Hello all! In this article, we’re going to focus on Rico, a Super Rare brawler defined by his ability to bounce shots off of walls (note that every bounce increases his range), so long that they are in his range. He is a sharpshooter, with similar base mechanics to Colt, whom you are likely familiar with. In the order that it is covered, this Brawl Stars Characters Guide will walk you through Rico’s stats, modes, foundations, matchups, before honing in on specific maps you should play on to push Rico.
RICO – THE BOUNCER
STATS
HP [Hit points]
Starting with the basics—Rico is definitely more on the squishier side of the spectrum, meaning you will have to play more conservatively by keeping your distance.
Assuming all shots hit, Rico will typically die within two to three shots being landed on him, making juking and dodging an important skill to learn while playing Rico.
Brawl Stars Characters
DMG [Damage]
Rico will almost always deal with moderately high damage but is capable of dishing out large amounts of DPS if you are capable of effectively using your bounces. The following chart shows his damage per bullet, as well as range, reload time, and the number of bullets per shot. Rico is categorized as having a very long range and a very fast reload; paired with his low hit points, he is a glass cannon.
You typically won’t be hitting all your shots, so you won’t need to calculate the total damage from each burst of bullets. However, it is good to know the individual damage of each bullet so you can assess how many shots you need to land to take out an enemy.
Rico is also capable of three tapping most brawlers, although this usually doesn’t happen—as you will rarely hit all your shots.
His Super, “Trick Shot” is also a notable part of Rico’s kit. It is an improved version of his default attack, with longer range, more damage, and the added ability to pierce. Rico is capable of “Super Stacking,” meaning he can cycle his super continuously without the need to charge it. This is best achieved by either using the bounces in an enclosed area or by hitting multiple targets with the pierce. Rico’s super takes 12 shots to charge.
Read more: Ricochet’s Basic Information
Brawl Stars Characters
SP+G [Star Power and Gadgets]
SP1: Super Bouncy
Rico’s first Star Power is Super Bouncy. Whenever a bullet bounces off of a wall, it will gain speed and +100 damage per bullet. Note that his gadget is unaffected by this, however, his Super is. You can tell bullets are supercharged when they start glowing, or in the case of some skins, change completely. This star power is recommended to more skilled players who are able to quickly assess situations and angle shots accordingly so you can almost always bounce your shots.
If you are adept at bouncing shots or are playing in a map with a ton of walls, then this Star Power will typically be the better option.
SP2: Robo Retreat
Rico’s second Star Power is Robo Retreat. Upon falling below 40% of his hit points (1456), his movement speed will be boosted by 34%. Robo Retreat is more well-rounded and can be used anywhere to great effect. For beginners, the speed boost is helpful for retreating, as the name suggests, and then joining the fight once again upon healing. However, the more practical use of the star power is to remain in the fight, and with the added movement speed, more effectively juking out your opponents’ shots. This is my go-to Star Power, as it is also very powerful during overtime in Brawl Ball, however, it often comes down to personal preference.
G1: Multiball Launcher
Rico’s gadget launches two series of 8 bullets in an octagonal form around him. These bullets are capable of piercing, but only deal 320 damage each, regardless of Rico’s power level. In general, his gadget isn’t too helpful. However, it can be used in emergency situations when you are caught off guard. I find its usage is most effective when Rico is in an enclosed space, ideally, a corner. That way, rather than the bullets just scattering to places without any enemies, they will ricochet off the corner and collectively bounce towards an opponent. You may also find use with the gadget in Heist if you are able to close in on the safe and unleash a good number of bullets on it, albeit this rarely happens.
Brawl Stars Characters
FOUNDATIONS
Modes
Rico’s best modes by far in general are going to be Brawl Ball and Heist. However, there are a few select Gem Grab, Bounty, Siege and Showdown maps that Rico has potential in. Obviously, Rico’s abilities can only be used to great effect if there are many walls that he can bounce his shots off of. This is part of the reason Rico is very good in Brawl Ball as a lane brawler. He can win lanes very effectively if he is able to hit his opponents around walls, completely out of an enemy’s range. Additionally, tanks have consistently been good choices in Brawl Ball with comps including Poco Double Tank. Rico is incredibly effective in dealing with nearly all tanks, making him a good all-rounder in Brawl Ball.
Furthermore, Rico’s mechanics are inherently very good in Heist. He currently is not in the best position, due to the Gale + Tank meta dominating heist, but he has always been a consistent brawler who can produce success in Heist. Specifically, Rico is very good on defense. He can control choke points extremely well due to his range and damage, which are prevalent in Heist maps. Additionally, his high DPS with his Super Bouncy Star Power and ability to stay alive with his Robo Retreat Star Power fulfill the basic needs of any good brawler in Heist.
Playstyle
I definitely find that Rico is better at winning lanes than mid. Especially in Brawl Ball and Heist, Rico as a lane brawler is going to be more effective, as he can consistently use the side of the map as well as walls to outplay opponents. Although I typically play Rico as a lane brawler, he is definitely a viable mid in maps where the mid is slightly narrow, but also open. These maps include: Pinball Dreams, Field Goal, Hot Potato, Nuts & Bolts, Post Haste, etc.
With Rico, you also want to be playing passive-aggressive. Always ensure you have at least one bar of ammo in situations where extra DPS is needed. Additionally, you should be patient. Especially in Heist and Brawl Ball, you want to play it slow and well to gain control, while moving up the map to the safe/enemy goal. One final thing to take note of is that Rico’s shots take the form of multiple bullets per shot, rather than a single projectile. Thus, to get the most out of each shot, you should move in the same direction your enemy is moving in to maximize the number of bullets that land.
Brawl Stars Characters
Brawl Stars Characters Matchups
When choosing which lane/mid to play, you always want to assess how good Rico will be against that given brawler. In general, Rico can dominate a tank lane very well, so long that you keep your distance and use bounces to your advantage.
Shelly
—It is ideal for you to lane against Shelly or any shotgunner for that matter. Rico can outrange and outplay them easily if you can hit them around walls with bounces, or just keep your distance.
Nita
—You can lane against a Nita as well. However, you must be careful not to get too aggressive, as Nita can tear you down very quickly with her fast fire rate combined with Rico’s low hit point count. Keep your distance and play patiently such that you never get in range of your enemy.
Colt
—This is a bit of a harder match-up, but Rico can almost always best a Colt in 1v1 lane situations. However, it may be a little hard to predict your playstyle in the first bit of the match. This is because normally, Rico will outrange Colt, making for an easier 1v1, however, with Magnum Special, Colt will actually outrange Rico’s default range. From my experience, Magnum Special is definitely the more commonly used Star Power, so go into battle assuming you are outranged. You can overcome this by juking out enemy Colts while chipping them down with your fast reload speed, or alternatively when possible, use the extra range provided from bounces to always outrange any Colt.
Bull
—Similar to Shelly, keep your distance, be patient, and slowly bring them down. It is ideal if you prevent them from healing, but so long as you are able to control your lane, that is enough.
Jessie
—Jessie can be an annoying Brawler to lane against because she can shred Rico with her Super + Gadget to slow him down. Ideally, an enemy Jessie should never be able to drop Scrappy on the playing field, although it isn’t as much of a problem for Rico as his high DPS can take down the turret relatively easily so long that he isn’t pinched by other enemies in the process. Note that you still outrange Jessie by default, so playing passive-aggressive, being careful to not feed is the best playstyle against an enemy Jessie.
Brock
—This can be a tough matchup, and I would definitely advise taking lane against a different brawler if possible. Brock outranges Rico, is capable of dealing massive damage to his low hit point count and has more health as well. The one advantage you have, as always, is your ability to hit Brock around walls. If you stay behind a few obstacles and chip off at a Brock with available walls, it is possible to win your lane. However, remember to not get too close, because even if you are behind cover, a Brock can jump over it with his gadget and kill you very quickly.
Dynamike
—Although I personally tend to avoid throwers in general, Contrary to most of Rico’s matchups, its actually better if you have a more open lane against Dynamike, so he can’t shelter himself behind any walls. In a more open environment, you outrange Dynamike by a ton, so you won’t even have to focus on juking, so long that you keep Dynamike out of your range. If this isn’t possible, Dynamike will always hide behind walls so they aren’t as vulnerable. You can play the same game as Rico, bouncing your shots around walls to hit Dynamike in situations where other Brawl Stars characters would be helpless.
Bo
—I would say you can win a Bo lane the majority of the time. You outrange him by a meager length, so try to hit him at max range if it is possible. Keep in mind Bo has a slight spread of shots, so moving in the opposite direction of the spread helps you dodge his arrows. This goes for all Brawl Stars characters, but be especially cautious as Rico when Bo plants his mines down. It can be stressful handling a lane while also keeping note of a patch of mines, so disarm them as quickly as possible. However, also be cautious while doing so, as two mines are capable of killing Rico.
Tick
—I do not like this matchup at all. Although Rico will outrange Tick, adept Tick players will always seek cover behind walls and lob a minefield of bombs at you. It’s incredibly hard to win lane as Rico against Tick, so you can get killed very quickly, and it is hard for you to get close enough to deal sufficient damage. I would opt for another matchup any day.
8-BIT
—This is another brawler Rico doesn’t perform particularly well against. 8-BIT will outrange you, out DPS you, and tank more shots than you. Your only real advantage is having more speed, making it hard to win lane against 8-BIT. Again, bouncing shots around walls such that an enemy 8-BIT cannot hit you is the ideal strategy for approaching this matchup.
Emz
—This is a decent matchup for Rico, and pretty easy to win lane against. You can approach Emz like shotgunners—but remember that being within the max range of Emz’s spray usually means inevitable death. The most common mistake Rico players make against Emz is underestimating her range. Emz can be lethal as soon as you get within her range, as she can spam her attacks and melt Rico in seconds. Keep your distance and chip her down. Now that you are familiar with how you should approach each category of brawler; we can generalize brawlers into groups.
El Primo, Rosa, Darryl, Jacky, Frank
—I categorized these brawlers together because they are all approached in the same manner. In general, you should keep your distance, as always, making sure not to get in their range. All of them (besides Jacky) have very deadly supers, and in the case of El Primo’s/Darryl’s they can close the distance on you very quickly. Never feed these Brawl Stars characters.
Barley, Sprout
—Once again throwers are not ideal for Rico. Barley and Sprout both tear down Rico very quickly and can do so from the safety of walls. When they are smart, they choose positions that are very hard for Rico to reach, even with his bounces. I would recommend avoiding thrower matchups in general unless it is an open map against Barley/Dynamike, because you can always ensure you outrange them.
Poco, Sandy, Bibi,
—These are definitely winnable lanes, as long as you stay cautious. All are characterized by moderate range with a widespread, meaning the only way to avoid their attacks is to stay out of range. If you do happen to get within range, they can blast off three consecutive shots very quickly, which will often result in death. It’s more important to keep your distance here, as hiding behind walls will not guarantee you safety against their spread shots.
Rico
—The mirror match up! Against an enemy Rico, there really is no trick, as there isn’t with any other mirror match up. They can employ any of your tactics against you, so the only thing you can carry into a mirror matchup is your abilities to juke, aim, and know when to retreat/pressure.
Penny, Bea, Piper
—These are similar to the Brock matchup. You will almost always have better options to lane against, but it is easier against Bea and Penny due to their slow projectile speed. You are almost helpless against a skilled Piper, as you will typically encounter them on very open maps. Against Penny and Bea in particular, I would say that juking is actually more important than dealing with damage. Even if you can’t win your lane, it’s better if you can hold it. Penny and Bea’s supers are both very deadly in a 1v1 situation. Getting hit by Bea’s is almost always lethal, and it is incredibly hard to fight Penny and her turret simultaneously.
Pam
—I loathe taking lane against Pam with any brawler. She is a jack of all trades, and incredibly hard to take down once she has her turret down. You will usually only be able to land a few of your bullets, meaning the healing will almost always nullify any of your damage. If you can charge your super, I strongly encourage trying to hit both a healing turret and an enemy if possible. Staying at the max range is also ideal if you can aim, as you will be hit by the least amount of shrapnel from there.
Nani
–Very risky matchup. I would advise against it, but if you can land most of your shots around walls, you can win lane against Nani. She is a textbook glass cannon, dealing massive damage almost capable of one tapping Rico if all orbs land. It is easier to lane against Nani when you are running Robo Retreat, as the tiny hitbox of her projectiles will make it very difficult to kill Rico when he is boosted by speed.
Mortis
—I tend to avoid Mortis matchups. It’s just too easy for Mortis to pressure and push you back with the threat of dashing onto you with Coiled Snake. Even if you drastically outrange Mortis, he can use a Coiled Snake dash to get in range, and then kill you with the remaining ammo slots + gadget. Rico is simply too squishy to reliably lane against Mortis. However, if you do end up having to lane against a Mortis for whatever reason, a Mortis on top of you is one of the niche situations where the gadget can come in handy.
Tara, Max, Fertilize/No SP Spike
—These brawlers all have a moderate default range (with the exception of Spike’s burst projectiles) that can deal with high damage if you get in a certain range. Generally, the typical advice of keeping your distance and bouncing your shots should be enough for you to win these matchups. However, be cautious with Max in particular, as she can gadget into your face and tear you down relatively quickly. As such, stay at a range where even in the event where she uses a gadget, you will be out of range for her to unload shots quickly. With Spike, remember his burst pattern and dodge accordingly, as his projectiles are relatively slow.
Mr. P
This depends entirely on what Star Power an enemy Mr. P is using. Without Star Power or even with Revolving Door, Rico can win lane. He outranges Mr. P by quite a bit, but you need to make sure that you don’t get your own game played against you. Don’t stand too close to walls, as Mr. P can bounce his suitcases to hit you. If they are running Handle with Care, then they will be able to match your range. In that case, your playstyle doesn’t change much, but you need to be more cautious of dodging. Walking under the suitcase or to the side is most effective.
Gene, Curveball Spike
—Both of them are characterized by an extremely long-range that can reliably hit you. I would only take on these matchups in maps where you have walls to use to your advantage. As always, if you can take refuge behind a wall, you can outplay a Gene relatively well. However, Spike’s curved spikes can be an issue. It is similar to the mirror matchup in this case, as both are squishy, high DPS brawlers that can hit around walls. It is easier for Spike to win lane here, as his damage will be more consistent. If possible, take another lane.
Crow
—Crow is a decent brawler to lane against. Crow will typically shelter behind walls consistently poking for poison damage. However, your ability to bounce your shots makes Crow particularly vulnerable, considering his low health point count and relatively low damage at medium range. However, always remember that Crow has his gadget, which allows him to just charge into you or jump on you without risk. This is dangerous, as you can lose control with a gadget use. If Crow jumps on you with a gadget equipped, there isn’t much you can do, but if they are simply charging at you, I would recommend staying at max/out of range and shoot back once the shield wears off. You won’t do much damage against the shield when it’s still in effect.
Leon
—Leon has a deceptive range that is actually capable of outranging Rico. Like Bo, keep note of the spread of Leon’s blades and dodge accordingly. It is ideal to bounce your shots around walls behind cover against Leon to avoid feeding his super. In the event that Leon can charge and use his super, you can use a gadget to scout out where he is.
Leon is an above-average matchup and is definitely winnable by all means.
Gale, Carl
—Currently, they are extremely hard to win lane against. Both have range’s nearly equal to Rico’s and can kill him in two shots. In Carl’s case, he is also a semi-tank. The only advice I have is to stay behind walls at all times, which can allow for you to have a chance at forcing them to retreat. Even then, be careful to not stray too close to the edge of walls because Carl can hit slightly around them on the return of his pickaxe.
Surge
—At the moment, there isn’t much you can do to win lane against Surge either. He can gadget right onto you through walls and blast you to bits. You need a very bad Surge without gadget or Star Power to win lane.
Brawl Stars Characters
BRAWL BALL
Like previously mentioned, one of, if not the best mode for Rico is Brawl Ball. This is because of the ideal maps that favor his bouncing, and his ability to take down tanks that have always been prevalent in the Brawl Ball meta. Note that you are a support as Rico, meaning you will often need other brawlers on your team capable of tanking shots to score goals. (You won’t be seeing Gale and Surge in every comp because I want the comps to be viable even after balance changes, where Gale and Surge will definitely be nerfed). Finally, one great trick I’ve always used in Brawl Ball is pinching people single-handedly. Angle your shots such that they go directly towards an enemy, in most instances, they will move in another direction. However, if you proceed to bounce shots in that direction as well, you can usually trap people between bullets unless they retreat and give up control. The best maps for Rico have been listed below:
Maps/Comps
Triple Dribble
I would definitely recommend Super Bouncy here if you can effectively capitalize on it. However, Robo Retreat is still on par with it. You can make mid-work here, but it is definitely optimal if you take the left lane, where you can use your bounces very well with the column of blocks.
Comps:
- Rico, Sandy, Surge
- Rico, Carl, Mr. P
- Rico, Carl, Max
Well Cut
Rico is very strong on this map as well, especially on defense. However, in regard to lanes—he is best taking either of the lanes opposed to mid. I prefer the left lane again, but they are both good for Rico.
- Rico, Max, Surge
- Rico, Gene, Jacky
- Rico, Bibi, Sprout
Shoulder Bash
Rico can be good on this map, but only really if you take the left lane. Mid can be made to work, but the walls on the left are way better for bouncing shots around to hit enemies whilst out of their range.
Comps:
- Rico, Bea, Mr. P
- Rico, Bea, Jacky
- Rico, Carl, Jacky
Post Haste
This is a great Rico map too. Additionally, he can function as a mid or lane brawler. However, from my experiences, he is better at lane here.
Comps:
- Rico, Bea, Emz
- Rico, Surge, Carl
- Rico, Mr. P, Bea
Beach Brawl
Rico is definitely better as a lane brawler here— especially on defence.
Comps:
- Rico, Carl, Jacky
- Rico, Max, Jacky
- Rico, Surge, Mr. P
Center Field
This is one of my personal favourite maps for pushing Rico. The walls on the side are perfect for bounce shots, and the entire map is built in a way that suits his kit. Definitely lane over mid on this map.
Comps:
- Rico, Jacky, Surge
- Rico, Frank, Mr. P
- Rico, Poco, Rosa
Pinball Dreams
This is one of the few select maps where I would say Rico is actually better as a mid than a lane.
Comps:
- Rico, Sandy, Mr. P
- Rico, Jacky, Surge
- Rico, Sandy, Tara
Pinhole Punt
This is the last of the Brawl Ball maps that Rico is very strong on. He can definitely be made to work on others too, but these are the ideal choices. Rico functions much better as a lane brawler on Pinhole Punt as well. A trick I’ve learnt is upon respawning, if you have your Super charged, try unloading it immediately straight ahead of you upon a restart (when someone scores a goal). It almost always catches your enemy off guard, even at high levels, and you have enough range to hit them as well.
Comps:
- Rico, Max, Darryl
- Rico, Mr. P, Carl
- Rico, Tara, Pam
Brawl Stars Characters
HEIST
Rico plays a more defensive role in Heist. Either of his Star Power is incredibly effective at defending—also, don’t be afraid to use your Super on defense. Given that you will typically be defending against multiple enemies, you can charge it up relatively quickly.
Maps/Comps
Pit Stop
Rico can be incredibly powerful in this map; however, you need an actual comp in order for him to be useful. Specifically, you need wall break so Rico can easily attack the safe.
Comps:
- Rico (On defense primarily), Bibi, Barley
- Rico, Bull, Spike
- Rico, Bull, Colt
Traffic Jam
This is definitely one of Rico’s strongest maps in the entire game. He plays a primarily defensive role here, closing off chokepoints so that the enemies cannot reach your safe.
Comps:
- Rico, Brock, Colt
- Rico, Spike, Bibi
- Rico, Brock, Max
Hot Potato
Rico is a great mid here, and you can bounce most of your shots onto the safe, meaning the Super Bouncy Star Power is definitely the better choice here.
Crossroads
Here, you typically want two Brawlers on offense on the left lane, with Rico defending. Either Star Power works here.
Comps:
- Rico, Brock, Colt (recommended)
- Rico, Spike, Brock
- Rico, Brock, Max
Brawl Stars Characters
OTHER
These are just other maps that Rico can do well on largely in part due to the build of the map.
Stone Fort
You need to be quite skilled with Rico to play him well in Stone Fort. Being able to quickly angle your shots in and out of the square to maximize damage is the role of Rico here. I would recommend playing Rico as lane here
Comps
- Rico, Bo, Pam
- Rico, Bo, Tara
- Rico, Mr. P, Pam
Cavern Churn
This is a classic Rico map. While you can still play well here regardless of skill level, he isn’t much different than any other sharpshooter until you can learn to skillfully bounce your shots. The map is covered with nooks and crannies where Rico can flush out enemies completely outside of their range. I would opt for the Super Bouncy Star Power here, although Robo Retreat definitely holds merit as well.
Duo Comps:
- Bo, Rico
- Sprout, Rico
- Tara, Rico
Heat Wave
Possibly the only Bounty map where Rico is viable besides Cobweb. The structure of the map is almost as if it was designed for bouncing. Use the Super Bouncy Star Power here, as you want to be playing more conservatively and using your Super to go in for kills. I typically opt to play right lane, but the left lane works well too.
Comps:
- Rico, Jacky, Brock
- Rico, Piper, Brock
- Rico, Gene, Brock
As for Siege, I wouldn’t recommend any of the maps if you are really looking to push high. Brawl Ball will always be in the rotation, and it will almost always be a better alternative.
Brawl Stars Characters
SUMMARY
Playstyle
- Passive-aggressive.
- Lane brawlers that you outrange or can outplay with bounces
- Choose Star Power according to map, not mode
Modes
- Brawl Ball and Heist should be your go-to Rico pushing modes
- There are select maps in other modes where Rico can be effective, almost always because they are good for bouncing
Meta
- Rico is definitely not the strongest in the meta right now, in fact, he is relatively below average.
- Surge, Gale and Carl all hard-counter Rico, making it often hard for Rico to win lanes
- However, if you play in maps that suit Rico well, you can usually overcome these obstacles (with the exception of Surge’s gadget which you can do nothing about).
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