Blastmaster

Issues dealing with gameplay balance.
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ChrisNihilus
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Blastmaster

Postby ChrisNihilus » Sun 20 Sep, 2015 11:13 am

The blastmaster upgrade is a little underwhelming.

Since the arc projectile thing, which is a great thing, the Blastmaster lost some of its qualities (the trajectory knockback), while still doing less damage, costing more and failing to knockback terminators (which definitely lower its utility in T3, since immunity to standard knockback is a trait in many of the most popular T3 capping units, and you usually buy this kind of setup teams just to avoid capping).

It's a T1 unit with an upgrade, instead of a T2, yes, but still, the arc projectile thing was a pure buff for the counterparts while it's a so-so thing for the blastmaster, which really fail to impress now.

This thing can be easily fix with a larger knockback area at impact or, which is pretty fluffy, adding suppression.
Heavy knockback could be an option too, since should be standard with these things.
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Lost Son of Nikhel
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Re: Blastmaster

Postby Lost Son of Nikhel » Sun 20 Sep, 2015 12:29 pm

IMHO The reasons behind the lower damage, range, weapon instead of abilty_knockback and higher cost its because the Blastmaster projectile knockbacks in his way, so even if the projectile fails hitting his target, still have some "success" delaying the enemy squad. With some luck, the projectile could knockback infantry models into the impact point. Also, the upgrade is in a T1 squad which have a great role burning down generators, which you have some flexibility turning then into the artillery mode in T2 with Blastmaster upgrade instead of buying a new, more costly squad in T2.

But with the changes to Blastmaster/Plasma Cannon projectile, im not sure if stills knockbacks people. If is not the case, it could have some buffs.
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Sub_Zero
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Re: Blastmaster

Postby Sub_Zero » Sun 20 Sep, 2015 2:15 pm

I would think of this trait as a disadvantage rather than an advantage. How often do you have something that charges into your noise marines and you decide to hit something on the edge of the firing arc instead of the closest and the more dangerous target? But how often you position your noise marines behind and have CSM in front who may suffer from that knockback? To me it always seemed like a good mechanic that rewarded (rather not punished) really skilled players. I would say that 1 of 10 times I see noise marines knockback their friendly forces who happen to stand along the trajectory. And I see them knocback enemies 1 of 20 times who stand along the trajectory, before the intended target.

If we are to increase the knockback radius then it will remove counter-play. Giving it suppression? Sure sounds pleasant to have but from the standpoint of balance that is really not needed. KB to heavy targets? No, I would leave it the way it is. Because of tzeentch marines and autocannon havocs/terminators. Pretty sufficient enough to disallow this thing to knockback even terminators.
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egewithin
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Re: Blastmaster

Postby egewithin » Sun 20 Sep, 2015 3:50 pm

Sub_Zero wrote:Giving it suppression? Sure sounds pleasant to have but from the standpoint of balance that is really not needed.


I liked the suppression idea actually. It does friendly knockback on fire, does less damage then Plasma Devs if I don't remember wrong, and insted of buffing it, why not giving a suppression? If it only hits half of a squad it effects so chain blasts are still able to be counterd. Sounds pretty cool to me. :)
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Crewfinity
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Re: Blastmaster

Postby Crewfinity » Sun 20 Sep, 2015 6:47 pm

Yeah but then it would be like a barbed stranger on steroids, if you get one good hit you're guaranteed more :P

Suppression is definitely not necessary imo, blastmaster is more or less fine
Bahamut
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Re: Blastmaster

Postby Bahamut » Sun 20 Sep, 2015 9:52 pm

Crewfinity wrote:Yeah but then it would be like a barbed stranger on steroids, if you get one good hit you're guaranteed more :P

Suppression is definitely not necessary imo, blastmaster is more or less fine


agreed

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