Hello together,
since there is no official balance thread for 4.5 yet, I'd like to introduce one.
Ofc 4.5 hasn't been out for a long time and it's too early to talk about everything in detail yet. Lots of testing and playing in PVP is still needed to get a generic overview over every single issue, with all the counterbalance going on and the new changes to the gameplay.
At this point thumbs up to the ET for doing such an amazing job!
However here's a first issue that I find likely to have a great negative influence on Multiplayer in general.
It's the tier 1 Ravenspell of the Dwarves.
Although I do like the new implementation of this spell as a defense-mechanism which is summoned static on a building, I don't quite like the benefits it brings to the Dwarven player.
The issue I am having with it is basically that it has a huge impact for such a cheap spell. There are:
- 50% Armor Buff for surrounding buildings
- 25% Debuff for hostile units
- 200% extra sight
- The spell stays permanent unless you don't recast it on another building
While the debuff is really strong, the real problem I see is the 50% armor buff for surrounding building. This ability stacks with other abilities like the Runes (+20%), the quarries (+30% max) and the citadel bonus in bases and outposts (+50%), which earns the concerning buildings 150% more armor.
This rewards a clumpy and campy playstyle and makes it nearly impossible to take down a base or even an outpost (especially since both, casting runes AND ravens on the citadel, brings the armor buff to all buildings inside the base/outpost).
The experience that I had with it is, that basically rushing an outpost and casting the ravens on it to debuff hostile units and buff the own buildings is a viable strategy to win matches. I also witnessed that mines have become so tanky, that harassment became nearly impossible, especially since the dwarven reinforcements benefit from the debuff of hostile units.
Also it is an option for the dwarven player to cast the ravens as a last resort on his base and force the enemy to siege him, while he can build up a strong dwarven force once again and come back.
I know that a comeback system in 4.5 is wanted up to some extent, however doing this over and over, not being able to end a match simply because the buildings in a base are too tanky, is not a way I imagine this was thought of.
Perhaps there is a way to deactivate the 50% building buff in a new balance patch, since I also don't see quite the connection between ravens buffing a building, while the other effects are understandable.