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Firewalk Studios’s latest sci-fi shooter,Concord, underwenta long development phaseto show great potential in terms of aesthetics, gameplay, and narration. It’s true that their numbers were rough during the open beta, but if there’s anything that might retain players, it’s the massive selection of characters.
Among those characters,IT-Zstands out for her spirited design and, most importantly, a robust set of abilities tailored to flank foes on the battlefront. Most Freegunners in Concord have a learning curve, and IT-Z is no exception, so here’s a complete guide to what players need to know about her abilities and playstyle.
How To Play IT-Z In Concord
Veryfew characters inConcordare as energetic as IT-Z, and that shows in her gameplay. She is an agile, blue-skinned alien who is capable of flanking foes with her increased movement speed and blink ability. Her weapon of choice is theEL/120 Electrostatic SMG, which is lethal in close-quarter combat.
Moving As IT-Z
IT-Z can swiftly traverse around the arena, and thedouble jump movement styleonly complements her unmatched mobility. Reaching a ledge or a high platform can be a breeze, so there’s barely any resistance to soften the aggressiveness of this flanker. Speaking of which, she can be menacing to fight against, given how her dodge ability isn’t a simple evasive tool but also leaves behind a decoy for distraction.
Engaging Enemies With IT-Z
Wielding a submachine gun,IT-Z struggles in long-ranged fights,so players using her will want to take a detour instead of open passages. This tactic will provide better opportunities to sneak up on foes. Unless the targets have a companion to help, there’s nothing they can do to match the damage potential of an SMG at close range.
IT-Z’s Abilities In Concord, Explained
Concorddraws inspiration fromOverwatch 2, which is apparent when examining IT-Z’s kit and weapons. Although they resemble Sombra’s arsenal, the former stands out for her bold personality and refined abilities. IT-Z also possesses distinctive traits like Decoy, double jump, and more to help her excel at the flanker role in this sci-fi shooter. Here’s a quick look at IT-Z’s abilities and how to use them.
Passive Ability: Mirror Image
IT-Z’s passive ability is triggered through her dodge to create a decoy. While the clone may not have a large HP pool, players can use it to confuse opponents to escape or re-engage from a fresh position.
Mirror Image also generates a decoy after IT-Z uses her Cosmic Slip.
Active Ability: Cosmic Slip
Cosmic Sliplets IT-Z blink on command,similar toSombra fromOverwatch 2. Ideally, players should activate the ability to toss an orb that bounces on contact with any surface. She can thenrecast Cosmic Slip to teleport to the orb’s location.This ability is IT-Z’s safety net, which allows her to be extremely aggressive in a fight and improves her dueling potential. This ability has a 9-second cooldown.
Active Ability Scramble Rebound
IT-Z can toss a ball of chaos energy that travels in a straight direction,disrupting the opponent’s weapon and damaging them along the way.Upon contact, the orb will return to IT-Z to empower her weapon. IT-Z’s damage skyrockets when her SMG glows, which is an indication of supercharged. This ability’s cooldown is slightly longer, at 12 seconds.
Combat Trait: Evasive Maneuvers
IT-Z’sbase variant in Concordis equipped with the Evasive Maneuvers combat trait. This passive ability grants herbonus movement speed whenever she is critically injured.This combat trait is one of the many reasons she thrives as a flanker.
Strategies For IT-Z In Concord
Coming up with strategies for IT-Z in Concord can be overwhelming, sincethe title has a number of game modesand hero abilities to take into account. The engagements may vary depending on the objective. However, the general approach with any flanker should be toassassinate the pivotal targets on the opposing team and weaken them.It might take a while for newcomers to get used to this sneaky playstyle, which works on a high-risk, high-reward principle. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
How To Use Cosmic Slip
IT-Z’s flanking potential relies on how efficiently she can use her blink, so it is important to learn the ins and outs of Cosmic Slip. Always pay close attention to your surroundings and find out the opponent’s position.Once you know where the enemies are, deploy the Cosmic Slip orb towards your team or near a healing pad.Try to eliminate the target before the ability’s recast timer ends, and blink back to the safe position to avoid extended engagements.
You can also toss the orb towards safety to escape from getting caught at low HP. Use the extra mobility from IT-Z’s Evasive Maneuvers to search for a healing pad or a teammate for assistance. Using the Cosmic Slip to catch up with a fleeting target is always an option, so be creative with your approach while playing as IT-Z.
The enemy might gang up to dampen IT-Z’s aggression, so try to teleport out of combat after getting a kill.
Prioritize Targets As IT-Z
Flanking inany first-person shooter gameis a difficult task, especially when opponents are vigilant. Hence, prioritizing the target to eliminate before picking a fight is crucial to maximizing the success rate. So, if you are playing IT-Z, alwaystail the opponent sniper or healer.Engage only when they are isolated.
If the enemy team decides to play defensively, try poking them from the sides while avoiding direct encounters at all costs. With consistent effort, you will find the opportunity to swoop in and score a kill on an injured target. The Scramble Rebound ability can really help IT-Z deal extra damage on the priority target, reducing the time it takes to dispatch them.
Teamfight Strategies For IT-Z
Concordfeatures a variety of game modes, which allow players to implement different strategies. In most cases, the tanks and DPS are forced to change their plans, but IT-Z has the freedom to do her own thing regardless of the objective.Her job is to stay isolated from the team.Only then can she effectively close in on targets. Her SMG is lethal at short range, so it wouldn’t be difficult to secure a kill.
In game modes where capturing the zones is a priority, IT-Z can either be a menace or crumble to flank, since enemies are more likely to be grouped up. To avoid the latter,pay close attention to where your teammates are.If they are defending the zone, run behind the enemy line and pick out targets that are behind the cover. Always use the Scramble Rebound ability in these kinds of engagements, as the orb has a higher chance of hitting foes when they are clustered together.
The energy ball will return to IT-Z, supercharging her SMG. You can use the enhancement to suppress multiple opponents, but make sure to fall back and recover whenever required.Concorddesperately needs more healersto ensure safety for someone like IT-Z, who is constantly entering the danger zone. Currently, there are only two heroes with the ability to heal an entire team. Unless they are present in your team, defensive retreats are a necessity. All in all, IT-Z’s gameplay loop is consistent across the board, which makes her a coveted hero on the roster.
