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The Patcher Discipline expands upon the basic healing and performance upgrade abilities that you learned as a Hacker. With more robust upgrades and the ability to heal the whole team at once, the Patcher discipline is a great addition to any group.
“We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove; a tough mind and a tender heart.” – Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929 - 1968
Main Abilities:
Strengths:
- Access to both healing and damaging abilities.
- Able to heal whole group at once.
- Access to a self heal that can be used anytime, even in Close Combat.
Weaknesses:
- Cannot use many abilities while in Close Combat.
- Harmful Code has lower damage output than Logic Blast 2.0.
Play Styles:
Solo play:
The Patcher discipline is frequently thought of as team-based, but with their performance upgrades and healing abilities Patchers can hold their own alone. The Patcher ability is especially useful, as it is one of the few heals that can be used in Interlock.
Group play:
Group play is where a Patcher truly shines. The ability to heal an entire team at once is an invaluable skill by itself, but the Patcher can also upgrade the performance of the team and use viral attacks to wear enemies down. All in all, a Patcher is worth his weight in gold (or in the Matrix, $Information) on any team.
Main Abilities:
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Repair and Upgrade (Hacker):
Simply having this ability in your loadout extends the duration of your performance upgrades, and improves the effectiveness of your heals. |
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Restore Health 2.0 (Repair and Upgrade 4)
A more effective version of the Restore Health ability that you first used as a Hacker. |
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Bolster Health 1.0 (Repair and Upgrade 4)
This targeted performance upgrade raises the maximum Health of whomever it is used on. |
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Group Repairs 1.0 (Restore Health 2.0, Repair and Upgrade 5)
Restore the Health of all allies within 3 meters of yourself. Keep your whole team in tip-top fighting form with this ability. |
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Harmful Code 1.0 (Restore Health 2.0)
Patchers, in learning how to better heal those around them, also know how to corrupt that learning and apply it to harming their enemies. This damaging viral attack gives you a decent offensive presence in any fight. |
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Movement Accelerator 1.0 (Bolster Health 1.0, Repair and Upgrade 5)
This targeted performance upgrade allows the Patcher to increase the movement speed of whomever it is used on for a brief time. |
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Passive Code (Bolster Health 1.0)
Staying out of the sights of the enemy should be a high priority for anyone, especially the team healer. Passive Code helps the Patcher fool an enemy into moving on to other targets and leaving the Patcher alone. |
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Patcher (Movement Accelerator 1.0, Group Repairs 1.0)
As a Patcher it may be easy to get distracted by the needs of others-but you must remember that supporting the team is impossible if you are dead! This ability is one of the only Health restorations that can be used while in Close Combat, so even if you are in dire circumstances you should be able to keep yourself alive long enough for your teammates to come to your aid. |
Looking Forward:
The Patcher moves forward into either the Team Patcher discipline or the Guardian Patcher discipline. Each continues building on the healing and performance upgrade abilities of the Patcher, but in its own, unique way. The Team Patcher focuses more on new abilities that can affect the whole team, while the Guardian Patcher is devoted to learning more powerful targeted performance upgrades and heals.
Complementary Disciplines:
Solo:
A player loaded out with Patcher and Soldier is a very viable solo character. Using the performance upgrades on themselves and the Patcher ability to heal while in Close Combat can give the Patcher/Soldier a nice edge over any opponent they face.
Grouping:
Teaming up with a frontline-focused Soldier or a Code Shaper works well for the Patcher, allowing them to hang back and support with their healing abilities and viral attacks. Other disciplines also benefit from having a Patcher around, as the Patcher's healing and performance upgrades can make any situation easier to overcome.
Minimum Level: 4
Hints and Tips:
Health Pills are always handy to have around. Even if you think you will never use them, have some on hand. You never know when a fight will outlast your Inner Strength, robbing you of your healing abilities.
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