Surge

Fires a shot that splits after hitting an enemy. Later upgrades improve the reach and fragmentation of his attack, so adjust positioning to the stage Surge has actually reached instead of playing every life as though fully upgraded.

Uses a leap to advance through upgrades that improve movement, range and the main attack's split pattern. Base upgrades are lost on defeat. Balance gaining a stage against landing somewhere Surge cannot survive.

Temporarily increases Surge's Super charging rate. Activate it when you can land attacks during the window rather than while still searching for a target.

Briefly prepares protection against the next incoming hit and converts the absorbed energy into ammunition. Time it to withstand an attack and continue the exchange.

Makes Surge's main attack bounce from walls. Use the rebound route to pressure opponents who are not standing directly in the original firing lane.

Gives Surge a full Super when he spawns. Plan how to spend the immediate upgrade or jump instead of treating a respawn as a complete reset.

Extends the Super's reach and releases projectiles in all directions on landing. Use the extra landing options to create a favorable angle, rather than assuming a longer jump makes every destination safe.

Increases damage while the Brawler is below half health. The extra pressure is conditional, not a reason to remain in a losing exchange.

Reduces the wait between Gadget uses. Choose it when repeated access to the selected Gadget meaningfully supports the fight.

Improves health recovery. Leave enough room for natural recovery to begin instead of expecting the Gear to erase damage during continued attacks.

Adds a consumable shield that recovers while the Brawler is at full health. Preserve recovery time between fights to restore the extra protection.

Increases movement speed in bushes. Its value depends on having useful bush routes rather than simply equipping it on an open map.

Briefly reveals hidden opponents after you damage them. It helps track targets entering bushes, but does not reveal invisibility granted by abilities.

If unlocked and the related ability is usable, this automatic upgrade modifies the selected Gadget. It is not an additional equipment choice. POWER SURGE: Adds a reload-speed boost to the Gadget's Super-charge benefit. POWER SHIELD: Taking a hit while Power Shield is active reduces the Gadget's cooldown.

If unlocked and the related ability is usable, this automatic upgrade modifies the character's Hypercharge. It is not an additional equipment choice. STAGE 5: Adds a second, weaker main-attack projectile during Hypercharge.

If unlocked and the related ability is usable, this automatic upgrade modifies the selected Star Power. It is not an additional equipment choice. TO THE MAX!: A wall bounce also creates two additional smaller projectiles. SERVE ICE COLD: Using the Super at Stage 3 gives Surge a burst of movement speed.