Hulkling

Hulkling – Cosmic King of Hybrids

Champion Breakdown

About Hulkling

Character Class: Cosmic

Brief Overview: Hulkling, born as Theodore “Teddy” Altman, is a robust champion in Marvel Contest of Champions (MCoC), known for his shapeshifting capabilities and super-strength. Wielding the legendary star-sword Excelsior, Hulkling stands out as a versatile powerhouse capable of penetrating enemies' defenses and dealing substantial damage.

Hulkling Origin: Originating from Marvel Comics, Hulkling is a formidable hybrid of the Kree and Skrull races. His intricate background and royal lineage add layers to his character, making him an essential addition to the MCoC universe.

Lore Background

Hulkling History: Teddy Altman grew up believing he was a mutant with shapeshifting abilities. However, his life took a drastic turn when the Super-Skrull revealed his true heritage - he was a member of the Skrull royal family and a hybrid of the Kree and Skrull. Embracing his destiny, Teddy became the Emperor of the united Kree/Skrull alliance, wielding Excelsior in battles.

Personality Traits: Hulkling's bravery, loyalty, and compassion influence his fighting style. His royal lineage imbues him with a sense of responsibility and leadership, seen in his ability to adapt and safeguard his allies during combat.

Hulkling's Gameplay Mechanics

Basic Abilities: Shapeshift Charges, Pierce, Aptitude, Bulwark, Regeneration. Hulkling offers a unique mix of offensive and defensive capabilities, making him adaptable on both fronts.

  • Light Attacks: Quick strikes that help him stay agile.
  • Medium Attacks: Balanced blows that contribute to his Shapeshift Charges.
  • Heavy Attacks: Inflict Intimidate Debuff, making the opponent less aggressive and reducing their Block Proficiency.

Passive Abilities:

  • Immunity to Poison and Shock.
  • Immunity to Power Drain, Steal, and Burn.
  • Reduced Heal Block duration.

Active Abilities:

  • Shapeshift Charges: Max 8, converted into various buffs.
  • Pierce Buffs: Grant Block and Armor Penetration.
  • Aptitude Buffs: Increase potency of other buffs.
  • Bulwark Buffs: Enhance Block Proficiency.
  • Regeneration Buffs: Heal a portion of damage taken.

Special Attacks:

  1. Special 1: Accelerate Shapeshift - Reduces the time between gaining Shapeshift Charges, pausing existing buffs.
  2. Special 2: Mighty Fury - Grants significant Fury buffs, considerably increasing his attack potency.
  3. Special 3: Permanent Buffs - Pauses critical buffs for the remainder of the fight, boosting endurance in longer battles.

Signature Ability: King of Space - Enhances Hulkling’s Buff durations and Armor Penetration, making it easier to increase damage and reduce incoming damage. Activating the signature ability significantly improves his combat performance.

Strategy and Playstyle

General Strategy: Hulkling is best utilized by managing his Shapeshift Charges intelligently. Focus on triggering Pierce Buffs for offensive advantage, and employ Bulwark Buffs for defensive tactics. His ability to gain buffs through different actions allows versatility in combat, making him effective in various scenarios.

Advanced Techniques:

  • Combo Strategies: Combine Light and Medium attacks to maintain Shapeshift Charges and prepare for Special Attacks.
  • Timing Special 2: Execute when Unblockable and with Aptitude Buffs active to maximize damage output.
  • Well-timed Blocks: Use these to gain Bulwark Buffs when anticipating heavy attacks from opponents.

Mastery Tips

Skill Mastery:

  • Extended/Enhanced Fury: Vital for boosting the effectiveness of Hulkling’s Fury Buffs.
  • Liquid Courage: Utilize his Poison Immunity to benefit from the attack boost without suffering from poison damage.
  • Recovery: Enhances his Regeneration Buffs, providing increased survivability.

Team Composition:

  • Hulkling synergizes well with allies who can complement his strengths and cover his weaknesses. Characters that offer additional buffs or debuff management are ideal.

Synergy Bonuses:

  1. True Love: With Wiccan - Hulkling becomes Stun Immune, enhancing his defensive capabilities.
  2. Son of Mar-Vell: With Captain Marvel - Increases max Shapeshift Charges, boosting his overall effectiveness.
  3. Fighting Destiny: With Super-Skrull - Increases Pierce Buff generation, valuable against Tech opponents.
  4. Kookie Triplet: With Squirrel Girl - Enhances offensive capabilities by inflicting Armor Break.
  5. The Prince and the Frog: With Toad - Reduces Pierce Buff requirement for Unblockable Buff, improving offensive reliability.

Countering Hulkling

Counter Tactics:

  • Utilize champions with Nullify or Neutralize abilities to prevent Hulkling from gaining Buffs.
  • Lowering his Regeneration Rate using effects like Spectre or Petrify negates his healing advantages.

Hulkling Counters:

  1. Doctor Voodoo: Nullify Hulkling's Buffs and mitigate his offensive and defensive capabilities.
  2. Scarlet Witch: Her high chance to Nullify makes her formidable against Hulkling.
  3. Magik: Power Control via Power Drain effects counteracts Hulkling’s power cycle.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts: Hulkling’s combination of powerful offensive tools and strategic defensive options make him a versatile and formidable champion in MCoC. His unique Buff system, aided by his Shapeshift Charges, allows players to adapt dynamically in battles.

Encouragement to Experiment: Experimenting with Hulkling will reveal the full extent of his potential. Players are encouraged to find unique approaches to leveraging his abilities and integrating him into their roster for maximum impact.