Vector

Overview

The Vector is the boss-melter — an Archer/Huntress hybrid with the longest effective range in the roster and a piercing line shot that punches through a boss and every add stacked behind it. Its kit is built around one discipline: maintain maximum distance, punch pierce lines through the target column, and keep spacing. The Vector is not a room-clearer; it is the class you bring when a tanky single target needs to die from across the arena. Range is its defense. Lose the spacing game and it dies fast.

Source mix: Archer + Huntress.

Weapon — Railgun (long-range piercing bolt)

The Vector’s auto is the longest-range projectile in the game:

• Pattern: a fast, flat, piercing bolt that travels the full length of its range and hits every enemy in the line. A sniper shot that also clips a column.
• Range: ~8+ tiles — the longest auto range in the roster.
• Fire rate: ~3 shots per second (high Throughput). Sustained, rhythmic single-target pressure.
• Projectile speed: ~14 tiles per second — the fastest projectile in the game. Leading a moving boss is an aim skill, not a guess.
• Damage: ~16 base per shot. Pierce means one auto can hit the boss and every add stacked behind it.

Abilities

Both abilities are MP/mana-gated. The Vector’s Bandwidth and Refresh stats determine how often it can fire Pierce Shot and use Charge to defend its spacing.

Pierce Shot (A1 — damage lane)

A heavy long-range piercing line — the empowered version of the auto.

• A single powerful bolt that pierces every enemy in a line, up to ~12-tile range — the longest reach in the roster.
• Deals ~55 damage to the first target, with no damage falloff (or light falloff) on subsequent targets in the column.
• Pierce is positional, not penetration: this is a column hit, not an armor-shred. Line up the boss and its add train to maximize total impact.
• MP cost: ~30.

Pierce Shot is the opener on a hard boss: get to maximum distance, line up the adds behind the target, and punch the column. Great Vectors are always at the edge of their kill range, never inside it.

Charge — bomb / trap (A2 — control / sustain / mobility lane)

A Huntress-style bomb or trap that keeps the Vector alive and spacing.

The ability has two documented modes — the implementation of how the player switches between them is OPEN (one ability with a context-toggle, or two distinct equippable ability-items):

• Escape mode: an AoE blast centered at the Vector’s feet (~30 AoE damage) that simultaneously self-launches the Vector ~3 tiles — bomb at your feet, blow back to safety.
• Zone mode: a slow-zone trap dropped on the ground — a ~3-tile-radius area that applies −40% enemy movement speed for ~4 seconds. Zones a chokepoint or snares a pursuing pack.

MP cost: ~30 for either mode.

The skill expression is reading which mode the situation demands: the self-launch resets distance against a fast flanker; the slow-zone proactively holds a lane before the pack reaches melee range.

OPEN: Whether Charge is a single ability with a contextual toggle or two separate ability-items the player chooses between at loadout has not been decided. See CLASS-KITS.md §OPEN item 1.

Survival Model

Range is the defense. The Vector’s Integrity (HP) and Coherence (DEF) are kept low deliberately — it is not meant to trade hits. Survival comes from:

1. Never being in range to get hit — optimal play keeps the Vector at maximum distance at all times.
2. Charge’s self-launch — the escape valve when spacing breaks down.
3. Charge’s slow-zone — a proactive spacing tool, not just a reactive one.

A maxed Vector caught at melee range dies as fast as a fresh one. The power budget is entirely on offense-at-distance; the bounded gap (~1.8×) holds through fragility.

Stat Identity

Skill Tree Paths

Two per-character trees (lost on death):

• Pierce Shot tree: Railline (range / pierce count extension), Overpenetrate (bonus damage on each pierce through a target), Snipe (critical hit bonus at maximum range)
• Charge tree: Demolish (AoE blast size), Vault (self-launch distance / escape focus), Quarantine (slow-zone strength / duration)

Node names are OPEN — path themes are locked, final names are a taste pick.

Loot Contribution

The Vector earns loot through damage_dealt — single-target hits and pierce-column hits credited directly to the Vector. The contribution model rewards the long-range carry for its damage role without requiring it to tank, control, or buff.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Longest attack range in the roster — the safest damage class at proper spacing
• Pierce auto and Pierce Shot hit the boss and every add in the column simultaneously
• Fastest projectile speed in the game — aim is skill, not luck
• Charge provides both an escape and a zone-control tool

Weaknesses

• Glass EHP — gets in range to get hit, it dies
• No melee fallback — close quarters means zero damage and high incoming risk
• Charge implementation details OPEN (toggle vs two items pending Jay’s decision)