So you’re getting into Spellbreak, but you can’t decide what your favorite class is. You go around trying Toxicologist then Stoneshaper and so on, but it just doesn’t feel right. You’re doing it wrong, Tempest is your favorite class in Spellbreak now, and I’m here to tell you how to play it.
Tempest: The Last Spellbreak-er
At Level 1 you have Wind Surge which gives you the ability to left-click your way across the landscape with Wind Shear. Anytime you attack a surface with Wind Shear, you push off that surface like some kind of magical parkour artist. Use this to establish your air superiority, as well as feel like you’re crossing the Hollow Lands on a pogo stick.
Level 2 nets you Updraft which makes you immune to your own tornado pull, while also launching you into the air – again with your own tornado. This is useful if you are about to hit the ground and need a burst of height. Whether it be a general dislike of the ground, or an attempt to escape an impending enemy ability, Updraft can prove to be a great tool.
At Level 3 you gain access to Squall. Squall further enforces the idea that the ground is garbage by buffing spell damage by 20% and increasing your incoming damage reduction by 10%.
And finally, at Level 4 you have Sudden Gust. After being in the air for at least one second, you now gain 100% Sorcery cooldown speed.
Disclaimer: Must be of sound Mind, Body and Spirit
To help with that, I usually take Runic Fluency, Dexterity and either Escapist or Vital Stone for your runes. Runic Fluency should be paired exclusively with flight so you can fly forever when properly chaining abilities. Having a second charge of your rune may not sound too exciting, but you will soon realize you’re wrong.
Featherfall is a decent alternative for keeping that height, but Springstep and Dash can be used for distance… or if you’re just unlucky. Dexterity lets you jump higher before levitating, and provides a lower levitation cost – for efficiency ;).
Lastly, we have Vital Stone which will resurrect you with brief immunity once per match, and Escapist which boosts your run speed when you take damage. I don’t have any specific reason for these other than the fact that they let you be a coward.
Air Superiority
Tempest isn’t the strongest class by any means, but your mobility and support style of play more than make up for it. You’ll find yourself playing around your team quite often. Wind Shear can dissipate Toxic Clouds and Flamewalls, turn ice trails into freezing vapor, and even push away or launch boulders. Your elemental interactions aren’t incredibly flashy, but they’re endlessly versatile. When in doubt, throw a wind blast at something and hope it sticks.
When it comes to playstyle, I find Tempest is very hit-and-run. Toxicologist or Conduit tend to do more damage, but will usually have to stay in a head-on fight to do it. You will see a lot of memes regarding Tempests chilling out in the sky during the final battle. Well, those memes exist for a reason, and that’s because we never come down. This is our life, and it’s also your life now. Use your two stacks of flight and stay up as long as you can, raining down air from the…air.
You don’t do as much damage as other classes with your Wind Shear, but the speed of the attacks can more than make up for it in the later rings. Wind blasts will pass through and carry some toxicity and lightning with them. Be sure to keep this in mind and look for combos with your squad on the battlefield.
If you touch the ground, you’re doing it wrong
Since Wind Shear thrusts you off and away from whatever surface you point it at, we are using it for speedy traversal. Basically, your duty at level one is to play The Floor is Lava. Actually, that’s pretty much your purpose for the whole game – strike at enemies from above. If you don’t have the high ground, get it. Just remember kids, always check your landing zone.
And that’s it! Everything you need to know about playing the Tempest in Spellbreak chronicled here in one guide. You don’t need to look anywhere else, no sir no how. If you listen to me here and stick to everything I told you word for word, I bet you soon enough you will be among the top 100(,000,000) players in the world!
I’m excited to see what Proletariat adds in the future, as the Tempest meta could change very easily with new runes or gauntlets. I’m personally holding out for some kind of Slag element to cement my role as support and just buff everyone’s damage. Or maybe they could finally let me actually do damage, so I don’t end the game with zero exiles.
