Surge does not function well without his first upgrade. Whether or not you have his Serve Ice Cold Star Power, you should charge up your Super as soon as you can and use it to get the speed boost he needs to make up for his rather short range. Don't be hesitant to use his Super as a defensive tool, as without his first upgrade, Surge lacks any offensive ability due to his slow speed and short range. After getting his first upgrade, Supers can either be saved if you're playing against assassins or heavyweights who could ambush you at close range or used immediately if you're playing against longer-ranged Brawlers who could out-range you since his second upgrade increases his range. In Showdown, it's necessary to get his second upgrade because he'll need it match sharpshooters in more open maps. An effective Duo Showdown composition would be Surge and Bo as Bo can drop his Super Totem to help Surge charge his Super in one less hit and allow Surge to get some of his much needed upgrades.
Surge can momentarily dodge any projectiles approaching him while using his Super. Use his Super at the right moment to avoid a potentially devastating projectile; for example, Surge can evade Frank's destructive Super by activating his Super right after Frank winds up his hammer. Alternatively, his Super can be used in close-ranged combat as landing his Super on an enemy within a small radius deals damage and also knocks them back. If a close-ranged Brawler is chasing Surge, his Super can be used to physically distance Surge from his enemy and to deter the enemy by dishing out some extra damage.
Once he reaches Stage 3, Surge's Super shouldn't be used immediately after charging it. It will not upgrade him any further, so it's better to save it until he needs it. It can later be used when he needs to dodge attacks or to escape from a Brawler that gets too close.
In Showdown, try saving your Super even if you're not at Stage 3. Surge's Super is a vital tool for him to survive in Showdown especially if you're up against assassins and other Brawlers that can get dangerously close to you.
At his initial stage, Surge is an easy target for throwers. Staying out of range or simply avoiding throwers increases Surge's chance of survival until he reaches Stage 1. After upgrading himself for the first time, Surge can counter their attacks with his very fast movement speed, which quickly turns him into a threat.
In 3v3 Events, such as Brawl Ball, conserving a charged Super until you respawn can provide a vital speed boost immediately, allowing Surge to easily get back into action. Speed is also required in this mode to score goals; Surge's Serve Ice Cold gives him the speed needed to dodge attacks, get close to enemies, and score goals.
When using Surge's first gadget Power Surge, your goal should be to get a Super during the time limit as to pump up when the duration is over, as well taking advantage of your new benefit while you can. An example would be to use your speed (If used in base stage) to aggressively pressure opponents.
Surge's To the Max! Star Power is particularly effective in Showdown. On certain Showdown maps such as Rockwall Brawl and Cavern Churn, there are long lanes and cramped walls that Surge can utilize to split his shots. To the Max! is extremely powerful if Surge is fully upgraded, as his shots split into 6 instead of 2, making him an immediate threat combined with his high burst damage and Power Surge Gadget. It’s mainly used to hit enemies at walls, and can deal extraordinary damage if all shots, main and split, hit.
His Serve Ice Cold Star Power is completely useless in Solo Showdown and dubious in Duo Showdown, because it is only activated once Surge is defeated. To the Max! gives better value overall because the split shots from hitting a wall can help aid Surge gain his Super quickly without having to use his Gadgets to gain his pivotal upgrades.
When fighting another Brawler as Surge, it's extremely important to consider what options they have to counter you. Surge is best played when he can achieve easy kills with 3 ammo, but Surge has relatively low health. Playing Surge opportunistically and making calculated decisions especially with his Power Surge Gadget results in Surge being very fearsome to fight against. Get close enough to enemies and only then attack, as Surge reloads painfully slow and has low health, so wasting ammo should be avoided.
In bush-filled maps like Snake Prairie, Surge can easily get Supers and dominate the match by bush-camping and bursting down enemies who approach the bush. Since his Super charges in three shots, he can continuously get Supers.
Changelog
06/07/20 Surge and his Mecha Paladin skin were added to the game.
08/07/20 Fixed a bug that allowed Surge to upgrade to Stage 3 on one Super charge.
03/08/20 Surge's Serve Ice Cold Star Power was added.
18/08/20 Surge's health was decreased to 2800 (from 3100). His main attack projectile split range was decreased by 25%.
10/09/20 Surge's To the Max! Star Power no longer splits when reaching max distance.
16/09/20 Fixed a bug that caused Surge's face to revert to his pre-release texture.
07/04/21 Surge's main attack damage was increased to 1180 (from 1120).
10/06/21 The DIY Surge skin was added.
27/10/21 Surge's class was changed to Damage Dealer (from Fighter).
18/11/21 The Kong Surge skin was added. It was featured as a Brawlywood skin.
01/03/22 Mecha Paladin Surge's attack and Super visual effects were reworked. His True Silver and True Gold skins were added.
27/04/22 Surge's Super range was increased to 3.33 tiles (from 0). Surge's Power Surge Gadget was reworked from making Surge teleport 3 tiles ahead of him to making Surge gain at most 2 upgrades for 10 seconds. Surge's Power Shield Gadget was added.
29/04/22 Fixed a bug that allowed Surge to get his Power Surge upgrades after being defeated. Fixed a bug that made Surge spawn in unintended locations after using Power Shield in Brawl Ball or Knockout.
04/05/22 Surge's Super recharge rate was decreased by 50%. Surge's Power Surge Gadget now makes him gain 1 upgrade (from 2).
19/09/22 Surge's Power Shield Gadget now restores 2 ammo (from 3).
25/04/23 DIY Surge now costs 79 Gems (from 49).
06/06/23 Surge's Power Shield Gadget duration was decreased to 2 seconds (from 5), and its damage reduction was decreased to 50% (from 80%).
10/08/23 The Kraken Surge skin was added. It was featured as a Supercell Make skin and a Cursed Pirates skin.
05/09/23 All Brawlers' health and damage were increased from 5% to 10% with each Power Level.
24/10/23 Surge's flavor text was changed from "He's a Protector with a penchant for parties. Surge attacks foes with energy drink blasts that split in 2 on contact. His Super upgrades his stats in 3 stages and comes complete with totally awesome body mods!" to "Surge is a souped-up soda fountain, always ready to get the party started! He's got the beats, the moves, and an endless supply of energy drinks." Fixed an issue with Kong Surge's winning animation.
12/12/23 Surge's health was increased to 3000 (from 2800). Surge's rarity was changed to Legendary (from Chromatic).
11/01/24 Surge's health was increased to 3300 (from 3000).
09/03/24 The Surgenie skin was added. It was featured as a Sands of Time skin.