Fri Feb 21, 2014 12:59 pm
For information, last patch changes:
Now, with those in mind there are several things to be noted:
- Elites have had their price increased and several stats nerfed, but it seems those changes were independant: The stats were changed but the cost increases cover the old stats.
+ several anomalies, so I'll come up with my suggestions on how to rebalance elites so they're interesting, instead of the massive hordes of regulars we see at the moment.
I find that most "specialists" are OK, so will not really change them.
Wolf:
-Fang +5AP
The Fang Warrior had the right price in the previous patch, I don't see any reason to buff it with -5.
WwCB +4AP, +1MOV, Harassment shot prevents the use of run (Basically, you can move a part of your movement distance, shoot, then finish your movement, but not run).
The idea here is to prevent harassment stance from being as OP as it was before the patch, but also prevent the contant running. Harassment stance should, IMO, be better spent on moving a part of your movement to pop out of a wall shoot and hide again, not move 5, shoot, move 5 somewhere else. That's why the move goes back to 6: So that harassment would have enough room.
-WLW
I think the lonewolf is kind of fine as it is now.
-WH
Fine as it is, was unchanged anyway.
-GotR -1TOU, +1WIL
The reason of the +1 wil is that it's supposed, by the fluff, to be more of a scholar than a fighter. You reduced its damage down to 7 (same as a human, I won't comment further) but kept his will at 10 when it actually has a spell that can only be cast once per game with a difficulty of 10. Don't you find this kinda dumb? Most of the stats of that guy don't actually make sense (it's really tough, despite not being a fighter, etc...). That thing is already hard to use due to being orthodox in a faction with very few units.
-GG
Most fine of all elites, stays as it is for me.
-PoB -5AP, +1DAM
I'm simply making it a bit cheaper and back to hitting hard: It is currently a glass cannon that does the "canon" part rather badly. I'm fine with the DOD and TOU nerfs, and it was the most cost-effective elite before so the changes make a bit more sense. One thing that's not entirely related would be to invert "Hard Boiled" and "Fierce" in its research tree (so it would have FIERCE as basic trait and Hard boiled at level 4) to make it an interesting, yet suicidal, unit.
-Worg
Need more experimental data
RAM:
-SkeWar: Replace "Ferocious" with "Fierce". This would make it more interesting in the sense that with its poor stats, it doesn't make a good "fierce" unit (can't really hit the targets it's supposed to hit for 6 damage and already has good base damage) but Fierce would make it better at holding an enemy (preventing them to do pursuits). Also makes more sense to have it on the warrior than Archer. Would also give a cheaper option for level 2 that are all very costly skills, ruining the point of levelling up the Skeletons.
-SkeArch: Get rid of Fierce.
It makes no sense to have it on a ranged unit.
-Necro:
Fine as it is.
-Gargo:
Fine as it is.
-PoS: -3AP
It got pretty nerfed with Bad Omen's nerf. No reason to increase it's price.
-BP: Change Exhausting touch's range down to 1
So the BP has to be in contact with the enemy to cast it, making it riskier to use and harder to cast.
-SW: +1 TOU
Putting it back as a very tough guy. The price increase was overdone if it's not as tough as before.
-FGoA: Invert "Rutheless" and "Rapidity" in the research
This way, a Golem player will have to chose between crossing cover without penaties or moving +1. The possibility for a golem to have both is currently waaaay over the top, since the Golem only has to move 8 across the map every turn (by running) to be in contact with an enemy that will have to make a DOD roll it'll probably fail (due to the Golem's high accuracy)
LION:
-Sword:
Fine
-Bow: Reduce the cost of "Sharpshooter" skill
It really costs a lot for minimal interest
-MoA: Seal of Dellar'n should only have 2 activations per turn to limit the "heat seeking" sparks that ruin VIP games and any deck that relies on some squishy units (assault, Faithful, magician, archer)
-LoW:
Fine
-VoA:
Sort of fine
-SoL: +3 AP
They're really good, there was no reason to buff them with a price decrease; Their mobility is unmatched, and they're great healers+"squishies" killers.
-KotL: -25
It's currently way overpriced for what it does.
-[b]LotC
Can't comment on it yet, haven't even seen one.
EDIT: Corrected a lot of typos.
Deuzerre wrote:Stat changes I noticed:
Wolf:
Fang -5AP, Bloodlust replaced by Ferocious
WwCB -6AP, -1MOV, -1DOD, Accuracy replaced by Ferocious
WLW -4AP, +1DAM, -1 TOU, +1 WIL
WH (UNCHANGED)
GotR +2 AP, -2DAM, -2TOU [OUCH, that's a heavy nerf, not sure it was necessary]
GG +27AP
PoB +33AP, -2DOD, -1DAM, -2TOU, +1 WIL [I think it was too nerfed, especially -1DAM.
Worg -11AP, +1DAM,
RAM:
SkeWar: No stat change, but nerfed by LVL 2 ability costs.
SkeArch: -3AP, +1DAM, -1TOU [Weaker but hits harder for cheaper? Ok, I guess]
Necro: -12AP
Gargo: +1AP
PoS: +3AP
BP: +2AP, +1DAM
SW: +36AP, -1TOU [It was clearly too cheap, but the -1TOU may be overkill]
FGoA: +46AP, otherwise unchanged [I really hoped for mobility and rapidity to be on the same level so they couldn't both be taken]
LION:
Sword: -1AP, [but it's the cheapest at level 2 with minimum 31AP, and max 32AP]
Bow: Unchanged [And "Sharpshooter" still costs way too much]
MoA: -7AP
LoW: +1AP
VoA: +4AP, but a nerf on its Favorable Auspices
SoL: -3AP [OK, now this is broken. A horde of them with a magician can cast homing missiles you can't do anything about, and for much cheaper]
KotL: +55AP, -2DAM [-2DAM is overkill when combined with the cost icnrease]
LotC +37AP
Now, with those in mind there are several things to be noted:
- Elites have had their price increased and several stats nerfed, but it seems those changes were independant: The stats were changed but the cost increases cover the old stats.
+ several anomalies, so I'll come up with my suggestions on how to rebalance elites so they're interesting, instead of the massive hordes of regulars we see at the moment.
I find that most "specialists" are OK, so will not really change them.
Wolf:
-Fang +5AP
The Fang Warrior had the right price in the previous patch, I don't see any reason to buff it with -5.
WwCB +4AP, +1MOV, Harassment shot prevents the use of run (Basically, you can move a part of your movement distance, shoot, then finish your movement, but not run).
The idea here is to prevent harassment stance from being as OP as it was before the patch, but also prevent the contant running. Harassment stance should, IMO, be better spent on moving a part of your movement to pop out of a wall shoot and hide again, not move 5, shoot, move 5 somewhere else. That's why the move goes back to 6: So that harassment would have enough room.
-WLW
I think the lonewolf is kind of fine as it is now.
-WH
Fine as it is, was unchanged anyway.
-GotR -1TOU, +1WIL
The reason of the +1 wil is that it's supposed, by the fluff, to be more of a scholar than a fighter. You reduced its damage down to 7 (same as a human, I won't comment further) but kept his will at 10 when it actually has a spell that can only be cast once per game with a difficulty of 10. Don't you find this kinda dumb? Most of the stats of that guy don't actually make sense (it's really tough, despite not being a fighter, etc...). That thing is already hard to use due to being orthodox in a faction with very few units.
-GG
Most fine of all elites, stays as it is for me.
-PoB -5AP, +1DAM
I'm simply making it a bit cheaper and back to hitting hard: It is currently a glass cannon that does the "canon" part rather badly. I'm fine with the DOD and TOU nerfs, and it was the most cost-effective elite before so the changes make a bit more sense. One thing that's not entirely related would be to invert "Hard Boiled" and "Fierce" in its research tree (so it would have FIERCE as basic trait and Hard boiled at level 4) to make it an interesting, yet suicidal, unit.
-Worg
Need more experimental data
RAM:
-SkeWar: Replace "Ferocious" with "Fierce". This would make it more interesting in the sense that with its poor stats, it doesn't make a good "fierce" unit (can't really hit the targets it's supposed to hit for 6 damage and already has good base damage) but Fierce would make it better at holding an enemy (preventing them to do pursuits). Also makes more sense to have it on the warrior than Archer. Would also give a cheaper option for level 2 that are all very costly skills, ruining the point of levelling up the Skeletons.
-SkeArch: Get rid of Fierce.
It makes no sense to have it on a ranged unit.
-Necro:
Fine as it is.
-Gargo:
Fine as it is.
-PoS: -3AP
It got pretty nerfed with Bad Omen's nerf. No reason to increase it's price.
-BP: Change Exhausting touch's range down to 1
So the BP has to be in contact with the enemy to cast it, making it riskier to use and harder to cast.
-SW: +1 TOU
Putting it back as a very tough guy. The price increase was overdone if it's not as tough as before.
-FGoA: Invert "Rutheless" and "Rapidity" in the research
This way, a Golem player will have to chose between crossing cover without penaties or moving +1. The possibility for a golem to have both is currently waaaay over the top, since the Golem only has to move 8 across the map every turn (by running) to be in contact with an enemy that will have to make a DOD roll it'll probably fail (due to the Golem's high accuracy)
LION:
-Sword:
Fine
-Bow: Reduce the cost of "Sharpshooter" skill
It really costs a lot for minimal interest
-MoA: Seal of Dellar'n should only have 2 activations per turn to limit the "heat seeking" sparks that ruin VIP games and any deck that relies on some squishy units (assault, Faithful, magician, archer)
-LoW:
Fine
-VoA:
Sort of fine
-SoL: +3 AP
They're really good, there was no reason to buff them with a price decrease; Their mobility is unmatched, and they're great healers+"squishies" killers.
-KotL: -25
It's currently way overpriced for what it does.
-[b]LotC
Can't comment on it yet, haven't even seen one.
EDIT: Corrected a lot of typos.
Last edited by Deuzerre on Fri Feb 21, 2014 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
