Pursuit & Chase Missions: Speed & Tracking Strategy Guide

Understanding Pursuit & Chase Missions

Pursuit and chase missions in Dispatch are high-speed operations that test your heroes' ability to track down fleeing criminals, recover stolen property, and apprehend suspects before they escape jurisdiction. These missions prioritize Mobility (speed and agility) over other stats, requiring heroes who can "keep pace with chaos" and maintain pursuit through complex urban environments.

Unlike static missions where heroes arrive and engage, pursuit scenarios are dynamic—targets actively flee, escape routes constantly change, and hesitation means permanent mission failure as suspects cross state lines or disappear into hideouts.

Key Stat Requirements

Primary Stat

• Mobility (3-5 required): The critical stat measuring "how quickly a hero can act or move when the moment demands it." Mobility governs "speed, agility, chase scenarios, and evasion," making it the non-negotiable requirement for pursuit missions. The stat represents "agility, reflexes, and the ability to act or move swiftly during critical moments."

Mission-Specific Mobility Thresholds

Validated pursuit missions demonstrate escalating speed demands:

• Mobility 5: "Apprehend Art Thieves" - "Track down known members to find their hideout" (highest mobility requirement in game)
• Mobility 4: "Retrieve Stolen Boat" - "Pursue the thieves" and "Return the boat in one piece"
• Mobility 3+: Standard pursuit scenarios requiring sustained chase capability

Pursuit-Specific Keywords

Mission descriptions signal pursuit requirements through specific language:

• "Pursue" - Active chase scenario
• "Track down" - Investigation + pursuit combination
• "Chase" - Sustained speed requirement
• "Retrieve stolen" - Recovery mission requiring interception
• "Apprehend" - Capture fleeing suspects

Secondary Stats (Mission-Dependent)

• Combat (2-3): Useful for apprehension after catching suspects—pursuit catches them, combat subdues them
• Intellect (2-4): Critical for tracking missions requiring investigation ("Track down to find hideout" combines Mobility + Intellect)
• Vigor (2+): Helpful for sustained pursuits requiring stamina
• Charisma (1+): Generally irrelevant—fleeing criminals don't negotiate

Recommended Heroes for Pursuit Missions

Tier S: Speed Specialists

Invisigal - The Solo Pursuit Expert

Mobility: 3 (with solo speed bonus)

Invisigal is the undisputed pursuit specialist, featuring the unique Lone Wolf ability: "When sent alone, Invisigal reduces travel time and call completion time." This solo speed bonus transforms her base Mobility 3 into effective pursuit dominance, allowing her to close gaps faster than criminals can create them.

Invisibility Advantage: Invisigal "can become invisible at will, but only when holding her breath." This stealth capability allows her to approach suspects undetected, preventing early detection that triggers premature flight. Her asthma limitation means she must time invisibility bursts strategically.

Intelligence Gathering: Through her "Ear to the Ground" ability (unlocked via training), Invisigal "can reveal the number of slots and crime type on hover for certain calls before they happen," providing reconnaissance that aids pursuit planning.

Best Used For: Solo pursuit missions, stealth approaches to fleeing suspects, reconnaissance before specialist deployment, Mobility 3-4 chase scenarios

Flambae - The Momentum Pursuer

Starting Mobility: 3 (with scaling potential)

Flambae offers solid base Mobility 3 plus unique growth mechanics: "+1 Combat & Mobility after success; resets on failure." After consecutive victories, Flambae's Mobility scales from 3 to 4, 5, 6, or higher, eventually exceeding even dedicated speed specialists.

Strategic Application: Build Flambae's momentum on easy calls, then deploy him to pursuit missions once his Mobility reaches 4-5. This transforms him from adequate to exceptional for high-speed chases requiring Mobility 5.

Combat Synergy: Flambae's simultaneous Combat + Mobility stacking makes him ideal for pursuit missions requiring both chase (Mobility) and apprehension (Combat).

Best Used For: Mid-to-late shift pursuit calls (after momentum building), Mobility 5 missions, pursuit + combat combinations, sustained chase chains

Tier A: Capable Pursuers

Coupé - The Positional Speedster

Starting Mobility: 3 (conditionally 4)

Coupé's positioning mechanic grants "+1 Mobility (2nd slot)" when placed in the second team slot during two-hero deployments. This situational bonus pushes her to Mobility 4, matching standard pursuit requirements.

Slot Strategy: For two-hero pursuit calls, place Coupé in slot 2 to activate speed bonus. Pair with another mobile or investigative hero for combined stat coverage.

Special Application: The guides note: "Use her first for brute force, second for chase missions." This confirms Coupé's dual-role capability—slot 1 for combat (+1 Combat), slot 2 for pursuit (+1 Mobility).

Best Used For: Two-hero pursuit missions, mixed investigation/chase scenarios (Mobility 4 + Intellect 3), slot 2 positioning strategies

Tier D: AVOID for Pursuit Missions

Punch Up - The Immobile Tank

Mobility: 1

Despite unmatched durability, Punch Up's minimal Mobility makes him useless for pursuit. By the time he reaches fleeing criminals, they've escaped jurisdiction. Speed matters more than toughness when targets actively flee.

Golem - The Slow Boulder

Mobility: Low (estimated 1-2)

Golem's earth-mimicry powers prioritize durability over speed. His regenerative abilities require sustained engagement—impossible when suspects outrun him before contact.

Sonar, Malevola, Others with Mobility 2 or Lower

Heroes lacking Mobility 3+ cannot maintain pursuit. Criminals escape while slow heroes are still accelerating.

Mission Strategy Breakdown

High-Speed Pursuits (Mobility 4-5)

Example Missions:

• "Retrieve Stolen Boat" (Mobility 4) - "Pursue the thieves," "Return the boat in one piece"
• "Apprehend Art Thieves" (Mobility 5) - "Track down known members to find their hideout"

Mission Characteristics:

• Targets actively fleeing (boat chase, criminal hideout search)
• Time-sensitive (delay allows escape or evidence destruction)
• Combined requirements (Mobility + Intellect for tracking, Mobility + Combat for apprehension)

Recommended Strategies:

1. Invisigal solo (for Mobility 4): Lone Wolf speed bonus reaches targets fastest, invisibility prevents early detection
2. Flambae (stacked to Mobility 5): After 2 consecutive wins, Mobility reaches 5 for art thief pursuit
3. Coupé (slot 2) + investigative hero: Mobility 4 + Intellect coverage for tracking scenarios

Stolen Property Recovery

Example Mission: "Retrieve Stolen Boat" - criminals fleeing with yacht

Dual Objectives:

1. Pursue criminals: Requires Mobility 4 to catch fleeing boat
2. Return property intact: Requires restraint—excessive force damages boat

Optimal Approach:

• Invisigal solo: Speed bonus catches boat, stealth approach prevents damage during apprehension
• Flambae (if stacked): Mobility 4-5 + moderate Combat allows pursuit and non-lethal subdual

AVOID: High-combat, low-mobility heroes (Punch Up, Phenomaman) who would destroy the boat attempting to stop it

Criminal Tracking Missions

Example Mission: "Apprehend Art Thieves" - Mobility 5 + Intellect 4

Combined Requirements:

• Mobility 5: Track fleeing suspects through urban environment
• Intellect 4: Cross-reference databases, deduce hideout location

Challenge: No single hero naturally possesses both Mobility 5 and Intellect 4. This forces two-hero deployment or momentum-stacked specialists.

Recommended Team Compositions:

• Flambae (stacked to Mobility 5) + Sonar (Intellect 4): Speed specialist + investigative genius
• Invisigal (Mobility 3 + solo bonus) + Coupé (Intellect 3, slot 2 for Mobility 4): Combined Mobility 3-4 + Intellect coverage

Advanced Pursuit Tactics

Invisigal Lone Wolf Optimization

Invisigal's solo speed bonus creates a powerful tactical advantage:

1. Deploy solo for maximum speed: Two-hero teams sacrifice her Lone Wolf bonus—only use solo for pure pursuit
2. Time invisibility bursts: Despite asthma limitation, strategic invisibility prevents suspect detection during approach
3. Leverage reconnaissance: "Ear to the Ground" reveals mission details pre-deployment, confirming Mobility requirements before commitment

When NOT to Use Invisigal Solo: Tracking missions requiring Intellect 4+ (art thief hideout investigation) exceed her analytical capabilities—pair with Intellect specialist instead.

Flambae Momentum Pre-Building for Mobility 5

The highest pursuit requirement (Mobility 5 for art thieves) demands strategic preparation:

1. Identify easy early calls (Combat 2-3, Mobility 2)
2. Deploy Flambae repeatedly to stack +1 Mobility per success
3. Monitor Mobility growth: 3 → 4 (after 1 win) → 5 (after 2 wins) → 6 (after 3 wins)
4. Deploy to Mobility 5 pursuit once threshold achieved

Risk Management: One failure resets Flambae to base Mobility 3. Protect momentum by deploying only to guaranteed successes until Mobility 5 achieved, then commit to art thief pursuit.

Coupé Slot 2 Positioning for Chase

The guides explicitly note: "Use her first for brute force, second for chase missions."

Positioning Strategy:

• Slot 1 deployment: +1 Combat (total Combat 5) for villain battles
• Slot 2 deployment: +1 Mobility (total Mobility 4) for pursuit missions

Optimal Pairing for Pursuit:

• Slot 1: Sonar (Intellect 4 for tracking)
• Slot 2: Coupé (Mobility 4 for chase)
• Combined Effect: Investigation + pursuit capabilities cover tracking missions

Reading Pursuit Mission Context

Mission descriptions provide critical pursuit indicators:

• "Pursue the thieves" → Active chase, prioritize Mobility 4+
• "Track down to find hideout" → Investigation + pursuit, requires Mobility 5 + Intellect 4
• "Return in one piece" → Property recovery, avoid excessive Combat heroes
• "Apprehend" → Capture requirement, needs Mobility (chase) + Combat (subdual)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Deploying slow tanks to pursuit missions: Punch Up (Mobility 1) and Golem fail chase scenarios automatically—targets escape before arrival
2. Wasting Invisigal on team deployments: Her Lone Wolf bonus only activates solo—two-hero teams sacrifice speed advantage
3. Ignoring Flambae's momentum for Mobility 5: Art thief pursuit requires Mobility 5—unstacked Flambae (Mobility 3) fails without pre-building
4. Wrong slot positioning for Coupé: Placing her in slot 1 during pursuit forfeits +1 Mobility bonus, reducing chase effectiveness
5. Prioritizing Combat over Mobility: High-combat, low-mobility heroes catch nobody—fleeing suspects escape while combat specialists are still accelerating
6. Solo deployment when tracking required: Mobility 5 + Intellect 4 missions exceed single-hero capabilities—requires two-hero teams

Speed vs. Capture Trade-offs

When Speed Alone Suffices

Pure pursuit missions ("Retrieve Stolen Boat") prioritize catching targets over subduing them. Mobility 4 heroes like Invisigal or stacked Flambae succeed through speed alone.

When Speed Needs Support

Complex pursuits ("Apprehend Art Thieves") combine Mobility 5 with Intellect 4 for tracking. Pure speed specialists like Invisigal lack investigation capabilities, requiring two-hero teams balancing speed with analytical skills.

Property Damage Considerations

Recovery missions emphasize returning stolen property "in one piece." High-combat heroes (Punch Up, Phenomaman) risk destroying boats or vehicles during violent apprehension. Prioritize moderate-combat, high-mobility heroes (Invisigal, Flambae) who can recover property without excessive force.

Success Checklist

Before deploying heroes to pursuit missions, verify:

• ✅ Hero has minimum Mobility 3 (preferably 4-5)
• ✅ Invisigal deployed solo for maximum Lone Wolf speed bonus
• ✅ Flambae's momentum stacked if using for Mobility 5 missions
• ✅ Coupé placed in slot 2 if two-hero pursuit deployment
• ✅ Mission keywords confirm pursuit requirements ("pursue," "track down," "chase")
• ✅ No Mobility 1-2 heroes deployed to chase scenarios
• ✅ Intellect specialist included if mission requires tracking/investigation

Episode-Long Pursuit Strategy

Early Episode: Momentum Building

Deploy Flambae on easy calls to build Mobility bonuses for anticipated Mobility 5 art thief pursuit later.

Mid Episode: High-Speed Response

When pursuit missions appear, deploy pre-stacked Flambae (Mobility 5) or Invisigal solo (Lone Wolf bonus) based on requirements.

Late Episode: Speed Reserve

Maintain at least one Mobility 3+ hero in reserve for unexpected pursuit calls. Invisigal's solo capability makes her ideal reserve.

Roster Optimization for Pursuit

Mobility Distribution:

• Mobility 3: Invisigal (+ solo bonus), Flambae (scalable to 6+), Coupé (scalable to 4)
• Mobility 2 or lower: Punch Up, Golem, Sonar, Malevola (avoid for pursuit)

Strategic Implication: You have three capable pursuit specialists—Invisigal (solo speed), Flambae (momentum scaling), Coupé (positional bonus). Prioritize them for chase scenarios while avoiding slow tanks entirely.

Why Track Star Isn't Available

Players may notice references to Track Star (Chase), a legendary speedster from the Brave Brigade. However, Track Star is NOT a playable hero in Dispatch. His super-speed powers caused accelerated aging, forcing retirement at age 39 (appearing in his late sixties). He now works at SDN in the hero records database as a non-combat support character.

While Track Star's legacy inspires pursuit strategies, players must rely on Invisigal, Flambae, and Coupé for actual chase operations.

Conclusion

Pursuit and chase missions in Dispatch reward speed, agility, and strategic hero positioning over raw power. Prioritize Invisigal for solo pursuit dominance, build Flambae's momentum for Mobility 5 challenges, and leverage Coupé's slot 2 positioning for two-hero chase teams. Master speed optimization and recognize pursuit keywords ("pursue," "track down," "chase"), and you'll apprehend every fleeing criminal before they escape.

Success captures suspects and recovers stolen property intact, while failure allows criminals to vanish into hideouts or cross jurisdictional boundaries. Deploy speed specialists decisively, and you'll close every pursuit before suspects reach safety.