper-Hand)
  All Skill Upgrades are Useful
  Bot Support Aura Helps in Pushing Bots (Incr. ROF and Health)
  Easy To Accumulate Juice (Overhealing)
  Upgradable Health Recovery and Armor (Passive 3)
  Instant-Kill Skill (Airstrike)
  Powerful Bot Spawn (Gapshot)
  Destroys Turrents With Minimal Effort (Triple Airstrike/Gapshots)
  Capable of Providing a Long-Range Tertiary Damage Source (Firebase)
  Capable of Upgrading Turrents Without Spending Money (Hack)
  Builds Defensive Bot-Proof Walls (Hacked Turrents)
  Capable of "Reversing the Tide" (Hacking Enemy Turrents)
  Powerful Juice-Rusher (Kills Enemy Pros in a Single Hit)
  Powerful Moneyball Killer (Juice + Gold ROF = 75% Health Taken from Enemy Moneyball)

Cons of being a Support include, but are not limited to:

• Limited Health
  Slow Movement
  Slow Rate of Fire (Heal/Hurt & Shotty)
  Slow Skill Recovery
  Least-Effective Pro Grapple (He DOES kick you below the belt, but you hardly lose any health. WTF)
  Incapable of Providing Long-Range Attacks by Himself (w/o Bots/Turrents)
  Low-Health Bot Spawn (Gapshots can be taken out by a single Blackjack punch)
  Glitchy Firebase Placements (Temporary, as it will get fixed with the patch, but it's aggravating to waste a skill and the Firebase doesn't show up)
  Skill Upgrades are Expensive
  Time-Consuming to Accumulate Juice

2. Endorsements

Normal Play

• Gold: Rate of Fire
  Silver: Armor
  Bronze: Skill Recovery

Gold Rate of Fire is a must after the patch, as the shotty fires too slow to kill anything close range, and the Heal/Hurt is useless without it. Gold ROF Shotgun is proficient in killing the Moneyball (when Juiced), and Juiced Heal/Hurt rips through Pros with ease.

Silver Armor is to add that extra bit of health to help you survive those tight situations. Can also be upgraded via Passive 3, which is an added bonus, nearly giving you as much health as a Gold-Armor Gunner.

Skill recovery is ESSENTIAL to the Support, as most of his "supporting" power comes from his skills. Hacking, firebases, and airstrikes are all very useful skills, so you're going to want to utilize them as much as possible.

OVERTIME

• Gold: Juice

Most of the endorsements really don't matter in Overtime, as everyone basically has bacon. However, if you have Gold Juice, you will spawn with about 75% Juice. Every. Single. Time. Then, just go outside, heal a Jackbot or two, and Juice-Rush. BAM. Dead moneyball.

3. Skill Upgrades
Hack: This is the Support's most VITAL skill, as it is the most versatile skill in the game. It can upgrade turrents, firebases, steal enemy turrents, and create a bot-proof wall that doesn't even need to be supervised. I would suggest upgrading this first.

Firebase: This little thing is one of the most powerful assets the Support has, as it can kill bots and Pros with ease. Also, when hacked, it's range increases, which makes it a mini-powerhouse. I suggest upgrading this to level 2 at the start, as it increases the damage the firebase does significantly. However, there is minimal need for level 3, so don't waste your cash. It's much better spent on ejectors, annihilators, and Gapshots than that dinky little health upgrade.

Airstrikes: The next skill is the Support's airstrike, which is certainly one of his most devastating assets he's got in the game. Instant kills on bots and pros can make or break one's bot-push, and is fairly useful in getting rid of campers and spawn-killers. Although it takes a little time and finesse to get it right, the airstrike is far from useless. Once you earn enough cash, this should be the first thing you upgrade to level 3, as level 1 and 2's radial damage is... well, lacking.

Passive: Support's final skill is his passive, which adds a bot support aura (increased bot ROF and Health), upgraded health recovery, and upgraded armor. The bot support aura and health upgrades are very useful, but compared to the otherskills, they should be one of the last things you upgrade.

Recommended Upgrade Order:

• Hack 2, Firebase 2 (spawning)
  Airstrike 2
  Airstrike 3
  Passive 2
  Hack 3
  Passive 3

4. Your Weaponry and You

The Heal/Hurt Gun - One of the most useful weapons in the game. Pretty much going to have this out 80-90% of the time you play Support, as it is your primary objective to heal teammates, push bots, and keep turrents alive. It is also one of the best weapons in a laggy match, mainly due to it's auto-lockon feature, which all other weapons (excluding turrents and firebases) lack. Juiced, it is one of the best mid-ranged weapons in the game, and it can take out turrents in a jiffy. Also, post-patch Heal/Hurt has been nerfed, but Rate of Fire boosts its overall Heal/Hurt ability, so taking out light-classes (Snipers, Assassins, and Assaults in particular) becomes really easy with Golf ROF. Because of this, Gold ROF Heal/Hurt is the best juiced weapon in eliminating Pros, as it takes about 2-3 seconds to do so, and you don't have to aim.


The Shotgun - One of the BEST close-combat weapons in the game with Gold ROF, next to the Tank's Jet Gun. Can kill all pros in 2-3 hits, regardless of their armor. Kills all pros in 1-2 hits Juiced. Takes out 75% of the moneyball's health in a single clip. Need I say more? Use only when in combat, and reload as often as you can when out of combat.

5. General Gameplay

On any map, choose a turrent that's not easily accessible/shootable from the opposite side of the map (Think "Could Sniper reach this from their base? Could this be hacked through walls?"), and build a Rockit. Hack it. Upgrade it to level 3, hack it, and heal it for the rest of the game. Build more if you so choose, as they will prove useful in earning money, killing pros, and keeping bots out of your base. You are built to support, after all.

Overheal everything that spawns, including slims, blackjacks, turrents, pros, and just about everything else. You're going to want to get Juice as fast as you can. Once you have Juice, you can do 1 of 3 things:

• 1. Kill/Hack Enemy Turrents: Although you are now capable of doing this, this could be better done by a Tank, Gunner, or Assassin. If they are having problems, or you have none of these Pros on your team, consider Juice-hacking one of their turrents and destroying as many else as you can. Your airstrikes are also useful in doing this.
  2. Save It For Defense: Just because you have Juice doesn't mean no one else does. Save that Juice in case of emergencies, as a Juice Rush is best countered by, you guessed it, a counter-Juice.
  3. Kill the Moneyball: As written earlier, a Juiced Shotty's normal clip + Gold ROF can take down 75% of the Moneyball's health. Use this to your advantage whenever it is down.

If the enemy base is riddled with turrents, help out the team by spawning Gapshots. They will take out turrents fairly quickly, can get you some quick kills, and only cost $100.

And one last thing: If you're going to taunt, use the Shotty taunt. It's quicker, therefore, you're less likely to die.
Also:


This whole guide TL;DR: Buy, upgrade, hack, Juice. Rinse and repeat.

6. Map-Specific Strategies

Note: For simplistic purposes, these maps (made by yours truly) refer to the Icemen (blue) as "Your Team" and the Hotshots (orange) as the "Enemy Team." Refer to the map for any special terms mentioned in this section. Routes 1 and 2 are identified in black text alongside blue and orange lines. Turrents are identified as Lazer-Blazers #1-4, with the two already-spawned Rockits specially numbered 1 & 2. Recommended Firebase placements are denoted by purple circles along the map, and are identified by the number beside them. Annihilators are denoted by the ! on the map.

a) Steel Peel:


AKA "everyone's favorite map." Steel Peel is, quite possibly, the worst possible map for Support players. There's a lot of overhead cover, too many walls, Gapshots and Longshots are rendered almost completely useless, and it's a breeding ground for "favorite childs," which normally wouldn't be a problem, if most of the turrents weren't visible from the other side of the map. Now, with that being said, there are a few (albeit small) redeeming factors about this map that every Support can take advantage of, but it purely depends on whether you want to play offensively or defensively.

• i) Offensive Supports are often the ones that deal with the most trouble, as they lack the one thing that every other class has - a long-range weapon. BUT, there are ways to get around the map alive. However, the only way to do so is with strategic Firebase placement - without it, you're just another kill waiting to happen, and will hardly offer any "offensive" gameplay to the table. Healing incoming/outgoing Pros and bots, meleeing enemy bots for Juice, and Shotgunning anyone in your path, while staying within range of your Firebase is the way to play on Steel Peel, so use it to your team's advantage. Also make use of your Air Strikes, as they can take out Enemy turrents from the 2nd floor with ease.
  
  Offensive Supports can make use of placements 5-10 to actively control bots and incoming pros:
  
  • Placement 5: Controls enemy Pro flow to the left on the 2nd floor. Prevents back entry to base for most pros. Maintains control of nearby Jump Pad, which helps maintain control of the Annihilator. Susceptible to 2nd floor Snipers, Rail Guns, and Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 6: Controls enemy Pro flow to the right on the 2nd floor. Allows for protected back entry to enemy base. Maintains control of nearby Jump Pad, which helps maintain control of the Annihilator. Susceptible to 2nd floor Snipers, Rail Guns, corner-Jet-Guns, and Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 7: Can be placed above or below cover, both with their own pros and cons. 1st floor placements easily take out bots and Pros with no obstructions, can be placed behind or next to protection pillars, and are not lazered by nearby bots or hacked lazer-blazers. 2nd floor placements are obstructed, but helps maintain control of bot flow, the Annihilator, and a nearby Jump Pad. 1st floor placements are susceptible to corner-Jet-Guns, Snipers, and Rail Guns, whereas 2nd floor placements are susceptible to Miniguns, Snipers, Rail Guns, and 1st-floor Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 8: Placed by a nearby Jump Pad, allowing for effective control of Pros to the 2nd floor. Also helps control bot and Pro flow out of the enemy base. Can be lazered by enemy bots. Susceptible to Miniguns and Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 9: Effectively controls Pro flow from Jump Pad out of enemy base. Also allows for control of nearby Jump Pad to the Annihilator. Place so it does not shoot bots below, or else you will remain an open target to incoming Pros. Not susceptible to 1st floor Air Strikes, if placed correctly. Susceptible to Flaks and 2nd floor Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 10 (1st floor): To be placed just outside of the enemy's right-side entrance, around the corner. Controls right entrance of enemy base, restricting Pro flow purely to your team. Restricts bot flow from spawn, allowing for friendly bots entrance into the enemy base. Susceptible to bot lazers, Flaks, and corner Jet-Guns. (credit: UberGunner)
  
  ii) Defensive Supports have a lot less to deal with than Offensive Supports do, but there are a plentiful amount of annoyances that can occur. Most of these stem from the fact that all but 2 turrents are "snipable" from the enemy base, so be sure to maintain a steady flow of over-health to each and EVERY turrent.
  
  To control enemy bot flow into your base, turrent 3 is the best, as it is the only available turrent nub not "snipable" from the opposing base. Rockit turrent 2 is also unsnipable, so be sure to upgrade and hack that one as well, as it will last the longest of any turrent in your base. I would also recommend Firebase placement 1, as there are no safe turrent nubs to protect route 1 from incoming bots. If your teammates have eastablished map control, however, it is recommended that you move your firebase elsewhere.
  
  Also, keep in mind that this is a Sniper map. Having your Sniper alive is crucial to a Steel Peel match, so be sure to overheal friendly Snipers as often as possible. They need it more than anything.
  
  Defensive Supports can make use of placements 1-4 to actively control bots and incoming pros:
  
  • Placement 1: Controls enemy Pro and bot flow from route 1, as there are no effective turrent nubs protecting that side. Susceptible to 2nd floor Miniguns, Snipers,and Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 2: Placed by a nearby Jump Pad, allowing for effective control of Pros to the 2nd floor. Also helps control bot and Pro flow into your base. Can be lazered by enemy bots. Susceptible to just about everything.
    
    Placement 3: Can be placed above or below cover, both with their own pros and cons. 1st floor placements easily take out bots and Pros with no obstructions, can be placed behind or next to protection pillars, and are not lazered by nearby bots. 2nd floor placements are obstructed, but helps maintain control of bot flow into your base, the Annihilator, and a nearby Jump Pad. 1st floor placements are susceptible to corner-Jet-Guns, Snipers, and Rail Guns, whereas 2nd floor placements are susceptible to Miniguns, Snipers, Rail Guns, and 1st-floor Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 4: Two alcoves exist on either side of the map that are cornered off and not susceptible to Air Strikes, bot lazers, and enemy Snipers. Easily keeps control of route 1 or 2. Susceptible to corner-Jet-Guns and Miniguns.
    

b) LazeRazer: Coming Soon
c) Ammo Mule: Coming Soon
d) Grenade III:


GrenAde III is one of the most Support-friendly maps in the game, as one could either play offense or defense and still be a valuable asset to your team. There's a bit of overhead cover for Firebases, plenty of airspace for Air Strikes, Longshots, and Gapshots, and Snipers' choice for camping are limited to their base. However, there are ejectors everywhere, so be wary of where you step - stay on higher ground, and if you must support the bottom floor, make sure there's no one waiting for an Italian to get an Ejector kill on.

• i) Offensive Supports' choices are limited, but effective. Air Strikes are very effective on this map, as they can hit almost every square inch of the map without that much difficulty, which makes taking out turrents and campers fairly easy. There's also a number of Firebase placements available at the offensive Support's disposal, so be sure to make use of those.
  
  Offensive Supports can make use of placements 5-8 to actively control bots and incoming pros:
  
  • Placements 5-6: Place on designated Jump Pad. Controls enemy bot and Pro flow on either lane, as well as limiting Jump Pad flow strictly to your team. This helps maintain control of the Annihilator. When hacked, it can reach the edges of the Annihilator, further restricting Pro flow solely to your team. Susceptible to 2nd floor Snipers, Rail Guns, and Ejectors.
    
    Placement 7: Essentially the same as 5 & 6, except it doesn't require a hack to control bot & Pro flow (hack still recommended). Still limits Jump Pad flow, but does not reach the Annihilator. Susceptible to Air Strikes, Jet Guns, Bot lazers, and Ejectors.
    
    Placement 8: Placed on 2nd floor above enemy Jump Pad. Only place if enemy turrents are either destroyed or unable to fire at your Firebase. Restricts bot flow, as well as limits the Jump Pad use to your team. Susceptible to Air Strikes and Jet Gun.
  
  ii) Defensive Supports have an easier time on this map than most others (with the exception of Lazer Razor). It is much easier to control a base due to this map's open layout, so make use of those turrents!
  
  To control enemy bot flow into your base, turrents 2 & 3 are the best, as they are not easily picked off from a distance as much as 1 and 4 are. For turrents 1 & 4, I would recommend Longshots, as they can actively control the upper areas to prevent campers. However, building them is risky, as they are fairly weak and easily picked off fro a distance, so BE CAREFUL and heal them as much as possible. If upper-map control is not an issue, building Lazer Blazers or Shaveices could prove to be useful, but I would recommend saving your money for skills and the like.
  
  Defensive Supports can make use of placements 1-4 to actively control bots and incoming pros:
  
  • Placement 1: Controls enemy Pro and bot flow into your base, delaying the destruction of the Moneyball. Only make use of this spot if under heavy siege from the opposing offense. Susceptible to Juice rushes and Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 2: Placed between the glass and bot spawn. Provides a hidden spot for your Firebase to distract and eliminate incoming bots and Pros. Also prevents (some) Juice-hacking Supports. Susceptible to Jet gun and Air Strikes.
    
    Placement 3: To be placed on the 2nd floor. Provides aerial coverage of incoming bots and Pros from either lane. Acts as a 2nd Rockit turrent. Susceptible to Air Strikes, Snipers, and Rail Guns.
    
    Placement 4: To be placed alongside the nearby turrent, helping keep control of the nearby Jump Pad. Also directs incoming bot flow. Susceptible to Air Strikes.

7. Support vs. ????

(Pros)

• Assaults: If he's within range, he'll go down with 2 Shotgun shots. Jump side to side to avoid his charge, as it can ring you out it is even makes the slightest bit of contact. If he's just out of range, use the Heal/Hurt, as it'll soak up most of the damage you're taking (assuming ALL of his bullets aren't hitting). If he's too far away, fall back towards a hacked turrent/firebase - it'll serve to counter the long-range advantage the Assault has that you don't.
  
  Tanks: Since both classes tend to fight close-range, with Gold ROF and Silver Armor, you have nothing to fear, as 3-4 Shotgun shots will down him. Avoid the stickerz, avoid the Jet gun as best you can (via jumping), Shotgun, and spam airstrikes, as they are prone to getting Ground Zeros.
  
  Snipers: You don't even have a chance long-range, so don't even try. Mid- and close-range, however, is ultimately your domain, as 1 Shotgun shot will take most of them down, and the Heal/Hurt eats their health faster than a fat kid does cake. Oh, and I know it's common knowledge, but unless you KNOW you're going to kill them, avoid the ice traps. That's just asking to get your head blown off.
  
  Supports: It's easy to take down other Supports if you now what you're doing, as most other Supports don't run Gold ROF. Just Shotgun within range, and Heal/Hurt if they run. Should you be caught in their Heal/Hurt lock, you have one of three options. If they are advancing towards you, close the gap and unload Shotgun. If they are retreating, Heal/Hurt them back, as most Supports don't run gold ROF. Should they happen to run gold ROF while retreating, retreat back yourself, as the distance will break the lock.
  
  Gunners: Gunners will tear through you like paper unless you're in close range, and even then so, their slam is powerful enough to knock you back out of range, letting them get a better shot on you or getting that Oh-So-Lovely Ring-out that only an Assassin could love. Shotgun and jump is all you can do. If you're out of Shotgun range, pull a Greggyyyy and Hail Mary those Air Strikes.
  
  Assassins: You laugh at them. Close-range, just listen for the hum, and open fire with Shotty. One shot is all it takes. Mid-range, lock on with the Heal/Hurt. If they run, keep on them. If they close in, shotty. It is srsly that easy.

(Turrents)

• Firebases: Heal/hurt any firebase that is unattended and unhacked, or shotgun it if it's locked on to another target. If it is hacked, Air Strike it, as it cannot even survive if it's overhealed. If it's completely undercover and un-Air-Strikable, then rely on a fellow Gunner or Tank to take it out, as they are much better at demolishing it than you are.
  
  Lazer-Blazers: An Air Strike per level will take out any Lazer-Blazer, overhealed or not. If it's a non-hacked Level 1/2, however, you can just Heal/Hurt the turrent without dying, so use that to your advantage when it's unattended.
  
  LongShots: Easiest Turrent to kill. Just air strike it once or twice if it's attended, and Heal/Hurt when it's not. Most of the time, these won't kill you, so you should have no problem.
  
  Rockits: Triple Air Strike, or it's not worth it. A triple will take out an overhealed Level 1, and do severe damage to Levels 2 and 3.
  
  ShaveIce: Hardest to take out, as it will take the most time. Triple Air strike and Heal/Hurt, or just hack it for a temporary target for the bots and opposing Pros to center their focus on.
  
  Alternative Methods: Should you or your teammates be unable to reach the opposing base, spawning 2-3 Gapshots will take care of them. Utilize this to your team's advantage.

(Bots)

• Slims: Melee. It gives more Juice and one-shots them without wasting time or ammo.
  
  Blackjacks: Melee for juice if unattended and it's safe to do if. If you need to kill a group immediately, Air Strike and make use of your Shotgun grapple, as it will take out most with one shot.
  
  Buzzers: Aim up and Heal/Hurt. Easy with the lock-on.
  
  Bouncers: DO NOT AIR STRIKE. Take out your Shotgun, move towards your turrents, and use your grapple to do about half-damage to it. Let your Shotgun and turrents do the rest.
  
  Scrambler: ...if you seriously can't take this one out, maybe you should consider a different game.
  
  Gapshots: TAKE THESE OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Your turrents are in trouble, so grapple them for that instant kill.
  
  Gremlins: Just jump and Shotgun, as there's not much else you can do. Those little guys will fxck you up.
  
  Jackbot XL: Not really your forte as a Support, as most of your weapons (excluding the Air Strike) really don't do that much un-Juiced damage. However, your turrents are excellent in take them out, so try and lure the Jackbot towards them, utilizing your Air Strikes all the while.

(Other)

• Moneyball (Downed): Triple Air Strikes + Juiced Shotgun will take down the Moneyball fairly quickly. Meleeing the Moneyball also can give you Juice, so make use of this to get that last bit of Juice.
  
  BULLSEYE: A lot of people don't know this, but as a Support, you can Juice up quickly by just meleeing Bullseye. After meleeing for about 20 seconds, you should have Juice, and just Heal/Hurt for easy money.

8. Those Pesky Protags
This section regards how to get Support-only protags, as well as a few general ones that the Support can get easier than any other class.

Transfer of Health / Pain Drain / From You To Me: Get (5/10/20) Heal Gun Kills in one match
U2Me / U2Me Again / Mine / Not Yours / The Draw: Get (10/100/500/1000/2500) Heal/Hurt Gun Kills

• 
  My recommended build for this would look something like:
  Rate of Fire: Rate of Fire, with or without Juice, is required for the Heal/Hurt now, so use it to your advantage.
  Speed: So you can bunnyhop circle around opposing pros like a madman, and escape if you're taking too much damage.
  Armor: So you can take that extra bit of damage without dying.
  
  My recommendation in-game would be to upgrade to passive 3 as fast as possible, as to get that extra health and health recovery going for you. After that, just keep on accumulating juice (buying, overhealing, and meleeing bots work best). Once you're juiced, ignore other upgrades, ignore bots, ignore turrents, and try not to get within grappling range, as a well timed grapple can completely negate your juice. Also keep in mind that the as the number of kills you need to get increases, so does the amount of difficulty it is to get them. Getting 10 and 20 is part strategy and part luck, so be patient, and they will be yours.

My Little Helper: 10 Firebase Kills in one match
Lil Helper / My Buddy / Shooter / Firebase / Just The 2 Of Us: (5/25/100/500/1000) Firebase Kills

• 
  Can be done on any build. To get this the easiest, upgrade to Firebase 3 and Hack 3, and plant it in a high-traffic area (hacked, of course), preferably under cover, as to prevent opposing air strikes from killing it.

Ground Zero: Attach an Air Strike Beacon to an enemy Pro
Incoming / Drop It / From Above / Call It In / Sky Master: (10/50/100/500/1000) Air Strike Kills

• Can be done on any build. To get this the easiest, upgrade to Air Strike 3, and try to Air Strike anytime you're in danger from enemies. If you can Ground Zero them, do it, as Air Strike kills post-patch are slim to none. This is the easiest to do on deployed Tanks and Gunners.
  
  Note: For Ground Zero, the Beacon does NOT have to kill them. As long as it sticks them, it's yours.

Shotgun / Shotgun XL / Shotgun Super XL / Shotgun Mega XL / Keep Your Ammo Cool: Get (10/100/500/1000/2500) Shotgun Kills

• Fairly easy with the build described in the guide. Just do combat with the shotty as your main weapon, and you'll get this eventually.

Hacker / Hack / Hax / Elite Hax / 1337: Hack (10/25/75/150/500) Turrents

• If you're playing the Support right, this should be the first set you complete. Hack any and all turrents you can, as it will help defend you and your base anyway.

Healer / Patch Job / U Need Me / Medic / Foundation: Heal for (5000/50000/250000/1000000/5000000) Hit Points

• If you're playing the Support right, this should be the second set you complete. Heal everyone and everything in sight, as it helps push lanes, keeps friendlies alive, and keeps your base intact.

Turret Time / Tower Of Power / Line Of Defense: Get (1/5/10) Kills from Turrets

• Can be done on any build. Similar to the Firebase one, upgrade to Hack 3, and build a lot of fully-upgraded turrents. I would recommend Rockits, as their less expensive counterparts, the Laser-Blazers, are practically useless now, other than being an enemy Juice Machine. Keep as many hacked as possible, and make sure every single one is still alive (overheal them all if you can). Level 3.3s devastate any incoming Pros (unless Juiced), and multiples of them makes it really difficult to avoid. Ten kills, once they are all up and running, will come really easily after that.

9. FAQs, Comments, and Additional Notes

Hack 1 increases the range and ROF of a turrent, just as 2 and 3 do, which can prove fairly useful. However, the level of usefulness escalates dramatically when upgraded to level 2 & 3, so I don't think anyone should make much use of it.

I don't play support enough to comment about the content, so I'll just add this:

SX's Support is very rage inducing when he is split from our team. He nearly got an uber streak on us until I purchased juice and ran past hacked turrets to kill him at like 22 kills or something.

I actually am concerned with fighting him at close range as a tank until I get charge 3. I don't fear this from most other support players.

His defense is solid, as he tends to build turrets and keep them hacked all throughout the match.

He probably knows what he is talking about.

Yes SX is very good, he is the only support i do not try to kill unless i see a BIIIIIIIIIG opening, which he rarely leaves one

If I'm already doing exactly what your guide says, does that mean I'm a badass? Only thing I do differently is I just buy Hack 2 and buy a couple of level 3 Lazer Blazers at the start and go from there. Or if I play offensively I buy Firebase 2, Airstrike 2.

Oh, and I NEVER use the Heal/Hurt gun as a weapon unless I'm pushing bots.

Thanks for the complements, guise. You two aren't too bad yourself, as you both have made me rage quite a bit when the teams are split. xD

And yeah, it was 22. Had a mini-rage, but I have to admit, that was pretty freaking hilarious.

Well I'm not sure about badass, as I wouldn't consider myself that, but you're definitely on the right track.

Heal/hurt works wonders under the right situation, and after the update comes out, the Gold ROF is going to make it much more useful, so I would at suggest you at least implement that into your gamestyle.

Also, I can understand not upgrading the Airstrike to level 3, as it's already pretty powerful at 2, but Hack 3 is worth the upgrade, as it increases the turrents ROF even more than 1 and 2 does.

Yeah, I always upgrade to level 3 hack, I just forgot to put it in. I could probably figure it out myself, but it would save me some time to just ask it here: What in the hell does a level 1 hack do to a turret?

Until the patch comes out I can't say that I agree with your endorsements. SXD plays a mean support but I don't think RoF gold is warranted right now. I disagree with the shotgun play style if you are the only support on your team.

If you're trying to be a team player (which I assume you are as you are playing support) I would urge you to reconsider calling the level 3 turret a waste of money. If your turret is in a good place another member of your team can easily hold that position. This allows you to heal in two places at the same time.



The level one hack increases the range and rate of fire for the turret. Even the level one hack is extremely effective at making the turrets useful.

I understand, but when I meant it's a shotgun-oriented playstyle, I mean as in defending yourself when under fire that it should be your primary weapon. As a Support, you should be using the Heal-mode of your Heal/Hurt gun more than anything, as I stated in the weapons section:

As for the endorsements, I only run Gold ROF because I originally thought it had an effect on the Heal/Hurt gun, which it didn't. However, I did notice an increase in Shotty kills, as it gives me those extra seconds I need to take down Tanks and Gunners with ease. It also gave me the extra time I needed to pound a big dent in the enemy Moneyball, so I kept it, and I highly recommend it.

Hudson and Rev know that I am very much a team player, and I'm always where I am needed to help out a fellow Pro. So should every Support. The level 3 Firebase can have its upsides with the added heal aura, but it doesn't overheal, and I rarely see someone making use of the heal aura unless they're trying to spawn-camp or hide in some obscure corner on the map (which doesn't really help out the team, anyways).

And like I said, this is merely the strategy that I use, and it works out for me really really well. If you want to main the Heal/Hurt as a primary weapon and/or want to use the Level 3 Firebase, more power to you. This guide is just my opinion formed by my observations as a long-time Support, and it's worked for me (and my team) thus far.

This definitely seems like a solo-oriented style. If you are going for kills it would work wonders, but it isn't ideal as a team healer or "support" player. This is a perfect example of the offensive support though. Someone should make a separate guide on the team-play support, but everyone commenting on this should just stick to suggestions on how to improve this particular playstyle. I think it's extremely fun, but I use skill pill, RoF, and Armor. I spam the hell out of my airstrikes and heal stuff for juice, then mow people down with the juice shotgun. I really want to try this out though, I don't have much success as an offensive support.

That's kinda funny, as most of my regular friends call me a turtle. Although it is true that I end games with more kills than most, this Support build in question keeps a base on lockdown fairy well, while still managing to heal up friendlies while keeping the opposition at bay. The reason I run Bronze Skill Recovery is because I read that there's not a big difference between the 3, although I suppose Gold would help keep more active Hacked turrents. I might try that out sometime, but the normal shotty just shoots too slow for my liking.

TL;DR: This build is pretty balanced both offensively and defensively, but I can see why you'd think it's purely offensive. You should try it out sometime and see for yourself. I got people that can vouch for me.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and Billy Rueben, sorry if it seemed like I ignored your question. I just didn't answer because UberGunner beat me to it.

Oh, hello there. I'm quite surprised that you and I aren't friends yet. Also surprised at how differently, yet effectively we both play the support. I think we'd complement each other well.

Great guide. Also thought you'd like to know that the 2500 heal/hurt tag is 'THE DRAW'.

I'll send you a friend request sometime, if you're down. Or you can send one my way.

XBL - Greggyyyy

SX, i smile everytime you say turrents

Me too!


Great guide SX

This is the best strategy guide i've read so far for any class. Everything was presented clearly and in great detail. I might be a little bias because I use the same build order but it works.

I like to play aggressive and establish map control with my fire base so armor and RoF are essential and I don't think there is anything that comes close to skill recovery as far as bronze endorsements go. As long as you and your teammates are containing the bots and enemy pros and denying them juice, I don't worry about healing turrets in base or running back to base to hack a turret beginning to mid game. I feel like I put my teammates in a better position by over healing in the battle field, healing retreating pros, defending my fire base, and denying/holding back enemy pushes with shot gun and air strikes. If you're stuck with support turtlers or spawn camping snipers on your team then this proves to be difficult against a decent team and you probably should've picked a different class.

When playing solo in over time i'm often confused what to do. I know you said you juice rush but I feel like support is the best against juice rushing. I usually move my fire base to spawn because at that point map control doesn't really matter anymore and fire bases are very good against juiced pros. Air strikes work wonders because people focus or deploy on the money ball. If I go offense and the enemy money ball is defended with fire bases and turrets I usually die very quickly even with juice, gold armor, and lvl 3 passive. You have to be on level with the money ball using the shotgun as opposed to shooting down from the top and all fire seems to get focused on you.

You should add some map specific strategies as well. I'd like to see how you play on steel peel and grenade 3 as I feel inadequate playing support on those maps sometimes and i generally feel i could do better with any other class.

You don't know how many times I've gone the long way around a map because SX locked off everything, only to be greeted by turrents... 3.3s.... 3.3s everywhere.

Hey there. Did a quick scan of your guide, and I felt like I was in foreign territory, as our playstyles were almost completely different. But hey, whatever works for you. Hudson tells me of your great feats as a Support, such as your arm for airstrikes, so I'm under the impression that your build's working great for you. It's just not for me.

And thanks for that. I'm only at around 700 Heal/Hurt Kills, so I wouldn't know, nor will I for some time.

And I shall get on in a bit. Just bought a new Hard Drive, and I'm transferring all my stuff from my crappy 16GB to my new 250! :mrgreen:

Thanks! And I did that just for you guise. Oh, and I see everyone caught on that the n in turrents was special.

Thanks for the complement. I enjoy giving as much advice as I can, and I have been playing since MNCs release, so I figured I'd go all out in explaining pretty much everything I could.

As for the map-specific strategies, I was thinking about doing that, as well as a Support vs. ???? section, but I haven't gotten around to writing that just yet. Gimme a bit of time to gather my thoughts, and that should be up shortly. Maybe in a day or two.

(C) SXD24

SXD24 I love you <3

That graphic is AWE.SOME.