Okay, so I’ve been putting a lot of time into Surge lately. Really wanted to nail down a setup that felt, you know, right for climbing and just generally winning more fights. It took some messing around, but I think I found a solid build that works wonders for me.
Getting Started: The Goal
First thing, I needed to figure out what I actually wanted Surge to do. For me, the big deal with Surge is getting those upgrades. Stage 1 Surge is kinda weak, but Stage 3 or 4? He’s a monster. So, the main goal was simple: get upgraded fast and stay alive long enough to actually use those upgrades.
Trying out the Gadgets
I started playing around with his gadgets. There’s the teleport one, Power Surge, and the shield one, Serve Ice Cold (wait, no, that’s a Star Power… the gadget is Power Shield, right? Yeah, Power Shield). Honestly, I gave Power Shield a fair shot, thinking extra health is always good. But it felt… kinda reactive? Like, I only used it when I was already in trouble.
Then I swapped back to Power Surge, the teleport. Man, this just felt way more proactive. I could jump on squishy brawlers, dodge shots, or just get out of a bad spot. It helps offensively and defensively. For getting those crucial first few supers to upgrade, closing the gap quickly felt way more valuable. So, Power Surge was the pick for me.
Picking a Star Power
Next up, Star Powers. You got To the Max! where his shots split at max range, and Serve Ice Cold where he keeps his Stage 1 upgrade after dying.
To the Max! is neat, lets you poke from afar and sometimes hit people hiding behind walls or check bushes easier. But here’s the thing: dying as Surge sucks. Losing all your upgrades just resets your whole game plan. Serve Ice Cold felt almost mandatory. Keeping that first upgrade, even after getting taken out, makes getting back into the fight so much less painful. It provides consistency. If I messed up or got jumped, at least I wasn’t starting completely from scratch. Big, big difference. So, Serve Ice Cold it was.
Sorting Out the Gears
Gears were the last piece. This took a bit more trial and error.
- My first thought was Damage gear. More damage is always good, right? Helps finish people off.
- Then Shield gear. Extra health, helps stay alive. Pretty important for Surge.
- Speed gear could be okay in bushes, but Surge gets faster with upgrades anyway, so maybe not essential.
- Gadget Charge gear caught my eye. Since I liked the teleport gadget so much, getting more uses seemed smart.
I tried Damage + Shield first. It was okay, pretty standard. But I kept thinking about how much I relied on that teleport. So, I swapped Damage out for Gadget Charge. Having an extra teleport per match? Yes please. It made a noticeable difference in my aggression and escape ability.
Then the second gear slot. Should I go back to Damage, or stick with Shield? I played games with Gadget Charge + Damage, and games with Gadget Charge + Shield. Honestly, the extra bit of health from the Shield gear felt more impactful overall. It helped me survive those close calls just long enough to get my super, use my teleport gadget again, or just live to fight another second. Staying alive longer means more chances to upgrade.
My Go-To Surge Build
So, after all that testing and playing around, here’s the build I landed on and have been using constantly:
- Gadget: Power Surge
- Star Power: Serve Ice Cold
- Gears: Gadget Charge + Shield
How It Feels in Game
Playing with this setup just feels smooth. I use the teleports aggressively to secure kills for my super or defensively to dodge big threats. Knowing I keep Stage 1 if I die makes me a bit less scared to make plays. The extra gadget charge comes in clutch more often than you’d think, and the shield gives that little bit of extra padding to win interactions or survive poke damage while I charge up. Getting to Stage 3 and 4 feels more consistent, and that’s when Surge really shines.
Anyway, that’s my practice and what I found works best for me. Maybe it’ll work for you too if you like playing Surge aggressively but want some safety nets. Give it a try!
