In-Depth Guide for Ix, V. 2.0

Blessed am I; and you will be too once you read this guide.
An up-to-date (December 2020, merry Christmas!) and in-depth guide to Ix, massively revised and expanded from Version 1.0.0.

Introduction

Ix The Interloper is a very balanced naut. In-game, his level of difficulty is 'Hard', and that is very true. However, with the right guidance, (me) and enough practice, (you) anyone can be amazing at playing Ix. I have decided to write this guide as I only see one Ix guide on the community, and that one is outdated. Also, I've been maining Ix ever since he came out, so I feel like I'm qualified. I intend to keep this up-to-date, and if you have a 'naut that you want to learn how to play better, feel free to comment and I might write a guide on him/her. I know how to play most 'nauts, but for now, we'll be talking about Ix...let's get started.

(P.S.: Consult the glossary at the bottom if you don't know what an abbreviation means)
(P.P.S: This guide is pretty wordy. You can skip "Ix builds" if you aren't interested in what EVERY upgrade does, it's mainly for my own reference. If you don't want to read the whole thing, you can just read the "Quick and Dirty Ix" section at the bottom. It outlines the most important stuff. I also recommend reading "Ix, Tips Tricks and Hacks" as well)

A quick note

When I use the term "PB", I am not referring to peanut butter or lead. Rather, I am saying Psyonic Bond, also known as Displace. I felt that using the term Displace everywhere was confusing. When I say PB, I am saying a sustained link between you and another naut, and when I say Displace I mean actually Displacing yourself and another naut. Anyway, back to the guide.

Ix: dos and don'ts

I see a lot of newbie Ix players using their abilities incorrectly--jumping around too much, getting killed, getting scores like 1/14/0, etc, etc, etc. The reason for this is because, like I said earlier, Ix is HARD. Especially at first! He's a very squishy character, but can pump out very good amounts of damage mid-to-late game if you upgrade him right and know how to play him.

DOS:
DO farm droids, in the early game especially, jumping from one lane to the other, pick up solar, get as much moola as possible. This will allow you to buy abilities so you can start being effective. Also, when bonded with enemies, make sure to leave your bond up for as long as possible. Same with teammates.
DO engage enemies when they are alone. Hit them with a Displace bolt, hit 'em with crystal shards, and watch them melt. Don't let them escape! Displace them and finish them off. If you start getting worried about health, Refract the heck out of there. Ix is great at melting enemies alone.

DON'TS:
DON'T get into big brawls involving the whole other team. You will die. Instead, get close enough to Displace, enemy or team. If team, just sit there and heal him/her. You'll help out. If enemy, get close to your turret if possible, displace, Refract, and escape. The turret will do damage, and might even kill him/her. Your team will thank you.
DON'T Displace willy-nilly. A lot of newbie Ix players Displace with no reason. You're healing the team, waiting until the last second, then displacing for no reason at all. I'll put it this way; if you switch places with someone, your cooldown time is 12 seconds. If you don't? 8 seconds. Only displace when it will help you and your team, or hinder you enemy.

Ix abilities: how to use

Ix's abilities are extremely useful--Psyonic Bond can heal teammates or hurt enemies, and Refract makes you invincible for 0.8 seconds.


DISPLACE/PSYONIC BOND: Throw a crystal against another naut to create a bond, healing allies or damaging enemies upon connection. (160-251.2 damage or healing, minus shop items and DOT/HOT.) While bonded, use the skill again to switch places with the naut. The bond breaks when the line reaches its limit, when it collides with a turret/team wall or when it expires. PB can be an unstoppable force, throwing enemy nauts into turrets and your team, or one Displace gone wrong can cost you the game. (I mean that) Timing is important for PB. Useful for escaping. Full duration is 3s, cooldown 8-12s, depending on if you swapped with the other 'naut.







REFRACT: Disperse into energized crystals to become impervious to any damage and crowd control effects. When you are Refracting, you are INVINCIBLE! Awesome, right? Right! Unfortunately, it only lasts .08 seconds. Excellent for escaping enemies, enemy turrets, mad creeps(Jk) Etc. Cooldown 10s.












RATIATE: Ix's main weapon. With the right upgrades, (More on that later) he can totally shred enemies. Does 60 damage, 96 with full scatter. (No upgrades) APS is 2.2, bolt range is an OK 6.6.












CRYSTALLIZED ASCENSION/JUMP: Jumps an amazing height of 7.8! Ix has 2 jumps, and his hover time is 2s. Awesome, right? TIPS: Just like Clunk and Derpl, tap tap tap your space bar to get the most out of his jump.

Ix builds!

Now for the part you've all been waiting for: How to Build Ix.
Ix, like any other character, can get three out of six upgrades in four rows:

MUST HAVE UPGRADES:
CRYSTAL CRUNCH: (Second from left on Radiate, 135 solar) Get this first thing. It's healing effects will carry you throughout the whole game.
SALT MINER: (Fourth from left on Radiate, 185 solar) Get this middle game, around the five-ten minute mark. Get both levels if you can. This will shred enemies while you escape--how cool is that!?
PRISMATIC MOON DUST: (Sixth from left on radiate, 175 solar) You must, must, must, must, MUST get this! Honestly, I have gotten hundreds of kills off of this one upgrade. You really cannot overstate this. This is the best upgrade Ix can get. Get it right away, as soon as you can. But get Crystal Crunch first.

GOOD UPGRADES: Besides those, it's up to you. Really, it depends on the team you're facing. (For example, you would certainly want Baby Curry Mammoth if you were facing Yoolip, Raelynn, and Scoop! If you get Power Pills Turbo, wait until mid-late game. Your increased level will result in increased health. Overexposed Nature Photo (Fourth from left on Displace, 125 solar) is good if you are healing your allies a lot. Broken Solar Tree (Third from left on Radiate, 160 solar) is a very good upgrade in any game.
My Build: https://orikaru.net/nautsbuilder#IXtheInterloper/1202100101120010220011221000/16-20-16-11-11-9-4-17-17-10-22-22-24-23-23-1-1-3-3

WHAT UPGRADES ARE RUBBISH?
I will analyze every one of his upgrades, starting at top left...feel free to skip this part if you aren't interested in EVERY upgrade. This is mainly just for reference for me.

DISPLACE ITEMS

CRYSTAL LEAVES:
USE: Improves the base healing of PB by 20-40% and base damage by 10-20%
COST: 165.
USEFUL?: Yes. Get both tiers mid-late game.



VEGAN SEWER PIZZA:
USE: You and your ally gain a shied after displacing, reducing damage by 30%.
COST: 185.
USEFUL?: No. I have never found a good application for this upgrade.



MAMMOTH HAIR SCARF:
USE: Adds a speed bonus to allies and a slow to enemies during PB. 15-30% speed/slow.
COST: 155.
USEFUL?: Yes. Grab this if you are facing fast nauts and have slow ones as allies.

OVEREXPOSED NATURE PHOTO:
USE: Applies 50% of healing done to allies to Ix as well.
COST: 125.
USEFUL?: Grab this if you are healing allies a lot.



TREE HUGGER:
USE: Makes enemies weaker and allies stronger during PB by 15-30%.
COST: 155.
USEFUL?: Not really. Only get if you are getting in brawls involving the whole teams a lot.


ROOT TEA:
USE: Increases your Radiate attack speed after Psyonic Bond ends by 30% for 3 seconds.
COST: 200.
USEFUL?: Sometimes, but generally too expensive for it's worth.


REFRACT ITEMS
DIAMOND PICKAXE:
USE: Knocks back and stuns enemies at the end of Refract. Knockback 1.5, stun duration 0.5s.
COST: 155.
USEFUL?: Amazingly useful if you are running away from enemies a lot.


SHREDDED MINING PERMIT:
USE: Enemies that surround you during Refract will receive 12% amplified damage.
COST: 200.
USEFUL?: Amazingly useful if you also have Salt Miner.


BROKEN SOLAR TREE:
USE: Self-heals you during Refract by 16/01s-32/01s.
COST: 160.
USEFUL?: Yes. Very useful.



SALT MINER:
USE: Creates spinning flying rocks around Ix during Refract that deal 16/01s-32/01s.
COST: 185.
USEFUL: Heck yeah, but is more effective with Shredded Mining Permit.


ZORK INDUSTRIES PORTA POTTY:
USE: Get a speed boost of +30% for 2s after using Refract.
COST: 135.
USEFUL?: Very useful for running away. Team this with Diamond Pickaxe.



ROBOT WRECKING BALL:
USE: If Ix blocks 400 or more damage during Refract, the cooldown of Refract is reduced by 50%.
COST: 185.
USEFUL?: I have never found a use for it, but it could be good against Yuri or Clunk.

RADIATE ITEMS


PERSONALITY CRYSTAL:
USE: Increases the range of Radiate by 30% and the scatter by 35%.
COST: 145.
USEFUL?: Insanely useful. Get it.



CRYSTAL CRUNCH:
USE: Adds a 6/12 lifesteal to Radiate.
COST: 135.
USEFUL?: Get this first this, as soon as you land from your droppod. It will carry you all throughout the game.



TIME TRAVELLED DIAMOND:
USE: Increases the base damage of Radiate bolt by 15/30%.
COST: 165.
USEFUL?: Pretty useful if you combine with Prismatic Moon Dust.



SHRUBBERY GEMS:
USE: Gives you 1/2 more scatter crystals on your radiate.
COST: 185.
USEFUL?: Okay, but not amazing.



LUXOR'S PUREST CRYSTAL:
USE: Increases the damage of Radiate while you have an active bond with an enemy by 25%
COST: 185.
USEFUL?: Very if you get in a lot of one-on-one battles.


PRISMATIC MOON DUST:
USE: Every third Radiate bolt leaves a dust trail, dealing 90 damage over 3 seconds to any enemies who step in it.
COST: 175.
USEFUL?: In my opinion, Ix's best upgrade.


All the utility upgrades are (roughly) the same with other characters, they are all good choices.
A quick word on Piggy Bank: Piggy Bank is often misused. Here's what you need to know...do not, DO NOT get it as your first upgrade as you drop down! Why not? It uses up one of your precious utility slots, that's why, and for barely any reward! Sure, you get 100 extra solar. That's nice. But, just like any upgrade, NEVER GET IT WITHOUT A REASON. What reasons make it acceptable? There are two: one, your team's solar level is below your enemies. (If you don't understand what that means, check out my other guide about the mechanics of winning, coming soon) No. 2: You need a specific upgrade SOON to win the game and don't have enough solar. I can't really think of a situation where this would apply, but I know I've done it before. I guess what I'm saying is NEVER GET ANY UPGRADE WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE REASON TO GET IT.

So...who is Ix good against?

Ix's Refract ability makes him immune to many high damaging skills that other nauts possess. (Clunk's explode, Sentry's whirlpool, Chucho's sticky bomb) Ironically, his Displace/PB is amazing at throwing enemy nauts into the same abilities!

NAUTS IX IS GREAT AGAINST: Clunk, Sentry, Yoolip, Raelynn, Chucho.
NAUTS IX IS GOOD AGAINST: Basically everyone except--
NAUTS IX IS BAD AGAINST: Leon, Froggy G, Max Focus, Vinnie & Spike. Ix is horrible against assassins.
NAUTS IX IS GOOD WITH: Clunk, Sentry, Yoolip, Skree, Yuri.

Ix tips, tricks, and hacks

BASIC TIPS
Radiate is ranged, but a lot of the damage comes from scatter. The closer you are to an enemy, the more damage you will pump out.
Always be aware of where you and your target are in displacement so you won't accidentally throw yourself into an enemy turret.
Make sure to remember to heal any low-health teammates you see. You can also Displace them out of a bad spot and keep fighting.
If you have Refract handy, keep pushing a turret until all your droids die. You can escape with no damage by jumping up and Refracting.
With a little practice, you can lean how to Displace non-flying enemies into the Sorana Worm, the Solar Boss, Starstorm Pit, or AI Station 205's Inferno, killing them or dealing considerable damage. Just don't do it to your teammates!
When fighting one on one, make sure to open a Displace beam. This will give you lots of extra damage and maybe some health. (depending on upgrades.)

TIPS ABOUT UPGRADES
Teaming Salt Miner with Shredded Mining Permit can turn Refract into an amazingly effective weapon. You could pair this with Robot WB if you have a nuker in the vsing team (Clunk, Yuri, Raelynn) Teaming Diamond Pickaxe with Zork Industries Porta Potty (And maybe Broken Solar Tree, too) is also a good idea if you're running a lot.

TIPS WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING WITH IX
Stay close to Ix whenever you can. He will heal and defend you.
If you are playing Clunk, think about asking Ix to run up to the enemy team and Displace you, and you can explode in their faces. This also works with Ayla and Skolldir.
Make sure to let Ix heal you if he wants to. As an Ix main, I know how frustrating it is to try and heal a teammate and have them break your bond.

AND FINALLY....HOW TO KILL IX
I might regret writing this section, but...oh well.
Keep your distance from Ix. Most of his damage comes from Radiate, and the closer you are to him, the more damage you will sustain.
Ix is terrible against assassins. Wait until he's about half health, then sneak in and take him down.
If Ix has you in a Displace beam, get behind a turret or team wall. Also, run away to break the beam, or get close to your team.
Stuns (Leon's tongue, Smiles' tail whip) break Ix's Displace beam. Use this.
Chase Ix into your teammates to kill him quickly. Also, try not to engage him one-on-one unless he is low health.
Don't shoot at Ix when he is in Refract. Depending on his upgrades, this might give him a buff.

Quick and Dirty Ix

Early game is when Ix is weakest, you generally want to farm droids and not attack, you're pretty weak early game.
Engage enemies when they are alone and weak, don't get into big brawls involving the whole other team. You will get killed really easily that way, Be a predator--kill the weakest.
Don't displace with no reason. If you switch places with someone during Phyonic Bond, your cooldown time is 12 seconds. If you don't switch? 8 seconds.
Radiate is ranged, but a lot of the damage comes from scatter. The closer you are to an enemy, the more damage you will pump out. (Generally, some upgrades can change this)
Displace can be used to throw enemies into hazards with some practice (Turrets, The Worm, Infierno, etc.)
Make sure to remember to heal any low-health teammates you see with PB. You can also Displace them out of a bad spot and keep fighting.
Know who you are good against. Ix is good against Clunk, Yuri, etc. Nauts who deal out big burts of damage. (because of Refract and Displace) But he's horrible against all assassins. Use this and stay away from Leon when you're low health, or high health for that matter.
If you tap Ix's jump instead of holding the spacebar, you will jump higher. I once jumped out of the Starstorm pit by tapping instead of holding.
Level Ix up! Seriously, his Killing Spree music is--pun intended--awesome.

Conclusion

Ix is a hard character to play. Hopefully, however, this guide will have steered you in the right direction to be awesome with him. If you enjoyed this guide, feel free to rate it up and post comments. I will be updating this guide (for a while at least) and hopefully will have the time to write a few more guides in the future. If you want to help me out, my recruitment code is 4MVC-D7U8-F5EW. Thanks for reading! Please tell me in the comments if I got any of the info wrong, I'll update the guide.

Glossary

APS: Attacks Per Second
DPS: Damage Per Second
HOT: Healing Over Time
DOT: Damage Over Time
PB: Psyonic Bond, also known as Displace.

Update log

Version 1.0.0, September 2019. Released the guide! Hooray!
Version 1.0.1., Fixed some spelling errors, thanks for telling me HM!
Version 1.2.1, Added more info to abilities section, and added Glossary.
Version 1.2.2, Fixed more errors in the upgrade section.
Version 1.2.3, Tried out RWB against clunk and found it to be okay, and edited the blurb for it.
Version 1.2.4, Did some housecleaning. (Typos, info errors, etc.)
Version 1.2.5, More housecleaning.
Version 1.2.6, Did a ton of formatting and fixing up stuff. Big update!
Version 1.2.7, Even more formatting and fixing. Yay.
Version 1.2.8, More fixing, because apparently I didn't fix enough stuff the first 2 times.
Version 2.0.0, MASSIVE UPDATE! Went through the guide and updated ALL info, added a ton of stuff, replaced confusing "Displace" with Psyonic Bond, added "A quick note" section, changed name of guide. Literally did as much work in this update as I did making the guide.

[Daisuke Narotan]

C4YV-QH4U-PFDP

[BloodWolf]

Pretty good, Ix is just such a difficult character to learn but once you get good at him he's pretty decent. I don't like having to wait for late-game to be effective against people you are weak to but a lot of other nauts have this problem too so its wtvs. Epic guide tho people should follow :)

On another note I usually get the Robot Wrecking Ball when vsing clunk / yuri because its a free halving of your cooldown, even tho it takes up a slot you usually pair it with salt mine and shredded permit and its just more free dmg overall.