King Groot

King Groot – The Invincible Master of Plants

Champion Breakdown

About King Groot

Character Class: Cosmic

Brief Overview: King Groot, the formidable alien sovereign from Planet X, is an arboreal warrior of unmatched might. Utilizing his mastery over plants, King Groot unleashes a series of deadly attacks, including Armor Breaks, Poison Debuffs, and regenerative abilities. Renowned for his prolonged fights and Fury Buffs, he’s a character who evolves his power as the battle extends.

King Groot Origin: Hailing from an alternate continuity within Marvel Comics, King Groot diverges from the familiar storyline where Groot becomes a Guardian of the Galaxy. Instead, King Groot is a galactic warlord who experiments on humans and seeks domination through immense power and treasure—making him a unique and enthralling addition to MCoC.

Lore Background

King Groot History: King Groot's narrative branches away from the Groot we know. Never meeting Rocket Raccoon or joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, this iteration of Groot becomes a tyrant, ruling over Planet X. His story is defined by his brutal experiments on humans and his insatiable quest for power, which leads him directly into the Contest of Champions.

Personality Traits: King Groot is characterized by his ruthlessness and ferocity. His unyielding determination to amass power and treasure aligns with his gameplay, where he grows stronger as battles prolong. His patient, persistent nature is mirrored in his Malice mechanic, rendering him a tenacious and formidable foe.

King Groot's Gameplay Mechanics

Basic Abilities: Fury, Armor Break, Poison, Regeneration

King Groot's essence lies in building up his Fury to deliver powerful blows. His attacks focus on weakening his opponents' defenses and sustaining his durability.

  • Light Attack: Series of rapid vine strikes, dealing moderate damage.
  • Medium Attack: Slashing branch attacks with a longer reach, disrupting the opponent’s rhythm.
  • Heavy Attack: Prolongs Poison and Armor Break Debuffs, crucial for strategic gameplay.

Passive and Active Abilities:

  • Immunity to Bleed: Ensures King Groot cannot be afflicted with Bleed status.
  • Immunity to Power Drain and Power Burn: Tech and Mystic champions find it difficult to reduce King Groot's power.
  • Malice: Starts the fight with passive, granting Fury Buffs that increase in potency over time.
  • Poison: Special attacks inflict Poison, reducing the opponent's healing.

Special Attacks:

  1. Special 1 - Floral Ferocity: Inflicts up to 3 Armor Break Debuffs, reducing Armor Rating significantly. Spending a Fury Buff makes the Armor Breaks indefinite.
  2. Special 2 - Internal Toxicity: Deals caustic breath damage that triples against Robot Champions and inflicts Poison, causing direct and healing-reducing damage.
  3. Special 3 - Savagery Unleashed: Grants Regeneration, recovering a portion of health, with duration increased by spending Fury Buffs.

Signature Ability

Unyielding Might: Enhances Poison duration while Malice is active and adds a Regeneration Buff during Cooldown. Awakening this ability amplifies King Groot's Poison capabilities, making him infinitely more potent over time.

Strategy and Playstyle

General Strategy

King Groot excels in prolonged encounters where his Malice and Fury Buffs have time to ramp up. Focus on using his Heavy Attacks to maintain debuffs and intersperse his Special 1 to devastate armor-reliant opponents. For Robot adversaries, capitalize on Special 2's increased damage.

Advanced Techniques

Mastering the timing of his Malice phases is crucial. Engage evasive champions when Malice is about to end to maximize Fury Buff acquisition. Utilize Special 3 strategically for health regeneration, especially when Heal Block is imminent.

Mastery Tips

Skill Mastery

Developing Extended and Enhanced Fury masteries will significantly boost King Groot's offensive capabilities. Focus on prolonging his Fury Buffs and Poison Debuffs to maintain constant pressure on opponents.

Team Composition

Pair King Groot with champions that offer additional synergies to maximize his Fury duration and armor penetration. Ideal teammates include those from the Giant Monstrosities synergy group and champions with strong healing or debuff capabilities.

Synergy Bonuses:

  1. Giant Monstrosities: Venom the Duck, Mojo, Abomination (Immortal), Mole Man

    • King Groot: +35% Poison and Armor Break Debuff duration.
    • Size XL Champions: +4% Health and Attack Rating.

  2. Contemptuous Malice: Crossbones

    • King Groot: Extra Fury Buff and increased Fury Charges against #Hero Champions.
    • Crossbones: Starts with 2 Fury Buff(s).

  3. Friends Level 3: Venom, Abomination

    • All Champions gain +130 Armor Rating.

  4. Enemies Level 3: Hulk, Hulk (Immortal)

    • All Champions gain +155 Critical Rating.

  5. Nemesis Level 3: Groot

    • All Champions gain +6% Attack.

Countering King Groot

Counter Tactics

To counter King Groot, focus on champions that can handle his Fury Buffs and debuff tactics. Mystic Champions with strong nullify abilities are particularly effective as they can strip away his beneficial buffs.

King Groot Counters:

  1. Doctor Strange: Utilize his constant nullifying abilities to remove King Groot's Fury Buffs, significantly reducing his damage output.
  2. Scarlet Witch: Her probability altering abilities can disrupt King Groot’s strategic plays and debuffs, rendering his Malice phase less effective.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts

King Groot is a formidable champion whose power grows with time. His unique combination of defense-breaking and debuff-prolonging abilities make him a strong contender in prolonged battles. With strategic use, he can dismantle armored opponents and outlast foes with fewer debuff immunities.

Encouragement to Experiment

Players are urged to explore King Groot's potential by adjusting fight durations and efficacy of his Fury Buffs. His abilities make him versatile, opening numerous avenues for strategic depth. Dive in and discover the fierce power of King Groot!