OverDrive Locker Room: Introducing Synechdoche

Welcome Coaches to the OverDrive Locker Room! This is the place to come for exclusive sneak peeks at the players you'll be battling it out with in the arena when OverDrive launches this September. In each blog we'll be taking a closer look at the background, stats and tactics for each player. Today we're getting weird with the mind-controlling space jellyfish, Synechdoche.

Check out the tips and tactics for the other Players in the core game: Brank Reborn, Skarathron, Karadon, The Spawn and Dozer.

If you want to learn a bit more about how the game plays, before reading about each character, check out this video from Blackjack Legacy, which explains the basics.

BACKGROUND

Despite its unusual appearance, lack of any facial features, copious amounts of ooze left in locker rooms and completely silent press conferences, Synechdoche is one of the best paid, most played and most popular players in OverDrive history. Anyone that claims this is only due to the Chovar's powerful psychic abilities finds themselves strangely keen to visit its locker room, where they emerge with a vacant expression and wearing a Synechdoche jersey.

STATS & TACTICS

You're probably looking at those stats and thinking "Why in the world would I take this odd character? Yeah, the 3+ Agility is nice but everything else... ugh, just pass me Karadon." Well, my friend that would potentially be a terrible mistake because Synechdoche can be one of the most powerful Players in the game. In many ways, it's the ultimate support character and its Overdrive ability is among the strongest in the game.

But first, let's talk about that Push ability. If you've watched any of the OverDrive videos so far you'll know that this is a game that's all about positioning - particularly in the King of the Hill mode. Obviously Synechdoche isn't going to be Slamming anyone out of the way. Instead, it will be using its psychic capabilities to push opponents out of the way. Push is a Skill Test and for each success, you'll push the target directly away one hex. In some ways it doesn't matter that Synechdoche is so slow because the Range on Push it up to five hexes, so you can keep Synechdoche at a safe distance before pushing your opponent out of the Active Scoring Zone.

But that's not the only great thing about Push. For example, say you can see your rival coach setting up Brank or Dozer for a Slam against one of your friendly Players, you can use Synechdoche to push Brank or Dozer backwards so they're potentially out of range. And don't forget, sixes explode so there's the chance to Push an opponent backward more than three hexes. What's more, you can even use Push on your own Players to move them back into scoring zones or set them up to make sure they're in range for an attack. Push is absolutely one of the best support abilities in the game.

By now you're probably already sold on Synechdoche - but that's before we've spoken about its Overdrive ability: Mind Control. Once per Rush Synechdoche can potentially take over a rival character and control them as though they were a friendly Player. At the simplest level, you could make them walk out of the Active Scoring Zone or you could even force them to perform a Slam against a member of their own team! As a result Synechdoche is a great counter against some of the stronger Players because you can use their own strength against their own team. If Synechdoche's on your team, that Mind Control Overdrive is a real ace up your sleeve... just don't get Synechdoche too close when using it because he's still pretty squishy.

OVERDRIVE IS HEADING TO STORES THIS SEPTEMBER AND PRE-ORDERS ARE LIVE NOW.