Gremlin woes again
Mon, 03/07/2011 - 19:04
More specifically, the Healer.
I find the healers move far too erratically to properly hit them. Also, they can perform some attacks without warning for too much damage (notably, their physical strikes with their wand).
They hurt just as much as a Thwacker. I find them overpowered to the point where they're suped-up versions of the Thwacker. They have almost just as many offensive abilities as healing - can they be nerfed a bit? Or at least nerf the amount of damage they can do.
Or is Tier 3 designed to have only 5* gear on?
EDIT: Doing Tier 3 runs with these equipped:
Bombastic Demo Suit
Heavy Demo Helm
Rock Jelly Shield
Dread Venom Striker
Prismatech Alchemer MK3 (I don't use this against Gremlins as it deals elemental damage)
Radiant Sun Shards
Mon, 03/07/2011 - 21:45
#2
The wand swipe from Menders
The wand swipe from Menders feels like one of the fastest attacks in the game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it also lacks the visible windup that most other attacks have. As it stands, this ability makes me feel very uneasy about engaging Menders in melee combat, as they can simply elect to bash my skull in for 8 anytime I'm taking a swing.
Mon, 03/07/2011 - 21:49
#3
Now that poison damages
Now that poison damages instead of healing on a heal, won't they just heal themselves to death if you drop a Venom Veiler at their feet?
Or do they just stop healing like before?
Mon, 03/07/2011 - 22:06
#4
If the poison damage on heal
If the poison damage on heal is supposed to be a visible effect, then the ones I fought moments ago simply stopped trying to heal, and were just sort of chilling out in their bubbles. If it happens invisibly, then... make it visible so I know my clever strategy is working properly, I guess?
Tue, 03/08/2011 - 20:22
#5
I can confirm one thing -
I can confirm one thing - once a monster is poisoned, healing doesn't work on them, otherwise you would see red numbers and hearts. I don't know if they take damage, but I can say one thing: the Giant Lichen Colony was easier to beat after being healed while poisoned.
So theoretically, if you poisoned the healer before it auto-bubbles, the healer should passively heal itself to death. Theoretically. I'll go on Tier 2 tomorrow and see if I can poison the healer before it activates its bubble.
But still... on Tier 3 with 5* armor and weapons, and the handgun and the rest of the gear being 4*? I think Healers should deal less damage (on its wand strike). They're healers, not Thwackers .-.
Sat, 03/12/2011 - 21:36
#6
It's an unwritten rule of
It's an unwritten rule of spiral knights that every new balancing update makes gremlins terrifying.
But aside from slightly lower HP that other units, healers have powerful offensive AND defensive capabilities- almost no drawbacks. They get way too many gimmicks:
1. Invincible shield dome that takes > 1 charged strikes to break
2. Ability to attack and heal self/others while inside said dome
3. Frequently used ranged attack (powerful)
4. Frequently used close attack (powerful)
5. Melee attack that can be performed INSTANTLY- no other monster I know of has this
6. Ability to keep almost a dozen allies at full health at the same time, WHILE attacking.
7. Revive dead spell with no apparent casting limit
8. AI that encourages them to hang out at the center of the pack where protected- they heal too fast to kill without swords, but are hard to reach
9. Area heal that seems substantially more effective than normal heal; gremlin healers can perform additional actions while this spell is in effect.
Only abilities 3 and 4 are widespread, though few enemies even combine both of those. I can think of maybe 1 other enemy (silkwings) with item 8. That leaves 6 highly exciting and powerful abilities that are exclusive to- and concentrated in- one single bundle of death.
While we're on the subject of overpowered units, I'd also be remiss not to mention my other new favorite: the teleporting shock wolvers. They shock on contact, and, since they teleport, packs of them are basically unavoidable (one will touch you, and you will die). Not a fun combo. (Greavers are also totally undodgeable and scary)
EDIT: I tried some healers today, and it seems that gremlin healers are no longer able to hit me from inside their bubbles. They certainly did swing their wands fiercely, but my past problems of being smacked senseless while attacking a shield no longer seem to apply. Yay!
Wed, 03/09/2011 - 10:44
#7
While I agree that a good
While I agree that a good challenge of 4 healers is good every once in a while, i find it frustrating. My biggest problem is the 'magic missile' attack they do. I'm not sure if it was a bug (and I can't back up my statement because i wasn't able to screen shot) but one of the healers was able to continuously shoot these 'magic missiles'. as there isn't much warning anyways, the healer was in a loop of lifting his arm up and then firing the missile, his arm would continuously lift up and then he would shoot missiles non-stop. The speed at which these missiles fire at is very hard to dodge while trying to place a bomb within a near proximity.
My suggestion is decrease the speed of the magic missile itself or the speed at which the gremlin healer prepares to fire it.
Wed, 03/09/2011 - 12:31
#8
My View:
I find them easy to hit and when I solo I usually 1 hit them, but thats just me. I would like to see there attack lowered since its real fast its hard to dodge there attack along with those shocking jellies mixed with some Shock Puppies.
Sat, 03/12/2011 - 19:39
#9
Just been playing some tier
Just been playing some tier 3, and wow are they annoying. If there is only one of them they are OK to deal with, when there is more than one it massively sucks. Needs to be some limit on the total healing and revive the dead they can do. I can one hit one, avoid the mob and work on the second one, only to have the third or fourth healer rev the one I just killed, it's an endless loop if you are solo.
On the plus side curse vials finally seem semi useful.
I agree! The problem is that even WITH 5* gear, you're still just as vulnerable to their blows as with 4* gear. :( It's the same with 5* weapons. It makes me very sad. :(