Combat-Heavy Operations: Fighting & Tactical Guide

Understanding Combat-Heavy Operations

Combat-heavy operations in Dispatch are high-intensity missions that require heroes to engage armed criminals, confront supervillains, and handle physically dangerous situations where force is necessary. These missions prioritize Combat stats over social skills, demanding heroes who can "handle themselves in a brawl" and maintain composure under threat.

Success requires matching mission requirements to hero strengths—misreading combat clues leads to injured heroes, failed operations, and cascading emergencies that endanger civilians.

Key Stat Requirements

Primary Stat

• Combat (3-4 required): The critical stat governing "fighting ability" and effectiveness in "villain battles, armed robberies." Mission descriptions containing keywords like "Brawl," "armed," or "attack" signal combat requirements.

Mission-Specific Combat Thresholds

Combat missions typically require:

• Combat 4: Villain confrontations, armed robbery response, multi-opponent scenarios
• Combat 3: Standard physical altercations, single-opponent encounters
• Combat 2+: Defensive operations, backup combat capability

Secondary Stats (Situation-Dependent)

• Vigor (3+ recommended): Endurance for prolonged fights, resilience against injuries
• Mobility (2+): Positioning, pursuit of fleeing criminals, tactical movement
• Intellect (situational): Tactical planning, identifying villain weaknesses
• Charisma (1+ minimum): Generally less critical, but useful for de-escalation attempts before violence

Recommended Heroes for Combat Missions

Tier S: Combat Specialists

Flambae - The Momentum Fighter

Starting Combat: 4 (with scaling potential)

Flambae leads with the highest base Combat stat (4) plus unique momentum mechanics: "+1 Combat and +1 Mobility after success; resets on failure." His pyrokinesis abilities deliver devastating damage while his momentum system transforms him from excellent to unstoppable.

Strategic Application: Deploy Flambae on easy calls first to build momentum (+1 Combat per success), then send him to combat-heavy operations once his Combat reaches 5, 6, or higher. After 3 consecutive wins, he reaches Combat 7—outclassing every other hero.

Best Used For: Villain battles requiring maximum damage, sustained combat chains, momentum-based mission sequences

Coupé - The Positional Striker

Starting Combat: 4 (conditionally 5)

Coupé matches Flambae's Combat 4 baseline but adds critical positioning mechanics: "+1 Combat (1st slot)" when deployed first in team compositions. This bonus pushes her to Combat 5 instantly without requiring momentum stacking.

Positioning Strategy: Always place Coupé in slot 1 during two-hero combat missions to activate her damage bonus. Her shadow-weaponry expertise combined with tactical placement makes her ideal for immediate high-damage scenarios.

Best Used For: First-strike combat operations, two-hero villain teams, slot 1 positioning strategies

Prism - The Combat Multiplier

Starting Combat: 4

Prism equals Flambae and Coupé's Combat 4, combining formidable fighting prowess with unique duplication abilities. When deployed in slot 2, Prism duplicates the hero to her left with half their stats, acting as a force multiplier for combat power.

Duplication Synergy: Pairing Prism (slot 2) with another Combat 4 hero (slot 1) creates a devastating combo—original hero (Combat 4) + duplicate (Combat 2) = 6 total Combat on the field.

Best Used For: Two-hero combat teams requiring overwhelming force, Combat + Charisma hybrid missions, duplication-based damage scaling

Tier A: Durable Fighters

Punch Up - The Unkillable Brawler

Starting Combat: 3

While Punch Up's Combat 3 sits below top-tier specialists, his unique durability mechanics make him invaluable for high-risk combat: "Doesn't receive injury debuffs" and "cannot be downed." In missions where other heroes would suffer stat penalties from injuries, Punch Up maintains full effectiveness.

Tank Strategy: Deploy Punch Up when mission failure risks are unacceptable. His unkillable nature guarantees he survives even catastrophic combat scenarios, making him ideal for villain battles where defeat would cascade into larger emergencies.

Best Used For: High-stakes villain confrontations, missions requiring guaranteed survival, backup when Flambae/Coupé/Prism unavailable

Tier B: Backup Options

Phenomaman - The Combat Focused Hero-for-Hire

Phenomaman is described as having powers of "extreme flight and super strength" with a stat graph showing he "only excels in combat" while having low intellect. His singular focus on fighting makes him reliable for pure combat scenarios.

Best Used For: Straightforward combat missions, backup when primary combat specialists are injured or unavailable

Tier D: AVOID for Combat Operations

Sonar (Human Form) - The Intellectual

In human form, Sonar prioritizes Intellect 4 + Charisma 4 over combat prowess. While his monster form offers combat capability, deploying human Sonar to armed robberies wastes his analytical strengths.

Golem - The Slow Tank

Despite high Vigor, Golem suffers from Intellect 1 and limited tactical thinking. The guides note he's "incapable of tactical thinking impossible without stat buffs from specific mission slots." His combat effectiveness is situational at best.

Invisigal - The Stealth Specialist

Invisigal's strengths lie in speed and reconnaissance, not direct combat. Her abilities favor avoidance over confrontation, making her poorly suited for mandatory combat scenarios.

Mission Strategy Breakdown

Armed Robbery Response

Mission Type: Armed criminals threatening civilians or businesses

Combat Requirements:

• Combat 4: Multiple armed suspects or high-threat scenarios
• Combat 3: Single-suspect robberies

Recommended Heroes:

1. Flambae (if stacked): Momentum-based Combat 5+ overwhelms armed criminals
2. Coupé (slot 1): Combat 5 with positioning bonus for immediate strikes
3. Prism: Combat 4 baseline, Charisma 4 for potential de-escalation attempts before violence

Strategic Approach:

• Deploy solo Combat 4+ heroes for efficiency
• Use two-hero teams only if mission explicitly requires backup
• Prioritize heroes with Mobility 3+ for pursuit if suspects flee

Villain Battles

Mission Type: Supervillain confrontations requiring superhero-level combat

Combat Requirements:

• Combat 4+ strongly recommended
• Vigor 3+ for surviving villain attacks
• Intellect (situational) for identifying weaknesses

Recommended Team Compositions:

• Flambae (stacked) solo: Combat 6-7 after momentum building dominates most villains
• Coupé (slot 1) + Prism (slot 2): Combat 5 + duplicated Combat 2.5 = 7.5 total
• Punch Up + Combat specialist: Unkillable tank absorbs damage while partner delivers offense

Advanced Tactic: The "Combat Dream Team" pairs Flambae with Prism to leverage stat stacking and duplication for devastating combined firepower. If Flambae has stacked to Combat 6, Prism duplicates him at Combat 3—creating 9 total Combat power.

Multi-Opponent Scenarios

Mission Type: Crowd control, gang confrontations, multiple simultaneous threats

Positioning Mechanics:

The guides emphasize tactical deployment: "In multi-slot calls (2+ heroes): First slot: +1 Combat; Second slot: +1 Mobility." This positioning system rewards thoughtful team composition.

Optimal Positioning:

• Slot 1: Coupé (activates +1 Combat bonus → Combat 5)
• Slot 2: Prism (duplicates slot 1 hero, activates +1 Mobility bonus)

Combined Effect: Coupé at Combat 5 + Prism duplicating at Combat 2.5 + positional bonuses = overwhelming force

Advanced Combat Tactics

Flambae Momentum Pre-Building

The most effective combat strategy involves building Flambae's momentum before critical battles:

1. Identify easy early calls (Combat 2-3 requirements)
2. Deploy Flambae repeatedly to stack bonuses (+1 Combat per success)
3. Monitor Combat growth: 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8
4. Deploy to villain battle once Combat 6+ achieved

Risk Management: One failure resets Flambae to base stats (Combat 4). Protect momentum by avoiding marginally difficult missions—only deploy to guaranteed successes or critical high-value battles.

Prism Duplication Optimization

Prism's duplication mechanic creates exponential combat scaling when paired strategically:

Duplication Math:

• Prism + Flambae (Combat 4): 4 + 2 (duplicate) = 6 total Combat
• Prism + Flambae (stacked to Combat 6): 6 + 3 (duplicate) = 9 total Combat
• Prism + Coupé (slot 1): 5 + 2.5 (duplicate) = 7.5 total Combat

Best Duplication Targets:

1. Stacked Flambae (highest Combat ceiling)
2. Slot 1 Coupé (instant Combat 5)
3. Any Combat 4 hero when overwhelming force needed

Punch Up as Combat Insurance

For missions where failure is catastrophic (villain escapes, civilians endangered), deploy Punch Up as "combat insurance":

• Unkillable nature guarantees he survives to complete objectives
• Debuff immunity maintains Combat 3 even in worst conditions
• High Vigor 4 sustains prolonged battles

While his Combat 3 won't dominate like Flambae or Coupé, Punch Up's reliability prevents catastrophic failures.

Reading Mission Keywords

Combat missions signal requirements through specific language:

• "Brawl" - Direct physical altercation, Combat 3+ required
• "Armed" - Weapons involved, prioritize Combat 4+
• "Attack" - Offensive action needed, favor high-Combat heroes
• "Villain" - Superhuman threat, Combat 4+ mandatory
• "Confrontation" - Combat likely but negotiation possible (Combat or Charisma)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Deploying low-combat heroes to villain battles: Intellect or Charisma specialists fail armed confrontations—send Combat 4+ heroes only
2. Ignoring Flambae's momentum: Deploying unstacked Flambae (Combat 4) to Combat 5+ missions wastes his scaling potential
3. Wrong slot positioning: Placing Coupé in slot 2 forfeits her +1 Combat bonus, reducing team damage
4. Wasting Prism's duplication: Deploying Prism in slot 1 or solo prevents duplication mechanics—always use slot 2
5. Sending injured heroes: Combat missions are unforgiving—injuries reduce combat effectiveness, turning capable fighters into liabilities
6. Overlooking Punch Up for high-stakes battles: His unkillable nature is invaluable when failure cascades into disasters

Combat vs. Alternative Approaches

When Combat is Mandatory

Missions with "armed," "villain," or "attack" keywords offer no peaceful resolution. Combat capability is non-negotiable, and attempting social solutions fails automatically.

When Combat Competes with Other Stats

Some missions offer multiple approaches:

• "Confrontation" - Combat OR Charisma (fight or negotiate)
• "Pursuit" - Combat OR Mobility (catch then fight, or outrun)
• "Investigation" - Combat OR Intellect (force information, or deduce it)

For hybrid scenarios, prioritize heroes with balanced stats (Coupé's Combat 4 + Intellect 3, Prism's Combat 4 + Charisma 4) or deploy two-hero teams covering both approaches.

Combat Escalation Warning

The guides caution: "A combat-heavy hero might escalate a hostage situation if you overlook Charisma-based solutions."

Deploying Combat 4 heroes to missions requiring Charisma signals aggression, triggering violence when peaceful resolution was possible. Always verify mission type before sending combat specialists.

Success Checklist

Before deploying heroes to combat operations, verify:

• ✅ Hero has minimum Combat 3 (preferably 4+)
• ✅ Flambae's momentum is stacked if using for critical battles
• ✅ Coupé is positioned in slot 1 if deploying her in teams
• ✅ Prism is positioned in slot 2 for duplication mechanics
• ✅ Mission keywords confirm combat is required (not Charisma alternative)
• ✅ Hero is not injured or suffering stat penalties
• ✅ Backup combat hero available if primary is unavailable

Episode-Long Combat Strategy

Early Episode: Momentum Building

Deploy Flambae on easy Combat 2-3 calls to stack bonuses for anticipated difficult battles later.

Mid Episode: Peak Combat Power

When villain battles or armed robberies appear, deploy stacked Flambae (Combat 6+) or optimized Coupé + Prism teams.

Late Episode: Combat Reserve

Maintain at least one Combat 4 hero in reserve for unexpected combat calls. Use Punch Up as guaranteed-success backup.

Roster Optimization

Combat Stat Distribution:

• Combat 4: Flambae, Coupé, Prism (top tier)
• Combat 3: Punch Up, Malevola (reliable backups)
• Combat 2 or lower: Sonar (human), Golem, Invisigal (avoid for combat)

Strategic Implication: You have three elite combat specialists (Flambae, Coupé, Prism) who can handle any combat scenario. Prioritize them for armed confrontations while reserving Punch Up for high-risk insurance scenarios.

Conclusion

Combat-heavy operations in Dispatch reward strategic hero deployment and tactical positioning over raw stats alone. Prioritize Flambae for momentum-scaled dominance, leverage Coupé's slot 1 positioning bonus, and use Prism's duplication to multiply combat power. Master positioning mechanics, build momentum strategically, and recognize combat keywords in mission descriptions.

Success neutralizes threats before they endanger civilians, while failure creates cascading emergencies requiring more resources and risking hero injuries. Deploy combat specialists decisively, and you'll handle every armed confrontation with overwhelming force.