Leech

“I'm not a monster, no, I'm something far worse”

**Thaddeus "Leech" Cooper** is a Playable Agent in *Stand Guard.*

Leech was added in the Beta release on April 9th, 2023

## Biography

*"Little is known about the shadowy figure known as Thaddeus Cooper, other than that he is a mentally unstable mercenary with an insatiable thirst for blood. From a young age, he exhibited violent tendencies that led to his incarceration in an asylum, where he was left to rot in his madness.*

*Any attempts to investigate Cooper's past have been met with ominous silence, as those who dared to dig deeper have disappeared without a trace. Rumors abound that Cooper himself was responsible for these disappearances, but with no concrete evidence, his true role in these dark deeds remains a mystery.* *It is rumored that Cooper spent his formative years within the walls of a dank asylum, where his violent tendencies were nurtured and encouraged. Surviving staff members whisper about his escape from that hellish place, though it is unclear whether it was a daring feat of bravery or a twisted plot that left countless innocent souls in its wake.*

*The mere mention of Cooper's name sends shivers down the spines of even the most hardened mercenaries. His reputation precedes him, and those who have encountered him in battle speak of a silent, menacing figure, whose laughter is as chilling as it is unnerving. It is said that he revels in the spilling of blood, relishing in the screams of his victims.*

*The truth about Thaddeus Cooper may never be known, but one thing is certain - he is a force to be feared and avoided at all costs."*

## Loadout

* **Rate of Fire:** 120 RPM
* **Magazine Size:** 12 (6 x 2)
* **Critical Multiplier:** 2x

**Modification:** Thinning Rounds

 **"Betsy"**
* **Rate of Fire:** 10 RPM
* **Critical Multiplier:** 3x

 **Active Camouflage**
* **Max Duration**: 24 Seconds
* **Recharge:** 8%/Second

## Perks

*See main article: Perks*

Leech is equipped with three unique perks. Leech can share his perks with all other agents after the following requirements are met.

* 1st Perk - Win 5 Games
* 2nd Perk - Win 10 Games
* 3rd Perk - Win 15 Games

Once the requirement has been met, the player may unlock the perk for all agents at the cost of 750 Blood Money

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	+ **1** Charge - Increases sprinting speed by **5%**
	+ **2** Charges - Decreases volume of all player actions by **30%**
	+ **3** Charges - Increases reload speed by **20%**
	+ **4+** Charges - You are granted the undetectable status effect
* Any time your location or outline is revealed to the enemy team, *Retribution* activates and loses **1** charge
* When activated, *Retribution* briefly **reveals the outline** of the player that exposed you
* *Retribution* gains **1** charge any time you kill an enemy player

## Useful Perks

* Warhawk
* Traceur
* Adrenaline Rush
* Mouser
* Camera Shy

 Warhawk

* Leech's stealth allows him to easily sneak up on enemies to take full advantage of Warhawk's effects

 Traceur

* Leech can take advantage of Traceur's burst of speed when vaulting to quickly escape from enemies.

 Adrenaline Rush

* Leech can utilize Adrenaline Rush's speed boost in conjunction with his cloak to flee from an enemy before they inflict critical damage.

 Mouser

* Mouser's noise suppression makes Leech's movement while cloaked even more difficult for enemies to pick up on.

 Camera Shy

* Leech can take advantage of Camera Shy's effects to conceal his whereabouts when Active Camouflage is on cooldown.

## Mementos

*See main article: Mementos*

 This content is currently **unreleased** and will be added in a future update

  **Red Binder**
* Increases the maximum duration of Active Camouflage by **50%**
* Increases time required to uncloak by **0.5** seconds
  **Snake Fang**
  **ECT Machine**
  **Dull Knife**
  **Pig Skull**
  **Cloth Gag**
  **Rusty Scalpel**

## Gameplay & Strategy

Stealth and unpredictability make Leech a powerful infiltrator. Able to sneak behind enemy lines and eliminate weak links by surprise, players must be constantly wary of his approach.

### Weapons & Abilities

* Active Camouflage**:** A device capable of rendering Leech invisible to the naked eye while blocking attempts at revealing his location.
	+ While cloaked, Leech is completely invisible to enemies and enemy-controlled cameras but cannot use his weapons. He still produces noise when running, interacting with objects, and performing actions like vaulting.
	+ Leech is undetectable while cloaked, blocking the effects of perks and abilities that would otherwise reveal his position.
	+ Entering a cloak will automatically ready Leech's secondary weapon.
	+ Nearby enemies hear a constant audio cue while an enemy Leech is cloaked nearby. This may alert them to your approach but can also be used to distract them and waste their time as they search for you.
* **Bloodhound [Passive]:** A killer's instincts allow Leech to gauge the position of suffering enemies.
	+ Leech can see the outlines of bleeding enemies while cloaked, allowing him to get the jump on enemies after marking them with his primary fire.
	+ This effect applies to bleeding enemies even if Leech was not the one to inflict the status effect on them.

* **Snakebite Revolvers:** Leech's only source of ranged damage. Although not suited to direct engagements due to their underwhelming damage, they make up for it with their ability to cause enemies to bleed.
	+ The bleeding effect is applied with any amount of damage dealt by the revolvers, making them a threat even at longer ranges.
* **"Betsy":** A unique axe melee secondary weapon. Short range but deals devastating damage, especially against bleeding targets.
	+ Attacking head-on with melee attacks is unlikely to work in Leech's favor. It is best to wait for the perfect opportunity to deal a devastating critical blow while an enemy is distracted.
	+ Leech can utilize his ability to view bleeding enemy positions while cloaked to initiate ambushes or surprise attacks from behind corners.
	+ Betsy replaces Leech's quick melee attack

### General Strategy

* Pick your fights carefully. Leech's overall damage output is among the lowest in the game and he struggles immensely in direct confrontations. Unless an enemy is severely wounded, entering a one-on-one gunfight is ill advised.
* Leech excels at harassing enemies with his audio cue and ability to easily inflict bleed. Enemies can often become so preoccupied looking for you that they ignore the objective or overextend and fall victim to your teammates.
* Communicating enemy positions to your team is vital. Leech can easily survey enemies without being detected, allowing for team strategies to be adjusted accordingly.
* Leech has very high movement speed but an extremely low health pool. As such, he cannot afford to take the same risks as more heavily armored agents and should focus on escaping an unwinnable situation using his cloak.

## Facing Leech

Despite his unparalleled stealth and disruption abilities, Leech on his own is not a threat to a coordinated and aware team. If caught without a ready means of escape, a Leech is relatively easy to take out.

Leech thrives on isolated, unaware targets and as such grouping up is especially effective against him. A Leech is unlikely to attack if there are multiple players in the immediate vicinity.

## Matchups

Monarch

Clockwork

Rampart

Gambit

Viper

Halcyon

Capsaicin

**Leech**

Empire

## Trivia

* Leech's stand reference is Metallica, a Part 5 stand wielded by Risotto Nero.
* Leech has a deep connection with the Blackwater Asylum map, with it being implied that he was once a patient there before eventually escaping.