Wildfire and Dark Wildfire – Skylander Review
Wildfire is a new Fire Trap Master making his debut in Trap Team. Wildfire also has one alternate version called Dark Wildfire which comes with the Dark Edition of Skylanders Trap Team. Wildfire was once a member of the Fire Claw Clan. He wanted to enter the Rite of Infernos, which was a test of survival on the dangerous Fire Plains. However, he was made of gold, and because of this he was not allowed to participate in the Rite of Infernos. On the nite of the test, Wildfire took his father’s enchanted shield and followed the path the other lions had gone. He found the lions trapped by a giant flame scorpion. Wildfire used his shield to block the scorpion’s stinging tail attacks and allowed the other lions to escape. Unfortunately Wildfire was hurt in the fight, but his father’s enchanted shield charged Wildfire, magnifying the strength that was in his heart. This made him the strongest lion of his clan. Now Wildfire is part of the Trap Team and uses his Traptanium bonded shield to defend all of those in need.
Wildfire is not easy to miss. He holds a gigantic shield that covers his solid gold body from head to toe. When you first see him, he doesn’t appear to be very exciting. The shield, as big as it is, doesn’t evoke thoughts of a strong attacker. At most, you can assume he may be able to bash enemies with a shield of that size. His lack of color besides gold also just seems a little boring at first. Dark Wildfire looks a little more interesting with having a black body and a silver face with silver tipped claws and tail. Even the dark version holds the same gigantic red shield. Wildfire’s fur isn’t really fur at all but sharp spikes that aide his armor. Between the spikes and the aggressive look on his face, Wildfire actually seems quite menacing and majestic. At first glance you might not notice that he also has a little fire ball in his free hand. It’s easier to see against the dark body of Dark Wildfire than it is with the normal version where it blends with the gold body. This little ball of fire though indicates that Wildfire will have some magical attacks. Once you start playing with Wildfire and using those attacks, you will soon realize how magical and powerful he truly is.
As expected Wildfire’s main attack is a shield bash. This isn’t your typical shield bash. Wildfire spins and thrusts the giant shield with ease and speed. Unlike other characters, Wildfire has built in 
combos to this first attack, allowing for some powerful button mashing attacks right off the bat. The shield bash is a great close range melee attack, but what happens when enemies are further away? Well, you use his second attack called Chains of Fire to both burn enemies far away, and to pull them in closer to Wildfire. Once the enemies are in close, they can be easily dealt with the shield bash. Should you not want to bring the enemies closer, in the case of a more powerful enemy, then Wildfire’s upgraded third attack called Fire Roar will shoot fire out of his mouth at ranged enemies. This attack doesn’t have the longest range, but will keep Wildfire at a safe distance while unleashing a powerful attack. So right out of the box, with only the one upgrade for a third attack, Wildfire is quite powerful. Early upgrades add even more power to Wildfire, with the ability to actually use the shield to block attacks, and to increase the number of Chains of Fire to allow four enemies to be pulled in at once. When it comes time to choose a path, you will have to decide if you want to be able to do more damage with the shield bash, or if you want to pull in even more enemies with the Chains of Fire. The Shield Slasher path all add to the shield bash attacks. The first two upgrades add two very powerful combos while the last upgrade allows for a jump and slam attack which is fairly common in melee attacking characters but is always powerful. If you choose the Chain Champion path, you’ll be able to pull in five enemies at once, while doing even more damage with the Chains of Fire. You’ll also get a wider area of effect for the chains which makes it a completely devastating attack for attacking the many weaker enemies. You will also get an upgrade which will extend the range and power of the Fire Roar ranged attack. Personally I think the Chain Champion path is slightly more useful. Wildfire’s basic shield bash attacks are already powerful enough to deal with the increased number of enemies that get pulled in. Also, the additional damage done by the Shield Slasher path seems a little irrelevant once you gain the Soul Gem ability. The Soul Gem allows Wildfire to transform into a wild Fire Lion. It’s not an easy attack to pull off, but once you get the hang of it, you can mow down the toughest of enemies with ease, like the Tae Kwon Crows, and the Pain-Yattas.
Overall Wildfire is a fantastic character. He is very strong right from the start and he only gets stronger as he gains upgrades. He deals massive damage, but does so in close quarters combat, so he will also take some damage. He’s a strategic character which means he works best when attacking with a purpose or a strategy. However, he is still powerful enough that even a button mashing young portal master should have no problem doing well with this character. His ranged attacks aren’t the strongest but the ability to quickly bring enemies closer allows for his extremely powerful melee attacks to quickly dispatch enemies. His Soul Gem ability is interesting and not very easy to execute, but very rewarding when you deal some massive damage with it. Whether you choose Dark Wildfire or the normal version, he is a blast to play with. His combination of Chains of Fire and a devastating Shield Bash attack make him a character worth owning. Be sure to check out our video review to see his attacks in action.
SkylanderNutts gives Wildfire…
9 out of 10
Wildfire Video Review
Share this article!
