Should Scramblers get a buff?

[ElPared]

I'm pretty sure I'm beating a dead horse here, but I had to bring this up again.

In short, a Scrambler is not worth the 9-10 wit investment it takes to spawn one around 75% of the time I've seen one made. In most games I've seen, it only takes a player 3-4 wits to kill a Scrambler and the unit it scrambled. Compared to other specials where it takes several turns, units and wits to kill the thing. I think this is ridiculous.

So here are what I think are some balanced changes to it:

Movement 4: Scramblers generally have to hide behind tougher units in order to work, effectively giving them a range of 2. 4 movement would allow them to scramble from farther away while still being frail and easy to kill.

Full HP Scrambling: Currently when a unit is scrambled it is reduced to 1 HP. This makes it hard to defend a scrambler as a simple runner can often kill the scrambled unit and the scrambler can then be killed by anything nearby. Getting the units at their pre-scrambling HP would make it easier to defend the scrambler and thus harder for your opponent to kill, making it worth the investment.

More HP: An HP increase of just 1 would at least make the Scrambler a bit more difficult to deal with than just "move soldier, attack. Dead." It takes a minimum of 2 attacks to kill most other specials, especially if boosted. The Scrambler should be the same.

Lower Spawning Cost: Reduce the Scramblers cost to 5 or 6. Currently, Scramblers are most effective when there are more than one of them. Reducing their cost would make this strategy more viable, and make them less of a terrible investment when their average lifespan is considered.

Move after Scrambling: Currently a Scrambler is a sitting duck after it brainwashes a unit. Allowing it to move after it scrambles a unit (perhaps reduced to 2 movement instead of 3 after scrambling) would allow it to move out of the way of would be counterattackers, and would allow other units to jump in and defend it.

of course all of these could be instead of getting a bonus wit for scrambling or something, I just think the think should be slightly harder to kill, or failing that, slightly more powerful, or cheaper.

[Mag!cGuy]

I really don't think it needs a buff, as I'm myself playing it quite often. The power of the scrambler doesn't rely on his longevity or strenght; his power is more in his ability to take the control of a part of the map by threatening opponent's units; scrambler can completely reverse the status of a game, makin your win a loss, which is something unique. If you manage a scrambling attack very well, you can save your scrambler from death nex turn, and if you do so you are always in an extremely good situation. The aim is not to send it in opponent's line and hope it will deal damage; the aim is to have a real sneaky plan or an awesome threatening force that gives you the whole control. If you watched my win aganst powee, you will see one single scramler prevented him from winning even though he had soooo much more jnits than me. So, no, no buffs needed imo.

[blckace]

They should get a buff. It's one of the reasons I stopped playing, Feedback can't compete in the top 10 otherwise, my ranking plateau was due to team limitation not skill. But as we all know feedback is never gonna get buffed.

Winning a game with Feedback against Adorables on Thorn Gulley requires nothing short of a miracle.

[(Rone)]

I don't play FB. So as far as utility of the scrambler can be difficult to use effectively.

(06-10-2013 06:20 AM)ElPared Wrote:  Movement 4: Scramblers generally have to hide behind tougher units in order to work, effectively giving them a range of 2. 4 movement would allow them to scramble from farther away while still being frail and easy to kill.

This would be unfair as it would take away the only unit that can move a unit four hexes. At the cost of an extra wit, the mobi technically gives other troops this range of four. The above qoute is making scrambler overpowered.

(06-10-2013 06:20 AM)ElPared Wrote:  Full HP Scrambling: Currently when a unit is scrambled it is reduced to 1 HP. This makes it hard to defend a scrambler as a simple runner can often kill the scrambled unit and the scrambler can then be killed by anything nearby. Getting the units at their pre-scrambling HP would make it easier to defend the scrambler and thus harder for your opponent to kill, making it worth the investment.

This would also be OP as it would not only be gaining the wits that the opponent spent to build, move that troop but now they could, depending on the unit, be impossible to kill costing the player even more just to kill their own unit that was scrambled. Think about a scrambled heavy with full hp. That isn't fair.

(06-10-2013 06:20 AM)ElPared Wrote:  More HP: An HP increase of just 1 would at least make the Scrambler a bit more difficult to deal with than just "move soldier, attack. Dead." It takes a minimum of 2 attacks to kill most other specials, especially if boosted. The Scrambler should be the same.

This doesn't seem like too much of a bad idea but if a boosted scrambler can't be killed by a soldier next turn what happens next... another scrambled unit. Not so much problematic for balancing the scrambler but it is for the teams. Making a gap between adorable's and FB would be favoring one team over another too much.

(06-10-2013 06:20 AM)ElPared Wrote:  Lower Spawning Cost: Reduce the Scramblers cost to 5 or 6. Currently, Scramblers are most effective when there are more than one of them. Reducing their cost would make this strategy more viable, and make them less of a terrible investment when their average lifespan is considered.

This actually seems like a decent idea however their is something important about every special costing 7 wits, if this was changed for balancing issues I suggest it is also done with other teams. Even then it seems questionable because their is a certain amount of fairness in each unit type costing the same for all teams. By that logic alone balancing issues would have to be fixed within the special itself and not its cost.

(06-10-2013 06:20 AM)ElPared Wrote:  Move after Scrambling: Currently a Scrambler is a sitting duck after it brainwashes a unit. Allowing it to move after it scrambles a unit (perhaps reduced to 2 movement instead of 3 after scrambling) would allow it to move out of the way of would be counterattackers, and would allow other units to jump in and defend it.

Moving twice wouldn't seem right for any unit as non others can do it because the mobied units can't even move after they already are transported.

If we really want to change game dynamics, which I'm not in favor for, how about we change the mind control ability be something ranged. possibly not 3 hexes but maybe that is too far ahead so how about two? This way they could be still safe behind other troops.

[Szei]

All of these buffs seem too strong even if the scrambler may be a little weak.

I think the balance is good enough, but as blckace said there are some maps that are imbalanced for feedback. The best fix for most balance issues would just be to allow players to veto 3 or 4 maps that they find their team has a significant disadvantage on. This kind of self balancing would be easier to implement and doesn't involve the risk of upsetting some players while pleasing others.

[(Rone)]

Interesting idea Szei, a person looking for a league game can have a choice between a set of a few maps to play on. (set would be predetermined) Although the matching system for league games may need to be revamped. Idk if that is asking too much.

[TheGoldenGriffin]

Scrambler is useful:
-He gets you units for free.
Well actually, one wit to move him first.
-He is very intimidating.
Opponents will avoid him unless they can kill him if they realize a scrambler can destroy their push easily
-He can infiltrate the enemy troops and destroy its heart that its attack depends on.
Example: wall of soldiers, scramble one, kill the sniper behind it- 2 units for the price of 1. Of course, there might be a mobi or a heavy but you should have other units to kill more enemies to support the scrambler.
-He isn't very wit consuming.
He could sit there and wait for the enemy to come
-He can get into the battle zone fast if you anticipate an attack.
He can move 3 places go near the site of battle. When the enemy arrives, he could scramble any unit within 4 spaces
-He is the sneakiest, the opponent will never know he's there until they witness him.
You will see mobis teleport and bramble's thorn patches and bombshell's fire but never a scrambler sitting in the FoW

[terenceshiu2005]

I thought it should. However, I keep myself silent at this moment because I'm trying feedback, I hope I can give a point soon.

[TheGreatAnt]

My biggest restriction when I am using Feedback is limited range. With all the other teams, you have units that can project or interact with 4 spaces at range, where the scrambler is close-combat. The 4 hex move would be nice, but it might create more problems than necessary as you can be much further than other units, and you could sit the scrambler out of reach.

The other big problem is when I am trying to move up to attack an already set force, I am risking my scrambler by moving it behind my wall because if they can attack, they can easily take it out.

I think Beta testers should take this one to the art board and see what kind of differences that some changes make.

[TheGoldenGriffin]

Scrambler can scramble units up to 4 spaces away from its original location

If you know your opponent is most likely going to attack that area, move it near but not in range, so when they come, scramble them there and kill as much important units as you can.