Edain 4.5: Spellbook Feedback

[FG15]

Edain 4.5: Spellbook Feedback
In this thread you can give us more detailed feedback about what you think of the new spellbooks in Edain 4.5.

In particular we are interested in the following questions:

• Which is your favourite new spellbook spell and why?
• Do you have a prefered subtree for each faction? (Short term/aggressive path  or long term/defensive path?)
• What do you think about the new spellbook structure?
• Are there any spells in the spellbook that you feel forced to take even if they aren't useful for you?
• Is there any faction strategy that you feel isn't enough represented in that faction's spellbook?
• Are there any spells that don't feel fitting at their current position?

[turin.turambar]

so to answer in order,

• favorite new spellbook, probably training of the firstborn, goes really well in the general feeling of imladris (should say I mostly played imla and rohan since release, and didn't try all the factions yet)
• favourite sub tree, always going defensive
• Love the new structure, the choices and the strategy that goes into both branches
• probably the 2 first spells on defensive branch of imla, or the 5pp spell on rohan defensive spell (three hunters or bred horses)
• didn't play enough to have an opinion on faction strat
• refuge of the imladris doesn't looks that well and arwen passive as well.

[RagingRemo]

I have a couple of balancing suggestions and feedback regarding the new spellbook:

1. Which is your favourite new spellbook spell and why?
    I love the new central spell of Rohan, Glorious King. It seems very fitting lore-wise
    and it is very unique towards other factions. 
2. Do you have a prefered subtree for each faction? (Short term/aggressive path  or long term/defensive path?)
    I'm mostly playing Rohan right now, and I always take this route (when against
    other players): Draft > Glorious King > The Three Hunters > Military Camp.
    And when I feel like it, I sometimes get Aid of Woses or Vanguard of Rohan.
    I feel like Rohan's spellbook is very fitting and well balanced.
3. What do you think about the new spellbook structure?
    I think it's really cool and a very good change in general.
4. Are there any spells in the spellbook that you feel forced to take even if they aren't useful for you?
    In my opinion, Gondor's spellbook is completely busted. You always want to get
    the aggressive route, and here is why:
  - Barage is a 2 points ability with a large crowd controlling ability that
    does enough damage to kill a medium sized army at early stages of the game, and
    stuns an army and heroes in the late game for ≈10 seconds which also deals a
    good amount of damage to buildings. Some might say: "Just walk away when it is
    used on you." But that is simply put impossible because the ability intendedly
    chases the army for some reason. To me this is VERY over powered compared to
    other factions abilities. I would suggest removing one or more of these: Remove
    the damage entirely towards units or let it also deal damage to allied units,
    remove CC towards heroes, remove chase mechanic, reduce firing time.
  - Eagles also are ridiculous. They have way too much health for archers to deal with
    (also because they come with 3 eagles), and they do too much damage
    towards heroes. Increase damage taken by archers seems really fitting here, since
    this is the only way to get rid of them.
  - And of course we have to talk about Army of The dead. The ability just wipes
    every army of the face of middle earth without any counter play. I think the ability
    still needs great attention in order to nerf it. I suggest lowering the summoned
    units its movement speed and lasting time by a large amount.

    Gondor's spellbook feels very unbalanced compared to other factions and some
    abilities are in every case much better than other abilities in its own tree.
5. Is there any faction strategy that you feel isn't enough represented in that faction's spellbook?
    Most definitely Isengard. Spellbook is in general too weak. Especially Isengard its
    main ability. I think the ability doesn't support Isengard in what it wants to do, and
    it's way to expensive for what it does do.
6. Are there any spells that don't feel fitting at their current position?
    Some Imladris abilities feel not very impactful, especially at the 3rd row.