OverDrive – Player Breakdown

OverDrive - the super-charged arena sports game - is heading to stores this week! However, even though it's not even on shelves yet, we celebrated the launch with a mini tournament here at Mantic HQ over the weekend. Watch the video below to see the standard King of the Hill mode, plus Pass the Bomb.

With coaches around the world waiting to get stuck in, we thought it was a good time to breakdown the characters so you know who to draft when hitting the big leagues.

BRANK REBORN

WEAKNESSES: Speed - Brank can only move four hexes and a low Agility makes him vulnerable to attacks from behind.

STRENGTHS: Well, Strength! Brank hits on a 3+ and can take out even the toughest of opponents.

DOZER

On the surface Dozer's move stat of 4 may seem like she's going to struggle to get around the pitch - however, her Teleport ability actually means she's one of the most manoeuvrable players in the game, as it's impossible to pin her down with Threat Hexes. A little like Brank, she's best at game modes that involve strength.

WEAKNESSES: Although Dozer's Shell ability protects her from attacks in the rear, her low Agility means she's vulnerable to Ranged Attacks. Plus, even with the Teleport ability, she's still pretty slow - unless you use her OverDrive ability.

STRENGTHS: Talking of that OverDrive ability, if you want to make sure that Dozer isn't going to get moved off an Active Scoring Zone, then her ability to disappear into her shell means you can often guarantee the bonus points. Plus, that 3+ Strength stat ain't too shabby!

KARADON

Karadon is fantastic at picking off those Players that are already wounded and only have a few health points left. With his Blood in the Water OverDrive, he gets an additional two dice when making a Slam attack - potentially taking him up to six dice! In many game modes, you'll score one point for knocking out an opponent, so Karadon can help guarantee an all-important point.

WEAKNESSES - Karadon struggles when it comes to Skill as he rolls a 5+. This means he can potentially fall victim to Synechdoche's Mind Control Ability and is pretty terrible in the DodgeBrawl and Pass the Bomb game modes. In those modes focus on knocking out - rather than trying to pass!

STRENGTHS - Karadon is scary when it comes to Slams and he's pretty mobile too. Use his 4+ Speed stat to perform some Dashes and hopefully get in the rear of your opponents.

THE SPAWN

The Spawn is an all-rounder with some neat tricks up his tentacled sleeves. First up, you've got the ability to drag opponents out of position - which is great for moving them out of the Active Scoring Zone or pulling them into base contact so you force them to Evade when moving. He's also got Long Tentacles, which means he doesn't have to be in base to base when Slamming or Passing the Bomb. This goes some way to make up for his poor move stat.

WEAKNESSES - as mentioned, The Spawn is slow and he can't really improve with any Dashes because he has a Speed stat of 4+, which makes them pretty risky.

STRENGTHS - opponents often underestimate The Spawn - instead fearing characters like Karadon or Brank - which means you can sneak up with a crafty Slam. Also, his ability to Drag opponents is huge and can make all the difference in modes like King of the Hill or Invade. He's more of a defensive, support character, rather than an all-out brawler.

SHADOW

Shadow is one of the hardest players to hit in the launch line up, thanks to a combo of 3+ Agility, Duck and Weave (granting them a +1 on Dodge tests) and Nimble (allowing a re-roll on Dodge tests). As a result, you can stick them into dangerous situations and remain confident that they should be able to Dodge whatever your opponent throws at you.

WEAKNESSES: Shadow is extremely poor at Slamming, with a 5+ Strength stat. However, don't forget his OverDrive ability, which allows you to turn a Dodge roll into a Slam. This can often catch your opponent off guard and cause a cheeky knock out.

STRENGTHS: Of course Shadow is good at Dodging but a 3+ Skill stat makes sure they're fantastic at game modes like Pass the Bomb and DodgeBrawl, which both use a Skill stat.

SKARATHRON

Skarathron is another hidden gem in your arsenal of Players, thanks to its Ranged Attack ability - the only Player in the opening line-up with a Ranged Attack as standard. Admittedly, the Ranged Attack isn't likely to cause a lot of damage but it's perfect for getting a cheeky one or two wounds from a distance. Plus, Skarathron is quick - ensuring you can go for those last minute Active Scoring Zone dashes.

WEAKNESSES - awful at Slamming with a 5+ Strength stat, Skarathron is best at range. However, even then you've got to try and position yourself carefully, otherwise you could suffer from the penalties for moving or for long distance ranged attacks.

STRENGTHS - Skarathron is perfect for targeting opposing Players with poor Agility stats (see Brank and Dozer) because they can only Dodge its Ranged Attack. Stay clear of their charge zones and Skarathron can quite happily chuck off a few shots before someone like Karadon closes in for the kill.

SYNECHDOCHE

Ah, the wibbly wobbly space jellyfish. Really, you're adding Synechdoche to your team for one reason: Mind Control. Having the ability to use your opponent's best Players against them is an absolute joy (if you can pull if off). Force Karadon to Slam Brank in the rear, make an opponent pass the Bomb to an opponent with zero activations left, etc.

WEAKNESSES: Synechdoche is OverDrive hungry, which means he can hog all your OverDrive opportunities. When you pull it off, you'll feel great... but it's not always a guaranteed success. Try to focus on controlling Players with poor Skill to ensure the odds are in your favour. Plus, you're unlikely to be using Synechdoche to score because he's slow.

STRENGTHS: Although Mind Control is huge, don't forget the Push ability. This is an unopposed roll and can be used to put the opponent out of scoring zones or your own players into scoring zones! Often this is easier to do than a Mind Control test, so don't always default to triggering the OverDrive.

TIGRAX

Tigrax excels in identifying threats and taking them out. Thanks to the Stalk ability, Tigrax can get a +2 bonus against one Player they decide to Stalk. Use this against stronger opponents like Brank or Dozer, particularly in modes like Pass the Bomb or DodgeBrawl.

WEAKNESSES: With Strength and Agility of 4+ when Tigrax gets into a fight, it can be a little 50/50. Plus the Speed of 5+ means that, despite their natural speed, they're going to struggle Dashing and Stealing the flag in Capture the Flag. Also, watch out for the Stalk ability, because if you place it on the wrong opponent, you could end up wasting it!

STRENGTHS: Use that Speed 6 stat to get Tigrax into decent positions on the board and make last minute scoring zone runs.

Of course, these are just the first eight Players you can draft to your team and we'll be adding more Players every few months. Check out the provisional roadmap below.

And that's not all, from January we'll be kicking off OverDrive organised play in stores around the world and at Mantic HQ. Attendees will get exclusive alternate player cards featuring all-new artwork by Edwin, the artist behind the awesome OverDrive artwork we've had so far. Make sure you attend an event and you'll be the envy of all your fellow OverDrive coaches.

OVERDRIVE IS IN STORES THIS WEEK! OR YOU CAN ORDER DIRECT FROM MANTIC USING THE LINKS BELOW!