Welltaro

Welltaro's character portrait

**Welltaro** is a character owned by Moppin and is an unlockable fighter. He appears in the game *Downwell*.

## Character Origin

Welltaro is the protagonist of *Downwell*. Each playthrough starts with Welltaro jumping down into a well. He shoots enemies from above with his Gunboots until he meets the end of the well, beating the level.

## Trophy Quotes

> "*Welltaro is a curious young person who fell down a well. He utilized a trusty pair of Gunboots to slow his descent speeds and damage enemies below. In order to reload ammo, he needed only touch ground (or an enemy's head). Reaching the bottom yielded a special reward.*"
> ― Welltaro's Trophy Description
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> "*It wasn't enough for Welltaro to just descend to the bottom of the well. He chose to do so in style! For Handstand Style, he gets a discount for all items at the shop, but chooses from a smaller pool of upgrades at the end of each level.*"
> ― Handstand Welltaro's Trophy Description
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## Summary

Welltaro from a gameplay standpoint is a bit more complex than the rest of the cast. While he excels at downward coverage from above, his poor recovery can make him a pretty polarizing character that requires mastery of his strengths to succeed. He has an ammo gauge that he relies on to perform various attacks. The Gunboots can hold up to **8 ammo** in them, with Neutral, Side and Down Specials consuming more than one ammo. When he has no ammo left, he cannot perform any Special attack except Up Special and can no longer perform an air jump, and is then extremely vulnerable. Welltaro reloads his entire ammo gauge by landing - whether it be on the ground or an enemy's head.

### Moveset

**Passive | Gem High** :Activates whenever Welltaro lands a Pogo combo of 2 or higher. Buffs the damage of Welltaro's specials while active. Ends when Welltaro takes damage or dies.

**Air Jump** : Allows Welltaro to shoot with his Machine Gun, each bullet dealing **1 damage (2 damage in Gem High)**. Each Air Jump consumes **one ammo**, and the first Air Jump performed after a grounded jump or pogo has more height to it.

**Side Melee** : Welltaro engages Arm Spin mode and flails his arms forward wildly. Hits up to 3 times, dealing **1 damage** per hit. Last hit deals significantly more knockback. Damage unaffected by Gem High.

**Up Melee** : Welltaro engages Handstand mode and kicks his legs upwards. Deals **5 damage** with decent upward knockback. Damage unaffected by Gem High.

**Down Melee** : Welltaro engages Boulder mode and curls up into a spinning ball. Deals **4 damage** with little upward knockback. Damage unaffected by Gem High.

**Neutral Special | Triple Module** : This wide firing gun module can shoot 3 bullets out in a spread. Deals **2 damage (3 damage in Gem High)** per hit and has decent downward knockback. Uses 2 ammo.

**Side Special | Shotgun Dropkick** : Welltaro lunges forward feet first, before shooting a wide spray of 8 bullets in front of him. Hits harder the more bullets Welltaro lands. Each bullet deals **1 damage (2 damage in Gem High)**. Hitting with Welltaro's legs as he kicks them forward deals **3 damage** with decent horizontal knockback. This hitbox is unaffected by Gem High. Uses 2 ammo.

**Up Special | Heart Balloon**: Welltaro inflates a Heart Balloon. The balloon serves as a protection against attacks from above. The balloon can exploded pressing the attack button again to deal **8 damage (10 damage in Gem High).**

**Down Special | Laser Module** : Welltaro shoots a vertical Laser through the whole stage, dealing a reported **minimum of** **5 damage** **and a maximum of** **9 damage (Minimum 6 damage and maximum 11 damage in Gem High)**, doing more damage the closer the fighter is to Welltaro. The laser cannot go through platforms. Uses 4 ammo.

**Grounded Charge | Rocket Jump** : Welltaro launches high up in the air with a Rocket Jump, dealing **6 damage** on both sides when launching. The height of the charge increases with charge time, while the damage is always the same.

**SUPER | Timevoid** : Welltaro's SUPER puts him in a Timevoid and allows him to select one of 10 upgrades to use during a match. Upgrades stack and never expire. Choices are randomly selected upon use. The following upgrades are available for Welltaro to use:

* **Blast Module** – Buffs basic Pogo damage from 3 to 5 and gives it powerful downward knockback.
* **Gem Attractor** – Enemies drop Gems when hit. Stolen gem pickups can be collected by any player.
* **Gem Sick** – Doubles the number of gems earned from successful Pogo combos.
* **Heart Balloon** – Buffs Heart Balloon damage from 8 to 10. Allows Heart Balloon to explode automatically when popped.
* **Hot Casing** – Grants Hot Casing to all Welltaro’s ammo-consuming attacks.
* **Knife and Fork** – Causes enemies to drop HP pickups when killed. Welltaro will gain 5 HP upon collecting one.
* **Puncher Module** – Converts Midair Jump bullets into hard-hitting Puncher bullets that do double damage.
* **Rest in Pieces**- Causes Welltaro to unleash a damaging explosion upon death.
* **Safety Jetpack** – Allows Welltaro to briefly float down safely when out of ammo.
* **Youth** – Grants Welltaro an extra Upgrade choice whenever his SUPER is used. Increases Welltaro’s max HP by 5.
* **Apple** – Heals Welltaro for 10 HP. Shows up last in Welltaro's Upgrade pool and can be used infinitely once Welltaro is out of upgrades.

## Alternate Skin

Every skin is based on a Palette from *Downwell*.

## Competitive Play

### Attributes

* **Great Pressure Tools** in the form of Down Special, detonated Up Special, as well as Neutral Special.
* **Damage:** Welltaro has really high damage output, plus he also has tools for chip damage.
* **Gem Gain:** Welltaro can gain gems with ease, allowing him to get even more powerful with SUPER's upgrades.
* **Vulnerable Recovery:** Up Special has some startup before rising, plus his mid-air jump requires ammo to use.

### Techs and Strategies

* **Upgrade Tier List:** Made for Patch 2.1.1.1 by Windchilled and based on High Level Play. The tiers B and C are ordered *(although B is somewhat Match-up Dependent)*, but A Tier is completely match-up dependent. The Puncher + Hot Casings Synergy has been listed as a separate item, preventing it from affecting the placements of either upgrade on its own.

> "*Playing Welltaro comes down to 6 important things:*
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> 1.Spacing (Especially making sure your opponent can't punish you as soon as you land by moving far enough away from them), keeping distance when near the ground and moving closer when above your opponent. It is good to move closer when both players are on the ground by using rolling/rolling leaps. Make sure to use the balloon quite often as it is a very effective tool for spacing.
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> 2.Utilizing quickrolling, rolls and sometimes rolldancing VERY often to quickly move away from your opponent to stop them from punishing you as soon as you land if you get too close.
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> 3.Utilizing rolling leaps VERY often as it allows you to approach your opponent when you're both on the ground. It leads into many combos and is one of only two attacks that allows Welltaro to hit horizontally, along with his grounded charge.
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> 4.Making sure you use ammo effectively and always knowing how much ammo you have left and what you can do with it, as this will help you greatly with spacing and combos. Many combos will give you chances to land on your opponent, so use that to refill your ammo meter so you can extend the combo.
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> 5.Utilizing his grounded charge to gain a lot of height, allowing you to approach your opponent from above. It can also be used to stop an opponent from approaching you horizontally, i.e. through a rolling leap.
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> 6.Making great use of the balloon, as it is Welltaro's most valuable tool. The balloon is an amazing tool for spacing, and so you'll want to use it very often, as it is your only horizontal defense against opponents when in mid-air. Many combos can be ended with the balloon and you will want to use the balloon to hit off the top fairly often. You can roll towards your opponent, detonate the balloon and roll the way you came from to try and lead your opponent into the balloon. The balloon is also very useful for gaining height which helps when approaching from above.*"*
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> ― Windchilled
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## Update History

**Patch 1.0.0.5**

* Fixed a bug that caused the game to crash when Crow popped Heart Balloon.

**Patch 1.0.0.6**

* Welltaro's death sprite palettes have been fixed.

**Patch 1.0.16.0**

* Heart Balloon can no longer be popped by teammates.

**Patch 1.0.16.2**

* Fixed a bug related to Heart Balloon.

**Patch 1.1.0.0**

* Gem High now grants Welltaro unlimited ammo.
* Fixed a bug that prevented Welltaro from reloading on the Bouncy Castle stage.

**Patch 1.1.1.0**

* Laser Module now launches players upwards.
* Fixed a bug related to Heart Balloon in Arcade Mode.

**Patch 1.1.2.0**

* Fixed a bug that caused Velocispider's charge sound to persist after jumping on Welltaro's Heart Balloon.

**Patch 1.1.3.0**

* Shotgun Module bullets now fire at wider horizontal angles.
* Shotgun Module damage increased from 4 to 5 and from 6 to 7 with Gem High active.

**Patch 2.0.0.0**

* **Passive | Gem High**
	+ Gem High has been reworked as Welltaro’s new passive. Activates whenever Welltaro lands a Pogo combo of 2 or higher. Ends when Welltaro takes damage or dies.
* **Neutral Special | Triple Module**
	+ This wide firing gun module can shoot 3 bullets out in a spread. Deals 2 damage per hit and has decent downward knockback.
* **Side Special | Shotgun Dropkick**
	+ Welltaro lunges forward feet first, before shooting a wide spray of bullets in front of him. Hits harder the more bullets Welltaro lands.
* **Up Special | Heart Balloon**
	+ Damage reduced from 10 to 8.
	+ Hitbox lifespan decreased.
	+ Hitbox size reduced to more accurately match the spritework.
* **SUPER | Timevoid**
	+ Welltaro’s new SUPER allows him to select one of 10 upgrades to use during a match. Upgrades stack and never expire. Choices are randomly selected upon use. The following upgrades are available for Welltaro to use:
		- **Blast Module** – Buffs basic Pogo damage from 3 to 5 and gives it powerful downward knockback.
		- **Candle** – Increases invincibility time after taking damage.
		- **Gem Attractor** – Enemies drop Gems when hit. Stolen gem pickups can be collected by any player.
		- **Gem Sick** – Doubles the number of gems earned from successful Pogo combos.
		- **Heart Balloon** – Buffs Heart Balloon damage from 8 to 10. Allows Heart Balloon to explode automatically when popped.
		- **Hot Casing** – Grants Hot Casing to all Welltaro’s ammo-consuming attacks.
		- **Knife and Fork** – Causes enemies to drop HP pickups when killed. Welltaro will gain 5 HP upon collecting one.
		- **Puncher Module** – Converts Midair Jump bullets into hard-hitting Puncher bullets that do double damage.
		- **Safety Jetpack** – Allows Welltaro to briefly float down safely when out of ammo.
		- **Youth** – Grants Welltaro an extra Upgrade choice whenever his SUPER is used. Increases Welltaro’s max HP by 5.
		- **Apple** – Heals Welltaro for 10 HP. Shows up last in Welltaro’s Upgrade pool and can be used infinitely once Welltaro is out of upgrades.

**Patch 2.0.0.1**

* Limited Welltaro's max HP with Youth to 99.

**Patch 2.0.0.2**

* **Side Melee**
	+ No longer contributes to Pogo Combos.
* Fixed an issue with the Youth upgrade that caused Welltaro's HP to freeze if he was KO'd by a blast zone.
* Fixed a bug with the Candle upgrade that caused Welltaro to take damage during his SUPER.

**Patch 2.1.0.0**

* **Midair Jump**
	+ Bullets no longer contribute to Pogo Combos.
* **Up Special | Heart Balloon**
	+ Fixed a bug that caused Welltaro to get stuck on platforms while using this move.
* **Down Special | Laser Module**
	+ Ammo cost increased from 3 to 4.

**Patch 3.0.0.0**

* **Passive | Gem High**
	+ Pogo Combo cost to activate increased by 1 *(now requires a 3-Combo to activate)*.
* **Grounded Charge | Rocket Jump**
	+ Reduced hitbox height.
	+ Slightly increased startup.
* **Neutral Special | Triple Module**
	+ Bullets now have knockback falloff. Knockback decreases the farther bullets travel.
* **Up Special | Triple Module**
	+ Removed Heart Balloon's collision with players.
	+ Can no longer be ignited during the initial jump.
* **Blast Module**
	+ Blast Module particles should now match the color of the skin the player is wearing.
* **Hot Casings**
	+ Casings can no longer drop enemies below 1HP, similar to Zorbie's Gas.

**Patch 3.0.2.0**

* **SUPER | Timevoid**
	+ Fixed Gem Attractor sometimes giving 2 gems.

## Trivia

* Welltaro makes a lot of references to his game of origin, Downwell.
	+ His Melee attacks are inspired by the many Styles the player can choose to spice up their gameplay. Side Melee is Arm Spin, Up Melee is Handstand, Down Melee is Boulder.
	+ His SUPER is based on the many Upgrades Welltaro can receive upon completion of a level.
	+ Additionally, several Weapons are put to good use in his moveset, such as Machine Gun, Shotgun, Triple, Laser and Puncher.
	+ The color of the bullets from Welltaro's Gunboots, as well as the trail he leaves behind whilst in Gem High changes depending on his color palette.
* Although he never had a canon name in *Downwell*, "Welltaro" is the name his creator, Ojiro Fumoto, gave to the Lowe Bros. for his appearance in Indie Pogo.
* Welltaro was the 14th character added to the game.
* Welltaro was the only character recruited during the kickstarter to not be DLC.
* It has been revealed on the website description of the Downwell website that Welltaro is “a young man going down an endless well with gun-boots”.
* Welltaro was implemented into the game in November of 2017, making him the final fighter as part of the default 14.
* When spawning in, Welltaro's sprite appears similar to the Youth upgrade in Downwell

## ​Gallery

Welltaro's character box, on the Kickstarter pageUnlocking WelltaroWelltaro's trophy page, as seen in Indie PogoHandstand Welltaro's trophy page, as seen in Indie PogoSide-by-side comparison of *Downwell* and *Indie Pogo* Welltaro
## References

1. ↑ http://downwellgame.com/
2. ↑ https://gamebanana.com/skins/179263
3. ↑ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1642689247/indie-pogo/posts/2070551
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/LoweBros/status/1017888508487393281
5. ↑ https://downwell.wikia.com/wiki/Downwell\_Wiki